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 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL 
 
 RECORD 
 
 OF 
 
 LA SALLE COUNTY 
 
 ILLINOIS 
 
 ILLUSTRATED 
 
 ^^OI^lLJAdE: I. 
 
 CHICAGO 
 THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY 
 
 lyoo
 
 V. 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 OUT of the depths of his mature wisdom Carlyle wrote, "History is the 
 essence of innumerable biographies." Believing this to be the fact, there 
 is no necessity of advancing any further reason for the compilation of such 
 a work as this, if reliable history is to be the ultimate object. 
 
 The prominent section of the great Prairie state comprised within the 
 limits of these volumes has sustained within her confines men who have been 
 prominent in the history of the state and the nation from the earliest part 
 of this century. The annals teem with the records of strong and noble man- 
 hood; and, as Sumner has said, "the true grandeur of nations is in those 
 qualities wdiich constitute the greatness of the individual." The final causes 
 which shape the fortunes of individuals and the destinies of states are often 
 the same. They are usually remote and obscure, and their influence scarcely 
 perceived until manifestly declared by results. That nation is the greatest 
 which produces the greatest and most manly men and faithful women; and 
 
 A the intrinsic safety depends not so much upon methods as upon that true 
 and normal development from the deep resources of which proceed all that 
 
 Q is precious and permanent in life. But such a result may not consciously be 
 
 y contemplated by the actors in the great social drama. Pursuing each his 
 personal good by exalted means, they work out this as a logical result. 
 
 The elements of success in life consist in both innate capacity and 
 
 ^ determination to excel. Where either is wanting, failure is almost sure to 
 result. The study of a successful life, therefore, serves both as a source of 
 
 r information and as a stimulus and encouragement to those who have the 
 
 ' capacity. As an important lesson in this connection we may appropriately 
 quote Longfellow, who said, "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable 
 of doing, while we judge others by what they have already done." A faithful 
 
 V< personal history is an illustration of the truth of this observation. 
 
 In this Biographical and Genealogical Record the editorial staff, as well 
 
 as the publishers, have fully realized the magnitude of the task. In the 
 
 collection of the material there has been a constant aim to discriminate 
 
 1 
 
 284'278
 
 11 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 carefully in regard to the selection of subjects. Those who have been promi- 
 nent factors in the pubHc, social and industrial development of the county 
 have been given due recognition as far as it has been possible to secure the 
 requisite data. Names worthy of perpetuation here, it is true, have in sev- 
 eral instances been omitted, either on account of the apathy of those con- 
 cerned or the inabihty of the compilers to secure the information necessary 
 for a symmetrical sketch; and even more pains have been taken to secure 
 accuracy than were promised in the prospectus. Works of this nature, 
 therefore, are more reliable and complete than are the "standard" histories 
 of a country.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Ackermann, William, 57. 
 Adams, John Q., 268. 
 Ames, John C, 304. 
 Anderson, Andrew N., 589. 
 Anderson, John H., 178. 
 Angevine, Peter C., 211. 
 Annin, William V. S., 34°. 
 Arentsen, Daniel, 792. 
 Arentsen, David, 655. 
 Arentsen, Helia, 621. 
 Armstrong, Joseph L., 121. 
 Arntzen, Fridthgof G., 371. 
 Austin, George L., 725. 
 Austin, Seneca S., 735. 
 
 B 
 
 Bach, Edward W., 97- 
 Bailey, Ezra H., 90. 
 Bailey, J. B., 190. 
 Baisch, Jacob H., 192. 
 Baker. Hiram E., 595. 
 Baldwin, Amos C., 352. 
 Bane, James, 685. 
 Barackman, ^lilani J., 222. 
 Barratt. Berkley G., 86. 
 Bassctt. Daniel, 704. 
 Baughman, Robert N., 55. 
 Bedard, Frank W., 458. 
 Bedford. William T., 252. 
 Beem, 1. N., 274. 
 Bell, Alfred H., 666. 
 Bennett, George A., 492. 
 Bennett, Isaac H., 344. 
 Bennett. William R.. 399. 
 Birkenbeuel, Anton, 528. 
 Birtwell, Robert, 646. 
 Blanchard. Milton E., 584. 
 Bliss, Frank J., ,390. 
 Boggs, William F., 765. 
 Bonar. Barnet L.. 32. 
 Bond, Joseph E., 343. 
 Bovard, iVlillard F., 71. 
 Bo wen. Dan W.. 419. 
 Bowen, Henry, 375. 
 Bowen, John, 370. 
 Bowers. George W., 322. 
 Boyle. Edward H., 708. 
 Brandenburg, Christian F., 1 18. 
 P>raun. Charles A., 422. 
 Braun. John. 421. 
 Brcese. Andrew B.. 436. 
 Brewster. Benjamin D.. 402. 
 Brewster. Thernn D.. 401. 
 
 Bronson, AI. A., 2S- 
 Brotherton, James, 471. 
 Brown, Charles R., 360. 
 Brown, G. W., 645. 
 Brown, James C, 720. 
 Brown. William C, 722. 
 Browne, Edgar S., 209. 
 Bruce, James, 634. 
 Brunner, Charles, 520. 
 Brunner, Herman, 231. 
 Burgess, Sidney W., 757. 
 Burgess, Spencer S., 754. 
 Burke, Daniel R., 69. 
 Butters, Albert E., 173. 
 Butters, C. W., 643. 
 
 Cahill, Cornelius J., 294. 
 Cahill, James. 293. 
 Cahill, John D., 295. 
 Callagan, William, 586. 
 Camenisch, George, 470. 
 Campbell, George A., 639. 
 Carter, Charles, 463, 
 Carter, J. J., 392. 
 Gary, Charles A.. 354. 
 Gary, Norman J., 510. 
 Cassiday. John J., 553. 
 Catlin, Thomas D., 14. 
 Chapman. Clarence B., 75. 
 Chapman. Frank O., 39. 
 Chapman, Hosmcr C, 486. 
 Chapman, Otis L., 488. 
 Chai)man, William B., 438. 
 Chase, Hudson V., 467. 
 Cherrv. William S.. 85. 
 Clapsaddle. Alman A.. 588. 
 Clark, James. 548. 
 Clark. John L.. 194. 
 Clark, Simpson. 428. 
 Clay, Levi, 150. 
 Clayton, John S.. 377. 
 Cleary, Charles. 444. 
 Clement, A.. 345. 
 Cole. Samuel D.. 139. 
 Cnllings. John. 267. 
 Collins. Jeremiah. 446. 
 Conard. Grant. 174. 
 Conard, Willi.'im H.. 228. 
 Co-.iard. Wilson. 291. 
 Conerton. P.. 7^r,. 
 Con key, Oscar D. F.. 448. 
 Conover. Ira. 736. 
 Cooper. Frederick G.. 404. 
 Cooper. John, 310. 
 
 Ill
 
 IV 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Cooper, William, 636. 
 Cope, Israel C, 142. 
 Corbus, J. C, 671. 
 Corbus, J. C, Jr., 653. 
 Corbus, William F., 232. 
 Corley, Francis, 516. 
 Cornish, Wallace B., 498. 
 Costello, John M., 133. 
 Cotterman, David F., 74, 
 Cottew, Abram, 546. 
 Coulter, Charles A., 590. 
 Cram, George J., 94. 
 Crane, Frank M., 433. 
 Crawford, Robert N., 202. 
 Crider, Martin H., 788. 
 Cullen, Thomas, 560. 
 Cummings, Nicholas C, 434. 
 Cummins, W. B., 120. 
 
 D 
 
 Dale, Arthur H.. S92. 
 Dale, Frank. 591. 
 Danielson, Osman M., 597. 
 Daugherty, A. J., 277. 
 Daugherty, Francis M., 240. 
 Davis, David, 670. 
 Davis, Emanuel, 315. 
 Davis, Henry J., 615. 
 Davison, George L., 44. 
 Davison. William B., 389. 
 Disier, Claude, 497. 
 Dolder, Jacob, 225. 
 Dolder, John, 221. 
 Dougherty, M. E., 612. 
 Downing. Morton E., 116. 
 Downs, W. E., 637. 
 Doyle, Thomas F., 234. 
 Drackley. Thomas, 762. 
 Drake, James H., 43. 
 Drake, Jesse R., 43. 
 Dudgeon, Samuel G., 537. 
 Duffy, Michael, 626. 
 Dupee, Ralph O., 474. 
 Dupee. Walter R., 476. 
 Dwyer, Cornelius C, 523. 
 
 Eastegord, Ole T., 767. 
 Eaton. Levi M., 632. 
 Edwards. James, 412. 
 Elliott. George A., 5^6. 
 Ellis. Toel W.. 327. 
 Ellsworth, Urbin S., 656. 
 Elwell, Stephen D., 576. 
 Erickson, Ole, 306. 
 Ertel, Joseph, 405. 
 Esmond, Thomas W.. 362. 
 Ethridge. Albert, 25. 
 Etzler, Benjamin M., 555. 
 
 Farley. Willis C, 559- 
 Farnham, C. E., 146. 
 
 ,<s?^^ 
 
 Farnham, Perry, 395. 
 Farnsworth. Richard, 158. 
 Ferrell, J. M., no. 
 Fetzer, Henry, 18. 
 Finkler, Alexander C, 437. 
 Fishburn, Francis M., 299. 
 Flaherty, iMichael J., 638. 
 Fleming, Nathan, 160. 
 Fletcher, Ruffin D., 263. 
 Fletcher, William F., 169. 
 Flick, George M., 88. 
 Foote, Hosea, 506. 
 Foote, James S., 696. 
 Ford, George W., 699. 
 Foreman, George T., 593. 
 Fowler, Albert J., 357. 
 Frank, Charles A., 466. 
 Eraser, William H., 460. 
 Fread, William, 349. 
 Frost, Francis A., 185. 
 Fullerton, Thomas C, 72. 
 Funk, John, 170. 
 Futterer, Joseph, 635. 
 
 Gage, B. Frank, 339. 
 Gage, Isaac, 336. 
 Gallagher, Hamilton M., 232. 
 Gallup, Rinaldo M., 272. 
 Gatchell, James M., 367. 
 Gatiss. Henry, 598. 
 Gay, Joshua G., 680. 
 Gentleman, Frank, 186. 
 George, Horace B. 570. 
 Gerding, August, 569. 
 Gibson, George W., 281. 
 Girolt, John, 441. 
 Gleim, Ernst, 346. 
 Gmelich, Gottlob, 530. 
 Gochanour, Mathias. 220. 
 Gochanour, William H., 324. 
 Godfrey, Abram C, 82. 
 Goedtner, John. 580. 
 Goodell, Ira W., 544. 
 Gordon. James, 130. 
 Graf, Robert. 660. 
 Grant, David. 732. 
 Greiner, George W., 663. 
 Griffith, Martin L., 521. 
 Griggs, Clarence. 21. 
 Grogan, J. J., 128. 
 Grove, Jesse. 311. 
 Grove, L. J.. 253. 
 Gruber, William D., 379. 
 Gum. Allen S.. 182. 
 Gunn. Aaron, 690. 
 Gunn, Henry, 672. 
 Gunn, Moses W., 285. 
 
 H 
 
 Hackett, Vinal H., 414. 
 Hackshaw. George. 196. 
 Haeberle. Christian. 112 
 Hafifele, George, 522.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Haight. William R., loo. 
 Hail, Henry G., 303. 
 Hall, Samuel P., 166. 
 Halvcrson, Charles K., 543. 
 Hamilton, Andrew, 113. 
 Hampson, John E., 415. 
 Hanley, Patrick, 526. 
 Hanna, John A., 316. 
 Hapeman, Douglas, 41. 
 Harber, John D., 489. 
 Hartenbower, Henry F., 724. 
 Hartenbower, John E., 730. 
 Harth, William, 409. 
 Hartshorn. Alfred I., 700. 
 Hartshorn, Frederick P., 353. 
 Hartshorn, George A., 779. 
 Haskins, Thomas N., 243. 
 Hastings, Samuel, 472. 
 Hatheway, Joseph C., 31. 
 Hatton, Albert H., 385. 
 Hawley, Ezra, 789. 
 Hayer, Elias, 109. 
 Hayer, G. L., 328. 
 Hayer, Lars, 104. 
 Hayer, Lorenzo, 338. 
 Hayward, George, 331. 
 Hebel, Andrew, 563. 
 Heidler, Samuel H., 20. 
 Herbert, Theodore G., 426. 
 Herrcke, Arthur J., 511. 
 Herzig, Adolph F., 518. 
 Helherington, Benjamin M., 403. 
 Hibbs. Jonah, 295. 
 Hickok, Horac^ D., 782. 
 Hill, George D.. 631. 
 Hill, James L., 250. 
 Hilliard. John, 561. 
 Hiltabrand, George D., 618. 
 Hiltabrand, Simeon C.. 746. 
 Hiltabrand, William W.. 742. 
 Hitter, Joseph C., 256. 
 Hoag, Charles H., 376. 
 Hoberg, Frederick E., 454. 
 Hochstattcr, William, 667. 
 Hodgson. iMartin C, 129. 
 Hoffman, Urias J., 50. 
 Holland, B. B., 66. 
 Holland, George, 423. 
 Holly, William, 198. 
 Holmes, George W., in. 
 Holmes, Henry, 125. 
 Horn, William J.. 180. 
 Horton, Manley H., 507. 
 Hoss, Adolph, 533. 
 Hoss, Charles, 459. 
 Hougas, Thomas, 187. 
 Howe, Frank L., 251. 
 Howe, George W.. 758. 
 Howland, Henry F., 144. 
 Huff, Owen W., 273. 
 Hull, William H., 52. 
 Hum. George, 356. 
 Humbert, Felix J.. 774. 
 Hunt, James R.. 181, 
 Hupp, George C, 558. 
 Hupp, Harley G., 557. 
 
 Imus, Thomas, 417. 
 Isermann, William D., 68. 
 
 J 
 
 Jacobson, Jacob C, 571. 
 Jameson, Gabriel M., 565. 
 Janz, Leopold C, 519. 
 Jeft'ery, William A., 148. 
 Johnson, Amnion S., 154. 
 Johnson, Oscar H., 335. 
 Jones, Chauncey, 737. 
 Jones, Samuel E., 504. 
 Just, George, 464. 
 
 K 
 
 Kangley, John, 610. 
 Keating, Bernard T., 79. 
 Keating, Edward, 781. 
 Keating. Thomas S.. 114. 
 Keim, Gustavc J., 203. 
 Kellenbach, Anton, 475. 
 Kellenbach, William E., 476. 
 Kelley, Oliver IM., 718. 
 Kelly, Henry AL, 787. 
 Kelso. Alexander, 752. 
 Kember, Charles, 583. 
 Kember. Ralph E., 573. 
 Kennedy, John, 678. 
 Kieselbach. Otto, 524. 
 Kilduff. Joseph F., 791, 
 Kingery. E. H., 278. 
 Kings, John A., 432. 
 Kirkhus, Ole J.. 606. 
 Kleibcr. Aaron. 152. 
 Klove, Andrew A., 776. 
 Knickerbocker. Charles H., 168. 
 Knott. Richard F.. 323. 
 Koch. Joseph. Sr., 206, 
 Koehler, Fred A.. 469. 
 Koons, Jerome C, 547. 
 Kreidcr. Wilson E., 750. 
 Krouse. David, 149. 
 Kruse, H. G., 126. 
 Kuney, Jacob, 478. 
 Kurscheid, Mathias, 662. 
 
 L 
 
 Ladd, George D., .300. 
 Lambert. P'dward F., 773. 
 Lambert. John R., 710, 
 Lane, AI. C, 620. 
 Larabee. James W., 513. 
 Larkin, John J., 535. 
 Lawrence, Dwight, 321. 
 Lawry, Samuel U., 654. 
 Lee, George W., 539. 
 Lee, John N.. 574. 
 Lehr. John J., 430. 
 Leininger, Jefferson W., 697. 
 Leix, Julius L., 341. 
 Leland, Kimball W., 355.
 
 .VI 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Leland, Lorenzo. 325. 
 Lenzen, Aegidius J., 517. 
 Lewis, Samuel R., 296. 
 Lewis, William R., 40. 
 Libbey. Jane S., 378. 
 Linfor. John 227. 
 Linfor. Robert. 224. 
 Lock, Isaac, 739. 
 Locke, August, 648. 
 Lockrem, N. J., 365. 
 Loekle, Edward G., 264. 
 Loekle. Otto J., 266. 
 Long, Charles W., 184. 
 Long, Eugene C, 676. 
 Long, Lewis, 108. 
 Loos, jMichael E., 414. 
 Loring, David, 47. 
 Loring, Hulbert L., 47. 
 Lovejoy, Elijah B., 238. 
 Lovejoy. Walter C, 644. 
 Luther, ^^lilo J., 216. 
 
 M 
 
 Maass. Ludwig H.. 183. 
 Madden, John C. 508. 
 Madden. Stephen J., 505. 
 Marshall. John L.. 797. 
 Marshall, Theophilus, 772. 
 Marshall, Thomas. 687. 
 Martin, Willis A., 614. 
 Mason. Ernest G., 453. 
 Mason, Isaac F., 381. 
 Mason. William T.. 793. 
 Massatte, Frank, 763. 
 Matern, Joseph J., 669. 
 Matthiessen. Frederick W., 712. 
 McArthur, Peter M., 766. 
 McCombs, George W., 396. 
 McCormick. John L., 270. 
 McElhenie. William, 447. 
 McFeely, Samuel R., 56. 
 McFerson. George A.. 677. 
 McKey. Milroy A.. 450. 
 McKinney, William T., 515. 
 McLauchlan, John. -^72. 
 McMullan. Frank E., 58. 
 McNamara, William F., 242. 
 Means. Archibald. 540. 
 Means. William E., 554. 
 ]\Teier. Dominic. 30. 
 Meisenbach, Franz, 527. 
 Mengle. Samuel G., 798. 
 Mers, Andrew W., 611. 
 Mercer. Angus R.. 106. 
 Merritt. Amos W.. 748. 
 Merritt, Elisha M., 658. 
 Metzger. F., 647. 
 Miller, Bruce C 715. 
 Miller, Dyson, 36. 
 Miller. John E.. 496. 
 Milling. John T.. 424. 
 Mills. Daniel C.. 348. 
 Mitchell. Charles J.. 431. 
 Mitchell. Alarshall B., 89. 
 ]\Iontgomery, Samuel H., 350. 
 
 Moon, Amnion B., 200. 
 Morey, Woodruff A., 63. 
 ^Mosey, Henry T., 554. 
 Mosey, Thomas T., 568. 
 ^loulton, Frank D., 255. 
 
 N 
 
 Nattinger, Edward A., 594. 
 Neff, Frank T., 92. 
 Neff. Henry B., 630. 
 Nichol, A. F., 204. 
 Nicholson, Donald A., 96. 
 Nicholson, John, 713. 
 Nicholson, William. 760. 
 Nitschelm, E. P., 95. 
 Nitter, David, 115. 
 Noon, Thomas F., 276. 
 Noonan, John F., 796. 
 Norton. William H., 501. 
 
 o 
 
 Oakland, Oliver G.. 602. 
 O'Donnell. John, 609. 
 O'Kelly. Henry A., 17. 
 Olmstead, Hiram D., 132. 
 Olmstead. Smith H., 605. 
 Olsen. Peter A.. 208. 
 Osgood, Simon T.. 249. 
 Osman. William. 683. 
 Ostrander, Albert N., 248. 
 Ostrander, John B., 247. 
 Over. John, 482. 
 
 Page. Thomas M.. 427. 
 Palmer, Ransom D.. 582. 
 Palmer. Walter B.. 80. 
 Panneck. Walter A., 780. 
 Park, John B., 503. 
 Parr. Francis M.. 453. 
 Parr. Henry K.. 373. 
 Parrish. James W.. 495. 
 Patterson. Frank J., 400. 
 Patterson, Samuel, 728. 
 Patterson, William, 744. 
 Peck. Henry, 123. 
 Peddicord. Edward S., 197. 
 Peddicord, Milton B.. 302. 
 Pederson, Enoch H.. 140. 
 Peltier. Victor J., 62. 
 Penney. G. E.. 163. 
 Peterson, Daniel, 682. 
 Piergue, J. L.. 46. 
 Pinnell, George M., 440. 
 Pitzer. George W., 483. 
 Plumb. Levancia, 27. 
 Plumb. Ralph. 9. 
 Plumb. Samuel. 26. 
 Pool. Carlisle M.. 628. 
 Pool, Isaac H., 777. 
 Pope, Milton. 600. 
 Porter, J. E., 740. 
 Potter, Seymour. 62^.
 
 INDEX. 
 
 vu 
 
 Powell, James A., 397. 
 Prichard, William E., 84. 
 Proelss, Otto T., 411. 
 
 Q 
 
 Quam, John A., 633. 
 
 R 
 
 Rathbun, Charles H.. 288. 
 Raymond, Isaac, 716. 
 Read, I'Mwin T., 329. 
 Rcddick, William S., 193. 
 Redmcn, Andrew J., 143. 
 Rees, Wdliam P., 337. 
 Reeves, Walter, 38. 
 Reinhardt, Joseph, 418. 
 Richards, Frederick, 188. 
 Richardson, Justin W., 719. 
 Richey, David, 664. 
 Rinke'r, John, 309. 
 Roath, Byron A., 191. 
 Roberts, George W.. 332. 
 Robertson, Amos, 28. 
 Robinson, Delos, 217. 
 Robinson, Eugene D., 219. 
 Rocheleau, William F., 761. 
 Rockenfeller, Theodore, 318. 
 Rockwood, Harry E., 235. 
 Roe, William, 384. 
 Rohrer, Charles. 455. 
 Rosebery, W. Guy, 257. 
 Ross, Walter L., 156. 
 Rowe, Thomas, 135. 
 Rude, David, 246. 
 Rude, Thaddeus, 480. 
 
 Safeblade, J. F., 775- 
 Salladay. Charles P., 258. 
 Sanderson, Austin, 572. 
 Sauer, Christian G., 722. 
 Schaefer, Albert, 351. 
 Scherer, Frederick T., 642. 
 Schmid, George A., 260. 
 Schmitt, Adam, 525. 
 Schoch, Albert F.. 60. 
 Schoenneshoefer. William, 771. 
 Schott, Joseph, 649. 
 Schweickert, Bertram. 435. 
 Schweickert, Charles A., 394. 
 Schweickert, Henry E., 410. 
 Schweickert, Jacob F., 462. 
 Schweickert, Vincent, 393. 
 Severson. Z.. 51. 
 Sexton, James, 83. 
 Sherman, Henry, 755. 
 Sherman, Josenh. 587. 
 Siegler, Bart. 486. 
 Siegler, William J., 466. 
 Simmons, Terry. 484. 
 Simon, A. D., 138. 
 Simonson, Omun, 778. 
 Slagle. David H., 312. 
 Smeeton, Henry, 153. 
 
 Smith, A. H.. 382. 
 Smith, Cyrus H., 726. 
 Smith, Frederick W., 768. 
 Smith, James K., 660. 
 Smith. Uriah T., 308. 
 Snelling, David, 599. 
 Snow, Clyde M., 406. 
 Solberg. Charles O., 259. 
 Soule. Charles E., 795. 
 Spaulding, Judson, 347. 
 Spencer, Thomas H., 54. 
 Springsteed, Benjamin, 567. 
 Stanford. Russell E., 703. 
 States, Frank E., 485. 
 States, Gaylord J., 261. 
 Stebbins, Burr, 157. 
 Stebbins, Grant C, 155. 
 Steinmayer, Christian, 383. 
 Sterrett, William S., 608. 
 Stevenson, James W., 70. 
 Stiles, E. B., 16. 
 Stilson, Samuel T., 98. 
 Strong. Charles C, 342. 
 Struever. Charles, 490. 
 Sullivan, Thomas, 172. 
 
 Tavlor. Charles P., 286. 
 Taylor. W. W., 764. 
 Teal. Nathan, 320. 
 Teissedre, Paul, 784. 
 Thomas, Henry, 769. 
 Thomas, John. 745. 
 Thomas, William, 103. 
 Thompson, Barto. 617. 
 Thompson, John M., 334. 
 Thompson, Lewis T., 575. 
 Thompson, Sylvanus S., 165. 
 Thompson, Thomas F., 564. 
 Thornton, U. N., 607. 
 Tisler. Frederick P.. 167. 
 Todd. Harry W., 407. 
 Townsend. George W.. 627. 
 Transeau, James W.. 786 
 Trowbridge, Irving H.. 124. 
 Truman, William, 213. 
 Trumbo, B. Frank, 127, 
 Tucker, Adney N., 211. 
 
 U 
 
 Ulricli, John B., 245. 
 
 V 
 
 Van Skiver, A. R., 262. 
 Vette, John D., 363. 
 Vigness. Lauritz A., 33. 
 Vohs, John J.. 492. 
 Vosburgh, David j\I.. 283. 
 
 w 
 
 Wafer, J. J,, 145 
 Wakey, Jerry W., 137.
 
 Vlll 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Walbridge, Alonzo F., 280. 
 Waldorf, Louis, 442. 
 Walsh, James T., 107. 
 Walter, John, 215. 
 Ward, Ebin J., 64. 
 Warren, Charlotte L., 613, 
 Warren, William P., 578. 
 Waszkowiak, Paul, 499. 
 Watts, Charles B., 603. 
 Watts, Philip C, 117. 
 Watts, Thomas W., 531. 
 Waugh, Samuel, 76. 
 Weberling-, Theodore, 196. 
 Welsh, M. J., 244. 
 Werner, Charles G., 361. 
 Wheeler, Julius H., 369. 
 White, John, 72>2. 
 Whitney, Emerson L., 533. 
 Wickwire, D. H., 307. 
 Wiley, Samuel C, 205. 
 
 Wilhelm, C. D., 625. 
 Wilkinson, Aaron S., 147. 
 Williams, Silas W., 500. 
 Williamson, Albert, 255. 
 Williamson, William E., 179. 
 Wills, George E., 640. 
 Wilson, Thomas, 494. 
 Wilson, William G., 689. 
 Winans, Alva, 694. 
 Winter, John J., 672- 
 Witte. John J., 287. 
 Woodward, C. W., 134. 
 
 Ziesing, Richard, 648. 
 Zimmerman, Christian, ,650. 
 Zimmerman, Christian, Jr., 652. 
 Zolper, Henry, 456. 
 Zwick, Frank B., 556.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 A 
 
 RALPH PLUMB. 
 
 THIRD of a century has passed since this gentleman arrived in Streator, 
 and he is justly numbered among her leading citizens, his labors having 
 contributed largely to her upbuilding and prosperity. His is an honorable 
 record of a conscientious man, who by his upright life has won the confi- 
 dence of all with whom he has come in contact. He has reached the age 
 of more than four-score years, but though a long and busy life has whitened 
 his hair he has the vigor of a much younger man, and in spirit and interests 
 seems yet in his prime. Old age is not necessarily a synonym of weakness 
 or inactivity. It need not suggest, as a matter of course, want of occupation 
 or helplessness. There is an old age that is a benediction to all that comes 
 in contact with it, that gives out of its rich stores of learning and experience, 
 and grows stronger intellectually and spiritually as the years pass. Such 
 is the life of Colonel Ralph Plumb, an encouragement to his associates and 
 an example well worthy of emulation to the young. 
 
 It is always interesting in biographical research to note something of 
 the ancestry from which one springs and to take cognizance of the charac- 
 teristics of the family, watching the continuous display of certain traits of 
 character through many generations. A most complete history of the Plumb 
 ancestry is obtainable, the line being traced back in England to the year 
 1500, and in this country to 1635. Back of these records Plumbs are found — 
 mostly through their wills — through all the centuries to 1180, A. D., in the 
 great rolls of Normandy, thus showing Norman ancestry in the time of 
 Henry II., the great-grandson of William the Conqueror. The first repre- 
 sentative of the family in America was John Plumb, who crossed the Atlantic 
 from England in 1635, locating in Wethersfield, Connecticut. He served 
 in Captain Mason's command during the Pequod war, and received a grant 
 of land for his services. Only one of his children was born in America, and 
 no record of any exists except that his son Samuel lived with him in Branford 
 when he died, in 1648. It was from this John Plumb and another who came 
 in 1660 and left descendants that the American branch of the Plumb family 
 
 9
 
 lo BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 sprang, and they have been prominent in the civil and miHtary Hfe of the 
 country ever since. They have been a race of warriors and statesmen, and 
 have been notable and forceful in all the emergencies of their several gener- 
 ations. There were forty representatives of the name in naval and military 
 service during the war of the Revolution. This family was also worthily repre- 
 sented in the war of the Rebellion, and in times of peace has served its 
 country in a most creditable manner. Ebenezer Plumb, the grandfather of 
 the Colonel, was a native of Massachusetts, and fought for the liberty of the 
 colonies. Taking a very prominent part in church work, he was familiarly 
 known as Deacon Plumb, on account of holding the office of deacon for 
 many years in the old church at Stockbridge, Berkshire county, Massachu- 
 setts. Theron Plumb, the father of our subject, was born in Berkshire 
 county, Massachusetts, August 17, 1783, and having arrived at years of 
 maturity he married Miss Harriet, daughter of Samuel Merry, of Herkimer 
 county, New York. 
 
 Colonel Plumb of this review is a native of the Empire state, his birth 
 having occurred in Busti, Chautauqua county, March 29, 1816. In 1820 he 
 was taken by his parents to Plartford, Ohio, where he spent his boyhood 
 days, attending the common schools until fourteen years of age, when neces- 
 sity demanded that he earn his own livelihood, and he put aside his text- 
 books. He entered upon his business career, being employed as a gardener, 
 receiving the small sum of eighteen and three-fourths cents per day in com- 
 pensation for his services. However, he applied himself diligently to his 
 work and won the good will and confidence of his employer, Seth Playes, 
 who gave him a position in his store, conducted under the firm name of 
 Richard Hayes & Company. Mr. Plumb remained there until he had 
 attained his majority, and in the meantime he improved his education as 
 opportunity offered, devoting much of his leisure time to study. 
 
 When he had reached man's estate Mr. Plumb entered into partnership 
 with his employer, under the firm name of Hayes & Plumb, and an extensive 
 trade was enjoyed by them. They extended their business by establishing 
 branch stores, and Mr. Plumb gave evidence of his superior business ability 
 by personally superintending three stores in a successful manner. Thus with 
 the passing years he grew in influence and in affluence, and his fellow towns- 
 men, appreciating his worth, called him to public office. In 1854 he was 
 elected to the Ohio legislature, where he served for three sessions. About 
 that time he disposed of his business interests in Hartford and removed to 
 Oberlin, in order to provide his children with better educational privileges. 
 
 In 1858 he was an active factor in an episode that has become historical 
 and that clearly proved his position in regard to the slavery question. A 
 fugitive slave, John Price by name, had gone to Oberlin and secured work.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. ii 
 
 His master, learning- of his whereabouts, sent a slave-catcher to capture him 
 and take him back to \\'ellington. a place nine miles away, where an officer 
 with papers for his arrest awaited him. Fearing that Price might recognize 
 the slave-catcher, two strange men were sent and told him that a gentleman 
 wished to hire him. With the trusting disposition of the negro, fearing no 
 treachery. Price accompanied the men. Oberlin then became the scene of 
 wild excitement, the anti-slavery people being greatly roused by the injustice 
 of the methods that had been pursued. Five hundred strong, they rescued 
 the slave and sent him ofif to Canada. Mr. Plumb, with thirty-six others of 
 the party, was arrested and thrown into jail. For eighty-four days they 
 were incarcerated, during which time Mr. Plumb, with the assistance of 
 two of his fellow prisoners, established and edited The Rescuer, an anti- 
 slavery paper, even printing the same in the jail, where one of the party, 
 owning a press and being a printer, did the work. This paper had a wide 
 circulation and the arrest and imprisonment of those thirty-seven men caused 
 the wildest excitement in the county and state. They were anxious for and 
 demanded a trial. The town, county, state and even the federal government 
 did not know what to do with them; they were a veritable w'hite elephant 
 on the hands of the authorities. During the legislative career of Mr. Plumb 
 he helped to secure the passage of a bill defining the crime of kidnaping, 
 and of this the citizens of Oberlin took advantage at this time and had the 
 two men who inveigled the slave into the hands of the officers arrested for 
 kidnaping him. This was like a thunder-clap out of a clear sky to the author- 
 ities and brought them to time; and they opened negotiations with the 
 prisoners for their release, being secretly glad to get rid of them. They 
 were released in consideration of the kidnapers' not being prosecuted. 
 During these eighty-four days of incarceration the thirty-seven prisoners 
 were the heroes of the hour. Their imprisonment was a continuous recep- 
 tion, people coming from all parts of the country by the thousands to visit 
 them and encourage them in the stand they had taken against oppression 
 and injustice. At last the prison doors were opened with eclat and the 
 prisoners welcomed with a band of music and the salute of one hundred 
 guns. 
 
 Mr. Plumb continued a firm advocate of anti-slavery principles; and, 
 being a strong advocate of the Union cause at the breaking out of the war 
 of the Rebellion, he received the appointment of assistant quartermaster of 
 a division, with the rank of captain. He was quartermaster on the stafY of 
 James A. Garfield, and was one of the General's closest friends and warmest 
 admirers and served with him until the General became chief of stafif for 
 General Rosecrans. During the latter part of the great struggle he was 
 quartermaster of Camp Dennison, and was brevetted colonel for meritorious
 
 12 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 service. During his service as quartermaster he handled immense sums of 
 money without the loss of a dollar to the government, and at the close of 
 the war he returned to Oberlin with a most honorable record. 
 
 Since the year 1866 Colonel Plumb has been identified with the interests 
 of Streator, and to no man does the city owe its upbuilding, improvement 
 and progress in a greater degree. He was chosen by a large syndicate of 
 capitalists to become their resident manager at Streator, and he purchased 
 for them four thousand acres of coal lands. Under his supervision the 
 development of the mines was commenced, and four hundred miles of rail- 
 road was built in order to provide shipping facilities for the output. The 
 marked business and executive ability of Mr. Plumb was manifest in the 
 success which attended the new enterprise from the beginning. It yielded 
 handsome financial returns to the members of the company and brought to 
 Mr. Plumb a deserved prosperity. He founded and laid out what is now 
 the city of Streator, personally giving every street its title, and naming the 
 place in honor of Dr. Streator. who was president of the syndicate of which 
 Colonel Plumb was manager. From the beginning our subject has been 
 most closely identified with the progress and improvement of the 
 place and has aided materially in its development. The leading hotel of the 
 city bears his name, as does the opera house, and at his own expense he 
 built one of the finest high-school buildings, furnished with all modern con- 
 veniences for educational purposes, and presented it to the city. It was 
 erected and equipped at a cost of more than forty thousand dollars, and 
 is one of the finest in the state. No public enterprise of Streator has solicited 
 his aid in vain. His co-operation with movements tending to promote the 
 general welfare has been hearty, generous and prompt, and often he has 
 been the leading spirit in measures that have advanced the material, social, 
 intellectual and moral interests of the community. 
 
 In his political views Colonel Plumb has always been a stanch Repub- 
 lican, unfaltering in support of his party, and in addition to serving in the 
 state legislature of Ohio he was Streator's first mayor, holding the office 
 for two terms. His administration was of great value, and he ever exercises 
 his official prerogatives for the benefit of the city. In his elections to the 
 mayoralty he was the unanimous choice of the citizens, having no opposition. 
 In 1884 he was elected to represent his district in congress, was re-elected 
 in 1886, and after four years' service retired to private life. 
 
 While prominently connected with public afifairs and occupied by exten- 
 sive business interests. Colonel Plumb is a man of domestic tastes, and his 
 interest has ever centered in his home, his familv relations beingf ideal in 
 character. In 1838 he married Miss Marrilla E. Borden, one of the friends 
 of his early youth. She resided in Hartford, Trumbull county, Ohio, a
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 13 
 
 daughter of Philo Borden, who was a native of New England and was of 
 Puritan descent. He was a farmer, a captain of the state militia, and at one 
 time the postmaster of Hartford. Mrs. Plumb was born September 16, 
 181 8, and by her marriage she became the mother of three daughters, who 
 grew to years of maturity, but are now deceased. The eldest, Geraldine, 
 passed away July i, 1875; Harriet Eliza died January 24, 1861; and 
 Francenia M. was called to the home beyond February 11, 1872. On the 
 15th of October, 1898, Mr. and Mrs. Plumb celebrated the sixtieth anniver- 
 sary of their marriage, having throughout that long period traveled life's 
 journey together, sharing with each other its joys and sorrows, its adversity 
 and prosperity. 
 
 A contemporary biographer has said : "Mrs. Plumb is as popular in 
 Streator as is her honored husband. She is a lady of beautiful character, in 
 which the twin virtues of charity and benevolence shine with a light which 
 has made life easier and happier for numbers of people. She is a patron 
 of the Ladies' Library at Streator, and for eighteen years has furnished it 
 a home, rent free, in the Plumb opera-house block. She was in sympathy 
 with her husband's anti-slavery principles and has done much for the colored 
 race, donating liberally to southern colleges, among which is the Freedmen's 
 College and the Fisk University at Nashville, Tennessee, and various other 
 institutions of learning. So broad is the charity of this noble woman that 
 she seeks to help the deserving poor, even to the extent of giving pleasure 
 as well as assistance. She and her husband have donated liberally to the 
 college at Oberlin, Ohio, where her daughters were educated, and is a 
 stanch supporter of the Good Will Church of Streator, as its treasury will 
 show. She is a member of no one church, but a firm believer in all religions, 
 regardless of creeds. She is a womanly woman and much beloved by her 
 own sex, and has hosts of friends, among whom there are many who owe 
 her a boundless debt of gratitude for help and sympathy, as well as financial 
 aid given in times of trouble and distress." 
 
 Colonel Plumb has for some years practically lived a retired life, yet 
 in a measure superintends his investments. His has been a very active 
 career, and the rest which he is enjoying in his palatial home in Streator is 
 well merited. He has left the deep impress of his individuality upon almost 
 every department of the city life wherein honorable men find an interest, and 
 the beautiful and enterprising city may be said to be a monument to the 
 diligence and ability of the founder.
 
 14 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 THOMAS DEAN CATLIN. 
 
 It has been practically within the latter part of the nineteenth century 
 that the northern portion of Illinois has been opened to the advance of 
 civilization, and the cities of this division are the product of the latter-day 
 enterprise and progress. Ottawa, belonging to this class, is mentioned 
 in the Gazetteer as "the seat of varied and useful activities;" and among the 
 prominent men who have helped to make it such stands the gentleman whose 
 name heads this review\ He has been identified with this region for more 
 than forty-one years, and is to-day the representative of some of its leading 
 industries. 
 
 Thomas Dean Catlin is a native of Clinton, Oneida county, New York, 
 born March 12, 1838. His parents were Marcus and Philena (Dean) Catlin. 
 His father was a professor of mathematics in Hamilton College, at Clinton. 
 He was of English descent, and his death occurred in 1849. On the maternal 
 side Mr. Catlin descends from an old historic family of the Empire state. 
 His mother comes of a family that founded Deansville, New York. In 
 1795, on the site of that town, lived the Brotherton Indians, and in that 
 year John Dean, a Quaker, went to the place as a missionary to labor 
 with and for the red men. For a year he lived in a log house, and then 
 erected what is now the wing of the residence owned by Charles Hovey. 
 There he faithfully continued his work until life's labors were ended, and he 
 passed peacefully away in 1820, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. 
 He had a son, Thomas Dean, who likewise was devoted to missionary 
 work among the Indians. He had been his father's assistant, and when the 
 latter died he continued to labor toward civilizing the red men. He was a 
 man of herculean proportions and of great ability and sound judgment. 
 He was not only the Indian agent but was also a counselor, spiritual guide 
 and general law-giver, and was largely instrumental in transferring the 
 Brotherton Indians to a reservation at Green Bay, Wisconsin. He secured 
 the appropriation of sixty-four thousand acres from the government, and 
 also secured the passage of a law through the New York legislature which 
 enabled the Indians to sell their lands at full value. From 1830 to 1840 his 
 time was entirely taken up with locating his dusky friends in their new 
 home and in adjusting business matters for them, and. wearied by his 
 great toil, death came to end his arduous service, in June, 1842. when 
 he had reached the age of sixty-three years. He was scrupulously honest, 
 and his career, both public and private, was above reproach in every partic- 
 ular. He had the love and reverence of the Indians, and the confidence 
 and highest regard of all with whom he came in contact. At the time when
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 15 
 
 a petition was circulated for the establishment of a post-office at another 
 place in the vicinity, he went to Washington and secured the office for 
 Deansvillc instead. He became its first postmaster, and the office and the 
 village were named in his honor. He had five children, and among this 
 number was Mrs. Philena Catlin. 
 
 Her son, Thomas Dean Catlin, acquired his education in Hamilton 
 College, at Clinton, New York, being graduated at that institution in the 
 class of 1857, at the early age of nineteen years. He still belongs to the 
 college society known as Sigma Phi. Upon the broad fields of the west, 
 with its unlimited opportunities, he entered upon his business career. In 
 1858 he came to Ottawa, Illinois, to meet by appointment his uncle, A. H. 
 Redfield, of Detroit, who was acting as an Indian agent and was stationed 
 at the head-waters of the Missouri river. It was liis intention to go to 
 that region; but, his uncle having been detained for a time, he meanwhile 
 sought and obtained a position in the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island 
 & Pacific Railroad Company, first as a freight clerk, receiving a salary of 
 only four hundred dollars a year; but he soon afterward won promotion, and 
 for five years served as agent, finally receiving sixty dollars a month — the 
 highest salary he ever received from that corporation. 
 
 His connection with the establishment of telegraphic communication 
 in the west certainly makes him worthy of a place in this history. It is said 
 that rapid transit and rapid communication are the most important factors 
 in civilization. Mr. Catlin is a pioneer in this enterprise. In 1863 he 
 became the secretary of the Illinois & Mississippi Telegraph Company, which 
 had been established in 1849, one of the first in the west. This company 
 owned telegraph patents for several of thq western states, controlling the 
 business in this section of the country. It Imilt various lines throughout 
 the west, and in 1867 leased its lines to the Western Union Telegraph Com- 
 pany, thus forming the connecting link between the Atlantic and Pacific. 
 
 Many and varied have been the business interests with which he has been 
 connected. He is a man of broad capabilities and resources, and his keen 
 discrimination, sound judgment and business sagacity enalile him to carry 
 forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. He is an able 
 financier, his ambition being tempered with a safe conservatism, and he is 
 now at the head of one of the leading financial institutions of the state. In 
 April, 1884, he was elected vice-president of the National City Bank, of 
 Ottawa, and in June, 1890, after the death of E. C. Allen, its president, he was 
 elected to the superior office, and has ever since acceptably and creditably 
 filled that position. This bank is capitalized for one hundred thousand 
 dollars, and it now has a surplus of one hundred and twenty-five thous- 
 and dollars, and undivided ])rofits of fifty thousand dollars, making
 
 i6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 a working capital of about three hundred thousand dollars. He is also 
 president of the State Bank of Seneca, Illinois. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Catlin organized the Ottawa Glass Company and they 
 established one of the pioneer industries of its kind west of Pittsburg, of 
 which he was the secretary and treasurer. Business was carried on under 
 that name until 1880, when the company sold its plant to the United Glass 
 Company, of New York, a corporation capitalized for one million two hun- 
 dred and fifty thousand dollars and owning factories in various places. Of this 
 company Mr. Catlin was the president and treasurer for six years after 
 its organization. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Catlin was married to Miss Helen C. Plant, a resident of 
 Utica, New York, and a member of one of the old and honored families 
 of the Empire state and connected with the Daughters of the Revolution. 
 Their only child is James Plant Catlin. 
 
 Mr. Catlin is connected with many of the public interests of Ottawa 
 which are calculated to promote the moral, educational and material welfare 
 of the community. He is a member of the First Congregational church, 
 and is serving as one of its deacons. He was a member of the first board 
 of trustees of the public library at Ottawa; is the president of the board of 
 trustees of the Ryburn Memorial Hospital, and is also a member of the 
 board of trustees of Hamilton College, at Clinton, New York. Charitable 
 and benevolent, he gives freely of his means to those in need of assistance, 
 but gives always in a quiet, unostentatious way, seeking not the laudations 
 of men. In his political views he is a stalwart supporter of the Republican 
 party, and has served his city as alderman and a member of the board of 
 education. 
 
 The record of Mr. Catlin is that of a man who by his own unaided 
 efforts has worked his way upward to a position of affluence. His life has 
 been one of industry and perseverance, and the systematic and honorable 
 business methods which he has followed have won him the support and 
 confidence of many. Without the aid of influence or wealth, he has risen 
 to a position among the most prominent men of the state, and his native 
 genius and acquired ability are the stepping-stones on which he mounted. , 
 
 E. B. STILES. 
 
 E. B. Stiles, as editor and proprietor of the Ransom Review, is a 
 worthy representative of the journalistic interests of this section of Illinois. 
 On the 17th of March, 1899, he took charge of his paper, which was founded 
 by a Mr. Ford and was known as the Ransom Republic. Later the name
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 17 
 
 of this journal was changed to the Ransom News, and it was edited for 
 a number of years by J. H. Brown, now of Blair, Nebraska, who sold out to 
 Mr. Stiles. When this change occurred the present name was adopted, 
 and the Ransom Review has steadily gained favor with the public. It 
 is a bright, newsy sheet, devoted to local interests, and to the circulation of 
 domestic and foreign news. It is an excellent advertising medium and 
 has a splendid patronage along that line. Its circulation list includes more 
 than four hundred names, and the paper is now in a prosperous condition. 
 The office is well equipped for turning out a high grade of newspaper and 
 job work and the owner is well worthy the liberal support of the public. 
 
 Mr. Stiles has been a resident of the county since 1881. He was born 
 in Mendon township, Monroe county. New York, in 1836, and with his 
 parents removed to Boyd's Grove, Bureau county, Illinois, in his youth. 
 There he was reared and educated, and after attaining to years of maturity 
 he married Miss Sarah Wilson, of Bureau county, who was born in Peoria, 
 Illinois. Four children grace their union : Harry C, who was formerly con- 
 nected with the Review, but is now a resident of Chicago; Minnie, wife of 
 G. G. Hoover, express messenger for the Santa Fe Railroad Company at 
 Streator, Illinois; Charles L., a railroad bill clerk at Streator, Illinois; and 
 Ray E., of Ransom, who was a soldier in the Spanish-xA-merican war, as a 
 member of Company A, Third Illinois Infantry, under command of Colonel 
 Bennett. 
 
 In politics Mr. Stiles is independent, supporting the measures which he 
 believes will best advance the country's interests, and voting for the man 
 whom he thinks will execute those measures. He is a prominent member 
 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with which he has been connected 
 for more than thirty years, and for three terms has been a representative to 
 the grand encampment of that society. 
 
 REV. HENRY A. O'KELLY. 
 
 The great work of the Catholic church appealed most strongly to the 
 Rev. Father O'Kelly from the time that he was a young lad until he entered 
 its service, thenceforth to devote his life solely to God and his fellow men. 
 His labors of zeal and love have borne abundant fruits, and no more revered 
 and honored priest is often found in a community than the pastor of the 
 church of the Immaculate Conception, in Streator. 
 
 A brief history of the Father's life will prove of interest to his numerous 
 friends and admirers outside the church as well as those of his flock. He 
 is a native of the beautiful Emerald Isle, his birth having occurred in the
 
 i8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 city of Gahvay, on the western coast, in 1852. A son of a physician of high 
 standing, Dr. P. F. O'Kelly, he received exceptionally fine training and edu- 
 cational advantages, and was encouraged in his desire to enter the priest- 
 hood. The Doctor was a native of Dublin, and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Mary Birmingham, a daughter of Thomas Birmingham, Esq., of 
 Ashgrove, county Galway, belonged to one of the most ancient Anglo- 
 Norman families in Ireland. 
 
 When a young man of eighteen years the Rev. H. A. O'Kelly came 
 to the United States, and at once entered a theological seminary in Troy, 
 New York state. In research, study and preparation for the great work 
 which was the goal of his ambition, he spent the subsequent eight years, 
 being graduated and ordained a priest by Bishop Spalding, now of Peoria, 
 Illinois. The young priest was then placed in charge of a congregation in 
 Carthage, Hancock county, this state, and later was pastor of a church at 
 El Paso, Illinois. In 1883 he came to Streator, where he has since officiated 
 as the spiritual shepherd of the two hundred or more families included in 
 the parish of the church of the Immaculate Conception. The house of 
 worship was built by him, and in connection with this there is a flourishing 
 school and a hospital founded by Father O'Kelly, some four hundred chil- 
 dren being in regular attendance at the day and Sunday schools. Untiring 
 in his zeal for the welfare of his church and people, there is little cause for 
 wonder that Father O'Kelly is greatly loved and looked to for sympathy, 
 help and counsel, which he never fails to give. 
 
 HENRY FETZER. 
 
 The learned professions call for individual talent and ability as no other 
 lines of business do. An industrial or commercial enterprise already estab- 
 lished and in successful operation may be taken up by one not hitherto 
 connected with it, and without previous training he may carry it still further 
 forward toward successful completion, but in the line of medicine or the 
 law one must be specially qualified for the work, and strong mentality, com- 
 prehensive knowledge, close application and indefatigable energy must serve 
 as a foundation upon which to rest the superstructure of professional suc- 
 cess. It is therefore evident when one attains prominence at the bar that 
 he possesses ability that enables him to advance, unaided by what others may 
 have done before him. To-day Henry Fetzer, of Streator, ranks among the 
 leading lawyers of LaSalle county, and is enjoying a large clientage. He 
 began practice here in 1894, previous to which time he had been identified 
 with the business interests of the community in various ways.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 19 
 
 Mr. Fetzer came to the county in 1874 from Ohio, but was a native of 
 \'irginia, his birth having occurred in the Old Dominion, near Winchester, 
 April II, 1854. His parents were William and Catharine (Stickley) Fetzer, 
 and the great-great-grandparents on both sides of the family were of Ger- 
 man birth, the families being founded in America at about the same period 
 in the colonial history of the country, the Fetzers becoming residents of 
 Pennsylvania, while the Stickleys located in Frederick City, Maryland. 
 Their descendants emigrated to Woodstock, Shenandoah county, Virginia, 
 and thus the families became united through the marriage of William Fetzer 
 and Catharine Stickley. The paternal grandfather of our subject was 
 Joachim Fetzer, who was born in Virginia and resided near Woodstock, in 
 the Shenandoah valley. William Fetzer, the father, was a farmer by occu- 
 pation, and followed that pursuit throughout his entire life. He passed 
 away in 1887, at the ripe old age of seventy-eight years. 
 
 Henry Fetzer spent the first fifteen years of his life in Virginia, and 
 during that time enjoyed only limited school advantages. Fie worked as a 
 farm hand in the neighborhood of his home, his wages going to his father. 
 His ambitious spirit, however, was not content with such a life, and hearing 
 that better wages were paid in the west he asked permission to leave home, 
 promising to give his father just what he could make in Virginia. Consent 
 was withheld, however, and therefore he "ran" away, going to Ohio, where 
 he readily found employment in Belmont county. There he worked on a 
 farm for three seasons, and in the winter attended school, which was his 
 first experience in the educational line. In order to secure this privilege he 
 worked nights and mornings for his board; nor was he content to end his 
 studies there. He found a true friend in James Frazier, who, noticing his 
 willingness to work and his close application to his studies, wisely advised 
 him to continue his education in Franklin college, meeting his tuition with 
 the little money he had been enabled to save from his wages. Acting upon 
 this advice Mr. Fetzer pursued his studies until his small capital was ex- 
 hausted, when he was again forced to labor for his daily bread. The taste 
 for study has never left him, and his wide reading and close observation 
 have made him a well informed man. 
 
 In 1874 Mr. Fetzer arrived in LaSalle county, where he taught school 
 for some time, and then went to Grinnell, Kansas, where he served as post- 
 master and carried on general merchandising for a short time, but the 
 tornado of 1879 destroyed all that he had saved, and in 1880 he again came 
 to Illinois, where he engaged in teaching until 1883. The confinement of 
 the school-room, however, undermined his health and he turned his attention 
 to buying and shipping stock, which Inisiness he successfully followed until 
 1 891. Through all these years it had been his ambition and desire to grad-
 
 20 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 uate at some good educational institution, and in the fall of 1892 he entered 
 upon a law course in the Northwestern University Law School of Chicago, 
 being graduated with the class of 1894. It had not been his intention to 
 engage in practice, the course having been taken up more for self-improve- 
 ment; but, becoming deeply interested in the science of jurisprudence, he 
 opened an office after his return from college, and has since been an 
 esteemed member of the LaSalle county bar. He has steadily worked his 
 way upward, and his devotion to his clients' interests, his careful preparation 
 of cases and his thorough knowledge of the law have gained him a large 
 practice and won him many notable successes before the court. His political 
 support has generally been given the Republican party, but he is not strictly 
 partisan and has no ambition for office. He is truly a self-made man, and 
 though opposed by a seemingly adverse fate he has steadily worked his way 
 upward until he occupies a leading position among the citizens of his 
 adopted county. 
 
 PROFESSOR SAMUEL H. HEIDLER. 
 
 In September, 1895, the new superintendent of the public schools of 
 Ottawa, Professor Samuel H. Heidler, entered upon his duties. He has 
 made a most painstaking, efficient, judicious official, and has won the high- 
 est praise from our citizens and those interested in the progress of education. 
 His whole mature life has been devoted to study and work along the lines 
 of education, and both by nature and training he is eminently qualified for 
 the responsible position which he occupies. Under his wise management of 
 our local schools great improvement is to be noticed in many directions, 
 and advanced methods, well tried and valuable, are being introduced as 
 rapidly as is practicable. 
 
 A young man in the prime of life. Professor Heidler was born Septem- 
 ber 6, 1 86 1, in the vicinity of Columbia, Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, 
 on the old homestead which has been handed down from one generation to 
 the next, and was originally purchased by the paternal ancestor of our 
 subject, of William Penn, the Quaker. There were five sons and five daugh- 
 ters in the Heidler family, the parents being Levi and Martha Heidler. 
 
 Subsequent to leaving the common schools Samuel Heidler spent three 
 years in the training school at Millersville, the first state normal in the state 
 of Pennsylvania. Then he taught for two years in his native county, after 
 which he went to Springfield, Illinois, and there pursued special lines of 
 study for a year. At the expiration of that period he accepted a position in 
 the schools of Cantrall, a town situated some ten miles from the state 
 capital of Illinois, and there he remained two years. His next position was
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 21 
 
 in Pleasant Plains, where he taught until 1889, at that time being offered 
 the principalship of the Stuart school in Springfield, at a salary of twelve 
 hundred dollars a year. This amount was later increased to fourteen 
 hundred dollars a year, the highest salary that had ever been paid to any 
 ward-school principal in the city. In 1893 the Professor went to California, 
 and for two years devoted himself to special study in the State university. 
 Returning, he at once entered upon his work as superintendent of the 
 public schools of Ottawa. Keen in intellect, quick to grasp and deal with 
 the difficulties of any situation, thoroughly posted in his chosen profession, 
 he is just the man for the responsible position he holds. Fraternally he 
 stands high in the Masonic order, and politically he is independent in his 
 attitude. 
 
 In 1893 Professor Heidler was married in Springfield, Illinois, to ]Miss 
 Delia Bunn, a daughter of Henry and Mary Bunn, of that city. Mrs. Heidler 
 is a lady of superior educational and social attainments, and enjoys the 
 friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. She is a member of the Order 
 of the Eastern Star, and, in company with her husband, is a regular attendant 
 at the services of the Lutheran church. 
 
 The Ottawa board of education was organized under a special law 
 passed in the winter of 1854-5, and in the spring of the year last mentioned 
 the people empowered the board to levy a special tax of one per cent, for 
 the purpose of building school-houses and paying needed expenses. After 
 much discussion two large buildings were erected, at a cost of twenty-five 
 thousand dollars. One of these, now known as the Columbus school, is in 
 the third ward, and the other, now the Lincoln school, is in the fifth ward. 
 Up to that time only one hundred and twenty-five children had been 
 enrolled as public-school pupils, but from the day that the new, well equipped 
 buildings were opened a marked change was observed, and in a short time 
 additional accommodations were required. The intervening years have 
 witnessed many great and notable improvements in our school facilities and 
 educational methods, and each year rapid strides are made toward per- 
 fection. 
 
 CLARENCE GRIGGS. 
 
 In no profession is there a career more open to talent than in that of 
 the law, and in no field of endeavor is there demanded a more careful 
 preparation, a more thorough appreciation of the absolute ethics of life, or 
 of the underlying principles which form, the basis of all human rights and 
 privileges. Unflagging application and the intuitive wisdom and a determi- 
 nation to fullv utilize the means at hand are the concomitants which insure
 
 22 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 personal success and prestige in this great profession, which stands as the 
 stern conservator of justice; and it is one into which none should enter 
 without a recognition of the obstacles to be overcome and the battles to be 
 won; for success does not perch on the falchion of every person who enters 
 the competitive fray, but comes only as the direct result of capacity and 
 unmistakable ability. Possessing all of the essential qualities of the able 
 lawyer, Clarence Griggs is accounted a leading member of the Ottawa bar. 
 
 He is the youngest son of Edward Young Griggs, who traced his 
 ancestry back to Dr. William Griggs, a resident of Salem, Massachusetts, 
 who died in 1698. His will, approved on the i8th day of July of that year, 
 mentions a son J^cob, who resided in Salem and in Beverly, Massachusetts. 
 Among the children of Jacob Griggs' family was Isaac, who was born on 
 the 27th of June, 1699, and died in New Haven, Connecticut, January 27, 
 1768. His son Solomon, who resided in Waterbury, Connecticut, married 
 Elizabeth Gridley on the 19th of February, 1778. He served as a soldier in 
 the colonial wars, and at Waterbury, Connecticut, enlisted for service in the 
 Revolution, loyally aiding in the cause of independence until the English 
 power in the colonies was overthrown. One of his children was Ebenezer 
 Griggs, who was born September 26, 1789, and resided in Waterbury and 
 Southington, Connecticut. He married Hepzibah Bartholomew in 181 1, 
 and died July 4, 1823, at Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the grandfather of our 
 subject. His wife was descended from William Bartholomew, who was born 
 in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1640, and died in 1697, leaving a son Andrew, 
 whose birth occurred on the nth of December, 1670, and who died in 
 Wallingford, Connecticut, in 1752. The last named was the father of 
 William Bartholomew, who was born February 2, 1699, was married in New 
 Haven, Connecticut, on the 25th of January, 1721, and died in Northford, 
 Connecticut. His son, Seth Bartholomew, was born on the 6th of March. 
 1729, and died in Waterbury, Connecticut. One of his children was Osea 
 Bartholomew, whose birth occurred on the 7th of November, 1755, and 
 was married in Waterbury, Connecticut. November 16, 1778, and his daugh- 
 ter, Hepzibah, was the mother of Edward Young Griggs. She was born 
 on the 6th of September, 1798, and died in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the summer 
 of 1823. 
 
 Edward Young Griggs, father of our subject, was born in Baltimore, 
 Maryland, on the 24th of October, 1818. He wedded Mary Philbene Bar- 
 nett, on the 5th of August, 1847. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky, 
 May 9, 1827. The ancestry of the Barnett family can be traced back to 
 John Barnett, who was born near Londonderry, Ireland, in 1678, and emi- 
 grated with his family to Pennsylvania prior to .1730, making a location in 
 Lancaster, now Hanover county. He died in September, 1734, and among
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 23 
 
 his children was John Barnett, who was born in county Derry, Ireland, in 
 1705, and with his father came to America, his death occurring in Hanover 
 in 1738. His son Joseph was born in county Derry in 1727, and died in 
 Hanover in 1788, leaving, among other children, a son James, whose birth 
 occurred in 1756, and whose death occurred in 1805. The last named was 
 the father of Allen Barnett, who was born in 1796 and was married February 
 9, 1826, to Elizabeth Shaffer. His death occurred September 19, 1879. and 
 his wife passed away on the 20th of December, 1841. Among the children 
 who survived them was Mrs. E. Y. Griggs. On the 17th of April, 1849, the 
 parents of our subject left Springfield, Ohio, and after traveling for five 
 days reached Ottawa, Illinois, by canal boat, on Sunday morning. Mr. 
 Griggs secured a clerkship in the employ of J. G. Nattinger, with whom he 
 remained until September, 1850. and then opened a drug and book store 
 in the three-story brick building where the National City Bank now stands. 
 In 1853 he opened his drug store where he is now doing business, and has 
 since been one of the leading merchants of the place. 
 
 Clarence Griggs, youngest son of Edward Young Griggs, was born on 
 the 2d of January, 1857, and attended the common schools of Ottawa, 
 being afterward graduated in the literary department of the University of 
 Michigan, with the class of 1878. Determining to become a member of 
 the bar, he took up the study of law under the direction of Mayo & 
 Weidmer, and in 1880 was licensed to practice, and opened an office in the 
 spring of 1881. He has since devoted his energies successfully to the work 
 of a legal practitioner, and has held the office of master in chancery and 
 county attorney, having been elected to the latter position for four successive 
 terms. He is very conscientious and painstaking in the preparation of his 
 cases, and is thoroughly devoted to his clients' interests. He is also a 
 director of the First National Bank of Ottawa, having succeeded his father 
 in that position in January. 1897. 
 
 On the 6th of September. 1883, Mr. Griggs was united in marriage to 
 Lura Nash, eldest daughter of John F. Nash, who traces his ancestry back 
 to Thomas Nash, who came from Lancashire, England, to America, landing 
 at Boston July 26, 1637. He died in New Haven, Connecticut, on the 12th 
 of May, 1658. His youngest son, Timothy Nash, was born in 1626. and 
 died March 13. 1699, at Hadley, Massachusetts. Lieutenant Timothy Nash 
 settled on a lot designated on the original plat of the town of Hadley. and 
 his will is recorded in the probate-court records of Northampton, Massa- 
 chusetts, and mentions his son Thomas. He was born at Hartford, Con- 
 necticut, in 1 66 1, and died January 8, 1727. This Thomas Nash had a son 
 Thomas, who was born February 26, 1692, and died March 12, 1783. John 
 Nash, son of Thomas Nash. Jr.. was born October 20, 1736, in Williamsburg,
 
 24 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Massachusetts, and had a son, John, Jr., whose birth occurred November 
 12, 1764, and who died October 17, 1824. Among his sons was Almerin 
 Nash, who was born Februar}^ 25, 1801, and married Mandana Warner, a 
 descendant of Jonathan Warner, a captain in the war of the Revolution. 
 They removed to Granville, Putnam county, Illinois, in 1840, where Mrs, 
 Nash died January 25, 1844. John Fiske Nash, son of Almerin, was born in 
 WilHamsburg, Massachusetts, December 16, 1824, and came west with his 
 parents. He taught school in Putnam county in 1846, edited a paper at 
 Hennepin, and on the 2d of April, 1847, came to Ottawa, entering the law 
 office of Dickey & Leland, being admitted to the bar in October, 1849. He 
 served as deputy clerk under Philo Lindley and was elected to the office of 
 clerk in 1856, serving six years in all. In 1861 he opened a law office in 
 partnership with E. F. Bull, but in 1865. on the organization of the First 
 National Bank of Ottawa, Illinois, became assistant cashier, and at the 
 beginning of the new year was made cashier. He is one of the prominent 
 Masons of the state, having served, in 1878, as grand commander of the 
 Grand Commandery of the Knights Templar of Illinois. On the 26th of 
 November, 1849, was celebrated his marriage to Lura M. Pennell, and her 
 ancestry can be traced back to John Pennell, who, in 1728, left his home 
 in Yorkshire, England, and crossed the Atlantic to America, taking up his 
 abode in Colerain, Massachusetts. Among his sons was John Pennell, who 
 served in the colonial wars and was a captain in the war of the Revolution. 
 He was born in 1721, and died in Halifax, Vermont, October 21, 1797. 
 Among his sons was John Pennell, who was born in 1758 and dJed June 
 23> 1793- He was the father of John Pennell, Jr., whose birth occurred in 
 Halifax, Vermont, April 8, 1787, and died in Granville, Illinois, June 15, 
 1858. His wife bore the maiden name of Betsey Gaines, and with their 
 family they came to the Prairie state, bringing with them their daughter, 
 Lura M., who became the wife of John Fiske Nash. She was born at Heath, 
 Massachusetts, January 7, 1826, and spent her girlhood in Bennington, 
 Vermont, coming west with the family. Among her children was Lura 
 Nash Griggs, wife of our subject. Mrs. Griggs was born August 27, 1858, 
 and acquired her education in the common and high schools of Ottawa and 
 in Mount Vernon Seminary, at Washington, D. C. She is particularly inter- 
 ested along musical lines, and for three years served as the president of the 
 Amateur Musical Club. She is also a charter member of the Monday Club 
 and was its secretary for a number of years. She also held the same position 
 in connection with the board of lady managers of the Ryburn Memorial 
 Hospital from the second year of its organization until her resignation in 
 1899. and is a charter member of the Illini Chapter of the Daughters of 
 the American Revolution. ' .
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 25 
 
 Unto Mr. and Mrs. Griggs has been born but one child, Liira Florence, 
 whose birth occurred May 26, 1890. Their home is the center of a cultured 
 society circle and many friends enjoy its gracious hospitality. Both Mr. 
 and Mrs. Griggs are communicants of the Episcopal church. Our subject 
 is prominent in political affairs, and has labored earnestly for the success 
 and welfare of his party, having through several campaigns served as secre- 
 tary of the Republican county central committee. He is a member of the 
 Occidental Lodge, No. 40, F. & A. M., Shabbona Chapter, No. 37, R. A. M., 
 and Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, K. T. He inspires personal friendship of 
 great strength and has the happy faculty of drawing his friends closer to him 
 with the passing years. In his profession he has gained respect, and his 
 reputation in legal circles is no more enviable than is the high regard in 
 which he is held among his acquaintances in social life. 
 
 REV. ALBERT ETHRIDGE. 
 
 Rev. Albert Ethridge, formerly the beloved pastor of the Congrega- 
 tional church of Marseilles, LaSalle county, Illinois, now retired from active 
 service, was born in Sandwich, New Hampshire, January' 19, 1829. His 
 parents were Samuel and Lydia (Cook) Ethridge, both natives of the state 
 of New Hampshire and of English ancestry. The grandfather, Stephen 
 Ethridge, was a farmer, who married Jane McGaft'ee, and a son of Stephen 
 Ethridge, a soldier of the Revolution. The family was founded in America 
 in 1636. The maternal grandfather was Joel Cook, who married Betsy Max- 
 field, a native of Massachusetts. 
 
 Albert Ethridge lived on a farm during his earlier life and was a student 
 in the public schools. He then entered the home seminary, and later became 
 a student in the New Hampshire Conference Seminary, where he prepared 
 for college. He then entered the Wesleyan University of Middletown, 
 Connecticut, graduating with the degree of A. M. After leaving college 
 he devoted several years to teaching in the high school of Sandwich and 
 then came west, stopping in Henry county, Illinois, and then in LaSalle 
 county. He took charge of the Congregational church at Deer Park, where 
 he remained two years, and then went to Dover, Bureau county, this state, 
 where he was in charge of the Dover Academy six years, — from 1859 to 
 1864. The following year he was elected principal of the public schools of 
 Princeton, Bureau county, and two years later was appointed by the board 
 of supervisors to fill the vacancy in the of^ce of county superintendent of 
 schools, caused by the death of the incumbent. He held this office until 
 1872, when, much to the regret of those associated with him, he resigned
 
 26 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 to accept a position in Chicago with Harper & Brothers, where he was in 
 charge of the school-book department. He was with them until 1876, when 
 he resigned and came to Marseilles to assume the pastorate of the Congre- 
 gational church. His labors here were attended with the most flattering re- 
 sults, but were discontinued three years later that he might accept a charge at 
 Normal, this state. He remained there until 1880, when he was recalled to 
 Marseilles, but at the expiration of two years resigned. He then supplied 
 the pulpit of the Decorah (Iowa) church for six months, when he moved to 
 Des Moines and supplied the North Park Congregational church. In 1885 
 he took charge of the Congregational church at Streator, Illinois, and one 
 year later was commissioned to act as evangelist under the direction of 
 the Illinois Home Missionary Society. He was thus engaged two years, 
 when he was called to Marseilles for a third time to fill the pulpit of the 
 Congregational church. He was with the organization as pastor six years, 
 and then tendered his resignation and retired from active ministerial duties. 
 He now occasionally supplies the pulpit, performs weddings and pays the 
 last tribute to the memory of the departed. He is a pleasant, sympathetic 
 speaker, and has been an earnest worker in the cause of Christianity. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Ethridge was married in November, J 852, to Miss Marcia A. 
 Forrest, of Northfield, New Hampshire, a daughter of John and Marcia 
 (Eastman) Forrest and a distant relative of Daniel Webster. They had 
 three daughters : Lenora, who married Dr. C. A. Weerick, now a prominent 
 physician of Chicago; Marcia S. and Carrie E., all of whom are deceased; 
 Mrs. Weerick died July 22, 1888, leaving two children. Mrs. Ethridge hav- 
 ing died. Rev. Mr. Ethridge again contracted marriage, on June 16, 1875, 
 this time with Miss Arzella M. Lovejoy, of Ottawa, Illinois, and by this 
 marriage there is one son, Albert, a student in the Ottawa Business College. 
 
 SAMUEL PLUMB. 
 
 The man who has been born a financier is as truly a genius as the man 
 born a poet or a painter. If he be a man of honor and loves mankind, his 
 work will be useful to many other men who have not his talent for money- 
 making. He may even be a philanthropist by attending strictly to his own 
 business. Hon. Samuel Plumb, of Streator, Illinois, went further than that. 
 He took an interest in the affairs of his townsmen that inured greatly to the 
 public good and made him loved and trusted by many. 
 
 ]\Ir. Plumb was born in New York, January 15, 181 2, and died at 
 Colorado Springs, June 23, 1882. He was a son of Theron and Harriet 
 (Merry) Plumb. He gained his primary education in the public schools near
 
 EX= 9^ HEVRY TAYLOR JR CHlCASa 
 
 t^J^-f 
 
 ^
 
 V;
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GEXEALOGICAL RECORD. 27 
 
 his home in New York state, but the greater part of his education was 
 obtained by study while at his work-bench. He was the president of a bank 
 at Oberhn and later became identilied in a prominent way with Ohio business 
 and politics, and being an abolitionist (a Whig and later a Republican) he 
 had as personal friends such men as Hon. Benjamin Wade, Hon. Joshua R. 
 Giddings, Governor Salmon V. Chase and man\- others of prominence in 
 different parts of the state. He represented Ashtabula county in the Ohio 
 legislature and was active and intiuential in public affairs generally. At 
 the time of the civil war his sympathies were enlisted by the needs of the 
 soldiers in the field and of their families left at home, and he did much to 
 better the condition of both classes. He was a member of a committee 
 appointed by the governor of Ohio to go south to investigate the condition 
 of Ohio troops after the first battle of Bull Run and to devise and suggest 
 means for its improvement. 
 
 After the war ]Mr. Plumb and others established a bank at Oberlin and 
 he was connected with the enterprise of^cially until 1869, when he removed 
 to Streator, Illinois. A recent writer said : "Streator is not a beautiful city. 
 It is a town in the making. — not yet a finished product. Its wealth and 
 energies are devoted to deepening and broadening the foundations of its 
 industrial life, rather than to smoothing out the wrinkles of toil from its face 
 or adorning itself with the fruits of its labor. It is still in its iron age: its 
 golden age is yet to come. The rude framework that supports the social 
 fabric stands out bare and grim, as vet uncovered bv the accretions which 
 in older cities soften and mellow, if they do not conceal, the rough beams 
 which knit the structure together; and the play of those elemental energies 
 which propel the industrial mechanism, and thereby vivify and vitalize the 
 social life, is still plainly visible." Thus was Streator described in a popular 
 magazine in 1898. Perhaps the writer was too aesthetic. What would he 
 have thought of the Streator of 1869, as Mr. Plumb first beheld it? Then 
 it was a crude, unsightly, embryo village of small wooden buildings, and 
 not many of them, and was familiarly known as Hardscrabble. In that year 
 Mr. Plumb opened a private bank and later associated others with himself 
 and organized the Union National Bank of Streator. of which he was presi- 
 dent for quite a number of years and until his death. He took an interest 
 in Streator and was influential in promoting, and generous in supporting 
 financially, all measures and enterprises which in his judgment promised 
 to benefit the town and its people. 
 
 He was a member of the Congregational church of Streator, and was 
 interested in a helpful way in furthering all religious work without much 
 question as to what Christian sects had it in hand. 
 
 Miss Levancia Holcomb, who married Mr. Plumb, and survives him.
 
 28 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 was born in the state of New York, a daughter of Hiram and Jane (Richards) 
 Holcomb, and was brought to Ohio by her parents on their removal to that 
 state when she was twelve years old. She was graduated at Oberlin College 
 in 1 86 1, and while a student there met her future husband, whom she mar- 
 ried in 1865. They had children thus named: May E., wife of R. A. Harris, 
 M. D., of Redlands, California; Jessie, who married H. A. Schryver of 
 Wheaton, Illinois; S. Walter, vice-president of the Union National Bank 
 of Streator; and Bertha M., wife of L. B. Frazier of Aurora, Illinois. The 
 grandchildren are: Harold R. Harris, son of R. A, and May E. (Plumb) 
 Harris; S. Walter Plumb, Jr., son of S. Walter and Anna D. Plumb; Donald 
 Plumb Frazier, son of L. B, and Bertha (Plumb) Frazier. Mrs. Plumb occu- 
 pies the position as president of the Union National Bank of Streator, and 
 has one of the handsome residences of Streator and dispenses a refined 
 hospitality as becomes a lady of such culture as hers. She is a member of 
 the Presbyterian church of Streator and is liberal in its support and in assist- 
 ing in the charitable work of the town. 
 
 AMOS ROBERTSON. 
 
 Amos Robertson is now living a retired life in Sheridan, but for many 
 years was actively identified with its industrial interests. He is a loyal and 
 public-spirited citizen, who during the civil war manifested his fidelity to his 
 country by entering the service and fighting for the Union. Therefore as 
 an honored veteran, a straightforward business man and a reliable friend, 
 he well deserves representation in this volume. 
 
 He was born on his father's farm in Cass county, Illinois, March 7, 
 1845, his parents being Rev. William H. and Nancy (Stockton) Robertson. 
 The former was born near Greencastle, Indiana, in 1820, and was a son of 
 Amos Robertson, who for several years represented Putnam county in the 
 state legislature of Indiana. The great-grandfather of our subject, Robert 
 Robertson, was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, and served under 
 General Anthony Wayne in the Indian war of 1794. In an early day he 
 removed to Clark county, Indiana. Amos Robertson became a resident of 
 Putnam county, Indiana, in 1820, and in 1831 became a resident of Illinois, 
 his death occurring in Morgan county, in January, 1832. In the fall of 
 that year his widow settled on land which is now the site of Camp Point, 
 Illinois. The maternal ancestry of our subject was Irish and the great- 
 grandfather Warnock served for seven years in the Revolutionary war. Two 
 of his sons, Joseph and James, served in the war of 1812, and the former 
 was killed in the battle of Tippecanoe. Having arrived at years of maturity.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 29 
 
 W. H. Robertson, the father of onr subject, was married, in 1840, to Nancy 
 Stockton, and they had hve children, two of whom died in infancy, while 
 George, Sarah and Amos grew to years of maturity; but George died in his 
 twentieth year. The sister became the wife of George Sprague, who served 
 for three years in the One Hundred and Sixtieth Illinois Infantry, and died 
 from disease contracted in the army in 1871. His wife died in March, 1874. 
 In the spring of 1847 ^^s. Robertson died, and in September, 1848, Mr. 
 Robertson married Martha A. Lindsey, of Hancock county, where they lived 
 until 1855. He then joined the ministry of the Methodist Protestant church 
 and for many years preached the gospel, his labors resulting in great good. 
 He was located at various points in Illinois, and in September, 1864, was 
 elected the president of the Illinois conference, and in 1865 was again 
 appointed to the Clinton circuit. In 1866 he became a minister of the 
 Bloomington circuit, which he traveled three years. Later he had charge 
 of various churches in the state, coming to Sheridan in 1875. The following 
 year he was elected president of the North Illinois conference. His influence 
 in the church was most marked and his forceful, persuasive and logical 
 utterances led many to a knowledge of the better life. As a citizen he 
 was public-spirited, progressive and loyal, and in Sheridan he served for a 
 number of years as justice of the peace, being first elected to the office in 
 1881. He also served as the president of the board of village trustees, and 
 did all in his power to promote the best interests and the upbuilding of the 
 town. He died in Sheridan in 1895, respected by all who knew him. 
 
 Amos Robertson, whose name introduces this review, accompanied his 
 father on his various removals, and enjoyed such educational privileges as 
 the schools of the neighborhood afit'orded, but after the inauguration of the 
 civil war he put aside his text-books in order to battle for the Union, enlist- 
 ing on the 13th of August, 1862, at the age of seventeen years. He became 
 a private of Company D, One Hundred and Sixteenth Illinois Infantry, and 
 the first engagement in which he participated was at Chickasaw Bayou, four 
 miles from Vicksburg, in December of that year. In January, 1863, he took 
 part in the battle of Arkansas Post, and was at Champion Hills, a hotly 
 contested engagement in the rear of Vicksburg. He also aided in besieging 
 Vicksburg from the 19th of May until the 4th of July, when the city sur- 
 rendered, and later he took part in the battles of Jackson, Mississippi, Mis- 
 sion Ridge, the Atlanta campaign and the siege of Atlanta, followed by the 
 celebrated march with Sherman to the sea. His was one of the nine regi- 
 ments selected at Savannah to capture Fort McAllister and open up a con- 
 nection with the fleet. It was a difficult and arduous task, but the work was 
 accomplished, and Mr. Robertson was the first man to surmount the walls 
 of the fort, with the exception of two color-bearers. Subsequently he par-
 
 30 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 ticipated in the Carolina campaign and was near Durham, North CaroHna, 
 when General "Joe" Johnston surrendered. At Washington he participated 
 in the grand review, the most brilliant military pageant ever seen on the west- 
 ern hemisphere, and then returned to Springileld, where he was discharged, 
 July I, 1865. Throughout his service he was in the same company and regi- 
 ment and was ever a loyal and faithful defender of the stars and stripes. Just 
 after the siege of Vicksburg he was made corporal and was discharged with 
 that rank. After three years of faithful service he returned home, and was not 
 then twenty-one years of age. He had been four times wounded: first at 
 Vicksburg; then at Dallas, on the Atlanta campaign; at Atlanta; and in 
 the side at Bentonville, South Carolina. Mr. Robertson maintains pleasant 
 relations with his old comrades in arms through his membership in Clayton 
 Beardsley Post, No. 672, G. A. R., at Sheridan. 
 
 For the first five vears after his return from the war he resided in Cass 
 and Morgan counties, Illinois, and in 1870 came to Sheridan, where he has 
 since continued to reside. He is a painter and paperhanger by trade, and 
 diligently followed that business for many years, but for the past seven years 
 has lived retired, having, through his well directed efforts, gained a com- 
 fortable competence which now enables him to rest from active labor. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Robertson married Miss Lucy Osborne, who died in 1878, 
 leaving three children, — Clinton, now deceased, William H. and Frank. In 
 1880 Mr. Robertson was again married, his second union being with Eliza 
 \\'idman, by whom he has a daughter, Genevieve. The family have many 
 friends in the community, and the Robertson household .is noted for its 
 hospitality. 
 
 In his political connections Mr. Robertson is a Republican, and has 
 been honored with several local offices of trust and responsibility. He served 
 as a constable for eight years, was police magistrate for four years, and for 
 five years was the efficient president of the village board of trustees. Socially 
 he is connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His life has 
 been characterized by diligence, by enterprise and by fidelity to every duty, 
 and the record he has made is an honorable one. 
 
 REV. DOMINIC MEIER. 
 
 Saint Antonius' Catholic church, of Streator, has, as its pastor, the Rev. 
 Father Meier, who has accomplished and is accomplishing a great work in 
 this community. His executive and financial ability, as well as his zeal and 
 helpful sympathy to every individual of his flock, render him worthy of 
 admiration and respect by every one, whatsoever his creed.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 31 
 
 A son of Gerkene and Mary (Richter) Meier, the Father was born in 
 Covington, Kentucky, in 1851. His parents were both natives of Germany, 
 whence they removed to the United States in 1835. They made a perma- 
 nent home in Covington, and there passed away some years ago. 
 
 In his youth the subject of this biography attended school in his native 
 city, receiving excellent advantages in an educational way. After he had 
 completed his preliminary preparation for the serious task to which he had 
 early dedicated his life, the ministry, he went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he 
 continued his collegiate studies, and was graduated in 1874. He then served 
 for some time as an assistant priest, and in 1874 was ordained in Louisville, 
 Kentucky, by Bishop McClosky. Then, going to Lafayette, Indiana, he 
 w'as assistant to Father Beine for two years, after which he was assigned to 
 Reynolds, same state. Subsequently he was the pastor of two or three 
 different congregations in Indiana, and in 1879 was sent to Emporia, Kansas. 
 There he had the responsible position at the head of the hospital and high 
 school, and for six years he labored with most gratifying results in that 
 important post of trust. In 1885 he was placed in charge of the church of 
 St. George, in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he continued as pastor for two years. 
 
 Twelve years ago he came to Streator, and during this period the many 
 departments of work connected with the church over which he presides 
 have prospered w^onderfully. His zeal has prompted his people to great 
 undertakings, as may be plainly seen when it is stated that the splendid 
 church edifice, erected at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, a substantial 
 school building valued at ten thousand, and a home which cost nine thou- 
 sand dollars have been built within a few years. Thus, altogether, the 
 church property is very valuable, and a wide field of usefulness opens before 
 the devoted congregation, which is now equipped fully for future work. 
 
 JOSEPH C. HATHEWAY, M. D. 
 
 In the medical profession of LaSalle county the subject of this article has 
 long held a representative place, and for the past forty-three years he has 
 been actively engaged in practice in Ottawa. Here he enjoys the esteem 
 and confidence not only of his numerous patients but also of the citizens in 
 general, and those of his own profession, by whom he is often called into 
 consultation on difificult and complicated cases. His wide experience in his 
 chosen calling is not alone the result of practical labors among the sick and 
 suffering, but comes in part from his earnest study of the best medical works 
 and current journals devoted to the interests of his profession. 
 
 The birth of Dr. J. C. Hatheway took place in the town of Assonet,
 
 32 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Bristol county, Massachusetts, in 1833. He comes from one of the old 
 families of that state, his parents being Elnathan and Salome Hatheway. 
 Having mastered the various branches of an English education, the Doctor 
 concluded that he would enter the medical profession, and accordingly 
 matriculated in Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia. There he was 
 graduated in the class of 1856, and at once established an office in Ottawa. 
 He is one of the oldest members of the LaSalle County Medical Society, and 
 has acted as president of the same, and also has been connected with the 
 State Medical Society for years. At one time he held the position of county 
 physician and surgeon, and has been an efficient member of the United 
 States board of pension examiners. In the multiplicity of his other duties 
 the Doctor has not neglected those which devolve upon every good citizen. 
 The cause of education has ever found an active and sincere friend in him, 
 and he was one of the first trustees of the Ottawa high school. The high 
 school was organized and the present building was erected while he was a 
 member of the board, and the town is greatly indebted to him for the wisdom 
 and influence which he exercised in the matter. In political affairs the 
 Doctor is independent of party ties. 
 
 In 1857 Dr. J. C. Hatheway married Miss Annie Crane, of Assonet, 
 Bristol county, Massachusetts. Their son, E. P. Hatheway, M. D., seems 
 to have an inherited talent for medicine, and is now associated witlV the father 
 in practice. He is a young man of much promise and is rapidly building 
 up an enviable reputation as a practitioner. He is a graduate of the well- 
 known Rush Medical College of Chicago, and possesses undoubted ability 
 and fitness for his favorite field of action. 
 
 BARNET L. BONAR, M. D. 
 
 The medical profession in LaSalle county is represented in the various 
 thriving towns by men who have achieved distinction and well won laurels. 
 Doctor Bonar, of Streator, is one of its most successful practitioners, and 
 is very popular with his medical brethren, as well as with the citizens in 
 general. 
 
 A native of Pennsylvania, he w^as born at Coon Island, Washington 
 county, July 31, 1852. His father, Samuel Bonar, was likewise a native 
 of the county mentioned, born July 9, 1822, and was a son of Barnet Bonar, 
 who was born January 14, 1778, on the same farm, where he lived until his 
 death, February i, 1870. The latter was a son of William Bonar, who was 
 born in Scotland July 9. 1740, and whose father, Barnet Bonar, was born 
 in 1695. near Edinburgh, and emigrated to America in 1740, coming to
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 33 
 
 Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1774, thus becoming one of the earHest 
 settlers of that county. The Doctor's father was a farmer by occupation, 
 and every one who had dealings with him respected and admired him for his 
 sterling integrity and uprightness of character. He married Miss Elizabeth 
 Andrews, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (McConnell) Andrews, all 
 of Richland county, Ohio. Mr. Andrew'S was a carpenter by trade and was 
 successfully engaged in contracting and building for many years. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of Dr. Barnet L. Bonar passed happily and 
 all too swiftly in his native county, and after completing the common-school 
 course he entered Washington and Jefferson College, where he graduated 
 in 1877. He then took up the study of medicine, reading under the instruc- 
 tion of Dr. Thomas McKennan, of Washington. Subsequently he was a 
 student in the medical department of the University of Pennsylvania at Phil- 
 adelphia, and w-as graduated there in 1880. Going to Bucyrus, Ohio, he 
 established an of^ce and w^as occupied in practice at that point for about 
 one year. In 1881 he came to Streator, where he soon obtained a foothold 
 and gained a desirable reputation for skill and excellence in his chosen field 
 of labor. In order to keep in the spirit of progress and thoroughly conver- 
 sant with new methods, he is connected with several medical societies, 
 among them being those of the county and state and that of north central 
 Illinois. 
 
 In his political belief Dr. Bonar favors the platform and nominees of 
 the Republican party. Socially he is a member of Streator Lodge, No. 607, 
 F. & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168, R. A. M., and Ottawa Commandery, 
 No. 10, K. T. In 1888 the marriage of the Doctor and Miss Sarah Modes, 
 a daughter of William Modes, of Streator, was solemnized. They have two 
 children, Jessie and Barnet E., whose presence lends brightness and added 
 happiness to their pleasant home. 
 
 REV. LAURITZ A. VIGNESS. 
 
 One of the notable educational institutions for which the pretty little 
 city of Ottawa is justly famed is the Pleasant View Luther College, which 
 though young in years has advanced to the front ranks in an incredibly short 
 period. The building is new and modern in every respect, is heated by steam 
 and lighted by gas, and affords every comfort to the fortunate student who 
 is enrolled as a pupil. The gentleman whose name appears at the com- 
 mencement of this sketch is the president of the college, and is working 
 indefatigably for the good of the same. His heart and soul are in the enter- 
 prise and the genuine interest which he takes in every student must make 
 a favorable impression upon the scholar throughout his life.
 
 34 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 In tracing the life history of the worthy president it is found that he 
 comes from the sturdy, manly old Viking stock of Norway. His father, Ole 
 L. Vigness, was born in Finnoe, Norway, and, following the accustomed 
 occupations of the people among whom his youth was passed, he was a 
 fisherman until he was twenty-three years of age. Then the desire to see 
 something of the w^orld and to enter some other field of labor led him to 
 set sail for America. Arriving here in 1856, he went to Rock county, 
 Wisconsin, and found employment in the vicinity of Janesville. In 1859 he 
 took up a homestead of government land in Fillmore county, Minnesota, 
 and at the end of three years, when he had made improvements and had a 
 comfortable home, he married Miss Anna Hallum, likewise a native of Nor- 
 way. The mother died in 1884, leaving three sons and three daughters to 
 mourn her loss. Carl L., the second son, is now a professor in a college; 
 Mary is the wife of J. Stennes. of Milan, Minnesota; Inga, who resides in the 
 same town, is the wife of J. Johnson; and Emma and Edward are the 
 younger members of the family. 
 
 Until he was fifteen years of age Lauritz A. Vigness attended the pubUc 
 schools of his native county, and early evinced unusual aptitude for books. 
 His youthful ambition to enjoy the advantages of a collegiate education 
 finally received fulfillment, and, after passing two years in Marshall (Wiscon- 
 sin) Academy, he pursued a thorough four-years course of study in a college 
 at Canton, South Dakota. Not satisfied as yet, he tlien took a classical 
 course at Dixon College, at Dixon, Illinois, graduating in 1885, and was 
 a student at Augustana Theological Seminary at Beloit, Iowa, for one year. 
 In 1887 he became a member of the faculty of the Highland Park University 
 at Des Moines, Iowa, having charge of the classical department, and for 
 four years his labors in that well-known institution met with gratifying suc- 
 cess. The presidency of the Jewell Lutheran College, at Jewell, Webster 
 county, Iowa, was then tendered him, and he accepted the responsible 
 charge. The authorities and managers of Pleasant View Luther College at 
 length obtained ^Ir. X'igness' consent to become president of the institution, 
 and from that time had no doubt as to its future prosperity. As an educator 
 he has few superiors in this or any other state, and systematic methods are 
 noticeable in everything which he undertakes. 
 
 In 1887 the marriage of ]\Ir. Vigness and Miss Margaret Krogness was 
 solemnized in Larchwood, Lyon county, Iowa. Mrs. Vigness is a daughter 
 of Rev. S. M. and Johanna (Ammandsen) Krogness, both of whom have 
 passed to their reward. To our subject and wife four sons and a daughter 
 were born, their names being as follows: Joseph Alfred, Orrin Sylvanus, 
 Lewis Martell, Paul Gerhard and Lydia Ruth. 
 
 The Pleasant View Luther College has several distinct departments of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 35 
 
 study, including scientific, literary, commercial, musical, parochial and clas- 
 sical. A competent instructor, a specialist as far as possible, is in charge of 
 each department. The rooms of the students are homelike, and in the board- 
 mg hall they are provided with an abundance of well-prepared, nourishing 
 food. Chapel exercises are a part of the daily routine, and here the students 
 are admonished, brought to a keener sense of their responsibility toward 
 God and man, and are trained in the fundamental principles of noble citizen- 
 ship. The college is wonderfully prospering, and its present capacity is now 
 well taxed. 
 
 M. A. BRONSON. 
 
 AI. A. Bronson, chairman of the LaSalle county board of supervisors 
 and a respected resident of Streator, is recognized as an influential factor in 
 local politics. He is well informed upon the great questions of the day,, 
 possesses an excellent education and abundant talent and general ability. 
 
 The parents of our subject, George and Adaline (German) Bronson, 
 were natives of Litchfield, Connecticut, and New York state, respectively. 
 The father was a son of Henry Bronson, of the former state, and his ances- 
 tors, as well as those of our subject's mother, were English. The only 
 exception to this, along the various lines, is seen in the case of the mother 
 of Mrs. Adaline Bronson, for she was a Miss Secor prior to her marriage, and 
 came of sturdy French Huguenot stock. Her husband, Daniel German, 
 a son of Reuben German, was a soldier in the war of 18 12, and lived to the 
 advanced age of eighty-six years. Our subject's mother, who was born April 
 24, 1827, is living with her son, Walter F. Bronson, in Macon county, 
 Missouri. The father, who had devoted his energy to agriculture during 
 his active years, died in 1895. when in his seventy-eighth year, at his home 
 near Deer Park, Illinois, where he had dwelt since 1852. 
 
 M. A. Bronson was born in Wayne county, ^Michigan, not far from 
 Detroit, August 13, 1850. Reared on the parental homestead, he received 
 but a district-school education in his boyhood, but he was studious and 
 ambitious, and these qualities obtained for him vastly better advantages than 
 fell to the lot of the majority of his early playmates. When a mere boy he 
 was sent to Galesburg (Illinois) Academy, and later he attended school also- 
 at Aurora, Illinois. For four winters after leaving school he was occupietl 
 in teaching, and for a short time was thus employed in Streator. Then for 
 ten years he was in the United States mail service, running between St. 
 Louis and Chicago, and Streator, Illinois, and Knox, Indiana. In 1892 he 
 resigned that position in order to accept the one he now holds, that of agent 
 for the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association. He looks after the sales and:
 
 36 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 general interests of the company which he represents, not only in Streator 
 but also in the adjacent territory, and has made himself very valuable to his 
 employers. 
 
 In 1875 ^Ir. Bronson married Miss Agnes Mackey, the eldest daughter 
 of Samuel and Sarah Mackey. 
 
 In his political creed Mr. Bronson is a stanch Democrat, and for the 
 past four years has been a member of the county central committee of that 
 party. He takes a great interest in local and state politics, and does effective 
 service for the party. For two years he has served as assistant supervisor, 
 and in 1898 was honored with the position of supervisor from Streator, 
 since which time he has acted in the capacity of chairman of the board. 
 Fraternally he belongs to the Modern \\'oodmen of America and Streator 
 Lodge. Xo. 607, A. F. & A. M. 
 
 DYSON MILLER. 
 
 Xo resident of ^Mission township has longer resided within its borders 
 than Dyson Miller. This honored pioneer came with his parents to this 
 county in 1832, when only two and a half years old, and has witnessed the 
 entire growth and development of this section of the state. Indians were far 
 more numerous than the white settlers at the time of his arrival, and wild 
 game abounded in the forest and furnished many a meal to the early settlers. 
 The land was in its primitive condition and there was little promise that 
 this section would one day be situated in the midst of the richest farming 
 section of the Union and would l)e the place of abode for a contented, thrifty 
 and prosperous people. Mr. Miller has always borne his part in the work 
 of development and advancement, has been a prominent factor in agricultural 
 interests, and now, at the age of seventy years, is living a retired life, enjoy- 
 ing the rest which he has so richly earned and truly deserves. 
 
 j\Ir. Miller was born in Marion county, Ohio, December 23, 1829. and 
 is of German lineage, his grandfather, Peter Miller, having been born in 
 Germany, whence he came to America during the Revolutionary war. He 
 aided in the struggle for independence and after the war took up his abode 
 in Ohio. Peter IMillcr, Jr.. ihc father of our subject, was born in Ross 
 county, Ohio, September 5. 1802, and spending his youth in his native 
 county he attended the district schools through the winter season and 
 worked on the home farm through the summer months, lie was married 
 in Ohio to Harriet Holderman, a daughter of Abraham liolderman, a ])io- 
 neer of Kendall, then a part of LaSallc county. In the spring of 1832 Mr. 
 Miller, with his wife and ihcir little son Dyson, then two and a half years
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 37 
 
 old, came to Illinois in a prairie schooner. They were six weeks in crossing 
 the states of Indiana and Illinois to LaSalle county, where they arrived 
 during the progress of the Black Hawk war. Hearing of the hostilities, Mr. 
 Miller hid his wagon and goods in a thicket and, with his wife and child, 
 proceeded on horseback to Ottawa. The militia afterward obtained this 
 wagon for him. When the Indian troubles had abated Mr. Miller settled 
 just south of Sheridan, where he secured a claim in 1833. His business 
 interests were diligently conducted and managed with ability, and he pros- 
 pered in his undertakings, becoming an extensive land-owner. In 1870 he 
 decided to put away business cares, and accordingly removed to Sheridan, 
 where he lived retired until his death, which occurred in 1889. His wife 
 passed away in 1888, They were faithful members of the Protestant Epis- 
 copal church, and were honored pioneer people. 
 
 Dyson Miller was reared to manhood on his father's farm in LaSalle 
 county, and to the common-school system he is indebted for the educational 
 privileges he has received. He has always resided in Mission township, and 
 for many years was connected with its agricultural interests. In 185 1 he 
 married Miss Harriet Amelia Beardsley, a native of Massachusetts and a 
 daughter of William Beardsley, a pioneer settler of Serena township, LaSalle 
 county. He then began farming on his own account, and his well-tilled 
 fields and excellent improvements on his place well indicated the careful 
 supervision and unabating energy of the owner. When he was only eighteen 
 years of age he drove hogs to Chicago for his father — a distance of seventy 
 miles — and at that time not more than two stock-buyers were doing business 
 in the now flourishing metropolis. He has seen the great changes which 
 have taken place in methods of farming, has watched the introduction of 
 new machinery which has revolutionized agriculture, and while actively con- 
 nected with that line of work he was accounted one of the most progressive 
 farmers of LaSalle county. He became interested in the grain business in 
 Sheridan about 1874, and a few years later removed his family to the village, 
 where he has since made his home. After being connected with that business 
 for ten years he sold out, and for several years thereafter was in the stock 
 business as a buyer and shipper, but is now living retired. 
 
 In 1894 Mr. Miller was made to mourn the loss of his wife, who was 
 called to her eternal rest. The children born of their marriage were William 
 B., now a resident of Chicago; Mrs. Jane Ann Moore, of Michigan; John 
 H., a resident of Minnesota; Mrs. Mary R. Spradling, of Kansas; Mrs. 
 Hattie R. Spurr, of Aurora, Illinois; Robert R., a stock-buyer of Sheridan; 
 Peter H., of Ottawa; and Harry, who died in infancy. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Miller is a Republican and has held a number 
 of local ofifices, including that of supervisor of ]Mission township. Socially
 
 38 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 he is a Master Mason, and in religious belief he is a Methodist. He has now 
 reached the Psalmist's span of three-score years and ten, and his life record 
 is one unclouded by shadow of wrong. He has always been true to his duty 
 to. his neighbor, to his country and to himself, and has ever merited the 
 warm regard so uniformly given him. 
 
 WALTER REEVES. 
 
 Walter Reeves, a prominent attorney of Streator, and one of the law- 
 makers of the nation, is now for the third time representing his district in 
 congress. He was born near Brownsville, Pennsylvania, on the 25th of 
 September, 1848, and is a son of Harrison and Maria (Leonard) Reeves, 
 the former of Scotch-English descent and the latter of Welsh-German 
 lineage. The father was a farmer by occupation and was also a native of 
 the Keystone state. 
 
 When eight years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal 
 to Illinois, the family locating on a farm in LaSalle county, where he was 
 reared to manhood. He acquired his education in the public schools and 
 private study, and in early manhood became a teacher. During that time 
 he also read law, and at the June term of the supreme court, in 1875, he 
 was admitted to the bar. He at once began the practice of law in Streator 
 and soon attained prominence at the LaSalle county bar. Li 1884 he was 
 admitted to practice in the United States supreme court, and has since been 
 identified with much important litigation. He is the senior member of the 
 firm of Reeves & Boys. 
 
 In politics Mr. Reeves has always been a pronounced Republican and 
 protectionist. In 1894 he was nominated by the Repubhcan party for repre- 
 sentative in congress from the eleventh congressional district of Illinois, 
 and was elected by a plurality of four thousand nine hundred and eighty-two 
 votes. In 1896 he was re-elected by a plurality of six thousand two hundred 
 and fifty-one votes; and on the 4th of March, 1899, took his seat for the 
 third time in the house of representatives. Upon entering congress in 1895 
 he recognized the fact that he could best serve his constituents by devoting 
 his energies to the work of internal improvements in the country. He was 
 appointed a member of the committee on rivers and harbors, and in the 
 river and harbor bill passed by the fifty-fourth congress he obtained from 
 the general government for improvements in the state of Illinois between 
 eight and nine million dollars. His position was that in the midst of exceed- 
 ingly hard times the laboring people should be helped by providing work 
 to be done in these internal improvements, and that in turn farmers and
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 39 
 
 business men would.be benefited by the influence on freight rates resulting 
 therefrom. Thus he accomplished more for the internal improvement of the 
 state by the general government than had been accomplished for a score of 
 years. He has prepared and introduced a bill in congress to control the patent 
 system of the United States, and a leading labor paper of New York said 
 that if passed it would accomplish more for the laboring people of the United 
 States than any other bill ever introduced. His course in congress has ever 
 been one favoring advancement and progress; and that he has been three 
 times elected to represent his district is unmistakable evidence of the confi- 
 dence reposed in him by his fellow citizens. 
 
 Mr. Reeves was married in 1876 to Miss Metta M. Cogswell, of Con- 
 necticut, a daughter of Lucius T. Cogswell. He is a man of fine personal 
 appearance, affable in manner and a cultured, genial gentleman worthy of 
 the high regard in which he is uniformly held. 
 
 FRANK O. CHAPMAN. 
 
 Frank O. Chapman, proprietor of Willow Stock Farm, on section 33, 
 Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, is one of the representative and 
 popular citizens of this county. The salient points in regard to his life are 
 as follows : 
 
 Frank O. Chapman was born on the old Chapman homestead in Miller 
 township, LaSalle county, Illinois, April 19, i860, a son of Hiram Chapman 
 and grandson of Amasa Chapman, who were members of a New York 
 family. Hiram Chapman was born in New York in 1824, was married in 
 his native state to Miss Ann E. Davis, and a few years later came west 
 with his wife and two little children and settled in LaSalle county, when this 
 section of the country was nearly all in its primitive state. Here he pur- 
 chased three hundred and twenty acres of land, to which he added in after 
 years until his farm was one of the largest in the county. His eldest son, 
 George, resides in Odell, Illinois. The other three sons — Otis L., Hosmer 
 and Frank O. — all have farms in this township. The only daughter of the 
 family, Delia, died at the age of twenty-two years. The father died in 1898, 
 at the age of seventy-four years. The mother was fifty-four when she died, 
 in 1882. 
 
 Our direct subject, Frank O., received his early training in the public 
 schools and finished his education with a course in the Normal school at 
 Morris, Illinois. He has never turned aside from the occupation in which 
 he was reared, and as the proprietor of Willow Stock Farm is doing a busi- 
 ness and has a place in which he has just reason to take pride, his farm
 
 40 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL- RECORD. 
 
 being one of the very best in the county. Mr. Chapman has for several 
 years made a specialty of raising Poland-China hogs, and has sold hogs 
 throughout this state, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri and Iowa. 
 
 Mr. Chapman has been twice married. December 23, 1883, he wedded 
 Miss Emma Snyder, daughter of John Snyder, deceased. She died in 
 August, 1885, leaving one child, a son, Elmer E. April 19, 1888, Mr. Chap- 
 man married for his second wife Miss Fanny I. Harris,, daughter of Isaac 
 Harris, of Miller township, LaSalle county. The present Mrs. Chapman 
 was, previous to her marriage, a successful teacher. This union has been 
 blessed in the birth of four children, — Clyde, Walter, Harold and Sina 
 Luthera. 
 
 Mr. Chapman gives his support politically to the Republican party. 
 
 WILLIAM R. LEWIS. 
 
 William R. Lewis, the efiticient supervisor of Grand Rapids township, 
 LaSalle county, is one of the popular and enterprising agriculturists of this 
 locality. He is one of the native sons of Illinois, his birth having occurred 
 in Putnam county March 3, 1843. Of the eight children born to the Hon. 
 S. R. Lewis, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this volume, but four sons 
 survive, the others being E. C, Charles and S. M., who is a farmer of Fall 
 River township. 
 
 In his youth William R. Lewis was instructed in all departments of 
 agriculture, and obtained a practical education in the public schools. In 
 i860 he located upon the homestead which he now owns and carries on. 
 At that time this place, as well as all of the other land in the vicinity, was 
 wild, and bore little promise of what it was to become under the careful 
 cultivation and care of its future owner. Mr. Lewis set to work with a will, 
 and the result of years of his well applied energy is seen to-day in his splendid 
 farm, which is considered one of the best in the township. The place, com- 
 prising two hundred acres, is supplied with a model house, good barns and 
 other buildings, a w^ell-kept yard, shaded with fine old trees, and a thrifty 
 orchard. Two windmills furnish the power for supplying an abundance of 
 pure water to the house and barns, and improved farm machinery and imple- 
 ments reduce the labor of managing the place to a minimum. A high grade 
 of live stock is raised and kept upon this farm, and a ready market is found 
 for all of the products of the place, which is situated but three miles from 
 Grand Ridge village. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Lewis wedded Miss E. A. Eichelberger, whose father was 
 born February 28, 181 3, and died April 16, 1879. He was one of the early
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 41 
 
 settlers of this township, coming to Ottawa in 1837 from York county, 
 Pennsylvania. His widow was born December 4, 1821, and is still living on 
 their old homestead in this vicinity. Four children were born to our subject 
 and wife : Anna, who married S. E. Jones, the agent of the Chicago, Bur- 
 lington & Quincy Railroad at Earlville, Illinois, and Edward C, Edith C. 
 and F. W. The three younger children are at home, F. W. being a student 
 in the Luther College, at Ottawa, Illinois. All have been given excellent 
 musical advantages and possess considerable talent in that line, both daugh- 
 ters now being teachers of the art, and both boys being connected with the 
 Grand Ridge cornet band. 
 
 From his youth Mr. Lewis was an abolitionist, and he joined the 
 Republican party upon its organization, since which time he has been a 
 zealous worker in its interests. He has frequently attended county and state 
 and congressional conventions of his party, often as a delegate. For eight 
 years he has served as a justice of the peace, and in 1896 was elected to the 
 office of supervisor, in both of which positions he has acquitted himself 
 with credit. Religiously Mr. Lewis and his family are connected with the 
 Cumberland Presbyterian church, contributing liberally, both of their means 
 and influence, towards its support. 
 
 COLONEL DOUGLAS HAPEMAN. 
 
 Electricity, a mysterious force, even now but imperfectly understood 
 and only partially available in a practical way, is nevertheless such an impor- 
 tant factor in the domestic, commercial and manufacturing economy of 
 every enterprising town that it has engaged the services of the best thought 
 of men of intellectuality and splendid business ability, under whose guidance 
 it is being developed and brought under control and made more and more 
 fully the servant of man. Colonel Douglas Hapeman, secretary and treas- 
 urer of the Thomas Electric Light & Power Company, of Ottawa, Illinois, 
 was born in Fulton county, New York, January 15, 1839, a son of John and 
 Margaret (Smith) Hapeman. At the age of five years he was brought by his 
 parents to Illinois. The family located first at Aurora and later at Earlville, 
 where Mr. and Mrs. Hapeman died, leaving three sons and six daughters: 
 Almira, Margaret, Mary, Matilda, Adeline, Elizabeth, John, William and 
 Douglas. The father, who became Avell known as a bridge builder, lived 
 sixty-two years, and the mother died at the age of fifty-three. They were 
 zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Douglas Hapeman received his early education in a school which was 
 conducted in a little log school-house not far from Earlville. ^^'hen thirteen
 
 42 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 years old he began to work as a printer, and followed the vocation until 
 April, 1 86 1. For some time prior to the war he was a member of the Wash- 
 ington Light Guards, of Ottawa, and on the first call of President Lincoln 
 for volunteers he enlisted in Company H, Eleventh Regiment of Illinois 
 Volunteer Lifantry, and was made second lieutenant. He was recommis- 
 sioned in the Eleventh Regiment for three years, and took part in the battles 
 of Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Corinth. He was discharged for promotion 
 in August, 1862, and was commissioned lieutenant colonel of the One Hun- 
 dred and Fourth Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry. At Hartsville, 
 Tennessee, he was captured, together with the regiment, and with Major 
 Widmer was a prisoner about five months. He afterward took part in the 
 battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, Resaca, Kene- 
 saw Mountain, Atlanta, Jonesboro and the memorable experiences of the 
 march to the sea. In the campaign after Hood, north of Atlanta, he com- 
 manded a brigade in the First Division, Fourteenth Army Corps, and was 
 mustered out of the army June 22, 1865, having served four years and two 
 months. He then returned to Ottawa and became one of the publishers of 
 the Free Trader, but in 1882 disposed of his interest and was engaged in 
 the book and stationery business until 1895, when he sold out to devote his 
 entire time to his work as secretary and manager of the Thomas Electric 
 Light & Power Company, in which he had been interested since 1884, and 
 of which he is now secretary and treasurer. 
 
 The Colonel is a member of the Loyal Legion, Grand Army of the 
 Republic, and the Masonic fraternity. He was married November 6, 1867, 
 to Miss Ella Thomas, daughter of William Thomas, president of the Thomas 
 Electric Light & Power Company. They have a son and a daughter, William 
 T. Hapeman, who is, at the age of twenty-four, a successful lawyer of Chi- 
 cago, and May E., wife of Dr. J. R. Hofifman, of Chicago. 
 
 The Thomas Electric Light & Power Company was organized in 1884, 
 with a capital of fifteen thousand dollars, and Colonel Hapeman was made 
 its secretary and treasurer. Starting out in a limited way, with two arc-light 
 dynamos, capable of running twenty-five lights each, the concern, under the 
 personal supervision of Messrs. Hapeman and Thomas, has made a great 
 stride forward, and now takes rank among the leading institutions of the city. 
 At first the station was on the "side cut," near the Illinois and Michigan 
 canal, but in a few months what is now a part of the present structure was 
 erected between the Victor Mills and the City Mills, and it has since been 
 more than doubled in size. The company now operate three dynamos, with 
 a capacity of ninety arc lights, two incandescent-light machines, with power 
 for three thousand six hundred lamps, and the dynamos which run the city 
 lights, one hundred and thirty-three in number. The company maintains
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 43 
 
 a day circuit, as well as a power circuit, so that the plant is operated contin- 
 uously. Having the advantage of water power, its customers are supplied 
 with lights and power much cheaper than in almost any other city in the 
 Union. The application of electricity to the purposes of lighting, heating 
 and power is only just beginning to be indicated, and the Thomas Electric 
 Light & Power Company is ever on the lookout for new inventions, or 
 for improvements on existing ones, which will better its service and help it 
 to attain a perfect system of artificial light. 
 
 JAMES HENRY DRAKE. 
 
 Among the early settlers in LaSalle county, Illinois, was Jesse R. Drake, 
 father of the gentleman whose name initiates this review, who with his family 
 came to Illinois in 1839 and to LaSalle county in 1844. Jesse R. Drake was 
 a son of William Drake, and was born in New York and reared and educated 
 there. When he reached manhood he went to Bradford county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, where he married Miss Jemima Ferguson, daughter of William 
 Ferguson, of English descent, who came to America to fight for the colo- 
 nists in the Revolutionary war. Some years after their marriage they 
 removed with their family to Coles county, Illinois, and five years later to 
 LaSalle county, settling in South Ottawa. Their family consisted of eight 
 children, whose names in order of birth were as follows : Ruthenne, Benja- 
 min, William, Delia, Jesse W., all now deceased; Mary, wife of A. G. Bard- 
 well, of Erie, Neosho county, Kansas; J. H., the subject of this sketch; and 
 Isaac, deceased. Both parents lived to venerable age. The father died at 
 seventy-three and the mother at seventy-five. Jesse R. Drake was a pros- 
 perous farmer and stood high in the esteem of his fellow-citizens. He was 
 a soldier in the war of 1812. Politically he was a Republican. His good 
 wife was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 James Henry Drake was born in Coles county, Illinois, October 26, 
 1840, and was four years old when his parents came to Ottawa. His boy- 
 hood days were passed in work on his father's farm and in attending the 
 country schools. He remained at the home of his parents, except one 
 summer, when he was engaged in driving cattle from Illinois to Kansas until 
 the civil war broke out. When the civil war came on he was among the 
 first to enter the Union ranks, and he went out as a member of the Fifty- 
 third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under Colonel William Cushman and 
 Captain J. Skinner. He enhsted in 1861 and his service covered a period of 
 over three years, at the end of which time he was honorably discharged. In 
 1886 Mr. Drake located on his present farm of one hundred and twelve
 
 44 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 acres in South Ottawa township. This farm, known for years as the old 
 Dewey farm, is well located, three miles southeast of town, and is nicely 
 improved with good buildings, including a comfortable residence surrounded 
 with lawn and shade trees. 
 
 July 5, 1868, Mr. Drake married Miss Mercy J. Turner, a native of 
 Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Erasmus T. and Fidelia 
 (Ball) Turner, both natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Turner died in 1871, 
 leaving two children, Mrs. Drake and Mrs. Louisa Clark. ]\Ir. Turner is 
 now a resident of Alta, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Drake have two children, 
 namely: Charles H., who married Miss Allie J. Scidmore, and has one 
 child, Charles Henry, w^ho lives at Wenona, Illinois; and Linnie B., wife of 
 Irving Scidmore and mother of one child, Ruth Belle Scidmore. 
 
 Mr. Drake is a Republican. Although taking an active interest in 
 politics, he has never aspired to official honors. He is a member of the 
 G. A. R. Post of Streator, and he and his family are identified with the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 After the war he returned to his father's home and remained there until 
 1871, when he removed to Chatsworth, where he remained for one year; 
 next he returned to the old home and engaged in the occupation of farming 
 until 1879. Then he and his family removed to Streator, where he turned 
 his attention to the flour and feed business and in buying cattle. 
 
 GEORGE L. DAVISON. 
 
 In 1869 George L. Davison cast his lot with the people of LaSalle 
 county, and has never seen occasion to regret that he did so; for he is, first 
 of all, patriotic and keenly alive to whatever he believes will be of benefit to 
 the community. 
 
 Benjamin Davison, the paternal grandfather of George L., was a native 
 of Pennsylvania. His son, Benjamin, Jr., was born in Washington county, 
 of that state, in 1793, and moved with his father's family to Trumbull county, 
 Ohio, in 1802, when but nine years of age, when that portion of Ohio was 
 almost an unbroken wilderness. In 1834 he removed to Allen county, same 
 state, and began the improvement of a farm near Lima, being one of the 
 pioneers in this part of the state. In December of that year he married Sid- 
 ney Howard Nelson, who was born November 5, 1795, at Geneva, state of 
 New York, and was the first child born of white parentage in that place. 
 The Indians had not yet left that part of the state. Her parents were Edward 
 and Elizabeth (Armstrong) Howard. 
 
 But one child was born to Benjamin and Sidney Davison, George L,, 
 who is the subject of this sketch. He was born on his father's farm near
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 45 
 
 Lima, Allen county, Ohio, October 20, 1836, and during his youth attended 
 the schools in his neighborhood, completing his education in 1855 at the 
 Presbyterian academy in Lima. His father died in 1854, and after leaving 
 school he and his mother continued to reside upon and operate the farm 
 left by his father until 1869, when they sold the farm and removed to LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, locating in the town of Manlius. 
 
 On the nth day of August, 1862, Mr. Davison enlisted in Company B, 
 Ninety-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, which was at that time being re- 
 cruited at Lima, Ohio, and was appointed third sergeant at the organization 
 of the company. On the last day of August the regiment was ordered to 
 Covington, Kentucky, and was there during the Kirby Smith raid, and 
 subsequently marched with the Army of the Cumberland, of which it became 
 a part, from Louisville by way of Perryville, Crab Orchard and Somerset to 
 Nashville, Tennessee. On February 26, 1863, while his regiment was 
 encamped at [Nlurfreesboro, Tennessee, Sergeant Davison was promoted to 
 be orderly sergeant of his company, and served in that capacity until April 
 10, 1863. when he was promoted as second lieutenant of his company, and 
 on June 9, 1863, was advanced to the rank of first lieutenant. On July 16, 
 1863, he took command of his company, and served in that capacity until 
 January i, 1864. During this time he participated in the advance on Chatta- 
 nooga and the battle of Chickamauga, September 19 and 20, 1863; Lookout 
 Mountain, November 24, 1863; and Missionary Ridge, November 25, 1863. 
 In January, 1864, he obtained a twenty-days' leave of absence and visited his 
 family in Ohio. Immediately upon his return to duty he was, by special 
 order No. 17, headquarters Second Brigade, First Division, Fourth Army 
 Corps, detailed for duty on the stafif of Colonel J. H. Moore of the One 
 Hundred and Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, then commanding the 
 brigade. On March 31, 1864, he was, by special order No. 54, headquarters 
 First Division, Fourth Army Corps, detailed as ambulance officer of the 
 division. He organized and was in charge of the ambulance train of the 
 division until July 2, 1864, when his resignation was tendered and accepted, 
 based on a surgeon's certificate of disability. The following indorsement 
 appears on the tender of his resignation : 
 
 Headquarters Secorrd Brigade, First Division, 
 
 Twenty-third Army Corps. 
 Respectfully forwarded for the action of the Major General command- 
 ing the Department of Ohio. 
 
 I am sorry to lose the services of so valuable an ofiicer; but disease has 
 rendered him unfit for further service, and his life is in danger from it. 
 (Signed) P. T.SWAINE, 
 
 Colonel Ninety-ninth Ohio A'olunteer Infantrv, Commanding.
 
 46 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Davison's army record is of the best, and his children have just 
 cause to be proud of his gahant and creditable service in the defense of the 
 Union. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Davison came to LaSalle county and located upon a farm 
 in Manlius township, four miles north of Seneca, where he was energetically 
 engaged in farming for several years. In 1887 he settled in Seneca, and 
 for the past twelve years has been thoroughly identified with the town. For 
 a period he was employed at the carpenter's trade, and more recently he has 
 been busily occupied by public duties. While living on his homestead he 
 officiated as the township collector; and he has been the assessor for six 
 years. Seven years ago he received an appointment as a notary public, and 
 in 1897 he was elected the police magistrate. In these of^ces he is still 
 serving, ably discharging his duties and giving entire satisfaction to the 
 citizens.. He is loyal to the platform and nominees of the Republican party. 
 Fraternally he is a member of Manlius Lodge, No. 491, I. O. O. F., and was 
 the first commander of Joseph Woodrufif Post, G. A. R., No. 281, of Mar- 
 seilles. 
 
 On the 2ist of Septemljer, 1858, Mr. Davison married Miss Margaret 
 Boyd, daughter of James and Mary Boyd of Lima, Ohio. Two sons and 
 two daughters of Our subject and wife are yet living, namely, Ida A., Louis 
 M., Sidney L. and M. Howard, who have received an excellent education. 
 Ida is at hoiiie with her father and the three sons are residents of Oglesby, 
 this state. April 4, 1891, Mrs. Davison passed away, leaving her family and 
 a large circle of friends to mourn her loss. She had lived a consistent Chris- 
 tian life, being at the time of her death a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church of Seneca. His daughters, Efifie L. and Anna M., both died in 1897, 
 the former on the 24th day of April, aged thirty-one years, and the latter 
 on the 2d day of June, aged twenty-five years. Both were conscientious and 
 consistent Christians. 
 
 J. L. PIERGUE. 
 
 Mr. J. L. Piergue was the Delmonico of Ottawa and vicinity. Through 
 long years of experience he has earned a well-deserved reputation as chef 
 and caterer. A brief review of his life is as follows : 
 
 J. L. Piergue was born in France, in 1844, of a good family noted for 
 their industry, honesty and morality. His father was a baker by trade, and 
 under him our subject served an apprenticeship, thus laying the foundation 
 of his successful career. He attended school until he was sixteen, when, in 
 order to perfect him.self in his trade, he became an apprentice to a regular 
 caterer. During the World's Fair in Chicago, in 1893, he was chef of the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 47 
 
 Hungarian Cafe, which he sticcessfuhy conducted and which was one of the 
 most popular of the "White City" resorts. He is now located at Ottawa, 
 Illinois, where he maintains his reputation in his line of business. His elegant 
 and successfully conducted saloon is located in his own building, a three- 
 story brick structure, it being finished and furnished first-class in every 
 respect. 
 
 Mr. Piergue was married, in Ottaw^a. to Miss Victoria De Claude, 
 daughter of M. De Claude, and she is a woman of excellent qualities, and 
 has proved herself a worthy helpmate to her husband. They have four 
 children : Bert, of Omaha, who had charge of the German Village Cafe at 
 the Omaha exposition in 1898; Edith, wife of Lee Uhl, of Ottawa; and 
 Carrie and Louise, at home. 
 
 Politically Mr. Piergue is identified with the Democratic party. Socially 
 he is a Knight of Pythias, a member of the uniform rank in that order, and 
 an officer and one of the active promoters of the same. 
 
 DAVID LORING. 
 
 One of the first pioneer settlers of LaSalle county was David Loring, 
 who arrived in this section of the state in 1838, since which time representa- 
 tives of the name have been prominently connected with public aft'airsand 
 business interests that have contributed to the general prosperity and ad- 
 vancement of the county. David Loring was born in the state of New 
 Hampshire, on the nth of November, 1775, — the year in w'hich the Revo- 
 lutionary war began. After some years he enlisted in the United States 
 Navy, and when the second war with Great Britain began he entered his 
 country's service to protect American interests. He married Mercy Benson, 
 a native of Rhode Island, born May i, 1786, and afterward purchased a farm 
 in East Bloomfield, Ontario county. New York, w^here he resided with his 
 family until 1832. He then emigrated westward, locating in Medina county, 
 Ohio, W'hence, in 1838, he came to Illinois, settling on section 32, township 
 34, range 5, in what has since become known as Manlius township, LaSalle 
 county. There Mr. Loring carried on farming until his death, which occurred 
 May II, 1847, when he had reached the age of seventy-one years and six 
 months. His wife passed away on the ist of September, 1846, at the age of 
 sixty years and four months. They lived to see all their children married 
 and living in homes of their own near the old family homestead. They had 
 four sons and two daughters: Thomas, Sally, Betsey, David, John and 
 William R. 
 
 Thomas, the eldest son of David and Mercy (Benson) Loring, was born
 
 48 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in Ontario county, New York, in 1806, and in 1827 married Caroline Hall, 
 a native of Providence, Rhode Island. They had three children, — Thomas, 
 Hannah and Catherine. Coming to Illinois, Thomas Loring, Sr., was serv- 
 ing as the jailer in Ottawa at the time George Gates was hung for the murder 
 of an Englishman named Liley. He was also a deputy sheriff at one time 
 and guard in the state penitentiary in Alton, Illinois. He was on various 
 occasions proprietor of hotels, including the Fox River House, at Ottawa; 
 Sulphur Springs House, just west of Ottawa, and the Kimbol House, at 
 ]\Iarseilles. His wife died in Marseilles in 1850, and Mr. Loring afterward 
 married ]\Iiss Laura Cooley, of Northville, by whom he had three children, 
 — Jennie. Frankie and Nellie. Mr. Loring died in Marseilles in 1887, at the 
 age of eighty-one years. His son Thomas went to California in 1849 with 
 the Green Company, and spent the remainder of his life in the west, his death 
 occurring in Boise, Idaho, a few years ago. Hannah, a daughter of Thomas 
 Loring, Sr., married Aaron Gage, of Brookfield, LaSalle county, and is still 
 living on the old homestead, although her husband died several years ago. 
 She had seven children. Catherine, the second daughter of Thomas Loring, 
 Sr., married Henry Mitchell, of Ottawa, LaSalle county, and there they 
 made their home for several years, but later removed to La Porte, Iowa, 
 where Mr. ]\Iitchell died, in 1896. She had four children. 
 
 Sally Loring, daughter of David Loring, the pioneer of the family in 
 LaSalle county, was born in Ontario county. New York, in 1809, and mar- 
 ried Dolphus Clark, of that county. They came to Illinois in 1836, locating 
 on section 5. township 33. range 5. In 1867 they removed to Marseilles, 
 where ]\Ir. Clark died, in 1884, while his wife survived until 1898. They had 
 ten children, — four sons and six daughters : Carlos, Adaline, Mercy, Sally, 
 Caroline, John, ]\Iary, Dolphus, Richard and Clara. 
 
 Betsey Loring, the second daughter of David Loring, was born in 
 Ontario county. New York, in 1812, and became the wife of Nelson Morey. 
 In 1836 they came to Illinois, afterward emigrated to Texas, and in 1850 
 Mrs. Morey died near Galveston, leaving one son, named Harvey Morey. 
 
 David Loring, the second son of David Loring, Sr., was born in 
 Ontario county. New York, in 1814. and in 1836 came to Illinois. He drove 
 a stage for Fink & Walker on the old stage route between Chicago 
 and Ottawa, and was a prominent factor in events forming the pio- 
 neer history of the county. He married Elizabeth Nichol, of Mans- 
 field, Ohio, and they had eight children, two sons and six daughters, 
 but two of the children died in infancy. Those still living are 
 Malvina, Betsey, Ella. Marvel, Jennie and George. Of this family Malvina 
 married 'Sir. Hill, by whom she has a son and daughter, and they now make 
 their home in Olympia, \\^ashington; Betsey is now the wife of Mr. Craw-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 49 
 
 ford, of Wyoming, and they have three children; Ella is the wife of Mr. 
 Swan, of Olympia, Washington, and they have two sons; Marvel also lives 
 in Olympia; Jennie is married and resides in Ontario county. New York, 
 upon a farm near the old David Loring homestead; and George is married 
 and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mr. Loring, the father of these children, 
 is still living, at the age of eighty-five years, and the mother is now eighty 
 years of age. They reside in Olympia, Washington, and are now enjoying 
 fair health for people of their years. 
 
 John Loring, the third son of David Loring, Sr., was born in Ontario 
 county, New York, August 22, 1817, and in 1835, when eighteen years of 
 age, came to Illinois. During the summer months he worked as a farm 
 hand for Joseph Brumbach, and when autumn came returned to Ohio. Li 
 the spring of 1836, however, he again came to this state and for almost half 
 a century he and his wife resided upon one farm in this locality. He was 
 married January i, 1844, to Lowisa Mickey, of Mansfield, Ohio, who died 
 December 28, 1893, at the age of seventy-six years and eleven months. 
 After her death Mr. Loring resided with his daughter, Mrs. Piester, in Mar- 
 seilles, and died at the age of eighty-one years and seven months. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Loring were the parents of four children, two sons and tVk^o daugh- 
 ters: Eliza, Hulbert L., George and Alzina. The elder daughter became 
 the wife of Milton Piester, of the town of Mission, and for some years they 
 resided on a farm in Rutland. In 1882 they removed to Marseilles, where 
 Mr. Piester purchased an interest in a hardware store and became a partner 
 of Mr. Wilson. He died in 1887, at the age of forty-nine years, leaving his 
 widow^ and four children — Carrie, Marcia, Alzina and Winnie — all of whom 
 reside in Marseilles. Hulbert L. Loring was born in the town of Miller, 
 September 6, 1846, and was married December 25, 1870, to Mary Bosworth, 
 who died June 27, 1872, after which Mr. Loring lived with his parents 
 until December 25, 1878, when he wedded Mary J. Grove. They live on a 
 farm in Miller township and have two children, George and Wilber. George 
 Loring, the third child of John Loring, was born in the town of Miller, 
 January 13, 1849, ^^'^d married Addie B. Engle, of Burr Oak, Michigan, De- 
 cember 5, 1878. He lives on the John Loring homestead in the southwestern 
 part of Miller township, LaSalle county, and has two children — Margaret 
 and Raymond. Alzina Loring, the fourth child of John Loring, was born 
 January i, 1856, and was married September 17, 1879, to John M. Wells, 
 of Nevada, Iowa, where they now reside. They have a daughter named 
 Reine. 
 
 William R. Loring, the youngest son of David Loring, was born in On- 
 tario county. New York, on the 22d of August, 1820, and in 1838 came to 
 Illinois. He was married in 1843, to Jane Mickey, of Mansfield, Ohio, a
 
 50 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 sister of his brother John's wife, and by this union were born ten children, 
 nine sons and a daughter, of whom seven are Hving, while three have passed 
 away. Mrs. Loring died in Osceola, Iowa, several years ago, and Mr. 
 Loring's death occurred in Peoria, Illinois, in 1897. Of their children, 
 Thomas and May died in infancy; Alonzo died at the age of eighteen years; 
 Riley is married and lives in Peoria; Augustus P. is married and resides in 
 Missouri; Ernest is married and resides in Colorado; Elzie, Jesse and Simeon 
 are living in Kentland, Indiana; and Charles is married and resides in 
 Chicago. 
 
 URIAS J. HOFFMAN. 
 
 The popular superintendent of schools in LaSalle county, Urias J. 
 Hoffman, has been the incumbent of this responsible office for the past 
 five years, during which time many notable changes for the better have 
 been inaugurated in the public-school system of this section of the state. 
 Professor Hofifman is a practical educator and sound business man, earnest 
 and well grounded in his convictions, and persevering in his efforts to per- 
 manently benefit the schools of this vicinity. 
 
 John Hoffman, father of the above-named gentleman, was a native of 
 Saxe-Weimar, Germany. There he married Margaret Koelner, and together 
 they came to the United States in 1852. Settling in Indiana, they continued 
 to reside there until the death of the father, a few years later. The widow, 
 thus left alone with two small sons, remarried. 
 
 The birth of Urias J. Hoffman took place in the village of Wawaka, 
 Noble county, Indiana, May 12, 1855. He was naturally of a studious turn 
 of mind, and spent all of his leisure time with his books. At fourteen years 
 of age he was given his time, and while working for farmers was permitted 
 to attend school in the winter season. At seventeen he had saved a sufficient 
 amount from his limited earnings to enable himself to take an academic 
 course, and in 1878 his pedagogic career began, as he taught a country 
 school. Then, for two years, he was employed as a teacher in a village 
 school, and in 1881 he was elected associate principal of Jennings Seminary, 
 Aurora, and was connected with that institution for six years. He then 
 served three years as president of Hayward Collegiate Institute, at Fairfield, 
 Illinois. Going then to the DePauw (Indiana) University, he was instructor 
 in English for a year, leaving that position to accept one in Florida. At the 
 end of three years' stay in the south he returned to Marseilles, Illinois, where 
 he was principal of schools until he was elected to the present position, 
 in November, 1894. 
 
 Among the most important improvements which have been instituted
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 51 
 
 in the educational methods of LaSalle county in the past few years the 
 following may be mentioned : A uniform system of text-books in the country 
 schools is in force; the county institute has been attended by the majority 
 of the six hundred teachers of the county, as great care has been taken 
 in securing the best educators in the land for the purpose of instructing 
 them in practical methods of work; a regular course of study, as systematic 
 as that of a graded school, is now maintained in the country schools; and 
 libraries, consisting of the books of the Illinois Pupils' Reading Circle, have 
 been started in about three-fourths of the country schools. In round num- 
 bers there are twenty-five thousand children of school age within the limits 
 of this county, though less than seventeen thousand are enrolled in the 
 public schools; the total expense for school purposes is somewhat over 
 two hundred and ninety thousand dollars a year; there are three hundred and 
 seventeen school houses, and the estimated value of school property is six 
 hundred and twenty-one thousand dollars. 
 
 In 1885 Mr. Hoffman and Miss Ella Walker were married, in Earl- 
 ville, LaSalle county. Mrs. Hoffman is a daughter of R. H. and Susan 
 (Sears) Walker. Her higher education was acquired in Jennings Sem- 
 inary, at Aurora, and prior to her marriage she was successfully engaged 
 in teaching for some time. The only child of Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman is Mar- 
 garet, born September 5. 1898. 
 
 Z. SEVERSON. 
 
 Z. Severson, postmaster and general merchant at Stavanger, Illinois, is 
 a prominent and well-known factor in the little town in which he lives, he 
 having filled the position of postmaster here for a dozen years and having 
 been in the business here for a longer period. A review of Mr. Severson's life, 
 briefly given, is as follows : 
 
 Z. Severson was born in Norway, May 18, 1841, a son of Severt and 
 Sophia Severson, and was reared and educated in his native land, learning 
 there the trade of shoemaker. On reaching manhood he thought to better 
 his condition by emigration to America and accordingly landed here in 
 due time and set to work to make a home and accumulate a competency. 
 His store and residence in Stavanger he built in 1883. He keeps a well 
 equipped general store, his stock including groceries, boots and shoes and a 
 general line of dry goods and notions, and by his honorable and upright 
 business methods he has established and maintains a large trade, which 
 extends for miles in every direction. He was appointed postmaster in 1887, 
 and that he has since filled the office is evidence of his prompt and faithful 
 service in the same.
 
 52 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Severson has been twice married. In Norway, in 1864, he married 
 Miss Margaret Peterson, who died in Grundy county, IlHnois, in 1881, leav- 
 ing three children, viz. : Thomas, who has a store in Nettle Creek township, 
 Grundy county; and Samuel and Magnus, at home. In 1882 Mr. Severson 
 wedded Miss Sarah Johnson, like himself a native of Norway, she having 
 come to this country since grown. 
 
 He and his wife are members of the Methodist church at Stavanger, 
 and his political support is given to the Republican party. 
 
 WILLIAM H. HULL. 
 
 Honored and respected by all, there is no man in Ottawa who occupies 
 a more enviable position in commercial and financial circles than William H. 
 Hull, not alone on account of the brilliant success he has achieved but also 
 on account of the honorable, straightforward business policy he has followed. 
 He possesses untiring energy, is cjuick of perception, forms his plans readily 
 and is determined in their execution; and his close application to business 
 and his excellent management have brought to him the high degree of pros- 
 perity which he to-day enjoys. He is now the president of the Ottawa Gas 
 & Electric Light Company, and at different times has been connected with 
 the various enterprises which have promoted not only his individual success 
 but have also contributed to the general prosperity by promoting com- 
 mercial activity. He is one of the pioneer business men of the city, having 
 been prominently connected with its interests since 1855. 
 
 He was born in Oneida county. New York, on the nth of October, 
 18 — , and is descended from good old Revolutionary stock, his ancestry 
 having always been noted for patriotism. His paternal grandfather, Josiah 
 Hull, was one of the heroes who fought for the independence of our nation; 
 while Horace Hull, the father of our subject, was a gallant soldier in the 
 war of 1812. The former was a native of Durham, Connecticut, and spent 
 the days of his childhood and youth there. He married Mehitable Walker 
 and for many years they were residents of Oneida county. New York, where 
 their last days were spent. Both reached an advanced age, and after the 
 grandfather's death his widow was granted a pension in recognition of his 
 valuable service in the war for independence. 
 
 Horace Hull was born and reared in Oneida county, New York, and 
 about 1835 removed to Oswego county, that state, wdiere he carried on 
 agricultural pursuits. He was a man of great industry, enterprise and of un- 
 questioned honesty, and commanded the respect of all who knew him. 
 He married Sabrina Lamphere, and to them were born five children ; but two
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 53 
 
 died early in life. The others are W. H., of this record; Mary, wife of 
 Frank B. Stearns, who formerly resided in Ottawa but is now a prominent 
 and influential citizen of Ottawa Beach, Michigan; and George, of this city. 
 The father died in the Empire state, at the age of seventy-four years, after 
 W'hich the mother came to Ottawa to make her home with her son, W. H. 
 Hull. She was a faithful wife and tender mother, and her many excellencies 
 of character endeared her to all with whom she was brought in contact. 
 She died at the very advanced age of ninety-four years. 
 
 W. H. Hull, of this writing, was a child of only three years at the time of 
 the removal of his parents to Oswego county, New York, where he was 
 reared to manhood upon his father's farm; and a splendid physical develop- 
 ment came to him through his labors in field and meadow-, combined with 
 the out-door sports in which country boys usually engage. Nor was his 
 mental training neglected during this period; for he attended the public 
 schools of that locality and later pursued an academic course, so that he 
 was well prepared to cope with the responsible and practical duties of life. 
 
 After laying aside his text-books he engaged in teaching in Oswego 
 county, New York, for three years, and tlien came to Ottawa, in 1855. His 
 interests have been closely allied with those of his adopted city. For two 
 years he was employed as a bookkeeper and then began business on his 
 own account as a dry-goods merchant, in partnership with a Mr. Thorson. 
 Later he carried on operations in that line alone and enjoyed a liberal 
 patronage, owing to his earnest desire to please the public, his uniform 
 courtesy, willingness to oblige and his well known reliability. His ability 
 is by no means confined to one line of endeavor, and in the successful man- 
 agement and control of various enterprises he has largely promoted the 
 prosperity of the community. He was one of the promoters and officers 
 of the glass-works of Ottawa, aided in the organization of the company 
 which established the clay works, and later was largely instrumental in 
 the formation of the Gas and Electric Light Company, of which he was 
 president. To his careful management, sagacity and honesty is due in a large 
 measure the success which has attended the enterprise. 
 
 In Oswego county. New York, when twenty-four years of age, Mr. Hull 
 w-as united in marriage with Miss Charlotte Kendall, a lady of intelligence- 
 and culture who has been a worthy helpmeet to him in the many years of 
 their married life. Thev have two children : Fannv, wife of C. A. Caton, a 
 member of the Illinois Milling Company, of Ottawa; and Horace, a w^ell 
 known attorney and court stenographer of Ottawa; he is a graduate of the 
 Chicago Law School and has attained considerable prestige in his profession. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Hull is a Republican, and he has served as a 
 member of the city council for eight or nine years, during which time he.-
 
 54 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 has advocated many measures for the further development and improve- 
 ment of his native city. He is a vakied member of the order of Knights of 
 Pythias, and in all life's relations commands the respect and confidence of 
 those with whom he is brought in contact. In manner he is frank and 
 genial, ever courteous and approachable. He stands for the best type of 
 American manhood, believing in the dignity of honest toil and the nobility of 
 an upright life. 
 
 THOMAS H. SPENCER. 
 
 The subject of this sketch has been a lifelong resident of LaSalle 
 county, and has long figured as one of the prominent and highly respected 
 farmers of Otter Creek township, his post-office being Richards. 
 
 Thomas H. Spencer was born on his father's farm in this county, April 
 1 6, 1846, of English parentage. James Spencer, his father, was a native of 
 Lancashire, England, born in 1808, son of Harrox and Mary (Hounsworth) 
 Spencer, the former a mechanic who lived and died in Clitheroe, England. 
 At the age of eighteen years James Spencer came to America. For a few 
 3^ears he worked at his trade, that of blacksmith, in Rhode Island and New 
 York, and in 1840 came west to Michigan, settling at Romeo, where he 
 was subsequently married to Miss Mary Billsborough, a native of Pendleton, 
 Lancashire, England, and in 1843 they removed to LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 and settled on a farm in Otter Creek township, where the subject of this 
 sketch now lives. They became the parents of five children, namely: 
 Thomas H.; Peniath, wife of William Sexton, of Carroll county, Iowa; Mary, 
 deceased wife of J. R. Brehman, of Otter Creek township; James R., a Union 
 soldier of Company F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, 
 was killed in the battle of Hartsville, Tennessee, at the age of nineteen years; 
 and one that died in infancy. The mother died in 1858 and the father 
 survived her until 1878, when he died, at the age of seventy years. He was 
 a successful farmer all his life, and politically was a Democrat, having filled 
 at different times several township offices, including those of township super- 
 visor, treasurer of the school board, and justice of the peace. 
 
 Thomas H. Spencer, who was reared on his father's farm and was 
 educated in the district schools and the Ottawa high school, has all his life 
 been engaged in farming. He has a pleasant rural home, located six miles 
 northeast of Streator, where he owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine 
 land and carries on diversified farming, making a specialty of raising fine 
 stock. , 
 
 Mr. Spencer was married January 2, 1870, to Miss Carrie Leach, of 
 Erooklyn, New York, daughter of John and Anne (Billsborough) Leach,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 55 
 
 both now deceased. Mrs. Spencer was born at Hudson, New York, and edu- 
 cated at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer have had six 
 children, five of whom are living, namely : Mary, wife of Reece Snedaker, 
 of Alta Vista, Kansas; James B., of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, married Miss Clara Sandrey; Mabel, wife of William J. Stevenson, 
 of Grand Rapids township, LaSalle county; and William E. and Elmer D., 
 at home. Their third born, John R., was killed in an accident, when fourteen 
 years old. 
 
 Until the past few years Mr. Spencer was a Democrat, but now affiliates 
 with the Republican party. The official mantle of the father has fallen grace- 
 fully to the son. Like his father, Thomas H. Spencer has served acceptably 
 in several local offices. He was township clerk five years and president 
 of the school board five years, and at this writing is filling the office of 
 justice of the peace. Fraternally, Mr. Spencer is a Mason, having member- 
 ship in Streator Lodge, No. 607, F. & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168, R. 
 A. M.; and Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, K. T. 
 
 ROBERT NEWTON BAUGHMAN. 
 
 It is edifying to study and to write, even briefly, the life story of a 
 good man who has "fought the good fight" and has gone to his rest after the 
 battle of life. It will be edifying to those who knew Dr. Robert Newton 
 Baughman, of Marseilles, Illinois, to read the few important facts concerning 
 him which are here presented. He was a man whose influence on his day 
 and generation was good, and his works live after him. 
 
 Robert Newton Baughman was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, April 22, 
 1847, ^I'^d died at Marseilles, Illinois, May 29, 1897. He was a son of Robert 
 and Margaret (Armstrong) Baughman. His father was born in Pennsyl- 
 vania, his mother in Ohio. Robert Baughman was a painter, and as a child 
 the future dentist naturally became familiar with his work. The lad attended 
 the public schools of Cincinnati, and on completing his English education 
 took up the study of dentistry. He was graduated from the Cincinnati Dental 
 College, and began the practice of his profession in Toledo, Ohio. He 
 located later in southern Illinois, and in 1881 came to Marseilles, where he 
 continued his professional practice successfully until 1892, when he was com- 
 pelled to relinquish it on account of failing health, and sold his office and 
 practice to Dr. D. F. Cotterman. As a dentist Doctor Baughman was up- 
 to-date at all times in his career. He used only the best materials and 
 employed only the best methods, and was a diligent reader of the important 
 literature of his profession, and a frecjuent contributor to it as w-ell. He was
 
 56 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 a public-spirited citizen, and his removal in the prime of life was looked upon 
 as a calamity by all who knew him. He was a prominent Mason. 
 
 August II, 1887, Doctor Baughman married Miss Harriet E. Gage, 
 second daughter of Isaac and Lucy (Little) Gage. Isaac Gage came to 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1837, and became one of the prosperous farmers 
 of Brookfield township. There Mrs. Baughman was reared and spent the 
 years of her girlhood. She is a woman of education and many graces and 
 accomplishments, and dispenses a generous hospitality at the family home 
 on West Clark street, Marseilles. She has a son, Isaac Newton Baughman, 
 who was born December 19, 1888. 
 
 SAMUEL R. M'FEELY. 
 
 Among the representative men of LaSalle county, Illinois, is the vice- 
 president, superintendent and manager of the J. C. Ames Lumber Company, 
 whose name appears at the head of this biography. He was born in Woburn, 
 Massachusetts, in May, 1844, and is a son of James and EHza (Ash) McP'eely. 
 James McFeely was born in Ireland and there educated and grew to young 
 manhood. In his nineteenth year he came to the United States and settled 
 in Massachusetts, where he married Eliza Ash, daughter of Captain Samuel 
 Ash, who served in the attack on the East Indies. The marriage was cele- 
 brated in Boston, and there James McFeely worked at his trade of carpenter 
 and bricklayer, erecting many of the stores and dwellings of that city. His 
 father was Patrick McFeely. 
 
 Samuel McFeely spent his younger days in Woburn, attending the 
 public school and later the high school. In 1862 he enlisted in Company 
 K, Thirty-ninth Massachusetts Infantry, under Colonel P. S. Davis, and 
 served the following three years. During that time he took part in a number 
 of important engagements, was in the battle of the Wilderness, Spottsyl- 
 vania. Cold Harbor, Petersburg and several minor battles. He was discharged 
 in June, 1865. After remaining a short time in Woburn he went to Kansas 
 and worked at his trade, carpentering and contracting, in Topeka, Abilene, 
 Emporia and Eldorado, for six years. He then went back to Massachusetts 
 and from there to Canada, where he spent a year. His next move was to 
 Illinois and he worked at his trade in Dwight until 1872, when he moved 
 to Streator. He continued to work at his trade until 1877, erecting many 
 dwellings and business blocks, among them the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 In 1880 he entered the employ of the J. C. Ames Lumber Company, of 
 which he was made vice-president in 1891, and is also superintendent and 
 general manager.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 57 
 
 Mr. McFeely was married in 1870 to Miss Mary Close, daughter of 
 James and Elizabeth Close, of Livingston county, Illinois. He is a stalwart 
 Republican, was a member of the school board for four years, and two 
 years was in the city council. He is a member of Streator Lodge, No. 
 607, A. F. & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168, R. A. M.; Ottawa Com- 
 mandery, No. 10, K. T. ; and Streator Post, No. 68, G. A. R., in which 
 last he is past junior vice commander of the Department of Illinois. 
 
 WILLIAM ACKERMANN. 
 
 One of the progressive and broad-minded journalists of LaSalle county 
 is William Ackermann, of Streator. He is one of the native sons of this 
 county, his birth having occurred in Ottawa, March 14, 1857. His parents, 
 Christian W. and Cordula (Kempter) Ackermann, were natives of Wurttem- 
 berg, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1848. They first 
 located in Cincinnati, Ohio, thence went to Davenport, Iowa, and ulti- 
 mately became well known residents of Ottawa, Illinois. The father departed 
 this life in 1894, and the mother is still living, her home being in Pekin,. 
 Tazewell county, Illinois. 
 
 After he had completed his elementary education in the common 
 schools, our subject attended the Logansport (Indiana) high school for some 
 time, and, being an intelligent, ambitious youth, found little difficulty in 
 obtaining employment in the of^ce of the Logansport Journal and other 
 local papers, when he sought to learn the printing business. In 1880 he 
 engaged in the publication of the Deutsche Zeitun'g in Leadville, Colorado, 
 and four years later he came to Streator and established the well and widely 
 known Volksblatt, which has attained an extensive circulation among the 
 German citizens of this section of the county. It is a five-column quarto 
 with a six-column supplement, and is issued weekly, on Friday morning. 
 Until September, 1894, the politics of the paper were distinctly Democratic,, 
 but at the time mentioned, the tariff issue assuming such grave importance 
 to the people of the commonwealth, it was deemed advisable to follow 
 a different course of tactics, and to advocate protection of the products of 
 -American industry. This course has been maintained since, and though 
 some subscribers demurred, and, "like the laws of the Medes and Persians, 
 changed not," the majority have conceded the wisdom of the editor and 
 loyally praise him as a man possessing the courage of his convictions. The 
 paper is of and for the people, working always for what it believes to be 
 the good of the majority, and for this immediate section of the county. It 
 presents in a clear, concise form, the important news of the day, and matters 
 of local interest.
 
 58 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Upon the loth of August, 1884, Mr. Ackermann married Miss Adolph- 
 ine Hoebel, a native of Germany, but who, for a number of years had resided 
 in Colorado. This worthy couple have numerous friends and well-wishers 
 in Streator, among both the German and English citizens. 
 
 FRANK E. M'MULLAN. 
 
 One of the youngest successful journalists of Illinois is the gentleman 
 whose name heads this article, the publisher of the Weekly Enterprise, of 
 Grand Ridge, LaSalle county. From his boyhood he has been deeply inter- 
 ested in newspaper work, and, under the judicious tutelage of his father, the 
 late lamented James E. McMullan, himself a very enterprising journalist, he 
 mastered the details of the business when he was a mere youth, and has 
 steadilv and ambitiously striven to attain higher things in his chosen pro- 
 fession. 
 
 The birth of James Espey McMullan occurred in a farm-house in 
 Fayette county, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1840. He not only learned 
 agriculture in its various branches but also became an expert carpenter, 
 following that calling for a number of years. He was married in the Key- 
 stone state, June 2, 1870, his bride being Miss Arabelle Bute. Three children 
 blessed their union, of whom the eldest, Minnie, is the wife of W. J. Dearth, 
 of Chicago; Frank E. is the subject of this sketch, and Arthur G. is a student 
 in the Grand Ridge schools. In 1875 the family removed to Grand Ridge, 
 with which place the interests of James E. McMullan were thenceforth to 
 be associated. In 1882 he purchased the hardware business of E. Finley, 
 to whom he sold out at the end of three years. Then for a few years he 
 gave his attention to the buying and selling of live stock, and to the real- 
 estate business. At one time he owned a large section of the land in the 
 south end of town, where some of the finest residences here have been built 
 within the past few years, owing to his liberality and enterprise. In 1891 
 the Grand Ridge Building & Improvement Company was organized, w4th 
 Mr. McMullan as president, and the same year he was placed in charge of 
 the newspaper known as the Herald, which was published by the Building 
 & Improvement Company under the name of the Herald Publishing Com- 
 pany. After two years of practical experience as manager of the journal 
 the paper was sold to Mr. C. R. Bruer, who carried it on until the plant was 
 destroyed by fire, November 17. 1893, and even then endeavored to continue 
 the business by having the press work done at Streator. This was unprofit- 
 able, and, believing that the time was ripe for another venture. Mr. ]\IcMullan 
 purchased a new and complete printing outfit, and on January 4, 1894, the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 59 
 
 first issue of the Weekly Enterprise was published by the firm of J. E. 
 McMullan & Son. From that day until his death the senior partner lost 
 no opportunity to build up the paper, which was essentially devoted to 
 the promotion of the local welfare. Among the numerous industries and 
 organizations with which he was prominently connected were the Grand 
 Ridge Electric Light, Power & Creamer}^ Company, and Cigar Factory 
 ^"o- 793- The first mentioned company, organized in 1892, erected the 
 first power-house and introduced the fine electric-light system in this place. 
 Unfortunately, the plant was burned to the ground July 19, 1892, though 
 it has since been rebuilt. .The creamery plant suffered the same fate, and it, 
 too, has been re-established. Until his death Mr. McMullan was a stock- 
 holder in the new electric-light concern and in the cigar factory, both of 
 which commanded a liberal patronage. He was an ardent Democrat, but 
 though frequently urged to accept public office, he firmly declined, with one 
 notable exception, when, yielding to the earnest wishes of some of his nearest 
 friends, he acted as supervisor for one term, refusing a renomination. In his 
 domestic life his most lovable traits of character were shown, for, while he 
 was extremely popular with his business associates and the public in general, 
 he reserved for the dear ones of his home circle the noblest and richest side 
 of his nature. A thousand hearts, probably, were deeply saddened and 
 touched when the news came of his sudden demise, March 6, 1896, in the 
 fifty-seventh year of his age, and his memory is tenderly cherished in the 
 hearts of a host of sincere friends. 
 
 Frank E. McMullan, who is ably carrying on the newspaper work inau- 
 gurated by his father, is, as stated previously, a young man, as he was born 
 barely twenty-three years ago. He grew to manhood here and received his 
 preliminary education in the public schools of Grand Ridge, subsequently 
 attending the Ottawa Business College. When about seventeen years of 
 age he entered the printing office, and since that time has steadily risen in 
 the journalistic world. Under his systematic business policy the Enterprise 
 is rapidly progressing, and now commands the respect of the public. It aims 
 to present the news, local and general, in a concise, readable manner, and 
 as it is independent in its political attitude it can offend no one on that 
 score. The office is well equipped with modern machinery and printing 
 supplies, a fine press and engine and job-printing presses. The regular 
 subscribers number about one thousand and the circulation is, of course, 
 considerably larger. Though still publishing the Enterprise, Mr. McMullan 
 has again entered Knox College, at Galesburg. for the purpose of finishing 
 his education. 
 
 In his personal political views ]\Ir. McMullan is a Democrat, and has 
 taken a very active part in local campaign work. He is at present serving on
 
 6o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 the county central committee and is now a village trustee. Possessing 
 musical talent, he has been the leader of the Grand Ridge Cornet Band for 
 some time. Socially he is held in high esteem, and is connected with the 
 Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America. He was mar- 
 ried recently, on the 25th of January, 1899, Miss Carrie B. Leighton, one of 
 the most popular young ladies of this place, becoming his bride. She is a 
 daughter of L. K. Leighton, a well known citizen, and is accomplished and 
 justly admired for her numerous sterling qualities. 
 
 ALBERT F. SCHOCH. 
 
 No citizen of Ottawa is more thoroughly representative or more devoted 
 to the promotion of her welfare than Albert F. Schoch, whose name is widely 
 known for the prominent part he has taken in local affairs. Without doubt 
 he is one of the most progressive and public-spirited men of Ottawa, and 
 his means and influence have been used unsparingly in advancing enterprises, 
 industries and improvements in this place, now one of the most flourishing 
 towns of northern Illinois. 
 
 One great reason for the interest which Mr. Schoch takes in everything 
 relating to Ottawa is that he is one of her native-born sons, his birth having 
 occurred forty-two years ago, on the i8th of December, 1857. Both of 
 his parents, Philip and Caroline (Sulzberger) Schoch, were born near Stras- 
 burg, Germany. The father was born in Gerstheim, Alsace, July 26, 1832, 
 the mother born in Obenheim, Alsace, May 6, 1835. They came to the 
 United States in 185 1, locating in Ottawa. The father had learned the 
 trade of making light and heavy harness in his native land, and he is still 
 carrying on the business which he established in this town nearly half a 
 century ago. The wife and mother departed this life June i, 1885. 
 
 Albert F. Schoch is a gentleman of scholarly tastes and attainments. 
 He is proficient in literature and science, and reads and speaks French and 
 German almost as readily as he does English. He is proud of the fact that 
 he obtained his elementary education in the public grammar and high schools 
 of Ottawa, and subsequently he pursued a special course of study in a French 
 school for two terms. When he was about eighteen years of age he took 
 the competitive examination for admission to West Point, standing second 
 among the twenty-two young men who presented themselves for that rigor- 
 ous ordeal. 
 
 In the fall of 1873 the business career of A. F. Schoch commenced by 
 his accepting a position as a clerk in the postoffice under J. R. Cameron. At 
 the end of sixteen months he became connected with the National City Bank
 
 (2/ 7 ^.Jhr^A^
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 6i 
 
 of Ottawa, with which institution he has since been closely identified. He 
 proved his fidelity and perfect trustworthiness as a messenger boy, and at 
 the end of three years was promoted to the post of bookkeeper. Three 
 years more rolled away, and his merits and stability of character being fully 
 recognized by the of^cials of the bank, he was elected as a member of the 
 board of directors January 13, 1885, and was appointed assistant cashier on 
 the 4th of the following month. At the end of five years, during a part of 
 which period he had acted in the capacity of cashier, he was advanced to the 
 honored ofifice which he has since occupied, that of vice president of the 
 bank. He holds a similar position in the State Bank of Seneca, LaSalle 
 county, having been elected to the vice presidency of the institution at the 
 time of its organization. He is treasurer of the Valley Building & Loan 
 Association, is the owner of considerable valuable real estate and other 
 property, and has numerous investments. In view of the fact that he com- 
 menced his business career empty-handed, his success is the more remark- 
 able, and his record must prove an inspiration to many a young man now 
 starting out, as he did, with no capital save brains, integrity, determination 
 and perseverance — which, after all, is the best capital, and without which 
 wealth, influence and position amount to naught. 
 
 Had not great financial enterprises and a multiplicity of interests 
 demanded a large share of his time and energy Mr. Schoch might have occu- 
 pied almost any local office within the gift of the people for many years past. 
 Though he has been overtaxed at times, he has endeavored to do his duty 
 by the public in spite of this fact, as will be seen by the brief summary fol- 
 lowing: from 1891 to 1895 he w^as mayor of Ottawa; from 1889 to 1891 he 
 was city treasurer; for two terms he was a member of the board of education; 
 was school treasurer of the congressional township, No. 33, range 3, from 
 1887 to 1889; was a member of the volunteer fire department for sixteen 
 years, and was prominently mentioned at the last Republican state conven- 
 tion for the state treasurership. While he was mayor he succeeded in having 
 many material improvements instituted in this place, such as the paving of 
 streets, the laying of sewers and the building of the waterworks. He refused 
 to allow his name to be used as a candidate for the mayoralty a third term, 
 and retired from the office with the good will and admiration of the people 
 for his wise, progressive policy. He has been appointed by Governor Tanner 
 as a member of the board of special commissioners to inspect the Chicago 
 drainage channel. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Schoch is eminent commander of Ottawa Commandery, 
 No. 10, K. T., which position he has occupied for three years. At the 
 forty-third annual conclave of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar 
 of Illinois he was elected to the position of grand warder. He belongs also
 
 62 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 to Humboldt Lodge, No. 555, F. & A. M., and to Shabbona Chapter, No. 
 T^y, R. A. M., and is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 
 Upon the 17th of December, 1879, ^^^- Schoch married Miss Minnie Wolfe, 
 a daughter of Henry Wolfe, a leading citizen of Ottawa, and they have three 
 children, namely: Carrie S., Lulu C. and Esther S. The home of the family 
 is unpretentious, but is a home in the best sense of the word, and to the most 
 casual observer gives evidence of the culture and excellent taste and traits 
 of character of its inmates. 
 
 VICTOR J. PELTIER. 
 
 The founder and superintendent of the Novelty Glass Works, a flour- 
 ishing industry of Ottawa, is Victor J. Peltier, a native of the province of 
 Lorraine, France (now German property), where his birth occurred some 
 sixty-six years ago. His father, Joseph Peltier, was born in the same locality 
 and spent his whole life there, and the mother, Barbara (Kresly) Peltier, was 
 a native of Alsace, Germany. 
 
 When he had completed his education our subject commenced learning 
 the glass-blower's trade, which calling was followed by his father, and, 
 having mastered the business, he worked as a journeyman, chiefly in the city 
 of Lyons, France. In 1859 he sailed for America in the good ship Aerial, 
 bound for New York, and for a score of years he was employed at his trade 
 in that city. In 1882 he came to Ottawa, and for the next three years was 
 connected with the bottling works. In 1886 he and his son founded the 
 Novelty Glass Works, which has since risen to prominence among the indus- 
 tries of this place. All kinds of colored and opalescent glass are manufac- 
 tured here, and the products of the plant find ready sale, not only throughout 
 the United States, but in Europe as well. Mr. Peltier is a practical and 
 skilled workman, and not only superintends and directs the financial and 
 commercial part of the business, but also personally supervises the actual 
 manufacture of the glass. He employs from twelve to fifteen men and is 
 steadily increasing his force of helpers. His excellent management and 
 judicious control of the affairs of the business have resulted in well deserved 
 success, and the prospects for the future are certainly flattering, as the merits 
 of his glass have become known far beyond the seas, and "once a customer, 
 always a customer" is the rule with all firms having dealings with him. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Peltier and Miss Mary Peltier, daughter of Francis Peltier, 
 were united in marriage. Her family, of the same name but not related to our 
 subject, came to this country from Germany in 1859, and the parents both 
 died in New York city. Peter V., who was associated with his father in busi-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 63 
 
 ness in the Novelty Glass Works of Ottawa, died December 12, 1893, and 
 two other children of Victor J. Peltier and wife have been called to the silent 
 land. Those living are Louise, wife of Theodore Zellers, of Ottawa; Mary, 
 Mrs. Fred Heiser, of this place; Joseph E., who is employed in the glass fac- 
 tory; Emma, bookkeeper of the glass works; Sellers, superintendent of the 
 factory; and Kate, who is at home. Mrs. Zellers is the mother of four children 
 and Mrs. Heiser has six children. 
 
 The horiie of Y. J. Peltier is a substantial one, built of brick, and having 
 pleasing surroundings. In his political creed he is a Republican, and relig- 
 iously he and his family are parishioners of St. Francis German Catholic 
 church. Fraternally Mr. Peltier belongs to the Chosen Friends' Benevolent 
 Insurance Association. 
 
 WOODRUFF A. MOREY. 
 
 WoodrufT A. Morey, president of the First National Bank of Marseilles, 
 Illinois, was for many years the leading lawyer of the village. He w^as born 
 in Manlius township, LaSalle county, July 24, 1840, being the only son in 
 a family of five children whose parents were Vivaldia and Emily (Brown) 
 Morey. The father was born in Orange county, New York, and was one of 
 the family of twelve sons and four daughters of Hazard Morey, of Welsh 
 descent. Vivaldia Morey grew to mature years in New York and about 183 1 
 removed with his parents to Ashtabula county, Ohio, and after a few years' 
 residence there moved to this county, in 1836. He purchased a farm of 
 two hundred and forty acres in what is now Manlius township, upon which he 
 resided many years, carrying on general farming until he had reached an 
 advanced age. In 1881 he moved to Petoskey, Michigan, where he died 
 in October, 1895, in the consciousness of a well spent life, at the advanced 
 age of ninety-two years. His wife, Emily, died at the same place two years 
 before, when eighty-four years of age. She was a daughter of Lysander 
 Brown and Salley nee Everest, and was born and reared in Bethany, Genesee 
 county, New York, where she was married October 17, 1831. One of the 
 ancestors of Emily Brown was banished from the Massachusetts colony with 
 Roger Williams. It was he for whom Brown University, at Providence, 
 Rhode Island, was named. 
 
 W. A. Morey grew to manhood on the farm upon which he was born. 
 There he attended the district school and obtained his preliminary education. 
 Later he entered Knox college and afterward attended the public and pri- 
 vate schools in Ottawa. He then took up the study of law under the instruc- 
 tions of Hon. Washington Bushnell, a leading attorney of Ottawa. He was 
 admitted to the bar before the supreme court at Ottawa in 1861, and soon
 
 64 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 after began the practice of his profession. In a short time the firm of Rice & 
 Morey was formed and a general law practice was carried on, the partners 
 being J. B. Rice and W. A. Morey. This connection was dissolved by mutual 
 consent, and our subject, on account of ill-health, retired to the country 
 where with his father he carried on farming for two years. This work, how- 
 ever, did not afford sufficient scope to his abilities and he resumed his pro- 
 fessional career in Marseilles, to which city he moved in 1868. He there 
 held for many years the office of village treasurer and clerk. He has always 
 taken an active interest in educational matters, having been a member of 
 the board of directors and the board of education continuously for more 
 than twenty-five years. 
 
 He was a successful practitioner and was in active practice until 1887, 
 when he purchased of J. N. Chappel the latter's interest in the First National 
 Bank of Marseilles, an institution that was organized in 1871 and of which 
 Mr. Chappel was president. Since the purchase he has given his entire 
 attention to banking and has held the office of president continuously since 
 becoming identified with the institution. 
 
 Mr. Morey was united in marriage to Miss Helen Belknap, who died 
 leaving two children, Harriet and Mabel; but the former died May 23, 1896. 
 On June 13, 1872, he married Miss Addie Sherman, daughter of Orrin and 
 Caroline (Lathrop) Sherman, of Batavia, New York, and a native of Genesee 
 county, that state. To this union one son, W. A. Morey, Jr., was born, 
 May 24, 1880, and at present he is a college student. Mr. Morey is and 
 has always been a Republican in politics, conservative in his views and well 
 posted on all topics of the day, and enjoys the confidence and respect of all 
 who know him. He is a man of quiet and retiring disposition, always found 
 at home after business hours in the society of his own family, surrounded by 
 the best books and magazines of which he and his family are especially fond, 
 counting among their possessions a library of rare value. Mabel Morey 
 occupies at present a business position with a law firm in New York city, 
 receiving from the Governor the appointment of notary for the firm. Mr. 
 Morey will visit Europe the coming season on a combined business and 
 pleasure trip. 
 
 EBIN JENNINGS WARD. 
 
 Ebin Jennings Ward, the popular ex-mayor of Marseilles, LaSalle 
 county, is one of the native-born sons of the town, his birth having occurred 
 here September 2, 1854. 
 
 The first mention we find of the Ward family in America was of William 
 Ward, in 1639, in Sudbury, Connecticut. In direct descent, his son Samuel
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 65 
 
 was born September 24, 1641, and died in 1729. His son Joseph was born 
 in 1670 and died at Marlboro June 30, 171 7, aged forty-seven. Phineas 
 Ward, born August 5, 1705, died October 19, 1756, aged fifty-one. Captain 
 Josiah Ward, born September 4, 1741, was an officer in the Continental 
 army and died February 27, 1795, in Henniker, New Hampshire. Josiah 
 Ward was born September 15, 1769, and died in Croydon, New Hamp- 
 shire, in 1826. Dr. Daniel Ward was one of the pioneer physicians of this 
 place, loved and highly esteemed by all who knew him. A native of Croydon, 
 New Hampshire, born June 6, 1810,^ he was a son of Josiah and Elizabeth 
 (Hoyt) Ward, the latter a daughter of a Revolutionary war soldier. The 
 father of the Doctor died when the latter was sixteen years of age, but he 
 received an excellent education for that early day; and in 1834 the Vermont 
 Academy of Medicine bestowed upon him the degree of Doctor of Medicine, 
 upon his completion of his prescribed course of study. Two years later 
 he came to Illinois, and, after residing in the town of Hennepin, Putnam 
 county, for a short period, he located permanently in Marseilles, where he 
 built up a fine practice and reputation for skill. He was twice married, his 
 first wife being a Miss Mary Ann Goldwaite, of Newport, New Hampshire, 
 and their three children were Ada A., Zina G. and Mary H. 
 
 Ebin J. is the only child of the second marriage, his mother having 
 been Julia Belle, daughter of Levi Jennings, of Fall River, IlHnois. On 
 the mother's side were Moses Jennings, who was born August 19, 1733, and 
 died March 26, 1813; and Levi Jennings, born July 10, 1778. His daughter, 
 Julia Belle Jennings, was born November 13, 1819, and married Daniel 
 Ward October 25, 1853; she died at Marseilles September 6, 1862, and was 
 survived several years by the Doctor, whose death took place in Marseilles, 
 March 21, 1873. 
 
 The boyhood of E. J. Ward passed quietly in this town, where he was 
 a pupil in the grammar schools for years. In order that he might enjoy 
 better educational advantages, he went to Chicago, in 1871, and during the 
 following four years attended the old central high school of that city. Thence 
 going to Yale College, he was graduated in 1878, and at once entered upon 
 a course in civil engineering in the same institution. Having completed 
 his work in that department in 1880, he entered the employ of the Northern 
 Pacific Railroad Company as a civil engineer, and for a short time assisted 
 on construction. Later he was assistant engineer in charge of bridge con- 
 struction for two years with the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company. 
 
 The great project of the Chicago drainage canal becoming an assured 
 enterprise, Mr. Ward went to Chicago and from 1890 to 1895 was one of 
 the assistant engineers along that route for the wonderful water-way. During 
 his connection with the sanitary district of Chicago his work consisted largely
 
 66 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of a careful inquiry into the feasibility and oracticdbility of a deep water-way 
 to connect the western end of the sanitary canal at Lockport with the Missis- 
 sinoi river by way of the Des Plaines and Illinois rivers. 
 
 Mr. Ward has won the highest praise for his eminently satisfactory 
 labors, and is looked up to as an authority in his Hne. For the past four 
 years he has been living retired at his pleasant home in Marseilles, devoting 
 his time to his private business interests. He owns considerable valuable 
 property, and is one of the well-to-do citizens of this place. Politically he is 
 a Republican in national affairs, reserving the right of independent action in 
 local elections, where the suitability of the nominee for a given position 
 takes precedence of everything else. In 1897 Mr, Ward was honored by 
 his fellow citizens, who elected him to the position of mayor. During the 
 two years of his term of ofHce, he made a record of which he may justly be 
 proud. 
 
 On the 5th day of October, 1881, Mr. Ward married Miss Anne Ran- 
 dolph Vaughan, who was born January 27, 1857. They have one daughter, 
 Julia Jennings, born April 4, 1887. Mrs. Ward, a lady of fine education 
 and social attainments, is a daughter of Dr. Isaac P. Vaughan, of Glasgow, 
 Missouri. 
 
 B. B. HOLLAND. 
 
 The Pioneer Fire-Proof Construction Company, of Ottawa, one of the 
 largest industries of the kind in the United States, if not in the world, has 
 for its local general manager and superintendent B. B. Holland, a gentleman 
 well equipped by years of experience for so important and responsible a posi- 
 tion. A brief description of this valuable plant may prove of interest to the 
 general public. 
 
 Organized in 1880, under its present title, the Pioneer Fire-Proof Con- 
 struction Company rapidly rose to prominence and now occupies a distinctive 
 place in the world of business. The officers are Colonel G. M. Moulton, 
 president; C. F. Eiker, treasurer, and W. A. Moulton, secretary. The com- 
 pany owns large fire-clay banks, a mile and a half distant from the works, 
 and connected therewith by their own private electric railway, and, including 
 said clay banks, the property in possession of the concern here amounts to 
 about two hundred and fifty acres. The output of the works, exclusive of 
 fire-brick, paving and sidewalk brick, is estimated at about fifty thousand 
 tons per annum. The chief product is hollow tile, now so extensively used 
 in the construction of fire-proof buildings, and particularly in the noted 
 "sky-scrapers," or tall ofiice buildings, where a skeleton of steel framework 
 carries the entire weight of the walls and flooring. In such modern structures
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 67 
 
 the floors and partition-walls are made of the hollow fire-proof tile. The 
 immense volume of business transacted by the company of which we are 
 writing may be inferred when it is stated that two-thirds of the numerous 
 great office buildings of Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul, Omaha, and all the 
 cities of the Mississippi valley region and the northwest have been built of 
 fire-proof tiling furnished by them. The plant in which this important 
 product is manufactured is a fine, large, well equipped establishment, and 
 within the various departments of the business employment is given to 
 upwards of two hundred and fifty hands. One of the main buildings, desig- 
 nated as A, is a scjuare, U-shaped structure, one hundred and seventy-five 
 feet wide and two hundred feet deep; the left wing seventy-five and the 
 right wing fifty feet wide. Building B, with three drying floors and a base- 
 ment, is two hundred feet long and forty feet deep. The principal motor 
 is water, and it requires the steam of six boilers of three hundred and fifty 
 horse-power to run two steam presses, to heat the buildings and furnish 
 steam for the dry floors. In the yards there are twenty-six kilns, seven of 
 which are twenty feet in diameter, eighteen are twenty-two feet, and one is 
 thirty feet, inside measurement. To fill the last mentioned it requires six 
 men working for two days. About fifty or sixty thousand fire brick can 
 be turned out by the two steam presses a day. From the above statements, 
 some idea of the difficulty of properly managing such an extensive establish- 
 ment may be gathered. Certain it is that during the eleven or twelve years 
 of Mr. Holland's connection with the company he has always had great 
 responsibility upon his shoulders and has faithfully met every requirement 
 of his oflice. 
 
 We now proceed to give a brief personal sketch of our subject, his 
 ancestry, etc. John Holland was born in England in 1777, and came to 
 America, locating in Brooks county, Virginia, in 1806, where John W., the 
 father of our subject, was born, October 23, 1810. In 1816 they moved to 
 Brookville, Franklin county, Indiana, where they remained until 1829, then 
 removing to Lawrenceburg, same state, and in 1830 to Indianapolis, where 
 John W. Holland was united in marriage, in 1846, to Eliza J. Roll, a daughter 
 of Solomon Roll, a native of Ohio. In 1847 John W. Holland established the 
 first wholesale grocery in Indianapolis, remaining in that business continu- 
 ously until 1877, when he retired from business. He died in May, 1884. and 
 his wife passed away June 30, 1894. Tliey were the parents of three children : 
 Pamelia H., Benjamin B. and William G., all of whom are living. 
 
 Benjamin B. was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, March 29, 1852, and 
 received a good education, being a student at the Indianapolis high school. 
 When the state-house was being erected, he was made the superintendent 
 of the Spencer quarry, which furnished building stone for the building, and
 
 68 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 later was made the superintendent of construction, having charge of the 
 erection of the building for the contractors, and at the same time was asso- 
 ciated with Mr. Rush S. Denig in supplying ties to the Nickel Plate Railroad 
 at the time of its construction. In this capacity he remained until 1887, in 
 which year he came to Ottawa. Few men have been more enterprising and 
 energetic, and few citizens of Ottawa are more highly esteemed than he. 
 As a Republican, he has taken great interest in the prosperity of his party. 
 
 July 12, 1 87 1, Mr. Holland was married, in his native city, to Miss Laura 
 F. Jordon, a daughter of John Jordon, a prominent merchant of Indianapolis. 
 Edith, the eldest child of our subject and wife, married C. W. McGuire, the 
 auditor of the Evansville & Louisville Railroad at Evansville. Lillie E. is 
 the wife of E. C. Walters, the cashier of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific 
 Railroad at Ottawa. Mary D. is living v/ith her parents at home. The 
 family are members of the Baptist church and are identified with various 
 enterprises calculated to benefit humanity. Mr. Holland is genial, frank 
 and warm-hearted by nature, and possesses the friendship of a host of 
 acquaintances. 
 
 WILLIAM D. ISERMANN. 
 
 William D. Isermann, supervisor of Otter Creek township, LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, is a well known citizen of the county. Born January 16, 
 1 86 1, in the township in which he now lives, he is a son of German parents 
 and possesses many of the characteristics which have contributed to the 
 success of the German people wherever they have settled in this country. 
 His parents, William and Frederica (Stoplar) Isermann, were bora, reared 
 and married in Germany, and shortly after their marriage they emigrated to 
 this country and settled in LaSalle county, Illinois. Here they made for 
 themselves a comfortable home, and here sons and daughters to the number 
 of seven were born to them. Of this number six are still living, namely: 
 Charles S., of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, Illinois; Carrie, wife 
 of J. C. Hitter, of this same township; Emma, wife of John Albrecht, of 
 Pottawattamie county, Iowa; William D., whose name introduces this sketch; 
 Fred, of Streator, Illinois; and Charlotte, wife of L. Schoenleber. One 
 daughter, Dorothea, died at the age of eighteen years. 
 
 By the death of his father, William D, Isermann was left an orphan 
 when ten years old, and he was reared by Adam Diller, who early trained 
 him to farm work and gave him the advantage of a good public-school 
 education. 
 
 Mr. Isermann was married at the age of twenty-two years, to Miss 
 Mary Lindemann, a native of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 69 
 
 Rev. Charles and Mauda (Joquet) Lindemann. Mr. and Mrs. Isermann have 
 had five children born to them — Carl H., Carrie F., Harry W., Fritz L. and 
 Florence M. Mrs. Isermann is a member of the Evangelical church. 
 
 Mr. Isermann has at different times served in several local offices. For 
 six years he was commissioner of highways, and, as already stated, is now 
 township supervisor. He is a Republican in political adherency, and frater- 
 nally is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, Camp No. 4, 
 of Streator. 
 
 DANIEL R. BURKE. 
 
 A prominent member of the bar of Ottawa, who has spent the early 
 years of his life in fitting himself for the profession which he adorns, is Daniel 
 R. Burke. He was born in Ottawa, June 7, 1867, a son of Patrick and 
 Margaret (Cummings) Burke, both natives of Ireland. His father came 
 from Longford and the mother from Tipperary, were married in Canada and 
 soon after came to the United States, settling in Ottawa. Here the father 
 opened a general merchandise store and later admitted a partner, namely, 
 Daniel Heenan. The firm of Burke & Heenan was one of the largest and 
 most successful mercantile houses here for many years. In 1872, Patrick 
 Burke retired from the business and died one year later. He was a promi- 
 nent Democrat and a hberal, public-spirited citizen. He was at one time 
 mayor of the city and was a man who was liked by every one. The wife 
 and five children survive him. The children are Thomas A.; Charles, of 
 Chicago; James P., also of Chicago; William J.; and Daniel. 
 
 Except the years spent in college, Daniel R. Burke has always resided 
 in Ottawa. As a lad he attended the public school, preparing for college 
 in the high school of his city. He then entered the University of Michigan, 
 at Ann Arbor, graduating in the law department of that institution in 1888, 
 when twenty-one years of age. Returning home he at once began practicing 
 his profession, and soon formed a partnership with Hon. Maurice T. Maloney. 
 The firm of Maloney & Burke was dissolved in 1892, when Mr. Maloney was 
 elected to the office of attorney general of Illinois, holding the office four 
 years. Mr. Burke was then a partner with D. F.Trainer, the noted criminal 
 lawyer, for one year, since which time he has conducted a general law 
 office by himself. 
 
 In 1892 Mr. Burke was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. Fennell, of 
 Ottawa, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Ryan) Fennell, prominent residents 
 of the county. They have one child, Margaret M. Burke. Mr. Burke belongs 
 to the Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias, and is president of the North
 
 yo BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 American Insurance Society. He is a strong Democrat, and takes an active 
 part in local politics. He is a member of the central and congressional com- 
 mittees, and ably represented the city as attorney at one time. He is affable 
 and pleasant, gaining the friendship and good will of all classes. 
 
 JAMES W. STEVENSON. 
 
 The venerable postmaster of Sunrise, LaSalle county, Illinois, is one 
 of the most popular and widely known residents of the county, having taken 
 an active part in all public affairs of local import that have engaged the 
 attention of the citizens of this community since his residence here, — a period 
 embracing half a century. 
 
 James W. Stevenson, who was born in Warren county. New Jersey, 
 April 30, 1827, is a son of John and Hannah (Wilson) Stevenson, and a 
 grandson of Joseph Stevenson. John Stevenson also was born in the state 
 of New Jersey, where he grew to manhood and engaged in tilling the soil. 
 He was a member of the Society of Friends, and was a. man of most exem- 
 plary character. Hannah Wilson, the lady to whom he was united in mar- 
 riage, was born in Warren county. New Jersey, and was a daughter of Gabriel 
 and Grace (Brotherton) Wilson, both of whom were of English descent. 
 Eight children resulted from this marriage, namely : Joseph, a resident of 
 Pasadena, California; James W., whose history is here briefly portrayed; 
 Samuel, deceased, late of Pennsylvania; Almira Deats, of New Jersey; 
 William, who died in Sayre, Pennsylvania; Edwin, who was drowned when 
 he was about twenty-one years old; Daniel, a resident of Streator, Illinois; 
 and Walter, who resides in Pasadena, California. The father died at the age 
 of fifty-four years and was survived many years by his wife, who made her 
 home in this township until her eighty-seventh year, when she also passed 
 to her reward, the date of her death being March 20, 1889. 
 
 James W. Stevenson was reared in New Jersey, attending the public 
 schools and the West Town Friends' Boarding School. He was employed 
 for some years as an instructor in the schools of that state, and in 1849 came 
 to Illinois, locating in Rutland township, LaSalle county. About 185 1 he 
 returned to New Jersey and remained there two years, when he came back 
 to this county and took up his permanent residence here, on the farm now 
 owned and cultivated by him. This contains two hundred and eighty acres 
 of land, one hundred and sixty of which is under cultivation. Good, sub- 
 stantial buildings lend an added charm, while a large orchard furnishes an 
 abundance of finely flavored fruit, such as is grown no place else except on 
 the broad prairie land of Illinois.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 71 
 
 In 1 85 1 Mr. Stevenson was married to Miss Comfort A. Millikin, daugh- 
 ter of Samuel and Rebecca (Williams) Millikin, and a native of Licking 
 county, Ohio, where she was educated. Her parents were early settlers of 
 LaSalle county, and both died in Rutland township. Eight children were 
 born to them, of whom six daughters and one son are living, namely : Com- 
 fort A., wife of our subject; Sarah Russell, a resident of Iowa; Minerva 
 Smith, also of Iowa; Amanda L. Wightman, of Council Bluffs, Iowa; 
 Jerusha Kelley, of Grant City, Missouri; Samuel; and Lucy Parr. 
 
 To INIr. and Mrs. Stevenson were born six children, namely: Emma, 
 who lives at home; John, who married Miss Florence Carver, by whom he 
 has two children, Grace Eva and Roy; Edward, a bridge-builder of Toledo, 
 Ohio; Ernest, a talented musician, who married Miss Mamie Vail and has 
 two children, James Vail and Elmira C. ; William, who married Aliss Mabel 
 Spencer; and Byron, who died at the age of thirty years. 
 
 Mr. Stevenson is a stanch Repubhcan and has taken a prominent interest 
 in township, county and state politics, rendering much aid to the party or- 
 ganization. He has served for twelve years on the board of supervisors, 
 representing Otter Creek township, and for thirty-one years has acted as 
 postmaster of Sunrise, Illinois, discharging his duties in a thorough and con- 
 scientious manner, which qualities have been among the chief characteristics 
 of the man. He is now in his seventy-second year, but is hale and hearty, 
 with a good word for every one. His upright, Christian life has made him 
 generally loved and respected, and no man stands higher in the esteem of 
 the general public than he. 
 
 MILLARD F. BOVARD. 
 
 Millard F. Bovard, the editor and proprietor of the Marseilles Register, 
 is one of the representative citizens of LaSalle county. He was born in 
 East Liverpool, Ohio, in 1856, a son of Oliver K. and Mahala (Herin) 
 Bovard. When he was but six years of age our subject's father died, and 
 ten years later the devoted mother was summoned to her reward. 
 
 Thus left an orphan at an early age, Millard F. Bovard was thrown upon 
 his own resources, and nobly and manfully he met the new responsibihties of 
 his position. Realizing that the basis of success in after life was a liberal 
 education, he applied himself to his studies with assiduity. Locating in 
 Bloomington, Illinois, in 187 1, subsequently to the death of his mother, 
 he attended school there for a period, and during the next year commenced 
 an apprenticeship at the printer's trade in the ofhce of the Bloomington 
 Pantagraph. He devoted his whole attention to journalistic work for the 
 next eight years, after which he taught school for a period, and served as
 
 'J2 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 superintendent of city schools in McLean and Livingston counties for about 
 fifteen years. He then conducted a newspaper at Forest, Illinois, for a year 
 or two, and upon disposing of it came to Marseilles, in August, 1895. Here 
 he bought the Register, a six-column quarto, which he has published ever 
 since. The paper, which is issued daily and weekly, enjoys a large local cir- 
 culation. Republican in politics, it is not offensively partisan, but aims to 
 be conservative and liberal in judgment, and to present to its readers a brief, 
 yet comprehensive digest of the great affairs engrossing the world's atten- 
 tion, and at the same time to chronicle local events of interest. 
 
 Mr. Bovard is thoroughly interested in the public schools, and has 
 acted as a member of the Marseilles board of education. For years he has 
 been a member of the Congregational church, and is now chorister, his 
 ability in this direction being quite pronounced. 
 
 In April, 1879, Mr. Bovard married Miss Jennie Plank, a daughter of 
 Horace and Louisa Plank, natives of Massachusetts, and now residents of 
 Marseilles. Two sons and two daughters bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. 
 Bovard, namely: Edna L., who is a successful teacher in the town schools; 
 Horace R.; Mahala Blanche; and Millard F., Jr. It is needless to say that 
 the children are receiving excellent educational advantages, and are thus 
 being fitted in the wisest manner for the future battle of life. 
 
 CAPTAIN THOMAS C. FULLERTON. 
 
 Many an old army comrade wdio had fought by his side and shared the 
 hardships and privations of army life during the great civil w-ar, many a 
 member of the legal profession and those associated with him in fraternal 
 and political relations mourned the sudden death of Captain Thomas C. 
 Fullerton, of Ottawa, and treasure his memory. Helpful in example, wise 
 in counsel, eloquent in speech, kindly and generous in disposition and con- 
 spicuous in action, his life challenges our admiration and bids us emulate his 
 worthy career. 
 
 A native of Marion township, Montgomery county, Pennsylvania, Cap- 
 tain Fullerton was born August 21, 1839. and accompanied his parents to 
 Illinois in the fall of 1855, locating upon a farm near Freedom. Upon the 
 25th of September, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company A, Sixty-fourth 
 Illinois Infantry (known as "Yates' Sharpshooters"), and was appointed 
 orderly sergeant at the end of one month. On June 28, 1863, he was pro- 
 moted to the first lieutenancy and became adjutant of the regiment, and 
 April 2, 1864, he was commissioned and mustered in as captain of Company 
 C, at the same time being appointed acting assistant inspector general on the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 73 
 
 staff of General Spragiie, commanding the Second Brigade, Fourth Division, 
 Sixteenth Army Corps. Twenty days later he was assigned to the same 
 position on the staff" of General G. M. Dodge, commanding the left wing of 
 the Sixteenth Army Corps. When that general was wounded, in August, 
 and was succeeded by T. E. G. Ransom, next in command, Captain Fullerton 
 continued to act in the same position as formerly, remaining until October, 
 1864, when he was assigned to duty as aide-de-camp on the staff of General 
 Ransom. The Captain took part in some of the most momentous campaigns 
 of the war, always distinguishing himself by his bravery and faithful perform- 
 ance of duty. He fought under Pope at New Madrid, Island Number 10, 
 and Fort Pillow; took part in the siege of Corinth, luka and the famous 
 Atlanta campaign, which was an almost continuous battle from Resaca to 
 Jonesboro. 
 
 Returning to the north in the fall of 1864, Captain Fullerton studied 
 law in the offfce of Glover, Cook & Campbell, of Ottawa, and was admitted 
 to the bar in January, 1866. Then, going to Alabama, — for the south had 
 many attractions for him, in spite of the sad and dreadful memories which 
 were ever associated with it in his mind, — he opened an office at Huntsville. 
 On the 24th of August, 1866, he was appointed assistant district attorney 
 of the United States for the northern district of Alabama. Unsolicited, and 
 indeed against his wishes, he was elected the state's attorney of Madison 
 county, Alabama, in the autumn election of 1868, and refused to qualify for 
 that office. In the previous June he had been appointed register in bank- 
 ruptcy, and served until January, 1871, when he resigned. Removing to 
 Washington, District of Columbia, he practiced before the various courts 
 and commissions there until November, 1881, when he returned to Ottawa. 
 From that time until his death he was actively engaged in the practice of 
 law here, and from 1888 filled the position of master in chancery with ability 
 and distinction. For six years, from 1884 to 1890, he was chairman of the 
 Republican county central committee, and conducted five campaigns in five 
 successive years. Elevated to higher honors, he acted as one of the state cen- 
 tral committee of his party from 1890, meeting the expectations of his most 
 sanguine friends in every respect, and well meriting the title of a party leader. 
 His name was presented and he was nominated at Streator, Illinois, for con- 
 gress, and it was while absent from home, aggressive in the work of the cam- 
 paign, that the summons came to him to cease from his labors. He died 
 suddenly, of heart failure, and the funeral services were conducted under the 
 auspices of the Grand Army of the Republic — that "grand army" of heroes 
 whose ranks are diminishing year by year. 
 
 The Captain was connected with the Grand Army organization from 
 1866, and was one of the charter members of Seth C. Earl Post, No. 156,
 
 74 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 which was founded in the fall of 1882. He was the commander of the post 
 for some time, and served in various capacities, such as senior vice com- 
 mander, assistant inspector general, on the council of administration, and 
 as a member of the Soldiers' Home committee. He made a point of attend- 
 ing the state and national encampments, and thoroughly enjoyed meeting 
 those who had "worn the blue" and fought for the Union. He belonged 
 to the Ottawa Club, the Ottawa Boat Club, and was a Mason of the Knight 
 Templar degree, being connected with Ottawa Commandery, No. 10. He 
 was loved and looked up to by an extremely large circle of acquaintances, 
 and his life was in harmony with the noblest and best principles which ani- 
 mate mankind. 
 
 DR. DAVID F. COTTERMAN. 
 
 Dr. Cotterman is the leading dentist in Marseilles, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, having established an office in this city in 1891. He was born December 
 15, 1859, in Miami county, Indiana, his parents being Noah and Catherine 
 (Weaver) Cotterman, and his grandfather Andrew Cotterman. The great- 
 grandfather was a native of Germany. The mother is a daughter of David and 
 Harriet (Mason) Weaver, and is now in her eighty-sixth year. As nearly as 
 can be ascertained the Weavers were also descended from German origin. 
 
 David F. Cotterman spent his earlier j-ears on the farm, and attended 
 the district schools in his native state during the winter terms. He then 
 entered a select school, and after leaving that engaged in teaching for six 
 years. He then accepted a position with the United States government as 
 railway postal clerk, his run being between Toledo, Ohio, and St. Louis, 
 Missouri. He remained in this service four years and then began studying 
 dentistry under Dr. J. H. Hutton, of Hoopeston, this state. Entering the 
 Chicago College of Dental Surgery he graduated in the class of 1891, of 
 which he was president. He at once came to Marseilles, purchased the busi- 
 ^less and good will of Dr. R. N. Baughman, and is now established in a good, 
 lucrative practice, while his offices are pleasantly furnished and equipped 
 with the most approved appliances necessary to his craft. His work in all 
 lines of modern dentistry has the reputation of giving the best satisfaction 
 and being most durable in quality. He has a steadily increasing business, 
 and his popularity is but the outgrowth of the conscientious performance of 
 his work. 
 
 October 7, 1882, Dr. Cotterman was married to Miss Laura Rawlings, 
 daughter of Mortimer Rawlings, of Indiana. She died in December, 1893, 
 leaving four children: Jessie, born July 26, 1883; Homer, February 21, 
 1886; Laurance, March 31, 1891; and Frances, November 10, 1892.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 75 
 
 The Doctor's residence is one of the handsomest in Marseilles, situated 
 on the bluffs, and commanding a picturesque view of the village and the 
 Illinois river. The Doctor is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He was 
 president of the board of education for two years and rendered the cause of 
 education much valuable service. He has been treasurer of a private library 
 fund for some time, — an institution he was largely instrumental in establish- 
 ing. He is the able manager of the Columbian opera-house in Marseilles, 
 and it has been his endeavor to furnish the theater-loving public with a course 
 of entertainments that would elevate as well as amuse. The Doctor is genial 
 and pleasant to all and has endeared himself to the entire community by his 
 upright, manly bearing. 
 
 CLARENCE B. CHAPMAN. 
 
 Clarence B. Chapman, an honored member of the LaSalle county bar, 
 and ex-county attorney of this county, was born in Princeton, Illinois, Jan- 
 uary I, 1857, and is consequently in the prime of life and mental vigor. His 
 birthplace was in Princeton, Bureau county, Illinois, and his boyhood was 
 passed quietly enough upon his father's farm there. His parents were O. E. 
 and Sarah L. (Beeman) Chapman, natives of Medina county, Ohio. The 
 Chapmans were of English extraction, and the paternal grandfather of our 
 subject, Sceva Chapman, was born in Vermont, while the maternal grand- 
 father, Milton Beeman, was a native of Connecticut. 
 
 In common with the other boys of his neighborhood, Clarence B. Chap- 
 man obtained his elementary education in the district schools of Bureau 
 county. He was an apt student and, being ambitious in the acquisition of 
 knowledge, made rapid progress. In 1878 he was graduated in the high 
 school of Princeton, and two years later he received a diploma from the 
 Northwestern University, at Evanston, Illinois, being graduated in the law 
 department. The same year, 1880, he came to Ottawa and entered into part- 
 nership with M. N. Armstrong, under the firm name of Armstrong & Chap- 
 man. At the close of three years this business connection was dissolved, and 
 our subject practiced alone until 1887, when he became associated with 
 Duncan McDougall, with whom he continues, the style of the firm being 
 McDougall & Chapman. During nine months, commencing in July, 1886, 
 Mr. Chapman was located in Beatrice, Nebraska. McDougall & Chapman 
 command a large share of local legal work, and many of their clients live in 
 more or less distant parts of the county. Mr. Chapman is an earnest advo- 
 cate, thoroughly understands the law, and presents his cases to judge and 
 jury in an impressive, clear and logical manner, which carries conviction to 
 the minds of his hearers. He is a Republican in politics, and, having been
 
 76 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 elected to the responsible position of county attorney, he served in that 
 capacity, acceptably to all concerned, from September, 1894, to the fall of 
 1896. For four years he was the secretary of the Republican county central 
 committee, doing effective work for the party. 
 
 On the I2th of October, 1886, Mr. Chapman married Miss Katie H. 
 Ebersol, a daughter of Daniel S. Ebersol, of Ottawa. Socially he belongs 
 to the Masonic order, in which he ranks high, as he is a member of Humboldt 
 Lodge, No. 555, F. & A. M.; Shabbona Chapter, No. 37, R. A. M.; and 
 Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, K. T. In the Independent Order of Odd 
 Fellows he is identified with Ottawa Lodge, No. 41. 
 
 SAMUEL WAUGH. 
 
 Among the well-known and respected citizens of LaSalle county is 
 numbered the subject of this review, Samuel Waugh, a farmer of Peru. 
 He came to this place more than a half century ago, before the time of rail- 
 roads, when the stage-coach was the only public means of travel overland. 
 Peru at that time was at the head of navigation on the Illinois river, and 
 was an important business point, and the city of LaSalle was regarded as 
 the rival of Chicago as a general market. Mr. Waugh's subsequent active 
 business career was such as to afford him great opportunities to observe the 
 growth and development of this section of Illinois. In the early days trans- 
 portation was by river, later by canal, and subsequently railroads were con- 
 structed across the broad prairies, and business was correspondingly in- 
 creased as time and space were thus annihilated. He witnessed the opening 
 of the Illinois and Michigan canal on the 15th of April, 1848, and was a 
 citizen of Peru during the dreadful Asiatic cholera scourge of 1849, ^^ which 
 time more fatalities occurred in Peru in proportion to the population than 
 in any other city in the United States. 
 
 Air. Waugh was born in the Ligonier Valley of Westmoreland county, 
 Pennsylvania, January 22, 1828, his parents being James and Jane (Parke) 
 Waugh, who were also natives of the Keystone state. The paternal grand- 
 father, Richard Waugh, was of Scotch descent, was a native of Cumberland 
 county, Pennsylvania, and a farmer by occupation. He possessed a very 
 practical turn of mind, and when the war of 18 12 broke out he saw an 
 opportunity of bettering his fortunes and at the same time serve the govern- 
 ment. To this end he engaged in the transportation of troops and supplies, 
 a task at once arduous and difficult. William Parke, the maternal grand- 
 father of our subject, was a native of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, 
 and was the son of Zebulon Parke, of the same county, who served with
 
 IGHINCCD
 
 I
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. yy 
 
 distinction in the Revolutionary war under General Washington for a period 
 of seven years. William Parke was a farmer by occupation and came west 
 with the Waugh family, spending his last days at Lost Grove, Illinois. He 
 died at the advanced age of eighty-eight years, and left six children. James 
 and Jane (Parke) Waugh were the parents of eleven children, five sons and 
 six daughters, of whom eight are living, namely : William, of Rapid City, 
 South Dakota; Samuel, of this review; Catherine, wife of A. T. Hagan of 
 Los Angeles, California; James, of Princeton, Illinois; Caroline, wife of 
 Nathan Linton of Minneapolis,, Minnesota; Mary A., of Los Angeles, Cali- 
 fornia; Martha, of Chicago, Illinois; and Rankin, who is connected with 
 the Union Stockyards in Chicago. In early life James Waugh, the father 
 of our subject, was a member of a stage-coach company in Pennsylvania, and 
 for many years was engaged in carrying United States mail between Phila- 
 delphia and Pittsburg. He was also the proprietor of a hotel in Ligonier, 
 Pennsylvania. In October of i<S47 he came with his family to the west, 
 locating in Peru, Illinois, where he conducted the well-known National 
 Hotel, then a leading hostelry in northern Illinois. As many as from ten 
 to fifteen coaches would each morning depart from the hotel carrying their 
 passengers to the various surrounding towns. He conducted the business 
 until the fall of 1849, when he removed to Lost Grove, Bureau county, 
 Illinois, and there purchased a farm, after which he devoted his attention to 
 agricultural pursuits until his death in 1863, in his sixty-fifth year. His wife 
 survived him only about six weeks, and was fifty-five years of age at the time 
 of her death. 
 
 Samuel Waugh, of this review, came with his father to Peru in October, 
 1847, ^^'^ was associated with him in the conduct of the National Hotel until 
 April, 1849, when he left the parental fireside to engage in business for him- 
 self. His first venture was in buving cattle, a business to which he s:ave 
 his time for forty-five years. To use his own words, he "spent forty-five 
 years in the saddle, traveling on horseback over a great part of northern 
 Illinois, buying cattle." Thus he became well acquainted throughout this 
 section of the state, and, being a keen and close observer and possessed of 
 a strong, retentive memory, the writer found Mr. Waugh one who could 
 talk in a most interesting manner of the early days, giving very lucid 
 descriptions of the changes that had taken place in the growth and develop- 
 ment of this region. He had acquired a fair education m a select and later 
 the district schools of his native state, and the greater part of his youth had 
 been spent upon the farm. He began his connection with cattle dealing as an 
 employe of a firm of Peru, which also did considerable business in LaSalle. 
 He was connected therewith until the spring of 1853, when, in company 
 with Jesse Dresser, he started with a drove of cattle to California, a very
 
 -78 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 / 
 
 arduous undertaking. They left Princeton, Illinois, on the 6th oi April, 
 1853, and reached the Sacramento valley in September of the same year. 
 After disposing of their cattle Mr. Waugh went to the mines of St. Louis, 
 Sierra county, that state, and was engaged in mining and butchering for 
 nine years. In 1862 he returned to Illinois, and until 1871 was interested 
 in the ice business in Peru and in Cairo, Illinois, being associated with his 
 brothers-in-law, A. T. Hagan and Nathan Linton. From the latter date 
 until 1877 he was engaged in farming and stock-raising, after which he 
 conducted a live-stock commission business in Chicago, in company with 
 his brother, Rankin Waugh, until 1894. In April of that year he withdrew 
 from the business and returned to his farm in LaSalle county. 
 
 During the early days when he first engaged in buying cattle Mr. 
 Waugh traveled from Peru over as many as a dozen counties in northern 
 Illinois. This wide scope of territory he had to cover in order to purchase 
 sufhcient fat cattle, sheep and hogs to supply the markets of Peru and 
 LaSalle. which cities were then enjoying great prosperity on account of the 
 building of canals and railroads and the consequent increase in trade. At 
 that time, too, the country was sparsely settled and the farmers did not, as 
 to-day, engage so extensively in stock-raising. Mr. Waugh was among the 
 hrst to ship cattle to the Chicago market. As early as November, 1849, in 
 company with W. P. Ankney of Somerset, Pennsylvania, he bought a large 
 number of cattle and drove them to Chicago, selling them to Gurdon S. 
 Hubbard, one of the very first packers of Chicago, which city at that time 
 contained a population of less than thirty thousand. Mr. Waugh's fine 
 farm of five hundred and sixty acres is situated in Peru township, one mile 
 from the city of Peru. As a successful farmer and stock-raiser he ranks 
 among the most prominent in this section of the state. It is well known 
 that Illinois takes the lead as a grain-producing state, and it is safe to say 
 that the farm of Mr. Waugh is among the best and most carefully tended 
 in the heart of the state. In 1894 he erected an attractive modern residence 
 in Peru, which has since been his home. 
 
 In politics Mr. \\'augh has never been an oiTfice-seeker, but he has always 
 been a stalwart Republican and has kept abreast with the advancement in 
 the political and business world. Progressive and aggressive, and by nature 
 energetic and persevering, his success in life has been well merited. In this 
 locality he has long had a wide acquaintance, and his fair dealing with his 
 fellowmen has won for him innumerable friends. For a number of years he 
 has resided in Peru, but has continued actively in agricultural affairs, and his 
 son, Charles L. Waugh, a progressive and successful agriculturist, has charge 
 of his farm. 
 
 On the 14th of October, 1868, Mr. Waugh and Miss Elizabeth Maze
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 79 
 
 were united in the holy bonds of wedlock. The lady was a daughter of S. N. 
 Maze, of Peru, and is highly respected. Three children have been born to 
 them, namely : Jessie, wife of W. E. Means, of Peru ; Charles L. ; and Eliza- 
 beth. Mrs. Waugh is a member of the Forty-first Street Presbyterian 
 church of Chicago, and contributes liberally to its support. 
 
 I 
 
 BERNARD T. KEATING. 
 
 Bernard T. Keating deals largely in real estate and represents several 
 insurance companies in Streator, Illinois. He was born in Bothwell, Scot- 
 land, April 24, 1857, and came to America October 18, 1879, and in all these 
 years has proved himself a most worthy citizen. James and Alice (Cunning- 
 ham) Keating, his parents, were born in Ireland, shortly after marriage 
 moved to Scotland, and came to this country in 1882, locating in Streator. 
 James Keating died in 1897, in his seventy-fifth year, his wife dying three 
 years previously, when she was sixty-five years of age. 
 
 Mr. Keating was educated in the common schools of Scotland and when 
 twenty-two years old came to the United States, arriving in New York in 
 1879. H^ ^t once proceeded to this city, where he has since made his home. 
 He worked for several years in the coal mine, beginning as a coal digger, 
 and advanced through the several departments to be superintendent of the 
 mine. In 1883 he began dealing in real estate, handling both city and farm 
 property, and has been quite successful in making trades and sales. He also 
 represents a number of insurance companies, both fire and life, and at present 
 is district manager of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of New York. 
 
 In 1 88 1 Mr. Keating was married to Miss Helen Lafferty, daughter of 
 Frederick and Margaret Lafferty, of Streator. They have five children, 
 Margaret, Bernard, Frederick, Richard and Bessie. For a number of years 
 Mr. Keating has been secretary of the Home Building and Loan Association 
 of this city, using his utmost endeavors to promote the advancement of the 
 city's interests. He was also a member of the board of education for three 
 years. He has taken a decided stand in favor of temperance, and was presi- 
 dent of the Father Mathews Total Abstinence Society of Streator and ex- 
 treasurer of the Catholic Total Abstinence Union of Illinois. We wish more 
 such men might be induced to make their homes in America. In the spring 
 of 1899 he was elected secretary of the executive committee of the Citizens' 
 League, an organization combining the memberships of the various churches 
 in the city, for the purpose of seeing that the laws were duly enforced. 
 Largelv through his efforts the saloon-keepers were forced to respect the
 
 8o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 law and all gambling devices were removed from the saloons. In recognition 
 of his services in this work the Citizens' League in convention unanimously 
 nominated Mr. Keating for the ofifice of mayor, and although he was pledged 
 the support of the League and a host of other citizens in sympathy with the 
 movement, he respectfully declined the honor. 
 
 WALTER B. PALMER. 
 
 "The proper study of mankind is man," said Pope; and aside from this, 
 in its broader sense, what base of study and information have we? Genea- 
 logical research, then, has its value, — be it in the tracing of an obscure and 
 broken line, or the following back of a noble and illustrious lineage W'hose 
 men have been valorous, whose women of gentle refinement. We of this 
 end-of-the-century, democratic type can not afTord to scofT at or hold in 
 light esteem the bearing up of a " 'scutcheon upon whose fair face appears 
 no sign or blot"; and he should thus be the more honored who honors a 
 noble name and the memory of noble deeds. The lineage of the subject of 
 this review is one of most distinguished and interesting order, and no 
 apology need be made in reverting to this in connection with the individual 
 accomplishments of the subject himself. 
 
 Justus Palmer, the great-great-grandfather of him whose name intro- 
 duces this review, was a resident of Norwich, Connecticut, where his son 
 Ephraim was born December 17, 1760. On the 27th of August, 1786, the 
 latter married Margaret Force, and on the 30th of June, 1852, he was called 
 to his final rest. During the war of the Revolution he valiantly served in the 
 Continental army, and thus aided in establishing American independence. 
 His eldest son, Thomas Force Palmer, was born June 13, 1787, and on the 
 30th of May, 181 5, married Rebecca Snow. They became the parents of six 
 children, the third child and second son being Ephraim M. Palmer, who was 
 born December 13, 1828, in Cattaraugus county, New York. In 1831 the 
 family removed to Medina county, Ohio, and the succeeding eighteen years 
 of Ephraim Palmer's life were passed on a farm in the Buckeye state. In 
 1847 he removed to Sugar Grove, Kendall county, Illinois, and in the spring 
 of 1849 came to Freedom township, LaSalle county, having previously 
 purchased a land warrant for one hundred acres. On locating thus in the 
 southwestern corner of Freedom township, securing thereby eighty acres of 
 land, this was the first property he had ever owned. The deed came to him 
 direct from the government, and the land is still a part of his estate. In the 
 fall of 1849 he made a trip across the plains to California, where he remained 
 for nearly eight years, meeting with fair success in his business ventures on
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 8i 
 
 the Pacific coast. He then returned to Freedom township, and soon after- 
 ward purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Ophir township. 
 
 On the 13th of June, 1861, Ephraim Pahner was united in marriage to 
 Miss Sarah Butler, of Ophir township, LaSalle county, the eldest child of 
 Ebenezer and Nancy (Butterfield) Butler. On the father's side of the family 
 thev are descendants of Nicholas Butler, who was born at Martha's Vine- 
 yard in 1662. His son, Benjamin Butler, was married in 1769 to Amy Dag- 
 gett, and in 1790 they became the parents of a son, Benjamin, Jr., who was 
 born at Martha's Vineyard, and he married Huldah Bradford, a relative of 
 Governor Bradford, of Massachusetts. They removed to Avon, Maine, 
 where Benjamin, their second son, was born May 18, 1808. There Benjamin 
 Butler married Nancy Butterfield, on the 24th of December, 1833, and on 
 the 1 6th of November, 1834, they became the parents of a daughter, Sarah, 
 whose birth occurred in Anson, Maine, and who, in 1861, became the wife of 
 Mr. Palmer. On the maternal side Mrs. Palmer traces her ancestry back to 
 Jonas Butterfield, who was born in Dunstable, Massachusetts, September 
 12. 1742. He was a member of the home guards or minute men, and marched 
 from Dunstable to Cambridge on the alarm of April 19, 1775. Four of his 
 brothers were soldiers in the Revolutionary war, and the military history of 
 the family is one of which the descendants may well be proud. His son, 
 John Butterfield, was born April 16, 1780, and on the 25th of June, 1800, 
 married Sybil Willerd, who was born August 17, 1782. Their daughter, 
 Nancy Butterfield, was born September 25, 1808. and became the wife of 
 Ebenezer Butler and the mother of Mrs. Palmer. To Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim 
 Palmer were born two children, — Carrie, born September i, 1865. who died 
 on the 30th of September, of the same year, and Walter, the surviving son, 
 who was born June 22, 1868. In the spring of the latter year the father 
 removed to his farm in Freedom tow^nship, a tract containing two hundred 
 acres of very valuable land. In 1881 a niece of Mrs. Palmer, then an infant, 
 became an inmate of their home, and has since been a daughter in the house- 
 hold. Her name is Agnes Butler, but she has always been called Agnes 
 Palmer. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Palmer was a stanch Republican, unswerving 
 in his advocacy of the principles of the party. He filled a number of positions 
 of public trust, including those of assessor, commissioner and a member of 
 the school board. The cause of education found in him a warm friend, and 
 for nearly thirty years he was regarded as a leader in every movement that 
 tended to advance the educational interests of his community. He was at 
 all times an honest, upright man, whose word was as good as his bond, and 
 over his life record there falls no shadow or wrong or suspicion of evil. In 
 January, 1892, he was attacked by la grippe, which was followed by pneu-
 
 82 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 monia, and on the 30th of that month his Hfe's labors were ended in death. 
 Throughout the community his loss was deeply mourned and his memory is 
 cherished in the hearts of all who knew him. 
 
 Walter B. Palmer, his only surviving child, was married in September, 
 1889, to Miss Ina Lardin, a daughter of John and Elizabeth Lardin and a 
 sister of Judge A. T. Lardin, of Ottawa. She was a lady of culture, who had 
 many warm friends, but in May, 1891, she died of consumption. In Novem- 
 ber, 1893, Walter B. Palmer and his mother came to Ottawa and took up 
 their abode in the beautiful modern residence which they had erected. In 
 December, 1894, he was again married, the lady of his choice being Miss 
 Mary Frances White, a daughter of William and Nellie (Barger) White, 
 formerly of Davenport, Iowa, where her father was a prominent lawyer. Mr. 
 Palmer has always loved a fine horse, and has owned some of the best in 
 the country. He has been very successful in those which have been put 
 upon the race track, and each year he has a number of fine trotters and 
 pacers that are displayed at fairs and upon other race courses. His life has 
 been spent in LaSalle county, where he has a wide accjuaintance, and he and 
 his estimable wife enjoy the hospitality of the best homes of Ottawa. 
 
 ABRAM C. GODFREY. 
 
 For almost half a century the Godfreys, father and son, have been num- 
 bered among the progressive business men of Ottawa. They have been noted 
 for their public spirit and liberality toward all local enterprises of a character 
 that would tend to promote the welfare of the community. 
 
 Philip, father of Abram Godfrey, was born in Cork. Ireland, but came 
 to America when young. At eighteen years of age he wedded Miss Mary 
 Avary, a native of New York, and in 1850 this sterling couple came to Ot- 
 tawa. For thirty-seven years Mr. Godfrey was successfully engaged in the 
 grocery business, retiring in 1887- to enjoy the competence which he had 
 won by years of diligence and indefatigable energy. He embarked in mer- 
 chandising with the small capital of eighty dollars in gold, but he possessed 
 much more pluck than money, and in the end this quality proved of even 
 more value, for in time he became well-to-do and respected as a man of up- 
 rightness and fairness in all his dealings. 
 
 The birth of Abram C. Godfrey occurred in Ottawa, April 6, 1859, and 
 here he passed his boyhood, working, at intervals, in his father's store, and 
 early acquiring valuable knowledge of the business. Desiring a little wider 
 experience in the commercial world, he went to Chicago in 1884, and for 
 one year was employed by Fairbanks, Morse & Company. He then returned
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 83 
 
 to Streator, Illinois, and was with Dennis Fielding in a shoe store for two 
 years. In 1887, upon the occasion of his father's retirement from business, 
 our subject assumed the management of the store, and has continued to 
 enjoy the favor of our leading citizens as his customers. 
 
 On the 5th of November, 1894, Mr. Godfrey and Bertha T. Taylor, a 
 daughter of W. W. Taylor, of Ottawa, were united in marriage. They have 
 one child, Margaret Louise, born July 17, 1898. For over ten years Mr. 
 Godfrey has been a member of the Masonic order, and, like his honored 
 father, is actively interested in the success of the Republican party. He has 
 served efficiently as an alderman while Albert F. Schoch was mayor, the 
 administration being known as the ''improvement council." 
 
 JAMES SEXTON. 
 
 The gentleman whose name initiates this sketch is one of the retired 
 farmers of LaSalle county, who makes his home in the town of Streator. He 
 is an Englishman by birth, but has been a resident of America since his elev- 
 enth year. His history in brief is as follows : 
 
 James Sexton was born in Norfolk county, England, in 1846, a son of 
 Stephen Sexton, who was born in Norfolk, December i, 1810, and Mary 
 (Field) Sexton, born in Norfolk, June i, 181 1. He had six sisters and three 
 brothers. In 1857 his father and mother, with all but the oldest daughter, 
 embarked for the New World, and after a stormy voyage of forty-two days 
 landed at Quebec, Canada, whence they came direct to Ottawa, Illinois, set- 
 tling on a farm in Otter Creek township, and there the father engaged in 
 farming until 1874, when he removed to Carroll county, Iowa, where he 
 resided until his death, in 1890. The winter after their arrival the whole 
 family were stricken with typhoid fever, the mother dying in January, 1858, 
 and one boy and one girl later. Of the remainder of the family Margaret is 
 in Norfolk, England; Sarah A. in Otter Creek, this county; Mary A. in 
 Bluffton, Indiana; William, Eliza and Emily are in Carroll county. Iowa; 
 and Fred resides in Everett, Washington. 
 
 James Sexton assisted his father in the farm work and remained at home 
 until he was sixteen, when he started out in life on his own account. From 
 that time until he was nineteen he was a farm hand, working by the month. 
 He then rented a farm and afterward bought eighty acres of land in Otter 
 Creek township. After his marriage, about this time, he settled on his 
 father-in-law's farm in Otter Creek township, where he was engaged in farm- 
 ing and stock-raising until 1887, when he moved to Streator and engaged in 
 the hardware business with W. H. Pilcher. Three years later he returned to
 
 84 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 the farm, where he resided until 1897, and since that date he has been retired, 
 residing in Streator. 
 
 Mr. Sexton married, in 1867, Miss Elizabeth Wade, a native of LaSalle 
 county, born June 28, 1842, a daughter of Robert Wade and Elizabeth (Wil- 
 son) Wade, both natives of England. The Wade family, on first coming to 
 America, settled in Massachusetts, and it was from Fall River, that state, 
 that they came to Illinois, m 1840. To Mr. and Mrs. Sexton were born two 
 children. — a son and a daughter. Roy, a graduate of Oberlin College, Ohio, 
 and also of Northwestern University Medic<il College, is a practicing physi- 
 cian in Streator; and Nellie is the wife of Jay Arthur, of Streator. Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Sexton, the wife and mother, died on the 26th of April, 1898. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Sexton has always l^een rather independent, 
 voting for the man he believed best fitted for the office, instead of sticking 
 closely to party lines. 
 
 WILLIAM E. PRICHARD. 
 
 The owner and manager of Highland Stock Earm, William E. Prichard, 
 is well known throughout LaSalle and adjoining counties. He is an hon- 
 ored veteran of the civil war, as when eighteen years of age, in February, 
 1863, he enlisted in the Second Ohio Heavy Artillery and served until the 
 close of the conflict between the north and south. He had as his command- 
 ing officers Captains Stevenson, Downey and Tompson, and his record as 
 a brave and trusted soldier is one of which he has just reason to be proud. 
 He is an active worker in the Republican party; is a Grand Army man, and 
 a Mason in high standing. 
 
 Born in Licking county. Ohio, in 1845. our subject is a son of David 
 and Ruth (Lewis) Prichard, the former a native of Wales and the latter of 
 New York state. The father died in LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1882. Dur- 
 ing his youth William E. Prichard attended the public schools, and subse- 
 quent to his coming to this state in 1866 he was a student at Eowler's Insti- 
 tute at Newark for some time. Later he taught school for a few terms. 
 Since 1 87 1 he has made his home in Ottawa. 
 
 In April, 1871, Mr. Prichard married Miss Harriet Johnson, a daughter 
 of Samuel and Eliza (Statler) Johnson. Jennie, the first child born to our 
 subject and wife, died at the age of four years. Fred S. and Arthur D., twins, 
 were born November 25, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Prichard are members of the 
 Baptist church, the former having had charge of the music for many years. 
 
 For thirty years W. E. Prichard has been engaged in importing, breed- 
 ing and dealing in fine draft horses, particularly Percherons, of which he 
 always keeps a large number on hand. One of the best Percherons ever
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 85 
 
 brought over, Napoleon III., came into his possession in 1871. It is said 
 of him that he handles more high-grade horses each year than any other 
 man in the county. His premises are commodious and convenient, his large 
 stables being at South Ottawa and his farm two and a half miles from that 
 point. 
 
 WILLIAM STONE CHERRY. 
 
 A representative citizen of Streator is he of whom this sketch is penned, 
 for twenty-five years a resident and leading business man of this thriving 
 town. In all local affairs he has taken an active part and genuine interest, 
 patriotically upholding every effort to make this one of the most desirable 
 places for a home or business location, and invariably using his influence on 
 the side of the right and progress. 
 
 Though he is a native of the Emerald Isle, his birth having occurred in 
 the town of Monahan, July 9, 1837, Mr. Cherry has little recollection of the 
 country, as he was brought to the United States by his parents at the age of 
 three years, and was reared under American institutions. For some time the 
 family resided in Philadelphia, whence they went to West Virginia. Young 
 Cherry received as good an education as his parents could afford, for, owing 
 to the poor schools of the young state mentioned, he attended private and 
 select schools, where tuition was required. 
 
 In 1856 Mr. Cherry went with his older brother to Schuylkill county, 
 Pennsylvania, where he engaged in anthracite coal mining, there laying the 
 foundation of his knowledge that has guided him in his subsequent career. 
 
 When the civil war broke out the young man went to Philadelphia, 
 where he offered his services in the United States Navy, and became an engi- 
 neer upon one of the government ships. He had many very interesting 
 experiences during the seven years he was in the navy, and for about three 
 years sailed along the South American coast, being stationed off Buenos 
 Ayres for a long time. In 1869. when lie retired from the government em- 
 ploy, he returned to the Quaker city, where, in company with Tryon Rickert 
 & Company, he engaged in the manufacture of white lead and paint, at Wil- 
 mington, Delaware. 
 
 In 1 87 1 Mr. Cherry came to Streator and entered the employ of the 
 Chicago, Wilmington and Vermillion Coal Company as mine superintendent, 
 and later was made general mine superintendent, having charge of all the 
 mines operated by the company; and during the long years which have since 
 elapsed he has faithfully and efficiently performed the responsible duties 
 which have devolved upon him. The company to whose interests he has
 
 86 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 devoted his mature years does a very extensive business, and owns valuable 
 mines in various states. 
 
 In June, 1872, Mr. Cherry married Miss Mary D. Godfrey, a daughter 
 of Charles Godfrey, of Philadelphia. They have three children: Henrietta; 
 Walter G. (who is studying law under the auspices of the firm of Reeves & 
 Boys, of Streator); and Robert Hawthorne. The home of the family is a 
 very pleasant one, situated upon one of the finest residence streets in the 
 town. 
 
 Politically Mr. Cherry is a stanch Republican, and was the president 
 of the board of city fathers for one year. On the board of education he has 
 served as a member and as its president, besides being a trustee. The cause 
 of education finds in him a true and tried friend, and much has been accom- 
 plished in the perfecting of our fine school system under his advisement. 
 For a period he was a stockholder in the Streator National Bank, and from 
 time to time he has invested in local industries and institutions, thus mani- 
 festing his patriotism in a practical manner. Fraternally he is a Mason of 
 high standing, his membership being in Streator Lodge, No. 607, F. & A. 
 M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168, R. A. M.; and Ottawa Commandery, No. 
 10, K. T. Moreover he is identified with the Loyal Legion of America. 
 
 BERKLEY G. BARRATT. 
 
 The popular and thoroughly efficient superintendent of the LaSalle 
 County Asylum, Berkley Gillett Barratt, has been an incumbent of this 
 responsible position since March 8, 1898, when he was elected on the Demo- 
 cratic ticket with the aid of Republicans. He is a veteran of the civil war and 
 fought bravely for the preservation of the Union, enlisting in Company K, 
 Seventy-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in August, 1862, for three years. 
 Assigned to the Army of the Cumberland, he was ahvays found at his post of 
 duty, and took part in the numerous severe campaigns in which that branch 
 of the army was involved. He was orderly sergeant during the most of the 
 period of his military service, being promoted second lieutenant and serving 
 as such for the remainder of his time in the army. At the battle of Stone 
 river he was seriously wounded in the hand, and was honorably discharged 
 from the service with his regiment at Chicago July 3, 1865, after the close 
 of the war. 
 
 After perusing the history of Mr. Barratt in the role of a patriot it is 
 not a surprise to learn that he comes from loyal American ancestry, and that 
 his maternal grandfather, John Farnham, was a soldier of the war of the 
 Revolution. The papers relating to his discharg-e from the service, when
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 87 
 
 his aid was no longer needed, bear the signature of George Washington, 
 commander of the colonial army, and were dated June, 1782. The father of 
 our subject was Daniel Barratt, born June 3, 1797. He married Permelia, 
 daughter of John Farnham, and to them five sons and seven daughters were 
 born, namely: John F., Caroline, Rebecca Jane, Mary Ann, Phoebe, Caleb, 
 Margaret, Emily, George, Berkley G., Lavinia and Elizabeth. The mother, 
 who was born March 23, 1805, was a most worthy, noble woman, of the best 
 type of the pioneer, courageous, strong and capable, making the best of cir- 
 cumstances, however gloomy and unpromising the outlook. She survived 
 her husband many years, as he died in February, 1849, ^--nd her death did not 
 occur until 1891. One of her sons, George, had lived in the south for some 
 time prior to the war, and upon the outbreak of hostilities he was drafted 
 by the rebels. However, he managed to effect an escape and returned to 
 the north. 
 
 The birth of B. G. Barratt took place near Springfield, Clark county, 
 Ohio, and w^hen he was ten years of age he came to Illinois. The family at 
 first lived near Paw Paw, Lee county, and there the lad received average 
 educational advantages in the common schools. When he returned from 
 fighting for his country he settled in Earlville, Illinois, and engaged in paint- 
 ing and contracting for a number of years. He was appointed postmaster 
 of Earlville by President Cleveland and ofificiated in that capacity, and in 
 1882 he became a deputy sheriff of the county, acting under Sheriffs Milli- 
 gan and Taylor. In 1886 Mr. Barratt made the run for the nomination for 
 county sheriff and was defeated by only one vote, and at another time he 
 was defeated by just one vote for circuit clerk. When a candidate for city 
 treasurer he was elected by a majority of two votes. He has been an inde- 
 fatigable worker in the Democratic party, and is recognized as a valuable 
 factor in its success in this community. In the Masonic fraternity he has 
 reached the Knight Templar degree, and is a member of the Ottawa Lodge 
 and Commandery. In the Grand Army of the Republic he is identified with 
 Seth C. Earl Post. 
 
 In 1865 Mr. Barratt wedded Miss Emily L. Jones, daughter of James 
 Jones, formerly a respected citizen of Paw Paw and now deceased. Mrs. 
 Barratt was born in Ohio, but grew to womanhood in the town of Paw Paw. 
 Six children — two sons and four daughters — have been born to our subject 
 and wife, namely : Ella, Nina and Louie, who are living. Two sons and one 
 daughter are deceased. 
 
 A brief account of the LaSalle County Asylum, of which ]\Ir. Barratt is 
 now superintendent, may be of interest to the reader. Without doubt the 
 buildings are among the most attractive and substantial structures for the 
 occupancy of the poor and helpless wards of the county of all to be found
 
 88 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in the state. The buildings are modern; heated by steam and Hghted with 
 gas, and every practical device making for the comfort of the inmates of 
 the institution has been provided. The county farm contains two hundred and 
 ten acres of fertile land, and is situated about three and a half miles west of 
 Ottawa. But a short distance to the south flows the Illinois river, and to 
 the north rises a rocky bluff, at the foot of which is the Illinois & Michigan 
 canal. Substantial barns afford shelter to about thirty head of cattle and a 
 dozen horses, and some fifty to sixty hogs are annually raised on the place. 
 There are cared for in the asylum from two hundred and fifty to three hun- 
 dred persons each year, one-third of the number, perhaps, being insane or 
 feeble-minded. 
 
 GEORGE M. FLICK. 
 
 George Michael Elick, retired, was born near Centerville, St. Clair 
 county, Illinois, May, 5, 1845, ^^'^ has claimed Streator as his home for more 
 than a quarter of a century. Michael and Mary Ann (Miller) Elick. the 
 parents, were born in Germany and came to the United States and settled 
 in St. Clair county, this state, where the father engaged in market gardening 
 for a year. They then moved upon a farm in this county, where they resided 
 until death eleven years later. Both parents died during the year 1857, leav- 
 ing four sons: Frank P., Charles E., John and George Michael. Three of 
 the brothers were soldiers in the civil war. 
 
 Mr. Flick, our subject, attended the common school and remained on the 
 farm until the death of his parents, when he was twelve years old. He also at- 
 tended Oakfield University at Oakfield two years, receiving a good education. 
 His next step was to secure a clerkship in the store of Vosburge & Snow at 
 Earlville, this county. He remained with this firm until the cloud which had 
 so long enveloped our land broke forth in the storm of rebellion, when he 
 took up arms to help avert the calamity which threatened the nation. He 
 enlisted in the Fifty-third Illinois Regiment, Company D, under Captain 
 James E. Hudson and Colonel Seth C. Earl. Among the more important 
 engagements in which he took part were those fought in 1863 at Jackson, 
 Mississippi. They were ordered from Camp Douglas at Chicago to St. 
 Louis, from there to Paducah, Kentucky, and thence to Savannah, Tennes- 
 see. They assisted in the siege of Vicksburg. the fight at Atlanta, and were 
 with Sherman when he made his memorable march to the sea. They then 
 returned through the Carolinas to Washington and took part in the grand 
 revicAv, and were sent to Louisville, Kentucky, where they were mustered 
 out, in 1865. He has suffered all the privations which is the lot of our brave 
 soldier boys, and had many startling experiences and narrow escapes which
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 89 
 
 furnish the topic for many an interesting story. After returning home Mr. 
 FHck engaged in the butchering business with his brother John for some 
 sixteen months. After that he was interested in various employments until 
 1872, when he came to Streator and opened a meat market, which he con- 
 ducted until 1894, building up a good trade which has netted him a compe- 
 tency. He then disposed of his shop and purchased a small farm of twenty 
 acres near the city, devoting it to the culture of small fruits of various kinds. 
 He gives almost all his time and attention to this fruit farm, and is known 
 as one of the most successful grape-producers in the county. 
 
 On the thirteenth of November, 1869, Mr. Flick was united in marriage 
 to Miss Pauline Knoedler, who was born October 7, 1851, a daughter of 
 Jacob and Barbara (Masner) Knoedler. Mrs. Flick's parents were born in 
 Wittenberg, Germany, emigrated to America and were residents of Illinois 
 at the time of the father's death. The mother is still living and makes her 
 home with her children. These children are Charles F. ; Caroline, wife of 
 A. Hartman, of Chicago; Mrs. A. Weiss; Mrs. Sophia Deist, of Chicago; 
 Lucy, wife of Colonel Breitting, of Chicago; and Mrs. Flick. To Mr. and 
 Mrs. Flick have been born three children, who were reared to lives of use- 
 fulness and are now among our most popular and esteemed residents. Cora 
 B., born June 27, 1870; William C, August 31, 1872; and Meta P., April 16, 
 1877. Cora B. taught in graded schools previous to her death, in her twenty- 
 second year; William C. is a teller in the Union National Bank; and Meta 
 P. is one of the most efficient teachers in the high school of the city. Mr. 
 Flick is a strong Republican and a prominent member of Streator Post, No. 
 68, G. A. R. 
 
 MARSHALL B. MITCHELL. 
 
 Mr. Mitchell is one of the best business men of Ottawa, and one who^ is 
 very highly respected for his pushing enterprise and strict integrity. 
 
 He was born in Ottawa, January 29, 1852, and is the son of Bradford 
 and Ann (Sansberg) Mitchell. His father was a soldier in the Mexican war 
 and served with honor and occupied a respected place in business circles at 
 the time of his death, which occurred while Marshall was yet a child. From 
 his early childhood to the present day Marshall has been a faithful stay to his 
 widowed mother. He early showed his business instincts, and while yet a 
 lad, during the civil war, reaped a harvest selling papers. He passed through 
 a course of study at the public schools of his home city and took a course at 
 Drew's Business College. He commenced work in Hughes' bakery and 
 confectionery store August i, 1867. Later, April i, 1868, he was employed 
 by Strawn & Powell, lumber dealers and manufacturers of sash, doors and
 
 90 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 blinds. He proved so bright, reliable and upright that he was offered a posi- 
 tion with Smith & Rising, extensive cigar manufacturers, June i, 1870, as a 
 shipping clerk, and accepted it. He again proved so efficient, that he was 
 promoted traveling salesman, and was very successful on the road. He thor- 
 oughly mastered the business, and in 1877 started in a cigar and tobacco busi- 
 ness for himself, with a small capital, but well equipped in experience, deter- 
 mination and untiring industry. In the first year he commenced the manu- 
 facture of his own goods, and his famous No. 7 Nickel cigar has held the 
 leading place in the home markets for twenty-three years. In that time Mr. 
 Mitchell has acquired a competency and a commercial standing that is very 
 highly recognized in business circles at home and abroad. He now owns on 
 Madison street, the second door east of the National City Bank, the most 
 complete, though perhaps not the largest, tobacco store and cigar factory 
 building in northern Illinois. It is equipped especially for the business from 
 the basement up. The store-room is very handsome and accommodates daily 
 as extensive and choice lot of customers in this line as can be found anywhere. 
 Mr. Mitchell also has the reputation of being a shrewd handler of real estate, 
 and owns considerable property in that line. In politics he is a loyal Repub- 
 lican, but believes in good government and honest officials even at the ex- 
 pense of party ties. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Mitchell married Miss Lodema Clift, a popular and well 
 known young lady belonging to an old and respected family. He owns a 
 handsome home on Ottawa avenue. His mother still survives, and he has 
 two sisters, — Minnie E. and Martha A. All live in the old homestead adjoin- 
 ing his own. 
 
 EZRA H. BAILEY. 
 
 A quarter of a century has passed since Ezra H. Bailey came to Streator, 
 and in the intervening years he has been actively interested in everything 
 affecting the progress and upbuilding of the city. He has been especially 
 prominent in financial circles, and is to-day the cashier of one of the leading 
 banking institutions of LaSalle county, — the Union National, — which owes 
 its present prosperity in no small degree to the executive ability, keen dis- 
 cernment and sound judgment of Mr. Bailey. He has always been a man of 
 action rather than theory, and determined purpose has characterized his 
 entire career, enabling him to overcome difficulties and work his way steadily 
 upward. 
 
 A native of Massachusetts, he was born in the town of Milford, Decem- 
 ber 25, 1853. His father, James D. Bailey, was a descendant of the John 
 Bailey who in 1635 left his home in Chippenham, England, and, crossing the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 91 
 
 Atlantic to America, took up his residence in Salisbury, Massachusetts. The 
 family was loyal to the cause of the colonists through the struggle which 
 brought independence to the nation, Eliphalet Bailey, the great-grandfather 
 of our subject, having faithfully served in the American army during the 
 war of the Revolution. On the maternal side Mr. Bailey is descended from 
 ■one of the oldest and most prominent families of the Bay state, his mother, 
 Abigail (Tyler) Bailey, tracing her ancestry back to Job Tyler, who was one 
 of the first settlers in Andover, Massachusetts, the date of his arrival there 
 being 1640. She also was descended from Thomas Dudley, the second gov- 
 ernor of the Massachusetts Bay colony, through his daughter Anne, who 
 was the first American poetess and who married Simon Bradstreet, who was 
 governor of the Massachusetts Bay colony for ten years. Fortunate is the 
 man who has back of him an honored ancestry, and happy is he if his lines 
 of life be cast in harmony therewith. Prominent in the affairs of the colonies 
 the ancestors of our subject engraved their names on the pages of our early 
 American history, and to-day, with equal loyalty and faithfulness, Ezra H. 
 Bailey is performing the duties that fall to him in the walk of life in which 
 lie is found. 
 
 In the town of his nativity he was reared to manhood, acquiring his edu- 
 cation in the excellent schools of the Bay state, for which Massachusetts is 
 justly famed. When fifteen years of age he began working for his father in 
 a boot and shoe factory, remaining in the east until January, 1874, when he 
 came to Streator and secured employment in the office of Ralph Plumb, then 
 largely interested in railroads and railroad construction. In November of 
 the same year he accepted the position of bookkeeper for the Streator Coal 
 Company, remaining with them as bookkeeper and cashier, and with their 
 successors, the Luther & Tyler Coal & Coke Company, until 1887, when he 
 was offered the position of cashier in the Streator National Bank. He re- 
 mained with that concern until 1890, during which time he gained a compre- 
 hensive and accurate knowledge of the banking business and the methods 
 pursued therein. In the year mentioned he associated himself with the 
 newly organized City National Bank, as cashier, and in 1892, upon the death 
 of George L. Richards, he was unanimously elected by the directors of the 
 Union National Bank to the vacant cashiership, which position he accepted 
 and still occupies. To his able and conservative management of the finances 
 of the bank its prosperity is directly traceable in a large measure. 
 
 On the i8th of January, 1879, Mr. Bailey was united in marriage to 
 Miss Laurett Benson, of Streator, a daughter of Sylvanus H. and Laurett 
 (Howard) Benson, whose ancestors were among the early settlers in and near 
 l^lackstone, Massachusetts. One daughter, Edith Laurett, was born to 
 them, January 19, 1881, and she is now a student in Lasell Seminary, in
 
 92 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Auburndale, Massachusetts. Among- her ancestors were thirteen Revolu- 
 tionary soldiers. The wife and mother died July 3, 1883; and on the 23d 
 of October, 1884, Mr. Bailey married Gertrude Canfield, of Streator, who, 
 on the paternal side, is a direct descendant of the Canfield family, of New 
 Milford, Connecticut, and the Ten Broecks, who were among the early 
 Knickerbockers who settled New York, while on the maternal side she is 
 descended from the Luthers, of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and the Stouts, of 
 New Jersey. Mrs. Bailey is a lady of fine mental and social attainments, 
 being well qualified to grace any station in life to which she might be called. 
 She is a valued member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the 
 local chapter of the Eastern Star, the Callere Club and other societies in the 
 city in which she resides. 
 
 Though great responsibility rests upon Mr. Bailey in a business way, 
 he finds time, amid the multiplicity of his cares and duties, to properly dis- 
 charge the obligations and duties of a patriotic citizen. He uses his franchise 
 in favor of the nominees of the Republican party, but has never sought po- 
 litical preferment, and the only public ofitice he has ever held is that of school 
 treasurer, to which position he was elected twelve years ago, and still retains. 
 He is a Knight Templar Mason, belonging to Streator Lodge, No. 607, F. 
 & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168, R. A. M.; and Ottawa Commandery, 
 No. 10, K. T. His life history exhibits a long and virtuous career of private 
 industry, performed with moderation and crowned with success. It is the 
 record of a well-balanced mental and moral constitution, strongly marked by 
 those traits of character which are of especial value in such a state of society 
 as exists in this country. A community depends upon business activity, its 
 welfare is due to this; and the promoters of legitiniate and leading business 
 enterprises may well be termed in its benefactors, in which relation ]\Ir. 
 Bailev stands to the commercial interests of Streator. 
 
 FRANK T. NEFF. 
 
 Frank Thomas Nefi-", cashier of the First National Bank of Marseilles, 
 LaSalle county, is one of the representative citizens and business men of this 
 section. Imbued with the spirit of progress and patriotism, he seeks to 
 uphold every worthy or creditable movement for the adA\ancement of his city 
 and community, and has been unsparing of his time, means and influence 
 toward this end. 
 
 Daniel NefT, the great-grandfather of the above, was a resident of Platts- 
 burg, New York, where he died late in the eighteenth century His wife.
 
 U^
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 93 
 
 Silence Neff, afterward married a Mr. Cook, and removed to Franklin 
 county, Indiana, where she died August 20, 1828. 
 
 Ebenezer Neff, the grandfather, was born at Plattsburg. New York, 
 August 4, 1790, and December 28, 1808, he was married to Susana Buck, 
 in New York, and ten children were born to them. Susana (Buck) Nefif 
 died July 25, 1823. He then married Margaret Douglass, February 15, 1824, 
 in Franklin county, Indiana. To this union eight children were born. 
 Ebenezer Neff came to Mission township. LaSalle county, Illinois, in May, 
 1835, at which place they resided until their death. He departed this life 
 May 31, 1867, and his wiie, Margaret, died December 9, 1871. 
 
 Daniel Buck Neff was the second child of Ebenezer and Susana (Buck) 
 Neff, and his birth occurred in Franklin county, Indiana, May 29, 181 1. In 
 1836 he removed to LaSalle county, Illinois, and a short time thereafter took 
 up his residence near Newark, Kendall county, this state, where he continued 
 to reside, carrying on a farm, until his death, January 26, 1865. The wife 
 and mother, whose maiden name v/as Maria Thomas, was born in Kentucky 
 November 22, 1814. She was married to Mr. Neff in Indiana, in the year 
 1832, and at the time of her death, July 21, 1880, resided in Newark, Kendall 
 county, Illinois. 
 
 Frank T. Neff was born on the farm at the old home of the family, 
 in Kendall county, Illinois, November 24, 1854, and was the youngest of the 
 five children born to Daniel and Maria Neff. He obtained his elementary 
 education in the district schools, later was a student in the public schools of 
 Newark, Illinois, and pursued the higher branches of learning for three years 
 at Fowder Institute. Having completed this course of mental training, he 
 was engaged in the mercantile business for a time at Newark, Illinois, and 
 during the years 1874 and 1875 was a student of the Chicago College of 
 Pharmacy, afterward embarking in the drug business in Rantoul, Cham- 
 paign county, Illinois, in which he was engaged until February, 1877. when 
 he removed to Marseilles, continuing in the drug business until in October, 
 1883. On January 8, 1884, he was elected a director and cashiei of the 
 First National Bank of this place, — a position which he has most creditably 
 filled for fifteen years. He is one of the largest stockholders in this flourish- 
 ing institution, which ranks high among the leading banks of the county and 
 state, and no small credit is due him for the wise and efficient management 
 of its finances. 
 
 The exceptional ability of Mr. Neff as a careful financier has been recog- 
 nized by those competent of judging his merits in this particular. He was 
 city treasurer of Marseilles for several years, and is now serving as township 
 treasurer of schools, and holds many other ofiices of trust. Politically he 
 is a staunch Republican. In the Masonic fraternity he has attained the
 
 94 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Knight Templar degree, and is identified with Marseilles Lodge, No. 417^ 
 A. F. & A. M., Shabbona Chapter, No. 37, R. A. M., of Ottawa, and Ottawa 
 Commandery, No. 10, K. T., of Ottawa, Illinois. 
 
 He was married to Corintha Brundage, at Marseilles, February 19, 1879^ 
 she being the daughter of the late Milton Brundage, of Marseilles. Her 
 mother, Ann E., is now the wife of G. E. Wheeler, residing in Minneapolis^ 
 Minnesota. 
 
 GEORGE J. CRAM. 
 
 George J. Cram, the secretary and treasurer of the Marseilles (Illinois) 
 Manufacturing Company, is the architect of his own fortunes, having worked 
 his way up from an errand boy to his present honorable and responsible 
 position. His parents moved to Canada, remaining there a few years, and 
 while they were in Lindsay, Ontario, the subject of this biography was born, 
 in June, i860. The parents were George C. Cram and Agnes (Jackson) 
 Cram. The father was born in New Hampshire in 1823, and when he had 
 attained mature years he engaged in the packing business at Brighton, a 
 suburb of Boston, Massachusetts. He then moved his family to Canada, and 
 for nine years was a farmer of that country. In 1866 he moved to Blooming- 
 dale, Du Page county, this state, and the year following to Marseilles, where 
 he now resides. After locating here he dealt in meat and ice until his retire- 
 ment from business. He married Miss Agnes Jackson, who was born in^ 
 Edinboro, Scotland, and came to America in her girlhood. Her father, 
 George Jackson, was a soldier in the British army, held a captain's commis- 
 sion, and fought in the battle of Waterloo. She died in 1878, leaving the- 
 following children: Elizabeth, William F., a druggist, Jennie, George J., 
 Agnes E., Lillian V., Lewis F. and Ralph M. 
 
 After graduating at the high school of this city, George entered the 
 employ of the Marseilles Manufacturing Company, in the humble capacity 
 of errand boy. He was retained in this department for one year, his cheer- 
 ful obedience and attention to business winning him the commendation of 
 his employers, with the result that he was promoted to the position of ship- 
 ping clerk, where he continued two years. From there he entered the office 
 and was assistant bookkeeper another year, when he took the road in the 
 interest of the company, and for three years w-as one of the best traveling: 
 men in their employ. They were in need of a head bookkeeper and tendered 
 the place to Mr. Cram. Two years were spent in the office as cashier and 
 bookkeeper, and he was then placed in charge of their collecting department, 
 where, for one more year, he demonstrated his usefulness and interest in the- 
 concern, and was again rewarded by being elected to the office of secretary
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 95 
 
 and treasurer of the business, vice Oliver R. Adams, deceased, who had held 
 the office for seventeen years. 
 
 Mr. Cram was married, in 1882, to Miss Allie Armstrong, of Marseilles, 
 a daughter of John A. and Amy (Davis) Armstrong. They have three chil- 
 dren : Roy v.. Myrtle L. and George A. Mr. Cram is a Republican, but 
 his life has been too busy to admit of dabbling in politics. He is one of our 
 most prominent, public-spirited citizens, and is ever ready to advance the 
 welfare of the city in any way in his power. He served as a member of the 
 board of education for several years, and is secretary of the Manufacturers' 
 Bridge Company, of this city. His industry and integrity have made him 
 many friends, including the members of the company Vvdiich he has so faith- 
 fully served and the general public; and few men can present a more meri- 
 torious record than George J. Cram. 
 
 E. P. NITSCHELM. 
 
 The subject of this narrative, elected supervisor in 1897 and still acting 
 in that capacity, is a member of the firm of W. J. Sinon & Company, pro- 
 prietors of the Sanicula Mineral Springs near Ottawa, and manufacturers of 
 seltzer and carbonated waters. 
 
 Mr. Nitschelm is a native of France, his birth having occurred March 
 14, 1844. His father, J. W. Nitschelm, likewise of that country, was born 
 October 19. 1808, and came to Ottawa with his family in 1849, ^^^ ^^^^ 
 November 17, 1899. He was a graduate of the University of Paris and for 
 years was a very successful veterinary surgeon. Now, in his declining days, 
 he is tenderly cared for by his daughter Helen. The good wife and mother, 
 whose maiden name was Helen Wideman, died in August, 1896, at the ad- 
 vanced age of eighty-six years. They were the parents of twelve children, 
 three of w^hom — Mary, Adeline and Frederic — are deceased, the last men- 
 tioned having come to the United States and died in Peoria, Illinois. The 
 children who survive are E. P., of this sketch, Mrs. A. Bernard and Eliza, 
 widow of A. Bastian. 
 
 Having mastered the details of a practical business education, Mr. 
 Nitschelm learned the trade of manufacturing soda water and so-called ''soft" 
 drinks, and in 1884 he entered into partnership with W. J. Sinon, with whom 
 he has since been associated, to their mutual profit. They manufacture 
 ginger ale, birch beer, seltzer and carbonated waters, and enjoy a large and 
 lucrative trade. The unrivaled Ottawa ginger ale and birch beer is made 
 with water from the justly celebrated Ottawa Mineral Springs, which, ac- 
 cording to the analysis of the noted chemist, Dr. Benjamin Silliman, of Yale
 
 96 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 College, contains in solution over one hundred and seventy grains of min- 
 erals and gases to the gallon. A marked but agreeable flavor is thereby im- 
 parted to the water, which has been found to be a wonderful remedy for 
 various disorders of the stomach, liver and digestive organs. In connection 
 with the springs W. J. Sinon & Company conduct the finest mineral springs 
 bath-house in this part of the west. 
 
 As a public official Mr. Nitschelm has always been found thoroughly 
 trustworthy and reliable. In the Democratic party he has been aggressive 
 and devoted, and usually makes it a point to be present at the local and 
 county conventions. Socially he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, to the 
 United Workmen of America and to the Select Knights. 
 
 In 1878 Mr. Nitschelm was married, in this town, to Miss Carrie Myers, 
 a daughter of Peter Myers, a well-known citizen. Mrs. Nitschelm was born 
 and reared in Ottawa and received her education in its excellent public 
 schools. Three children have blessed the union of this worthy couple. The 
 eldest born, Charles Louis, graduated at the Northwestern University, near 
 Chicago, Illinois, April 6, 1899, and died May 3 following; Arthur is the 
 next in order of birth; and Carrie, the only daughter, is attending the Ottawa 
 public schools. 
 
 DONALD A. NICHOLSON. 
 
 An honored veteran of the war of the Rebellion and for a number of 
 years a representative business man of Marseilles, Donald A. Nicholson en- 
 joys the confidence and high regard of the community. His strong person- 
 ality, his broad and progressive views and his busy and useful career have 
 made him a power for good wherever he has dwelt. 
 
 Donald A. Nicholson is a grandson of Donald and son of the Rev. Don- 
 ald Nicholson, both of whom were natives of Scotland. The mother of our 
 subject bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Boyce, her father being Benja- 
 mm Boyce, of Canada. For several years subsequent to their marriage Don- 
 ald and Elizabeth Nicholson resided in Canada, but in 1843 they removed 
 to Will county, Illinois, where the father followed his accustomed occupation 
 of farming. He was, moreover, a minister in the Christian church, and ac- 
 complished much in his noble mission of aiding and uplifting mankind. In 
 1850 he located upon a farm near Marseilles, in the township of Manlius 
 (now known as Miller), and there he continued to reside until his death, in 
 1862. His widow survived him until 1886, dying at Joliet, Illinois. 
 
 Born near the town of Kingston, Canada, July 6, 1834, Donald A. Nich- 
 olson is one of three children, two of whom were daughters; and his early 
 school days were spent in the Queen's dominions. Later he was a student in
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 97 
 
 the schools of Will county, and completed his education in the Henry (Illi- 
 nois) high school. He had started out in business as a stone-mason when 
 the civil war broke out, and upon the 20th of July, 1861, he enlisted in Com- 
 pany K, Thirty-ninth Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was made 
 second lieutenant. On the 14th of June, 1862, he resigned, but re-entered 
 the service in December, 1864, as first lieutenant of Company E, One Hun- 
 dred and Fifty-third Regiment of Illinois Infantry. During the two years 
 and nine months of his army life he participated in numerous battles and 
 lesser engagements, and it was not until September, 1865, that he was mus- 
 tered out at Springfield, his rank then being that of captain. Resuming his 
 former line of employment, Mr. Nicholson for years gave his whole attention 
 to stone-masonry, building private dwellings and public works of various 
 kinds, including the foundations and approaches to bridges. For the past 
 forty-six years he has made his home in Marseilles. In 1868 he was elected 
 to the ofBce of police magistrate and capably discharged his duties during the 
 four years of his incumbency. Later he was elected justice of the peace for 
 the town of Manlius, and in 1897 he was made city attorney of Marseilles, 
 and is still serving the public in this position. He is a stalwart Republican, 
 and fraternally is a member of the Joseph Woodruff Post, No. 281, Grand 
 Army of the Republic. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Nicholson and Miss Sally A. Clark, which was 
 solemnized in this county January 22, 1857, was blessed with six children, 
 namely: Hiland F.; Will C; Mary E., wife of Frank E. Smith; Miles S.; 
 John M.; and Elizabeth, wife of T. D. Brewster. Mrs. Nicholson, who was 
 born June 9, 1834, in Ohio, and reared in LaSalle county here, is a daughter 
 of Adolphus and Sally (Loring) Clark, worthy and esteemed citizens of this 
 section of the state. 
 
 EDWARD W. BACH. 
 
 Edward W. Bach, the secretary of the Standard Fire Brick Company, 
 is a young man whose business ability is far beyond his years, and was 
 prominently connected with the leading manufacturing interests of the 
 city of Ottawa, Illinois, before he had attained his twenty-first year. He 
 enjoys a wide acquaintance throughout the surrounding country, and is one 
 of our most popular citizens. 
 
 He was born in this city in October, 1872, his parents being Andrew 
 E. and Mary L. Bach. His father was a native of the state of New York, 
 having been born at Manlius, Madison county, November 5, 1848, and at 
 the age of eight years moved with his parents to this city, where he has 
 since lived. After passing through the public-school curriculum he learned
 
 98 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 the trade of a wagon and carriage maker, following it for years. He 
 has long been considered one of the best accountants in the city and most 
 reliable. He served as assessor and collector of Ottawa township, and 
 was then chosen deputy circuit clerk, performing the duties in such an 
 able manner that he was appointed to the office of deputy county clerk in 
 1894, and is now one of the most popular men in the county. 
 
 Edward Bach was educated in the schools of his native city, graduating 
 at the high school and finishing a good business education with a course in 
 the Ottawa Commercial College. In 1892 he accepted a position as book- 
 keeper for Thomas D. Catlin, at the same time holding other responsible 
 positions. The year previous he had charge of the books of Hess, Crotty 
 & Williams' brick factory, also the Brickton and Dayton factories' books. 
 In November, 1895, the Standard Fire Brick Company, of Ottawa, Illinois, 
 was organized and put in operation with a capital stock of twenty-five 
 thousand dollars. John ^^'. Channel was made president and general man- 
 ager, Thomas D. Catlin vice-president and treasurer, and E. W. Bach 
 secretary. They purchased the Dayton property, consisting of a large four- 
 story stone, and a three-story frame building, with clay lands, water power 
 and machinery. Soon after they purchased of Hess, Crotty & Williams 
 the latter's brick factory at Brickton, and took control in May, 1896, increas- 
 ing their capital stock to fifty thousand dollars. Both plants are fully 
 equipped with the most approved modern machinery and the output of 
 their factories are considered among the best goods on the market. They 
 have excellent shipping facilities, as they are happily located on the line 
 of two railroads, the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy at Dayton, and the 
 Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific at the Ottawa factory, with private side- 
 tracks at each. This is among the most important enterprises of Ottawa, 
 and Mr. Bach has labored earnestly to make it the success it has proved 
 to be. 
 
 Mr. Bach is a member of Occidental Lodge, No. 40, A. F. & A. M., 
 also of Shabbona Chapter, No. 37, R. A. AI., and Ottawa Commandery, No. 
 10, Knights Templar. 
 
 SAMUEL T. STILSON. 
 
 Samuel Talbert Stilson (deceased) was born in Connecticut, July 16, 
 1814, and died in Earlville, lUinois, April 26, 1888. He was a son of Curtis 
 and Abigail Stilson. When he was one year old his parents removed from 
 Connecticut to Chautauqua county, New York, w^iere as pioneer settlers 
 they became farmers. Our subject received a common-school education, 
 and when a youth virtually began life for himself. When about twenty-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 99 
 
 one he began rafting logs down streams into the Ohio, finding a market 
 in Cincinnati. 
 
 At the age of twenty-four he came west, direct to LaSalle county, 
 and secured farm lands at the present town site of Earlville. He began 
 farming, prospered and at the time of the completion of the Chicago, Bur- 
 lington & Quincy Railroad he had four hundred acres of land, and hereon 
 was located Earlville. The log cabin, his first residence, was located on 
 what is now Ottawa street in that town, near Church street. Almost on this 
 site is now the Stilson homestead, occupied by his widow and which he 
 erected in 1855. He kept the first hotel in Earlville and was the first mer- 
 chant, his store-room, hotel and residence being all in the same business. 
 He was also the first banker, being associated for a short time with a 
 Mr. Halleck in operating a private bank. He sold his interest to Mr. Hal- 
 leck and soon afterward the bank failed under the management of Mr. 
 Halleck. He was one of the first grain merchants of Earlville, and for a 
 time was associated with William R. Haight, in both the grain business and 
 general merchandising. They erected the first elevator in Earlville, in 1857. 
 He never followed agriculture after 1854, but raised considerable stock 
 on his several farms he had secured, and dealt considerably in stock for 
 several years. He was an organizer of and stockholder in the present First 
 National Bank of Earlville, organized in 1885, and was also an organizer 
 of the Curtis Gang Plow Company, of Peru, which was at first a large 
 institution, but not finally a successful one, and Mr. Stilson sustained heavy 
 losses. He was a founder of Earlville and did much for the upbuilding 
 of the place. 
 
 He was a Republican and in early days held minor offices, but was 
 never an office-seeker nor politician. He began life poor and amassed a 
 handsome fortune. He was a Royal Arch Mason and during the last years 
 of his life he was a member of the Methodist church. He married, in 1839, 
 Miss Eleanor Wood, a native of New York, who came to Whiteside county, 
 Illinois, in 1839, with her parents, bore him five children, and died in Novem- 
 ber, 1852. One of the above children died in infancy, and four of them 
 grew to maturity. Davis B. Stilson was a soldier in the civil war, and from 
 the effects of the war service died, in California, in 1864. The three living 
 children are Orthencia, Samuel Edwin and Talbert U. The daughter, ]\Irs. 
 McKinney, resides in New Mexico. Edwin is in Grant county. Nebraska. 
 Talbert is a citizen of Earlville. January i, 1854, Mr. Stilson was married 
 a second time, wedding Miss Sarah T. Lukens, of Ohio, who came west with 
 her parents in 1847 ^^^^ settled at Freedom, LaSalle county. Her parents 
 were Benjamin and Elizabeth (Worrall) Lukens, natives of Ohio. They 
 lived and died in LaSalle county. Their father was a farmer. To the
 
 lOO 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 second marriage of Mr. Stilson three daughters were born, namely : Ella, 
 the wife of George McDonald, of Sandwich, Illinois; Marie Bella, the wife 
 of Charles Hass, of Earlville; and one, Lizzie C, who died in infancy. Mr. 
 ' Stilson was ever ready to help his fellowmen and aid good enterprises, and 
 was highly patriotic — a leader, a friend of culture, education and the church. 
 He gave to all, Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian and Universalist, churches 
 -of Earlville the lots on which stand their buildings. 
 
 WILLIAM R. HAIGHT. 
 
 This gentleman, one of the foremost citizens of Earlville, and the presi- 
 dent of the First National Bank of this place, is a pioneer of Illinois, and 
 during the almost half century of his residence in the state has been more 
 instrumental in advancing the interests of his community and county than 
 most of his contemporaries. He possesses unusual public spirit and patriot- 
 ism, and to his efforts Earlville is deeply indebted for many of the benefits 
 which she enjoys. 
 
 The Haight family was founded in America several generations ago 
 and originated in Scotland. The great-grandfather of our subject was born 
 in the land of heather and came to this country with his parents when he 
 "was very young. His parents settled in Vermont. Benjamin, the grand- 
 father of our subject, was a native of Vermont; his life was spent in New 
 England, and he lived to be about three-score years old. His widow sur- 
 vived him, living to be almost one hundred years old. They were the 
 parents of the following children: John Haight, when twenty-two years 
 of age, set out from his native state, walked to Pickering, Canada (West), 
 and there located and became a prominent figure as a Quaker minister. 
 He established an orthodox Quaker church at Pickering and other places; 
 and his sister Lydia was also prominent as a Quaker minister, and was for 
 a period stationed at Peru, New York. Leonard Haight, another of this 
 same family, also became a resident of Pickering. The other children were 
 Benjamin, the father of our subject; and Hannah Haight, who married a Mr. 
 Bears, and resided in Addison county, Vermont. Lydia married B. Hal- 
 leck and became a Quaker minister, and later in life resided at Keeseville, 
 New York. 
 
 Benjamin Haight married Susan Rutherford. Both he and his wife 
 were natives of Addison county, Vermont, and removed to St. Lawrence 
 county, same state, where they settled on a farm and reared their three 
 sons and three daughters. Of their children, William R., the subject of this 
 review, John L., a farmer of Parishville, New York, and Mary, widow of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. loi 
 
 Amasa Grandy, of Malone, New York, are the only members of the family 
 now living. George Haight came west in 1848, first resided in Wisconsin, 
 and later in Missouri, where he died. He was a farmer by occupation. Of 
 these children, Emily died in infancy, and Lydia died at the age of thirty- 
 two years. 
 
 Benjamin Haight, the father, was associated with the Society of 
 Friends, and died in New York when he was in his seventy-eighth year; 
 and his wife, who adhered to the Methodist faith, lived to attain her ninetieth 
 year. Her father, Daniel Rutherford, of Vermont, and of English descent, 
 was a farmer, and served in the Revolutionary war. He died when but 
 little past the prime of life, and left four children. 
 
 The birth of William R. Haight took place in Monkton, Addison county, 
 Vermont, September 12, 1822. After completing his district-school edu- 
 cation he was a student at the St. Lawrence Academy for a period, after 
 which he successfully taught for ten terms in St. Lawrence county. New 
 York. He next clerked in a store at Parishville, same state, for four years. 
 In 1850 he came to Illinois, taking up his residence in Elgin. He soon 
 obtained employment in the engineers' corps of what was then known 
 as the Chicago & Galena Union Railroad Company. The road then ran 
 to Freeport, where it connected with the Illinois Central line, then in course 
 of construction. After remaining with that corporation for two years, Mr. 
 Haight removed to Aurora and took charge of the building of a section 
 of road on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincv, between Mendota and 
 Leland. When this work had been successfully completed he served as a 
 civil engineer for the Bureau Valley Railroad for a period. 
 
 In the spring of 1855 he came to Earlville and here engaged in the 
 grain business, in partnership with Samuel T. Stilson. They erected the 
 first grain elevator of Earlville, completing its erection in 1857. They 
 also conducted a general merchandise store. Mr. Haight purchased Mr. 
 Stilson's interest in the store and managed that for one year, selling it out 
 in 1857. He retained his interest in the grain business till 1861, and then 
 followed merchandising again for two years. From 1863 to 1866 he was 
 engaged in looking after farm interests, still residing in Earlville, but in 
 1866, as an organizer of the Exchange Bank, of Earlville, he first engaged 
 in banking. He remained in charge of this bank for five years and then 
 disposed of his interest in it. In 1874 he removed to Chicago, where he 
 resided one year. Having traded for farm lands in Monroe county, Missouri, 
 he removed to that state and followed agricultural pursuits and dealt in cattle 
 up to 1879, when he returned to Earlville. For several years thereafter 
 his time was taken up in looking after various investments, but upon 
 the organization of the First National Bank of Earlville, in March of 1885,
 
 I02 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Haight became its president, a position he has since held, his career as a 
 banker marking him as a successful financier. 
 
 In early manhood Mr. Haight joined the I. O. O. F. in St. Lawrence 
 county, New York. He also belongs to Meridian Lodge, No. 183, A. F. 
 & A. M., and Aurora Chapter, R. A. M. Until the political campaign of 
 1896 he affiliated with the Democratic party, but at that time, being in 
 hearty sympathy with the Republican attitude on the money question, 
 he voted for McKinley. He has never sought nor desired public office, 
 but has l3een town supervisor twice, and served as justice of the peace one 
 term, in order to satisfy the wishes of his friends. 
 
 On the 7th of July, 1853, Mr. Haight married Ruth P. Norton, a 
 daughter of William G. and Elmira (Parker) Norton. She departed this 
 life December i, 1870, aged thirty-six years. Of the four children 
 born to them the youngest, Sybil N., died at the age of ten months. George 
 H. is an Ottawa lawyer, and William D. is a physician located at Johnstown, 
 Pennsylvania. The former married Mary Vosburgh and has four children — • 
 David M., Ruth, Earl and Harold. William D. married kla Lacy, and all 
 of their children, three in number, have passed away. Etta C. Haight 
 became the wife of Dr. John C. Sheridan, of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and 
 their eldest child, Eula, is Mrs. Henry Geer, of Pueblo, Colorado. The 
 younger ones are Jessie M., John C, Jr., and William R. 
 
 The second marriage of our subject took place August 27, 1876, when 
 Mrs. Ruth P. Whaley, widow of J. M. Whaley, became his wife. Mrs. Haight 
 had five children by her former marriage, but three of the number are 
 deceased : Mrs. Nellie Lowe, of Two Harbors. Minnesota, and Charles 
 E. Whaley, of Chelan, Washington, are tlie only survivors. The former 
 has two daughters — DeEtte and Ruth, and the two children of Charles E. 
 are Myrtle and Mildred. Mrs. Haight's parents were Vinton and Susan 
 (Parker) Streator, both natives of Maine and of English descent. In tracing 
 the history of her ancestors we ascertain that Jonathan Streator was stationed 
 at Fort Edwards, New York, during the French and Indian war and par- 
 ticipated in the Revolution, being at the battle of Bunker Hill. Among his 
 children was Daniel Streator, who was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, 
 in 1772. He married Rhoda Stearns, and to them were born Vinton, 
 Johnson and Stebbins Streator. He removed from Massachusetts to Leeds, 
 Maine, where the above named sons were born, Vinton being born in 1794. 
 Vinton Streator married Susan Parker, and their children were John Vinton, 
 Josiah Parker, Susan Johnson, Rhoda Johnson, Ruth Parker, Philena Mary, 
 Cornelia Ann, Elias Hutchins and Lorenzo Newell. The family removed 
 to Lowell, Massachusetts, from Maine; from Lowell they started west, Octo- 
 ber 19, 1850, and arrived at Ottawa, Illinois, November i, same year. Those
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 103 
 
 who came at that time were the father and mother and Josiah, Ruth, Philena, 
 EHas and Newell. John had preceded them to Ottawa. The father was a 
 hero of the war of 181 2, and received from the government in consequence 
 thereof a warrant for land in LaSalle county, Illinois. In 1852 Mrs. Haight's 
 parents removed to Hudson, Wisconsin, where they both died, her father in 
 1866 and her mother in 1883. The maternal great-grandfather of Mrs. 
 Haight was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Mrs. Haight is a member 
 of the Presbyterian church, and, wdth her husband, is actively interested in 
 the causes of church, education and whatever tends to the good of humanity. 
 
 WILLIAM THOMAS. 
 
 To be satisfactory, success in life must have been won worthily and with 
 due regard for the rights of the public. Such an honest and well merited 
 success is that which has crowned the w^orthy efforts of William Thomas, 
 one of the leading business men of Ottawa, who for more than forty years 
 has been closely and prominently connected with the development and pros- 
 perity of Illinois. 
 
 William Thomas, president of the Thomas Electric Light and Power 
 Company, Ottawa, Illinois, was born February 20, 182 1, at Bristol, Ontario 
 county. New York, a son of Silas and Bethia (Crooker) Thomas. His father, 
 who was of Welsh descent, was born in Maine and served his country as a 
 soldier in the war of 18 12- 14. His mother was a daughter of Noah Crooker, 
 who did gallant service in the Revolutionary war in defence of American 
 liberty. Mr. Thomas died in 1852, aged seventy-two years, and Mrs. Thomas 
 died in 1881. They were zealous and helpful members of the Christian 
 church. Of their ten children nine grew to manhood and womanhood: Deb- 
 orah, Silas P., Frederick F., Mary Ann, Noah C, William, Minerva, Maria 
 and Bethia. William Thomas received a common-school education, and at 
 the age of fifteen removed with his parents to Grass Lake, Michigan, and, 
 after aiding them to clear up a farm, returned to New York, where he learned 
 the carpenter and joiner's trade, and worked at it until 1854, when he came 
 to Will county, but again returned to New York. In 1857 he came west 
 once more, and located at Lockport, where he was employed on the Illinois 
 and Michigan canal as a bridge builder, but the same year he w^as made over- 
 seer of the repair shop at Lockport. In 1862 he was advanced to the position 
 of assistant superintendent of the canal, with headquarters at Ottawa, since 
 which time he has been largely identified with that city. He was also in 
 charge of the construction of the canal in Camden. Illinois, in 1871, and of 
 several other important engineering works. December i, 1 871, he was pro-
 
 I04 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 moted to the position of general superintendent of the canal, with his office 
 at Lockport, and retained the position until July, 1885. At that date he re- 
 signed in order to devote his time to the interests of the Thomas Electric 
 Light and Power Company, of which he was the founder. Since that time he 
 has devoted his active energies to assisting in the work of the company. This 
 is an incorporated concern, with a capital of fifteen thousand dollars, which 
 operates the dynamos that furnish light to the city. 
 
 February 22, 1844, Mr. Thomas was married, at Bristol, Ontario county, 
 New York, to Miss Phoebe D. Wilder, a daughter of John Wilder. Mrs. 
 Thomas died in Ottawa in 1889. leaving a daughter, who is the wife of Col- 
 onel Douglas Hapeman. the secretary and treasurer of the Thomas Electric 
 Light & Power Company. The only other child of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas 
 died in infancy. Mrs. Thomas was a woman of fine abilities and great benev- 
 olence, and was an active and zealous worker in the Congregational church; 
 and in its Sunday-school for many years she taught an ever-changing class 
 of young boys, to many of the members of which she was a spiritual mother. 
 Dr. Lempke, now one of the prominent physicians of Chicago, was one of 
 the many upon whom she exerted powerful influence for good. Her sunny 
 disposition and her many acts of kindness made her a favorite with all. Mr. 
 Thomas has been a member of the Congregational church for more than 
 thirty years, helpfully devoted to all its interests. Politically he is a Repub- 
 lican. He became known early in life as an abolitionist, and cast his first 
 presidential vote in 1844, for James G. Birney. In 1856 he voted for John 
 C. Fremont and in i860 for Abraham Lincoln, and since then he has been 
 actively identified with progressive Republican work. Mr. Thomas is a mem- 
 ber of the Masonic fraternity, being a Knight Templar. He is also a member 
 of the Society of Sons of the Revolution. 
 
 The life of William Thomas has been a busy one from boyhood. He 
 was scarcely sixteen when he began his business career, and now, at the age 
 of seventy-eight, he is still able and active, and is honored as one who has 
 done well for himself and the community in which he has lived and upon 
 whom the reward of business success has most deservedlv fallen. 
 
 LARS HAYER. 
 
 As a biography of the representative men of LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 this book would be decidedly incomplete without more than a passing notice 
 of the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. He has 
 been one of the prominent men of Miller township for years, and is known 
 throughout the entire county for the efficiency with which he has performed
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 105 
 
 his duties as a public officer. He was born in the township in which he now 
 resides, near Danway, on March 15, 1846, and is a son of OHver and JuHa 
 (Elefson) Hayer. 
 
 OHver Hayer was born in TilHmarken, Norway, March 22, 1820, and 
 there grew to manhood, learning the trade of shoemaker in that country. He 
 sailed for the United States when he was twenty-two years of age and first 
 located in Rock county, Wisconsin, where he lived two years, coming from 
 there to this county in 1844. He purchased a farm in section 16, and re- 
 mained upon it for eight years, finally disposing of it to advantage and buy- 
 ing two hundred acres on an adjoining section. He was a good farmer and 
 derived a neat income from the product of his farm. He was a man of deeply 
 religious nature and a member of the church of the Latter Day Saints. He 
 was married in the township of Rutland, this county, on April 18, 1845, to 
 Miss Julia Elefson, who was born in Norway April i, 182 1, and is now resid- 
 ing on the homestead. She is a bright, cheerful lady, whose declining years 
 are spent in scattering sunshine by kind deeds and words to those about her. 
 Five sons and three daughters were born to this union, all of whom are living, 
 namely: Lars, who is the eldest and the subject of this sketch; Christian, a 
 resident of Eagle Grove, Wright county, Iowa; Ann Hanson, of this town- 
 ship; Oliver, a resident of Lamoni, Decatur county, Iowa, as is Eli, the 
 brother next in age; Matilda, wife of C. Wickwire, of Kentland, Newton 
 county, Indiana; Mrs. Caroline Lysinger, of Wright county, Iowa; and 
 Charles, a resident of Seneca, this state. Their father reached the age of 
 sixty-seven years when the angel of death called him to his reward, October 
 31, 1886. 
 
 Lars Hayer is a product of LaSalle county who reflects credit upon it 
 by his honorable life and upright dealings. His education was obtained in 
 the public schools and his early years spent upon his father's farm, where he 
 assisted in the work. He has one of the most attractive homes in the coimty, 
 with pleasant, commodious buildings, beautiful and refreshing shade-trees, 
 and well cultivated fields. This land was purchased by him in 1873, and has 
 well repaid the care and labor expended in its improvement. 
 
 ■ On March 22, 1878, Mr. Hayer and Miss Fena Johnson were made 
 man and wife. Mrs. Hayer is a native of Norwegian land, where she was 
 educated and received the teaching that has made her peculiarly adapted to 
 become the helpmeet of an energetic, frugal farmer like Mr. Hayer. She 
 arrived in this country in July, 1872, first living in Minnesota, and in January, 
 1876, came to LaSalle county. Her father, Thomas Johnson, died October 
 10, 1887; her mother is a resident of the United States, making her home 
 with her children in this vicinity. Six children have blessed the union of this 
 worthy couple, to whom they are an inspiration and aid. They are Dollie J.,
 
 io6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 born November 30, 1878; Orin T., April 6, 1882; Lottie, September 20, 
 1885; Cora. Aug-ust 8, 1888; Maggie, October 18. 1890; and Francis, July 
 28, 1893. 
 
 Probably no man in the township has taken a greater interest and more 
 prominent part in the work of the Republican party than has our subject. He 
 has served in many offices, was assessor for three years, township collector 
 for a time, and in 1894 was elected township supervisor, an office in which 
 he is still retained. His pubHc life has been above reproach and has given 
 the most perfect satisfaction to his constituents, while his jovial, kindly dis- 
 position makes him a favorite with all who meet him and his life well worthy 
 of emulation. 
 
 CAPTAIN ANGUS ROSS MERCER. 
 
 Ottawa is rapidly working up to a place in the front ranks of the leading 
 industrial centers of the state of Illinois. Many new plants and manufac- 
 turing concerns have been located here during the past decade, as excellent 
 shipping facilities are afforded and numerous advantages present themselves 
 to the attention of the commercial world. Among the new enterprises 
 destined to bring the town into yet greater prominence than ever before was 
 the establishment of the United States Silica Company's plant in the southern 
 part of Ottawa. Four years have passed and the business has grown remark- 
 ably, among the customers of the concern being many of the best flint houses 
 and glass-makers of this country. The buildings, machinery and lands of the 
 company are valued at upward of sixty thousand dollars, and the capacity of 
 the works is placed at twenty-five to thirty car-loads per day. The fifty acres 
 of land owned by the company is underlaid with St. Peter's sandstone, a vast 
 mass of silicious material, the strata varying in thickness from one hundred 
 and seventy to four hundred feet. No finer material for the manufacture of 
 glass exists, the product possessing the necessary qualities of clearness and 
 strength. 
 
 Captain Angus Ross Mercer, the superintendent of the United States 
 Silica Company's works in south Ottawa, is a gentleman of exceptional busi- 
 ness ability, and to his genius and energy can be traced much of the success 
 of the enterprise' with which he is connected. He was born in Ontario. Can- 
 ada. April II, 1858. of Scotch ancestry; and many of the family were sea- 
 faring men. His father. Captain Alexander Mercer, was for half a century 
 a captain of vessels which sailed on the great lakes, and the latter's father, 
 Robert Mercer, was for a like period on the "high seas." Our subject fol- 
 lowed the example of his seniors, and when a mere lad commenced sailing on 
 the great lakes, rising from one position to another until he was made the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 107 
 
 first officer and captain, and finally he reached the goal of his youthful de- 
 sires and was the owner of a ship. In 1895 he assumed the superintendency 
 of the silica company's plant, in response to the urgent wishes of its officials, 
 and has proved the "right man in the right place." 
 
 Captain Alexander Mercer married Miss Ellen Springstein, a native of 
 Canada, and to that worthy couple but two children, sons, were born, namely: 
 Angus R. and W. F. The latter is now a resident of Michigan. 
 
 In his political standing Captain Angus R. Mercer is a Republican, and 
 fraternally he is a Mason. His marriage w^as celebrated June 26, 1881, the 
 lady of his choice being Miss Pauline Felz. Mrs. Mercer is a daughter of 
 Valentine Felz, of Grand Haven, Michigan. To the union of the Captain and 
 wife three children have been born, namely: May R., Valentine Alexander 
 and Hugh. 
 
 JAMES T. WALSH. 
 
 In the spring of 1898 James T. Walsh was elected to the office of alder- 
 man, representing the fifth ward in the city council of Ottawa, county-seat of 
 LaSalle county. In the ranks of the Democratic party in this section he is 
 regarded as an influential man, one of the foremost in local campaigns. 
 
 Like many of the well known citizens of Ottawa, James T. Walsh is a 
 native of the Emerald Isle, whose beauties are renowned in song and story. 
 He reached the half-century mark on the 8th of March, 1899. He is one of 
 the nine children of Thomas and Catherine Walsh, the others being as fol- 
 lows : William, Jerry, Cornelius, John, Thomas, Patrick, Hanora and ]\Iary. 
 The four sons first mentioned are residents of Chicago, Illinois. Thomas is 
 the collector of Wallace township, LaSalle county. Patrick, Hannah and 
 Mary are still living in Ireland. Though the parents were not wealthy nor 
 influential, they taught their children the lessons of industry and good citi- 
 zenship, and were themselves respected in the community in which they 
 dwelt. 
 
 When twenty years of age. in 1869, James Walsh crossed the Atlantic 
 ocean, with the intention of making a permanent home in the New World. 
 After spending some time in New York he came to LaSalle county, and at 
 present he is the owner of a well stocked grocery, finely located and com- 
 manding an extensive trade. By strict attention to the needs of his customers 
 and by uniformly treating them with courtesy and fairness he has built up a 
 profitable business, and stands well in the estimation of all who have had 
 dealings with him. A few years ago it was his esteemed privilege to make 
 a visit to the land of his birth, where he renewed the friendships of "auld lang 
 syne," and spent some time in journeying to places with which he was famil-
 
 io8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 iar. Fraternally Mr. Walsh is a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. 
 
 In Syracuse, New York, the marriage of our subject and Miss Catherine 
 Walsh, an old schoolmate, was solemnized in 1873. Four children have been 
 born to this worthy couple, three sons and a daughter, namely: Thomas P., 
 William, Michael and Catherine. 
 
 LEWIS LONG. 
 
 Since 1825, the year of his birth, the subject of this sketch has been a 
 resident of LaSalle county, and since i860 has maintained his home on 
 his present farm, on section 28, Miller township. His long identification 
 with the county and the prominent position he occupies as one of its 
 leading farmers make his history of more than passing interest in the present 
 work. 
 
 The Long family from which Lewis Long springs is of German origin. 
 His grandfather, Christopher Long, Sr., was born in Germany and came to 
 this country when a child, settling in New York. His son Christopher, the 
 father of Lewis, was born in Fulton county, New York, and in 1818 came 
 from the Empire state to Illinois, that being the year Illinois attained the 
 dignity of statehood. In Pike county, this state, he was married, March 18, 
 1824, to Miss Sallie Booth, a native of Connecticut and a daughter of A. 
 Booth. The year following their marriage they moved to LaSalle county, 
 first settling at South Ottawa and in 1831 moving to a place near Marseilles. 
 During the Black Hawk war he helped to build the fort in which the settlers 
 sought refuge from the Indians. Mrs. Long died in 1832, leaving three 
 children : Catherine, now the wife of Elias Trumbow, of Rutland township, 
 LaSalle county, Illinois; Elizabeth, deceased wife of Jonathan Stadden; and 
 Lewis, the subject of this sketch. For his second wife Christopher Long 
 married Mrs. Alvard, and she bore him four children, only one of whom 
 is now living — William H. Long, a resident of Piano, Illinois. In 1849 the 
 father died, on his farm, at the age of fifty years. His political afhliations 
 were with the Whig party. He took an intelligent interest in public 
 affairs, and was one of the highly respected citizens of his community. 
 
 During Lewis Long's boyhood educational advantages in LaSalle 
 county were limited. He attended the rural schools, such as they were, 
 during the winter months, often having to walk several miles to and from 
 school. Reared on his father's farm, he early became familiar with all kinds 
 of farm work, and learned that industry and careful management were 
 essential to success; after years have shown that his early training was not
 
 V.W 
 
 LEWIS FUa CQ. CHICACa 
 
 a 
 
 p.uMy{
 
 CHir-ACD li 

 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 109 
 
 in vain. He settled on his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres, 
 in Miller township, in i860. Besides this he owns six hundred and forty 
 acres of land in Miller township, one hundred and six acres in Brookfield 
 township, one hundred and sixty acres in Rutland township, and his father's 
 old farm of one hundred and sixty acres — comprising- a total of one thousand 
 one hundred acres, all in LaSalle county. 
 
 Mr. Long was married December 14, 1852, to Miss Emily E. Barber, 
 who was born November 9, 1832, a native of New York, and the daughter 
 of Zina and Sarah (Potter) Barber. Mrs. Barber died when Mrs. Long 
 was four years old, leaving three children — Charles M., now deceased; Mrs. 
 Long; and Sarah, wife of M. Morgan, of Crawford county, Iowa. Mr. 
 Barber was subsequently married to Huldah Deans, and by her had eight 
 children, among them being: Alden, who died in Libby prison during the 
 civil war; Cicero, who was killed in battle during the civil war; 
 John, a veteran of the same war; Caroline Massy; and Ruth Edison. 
 Mr. Barber died in Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, in 
 1857. By trade he was a millwright, politically was a Whig, and religiously 
 a Methodist. Mr. and Mrs. Long have had eight children and their grand- 
 children now number ten. Their first-born, Sarah H., died in infancy. Of 
 the seven living, the following record is made. Eugene C. is a resident 
 of Marseilles, Illinois; Emma F., wife of Gaylord J. States, of Miller town- 
 ship, is the mother of two children, Maud and Lena; Charles W., who 
 married Mae Clark and is now living in Rutland township, has two children, 
 Harry and Esther; Ruth Inez, wife of George Finkle, residing on a farm 
 near Marseilles, has three children, Alta, Blanche and Ray; Bertha A., 
 wife of F. Spencer, of Rutland township, has one child, Grace; Lewis Walter, 
 who married Miss Cora B. Brumback, has two children, Walter Floyd and 
 Elsie L. ; and Arthur F., who married Miss Sarah Etta Grove, lives on a part 
 of the home farm. Mr. and Mrs. Long also reared from childhood Mrs. 
 William H. States of Greene county, Iowa. 
 
 While he has never aspired to official honors Mr. Long has always 
 taken a commendable interest in public affairs and party matters, and casts 
 his vote with the Republicans. He is a member of the Universalist church. 
 
 ELIAS HAYER. 
 
 Elias Hayer, the assessor of Miller township and for more than a quarter 
 of a century a resident in the near vicinity of Stavanger, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, was born in Lee county, Iowa, in 1848, and is the son of Ole L. and 
 Martha (Buland) Hayer. The father was a native of Norway, where he grew
 
 no BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 to man's estate, and soon after reaching his majority he came to America. 
 His first stopping place was in Wisconsin, in 1842, and in 1844 he went to 
 Iowa, where he met and married Miss Martha Buland. In 185 1 he came to 
 LaSalle county, IHinois, where the remainder of his hfe was passed. He was 
 seventy-four years old at the time of his death, and his wife was in her sixty- 
 eighth year. She was a member of the church of the Latter Day Saints. 
 They had five children: Elias; Samuel, who resides on the old homestead; 
 Sarah Ann and Andrew, deceased; and Isabella, the wife of John Midgorden, 
 of this township. 
 
 Elias Hayer received a good common-school education, and early 
 learned habits of industry, assisting in the labors incident to farm life. He 
 was married at the age of twenty-three years, the lady of his youthful devo- 
 tion being Miss Annie Teal, a native of this township and a daughter of the 
 late Edward Teal, one of the earliest settlers of this county. Edward Teal 
 married Miss Susan Piester, a native of Germany, and had a family of five 
 children, namely: Harriet, wife of T. Hougas. of this township; Mary Jane, 
 wife of J. Hougas, of Iowa; Nathan; Morgan; and Annie, wife of our sub- 
 ject. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hayer has been blessed by the birth 
 of eight children, of whom Alillie, the eldest, is the wife of Thomas J. Thorson, 
 of Grundy county, this state; Silas, the second child and eldest son, is now in 
 his twenty-fifth year, and is living at home; Laura; Frederick, Bessie, Nellie 
 and Allen E. are all residing at home; and next to the youngest, Olan, died 
 at the tender age of six vears. Mr. Haver and familv are zealous members 
 of the church of the Latter Day Saints. He has resided on his present home- 
 stead for over twenty-nine years, and has improved it until it is one of the 
 ideal homes for which Illinois is noted. The farm comprises one hundred 
 and twenty acres of the most fertile land, with large barns and a fine, modern 
 residence, which was erected in 1896. He is a Republican, and as assessor 
 of the township has won more than passing commendation for the fair and 
 impartial manner in which he discharged his duties. Straightforward and 
 honorable in his life, he has the respect of every one, and stands as one of the 
 representative men of LaSalle county. 
 
 J. M. FERRELL. 
 
 J. M. Ferrell, station agent at Marseilles, Illinois, was born in Bronson, 
 Michigan. May 29, 1862, the son of Abel and Mary (Free) Ferrell. His 
 youthful days were spent in obtaining a common-school education, and when 
 a boy he removed with his parents from Michigan to Indiana. When he 
 started out in life for himself, which was at an early age, it was in railroad
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. iii 
 
 business, — first with the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad in 1879. In the 
 fall of the same year he entered the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, 
 going to Mansfield, Ohio, and later he was located at Walkerton, Indiana. 
 From the latter place he was transferred to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- 
 cific Railroad in 1882, at Cameron, Missouri, and in 1892 to Marseilles, his 
 present location, where he has spent the past eight years, and where he is 
 well known as the popular and efficient station agent of his road. 
 
 Mr. Ferrell was married at Unionville, Iowa, to Miss Belle Peterson, of 
 that place. 
 
 Politically he is a Democrat; fraternally a Mason. He identified him- 
 self with the Masonic order in 1887, served three years as worshipful master 
 of his lodge, and is deeply interested in Masonry. He is a member of Mar- 
 seilles Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M.; Shabbona Chapter, No. 61, R. A. M.; 
 and Ottawa Commanderv, No. 10, K. T. 
 
 GEORGE W. HOLMES. 
 
 Success in any line of business comes only as the direct result of wisdom, 
 experience and energy well applied, and thus it is seen in the case of George 
 W. Holmes, whose present prosperity is directly traceable to the years of 
 indefatigable effort he has expended in the past in the science of hotel-keep- 
 ing. 
 
 The family whence our subject springs is of German extraction, his 
 ancestors being early settlers in Pennsylvania. His father, John Holmes, 
 was born in that state in 181 7, and the mother, whose maiden name was 
 Rachel Weaver, was likewise a native of the Keystone state. She died several 
 years ago, in Indiana, and the father is now a resident of Ottawa. Of their 
 nine children who lived to maturity four sons, Perry, Henry, John and Jere- 
 miah, were L^nion soldiers in the civil war. 
 
 George W. Holmes was born near the town of Wooster, Ohio, in 1837. 
 His father being a hotel-keeper, it was not strange that the lad decided to 
 follow in the same line of business, and from his early years he received in- 
 struction which fitted him for the calling. Going to St. Joseph, ^Michigan, 
 in 1854, he there engaged in carpenter work. Coming to Ottawa in 1876, 
 he assumed the management of the Holmes Hotel, as it has since been 
 known, and has won the favor and patronage of the traveling and local public 
 to a gratifying extent. Making no pretensions to the great elegance and 
 luxuries of the high-priced hotels of the metropolis, the Holmes Hotel takes 
 its place upon its own merits, and is noted for its homelikeness, its comforts 
 and excellent bill of fare, all furnished at moderate prices.
 
 112 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Holmes, who is deservedly popular with his guests and with the 
 citizens of Ottawa in general, is a man of splendid physique, as he is six feet 
 and one inch in height, and weighs two hundred and fifteen pounds, thus 
 dw'arfing men of ordinary size by comparison. His time is too thoroughly 
 occupied for outside interests, but he uses his franchise in favor of the Demo- 
 cratic party and its nominees. 
 
 On October 4, 1859, the marriage of Mr. Holmes and Miss Elizabeth 
 Bennage, a native of Pennsylvania, and daughter of Jacob Bennage, was 
 celebrated in St. Joseph county, Michigan. Three daughters were born to 
 our subject and his estimable wife, but Harriet A. died at the age of six years; 
 Emma E. married M. L. Sample, of Chicago; Georgia Anna is the wife of 
 J. Zeller, of Ottawa, Illinois. 
 
 CHRISTIAN HAEBERLE. 
 
 Christian Haeberle is one of the well and favorably known citizens of 
 Ottawa, LaSalle county, of which town he is a native, his birth having oc- 
 curred here February 24, 1861. He is a son of Christian Haeberle, Sr., wdio 
 was born in Wittenberg, Germany, and came to the United States at an 
 early day. For many years he was numbered among the substantial business 
 men of Ottawa, his sterling qualities winning the respect of all who were in 
 any manner associated with him. He married Miss Paulina Heffemer, and 
 to their union two sons and a daughter were born, namely: John, now a 
 resident of Broken Bow, Nebraska; Christian, Jr.; and Carrie, who is the 
 wife of J. Formhalls, of this place. The husband and father, who was an 
 esteemed member of the Odd Fellows society, died at the age of forty-nine 
 years, and was buried with the rites of that honored order. 
 
 Christian Haeberle, Jr., was reared in Ottawa, and received his education 
 in the pubhc schools of the place. In 1893 he became the proprietor and 
 assumed the management of the Washington Hotel, at No. 219 Main street, 
 and has met with gratifying success in his efforts. The hotel, wdiich is one 
 of the most popular in the county, Avas established by the father of our sub- 
 ject, who was experienced in this line of business, and safely launched the new 
 undertaking, always a doubtful experiment in any town or city. Long since 
 it had won its way into the favor of the public, and its high standard has 
 been maintained until the present time. The building is spacious, light and 
 well ventilated, every arrangement being made for the comfort and conven- 
 ience of guests. An air of neatness and homelikeness pervades the place, 
 and the personal attention of the proprietor is constantly given to the super- 
 vision of every detail.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 113 
 
 In his political attitude Mr. Haeberle is quite independent, not being 
 affiliated with any party, and reserving the right of inirestrained judgment as 
 to the nominee or principle which shall receive the support of his ballot. 
 Fraternally he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He finds 
 an able and willing assistant in the management of his hotel in the person 
 of his wife, a lady of good education and general attainments. She was 
 formerly Miss Katherine Flagaus, and was married to Mr. Haeberle in 1893. 
 A native of Ottawa, she has spent her entire life here, and numbers many 
 friends in the community. The only child of our subject and wife is a little 
 daughter, Ola, who is a great favorite with the guests of the hotel. 
 
 ANDREW HAMILTON. 
 
 One of the progressive, prosperous and substantial business men of 
 Ottawa, LaSalle county, Illinois, is Andrew Hamilton, who was born No- 
 vember 15. 1837, in Fairfield, Connecticut. His parents, James and Isabella 
 (Gilchrist) Hamilton, were natives of Scotland, where they were married, 
 moving thence to the United States in 1835 and settling at Fairfield, remain- 
 ing there a few years and then locating near Rockland Lake, Rockland 
 county. New York, where they resided until their death. The father died in 
 1890, and the mother in October, 1897. There were two boys and two girls 
 in the family, — Robert, Andrew, ]\Iargaret and Sarah. Robert lives in Spring 
 Valley, New York; Margaret in Monsey, New York; and Sarah in Brook- 
 lyn, New York. 
 
 Andrew Hamilton received his primary education in the district schools 
 of Rockland county, supplementing this with two years in the schools of 
 New York city. He continued to assist his father on the farm until he was 
 nineteen years of age. In 1856 he came to LaSalle county and secured em- 
 ployment with M. F. Fairfield. After this he clerked in different stores in 
 Ottawa until 1868, when he embarked in the mercantile business for himself, 
 opening a flour, feed, salt and cement store. He buys his flour and feed by 
 car-load lots and sells at wholesale and retail, and also handles foreign and 
 domestic cement. He is nicely situated at 222 West Main street, and has 
 worked up a lucrative trade, his courteous and accommodating treatment 
 meeting with a quick response from his customers. 
 
 Mr. Hamilton was married April 12, 1861, to Miss Eliza A. Richards, 
 a native of Rockland Lake, New York. To them one daughter was born, 
 Eliza, wife of J. D. Vincent, of Ottawa. Mrs. Hamilton died February 22, 
 1867, and in 1876 Mr. Hamilton chose as the head of his household Miss 
 Serena Bailey, daughter of William Bailey, a resident of this city. They have
 
 114 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 a beautiful home, at the corner of Paul and Washington streets, in which they 
 entertain their friends in the most hospitable manner. They are attendants 
 of the Congregational church, and are among the most influential citizens 
 of Ottawa. 
 
 REV. THOMAS S. KEATING. 
 
 Father Keating, pastor of the St. Columba's Catholic church, is one of 
 the most popular and prominent figures in Ottawa. Much of his life has 
 been spent in our midst, and his interest in the w^elfare of our city, together 
 with his grand, lofty character and the excellent judgment displayed in con- 
 nection with the noble institutions over which he has almost complete juris- 
 diction, has won for him the commendation and admiration of all classes, 
 irrespective of their religious views. He was born December 21, 1846, and 
 attended the pul^lic schools of Morris, Grundy county, Illinois, until ten years 
 of age. The following three years were spent as a student in the Columbus 
 school of this city, after which he entered St. Mary's College, in Perry county, 
 Missouri, from which he graduated four years later. Having fully decided 
 upon consecrating his life to the service of the church, he entered the Uni- 
 versity of St. Mary's of the Lake, at Chicago, where he graduated in 1865. 
 From Rev. Dr. McMullen's Clerical Seminary, which he attended for two 
 years, he entered Mount St. Mary's College, at Emmettsburg, Maryland, 
 the oldest seminary in the United States. Three years later he graduated 
 from this institution and went to Chicago. It was in compliance with a wish 
 of Dean Terry, a near relative, that he Avas ordained a priest in the old St. 
 Columba church, at Ottawa, on August 19, 1870, by Rt. Rev. Dr. Foley, 
 bishop of Chicago. Since then his life has been crowded with deeds of love and 
 usefulness, and many amongst whom he has labored bear loving testimony 
 to the good accomplished by him in rescuing them from human weakness. 
 He was first assigned as assistant to the bishop at Chicago, where he re- 
 mained until after the great fire, when he was permitted to be of invaluable 
 aid to many of the unfortunate sufferers of the scourged district. Then he 
 assisted Dean Terry in his work here until August. 1873, when he w-as given 
 charge of St. Rosa's church, at Wilmington, Illinois, and during his one year 
 at this point organized a branch church at Braidwood, which had previously 
 been wdthout church or pastor. St. Mary's church, at El Paso, Woodford 
 county, was his next charge, and there he remained six years, establishing 
 mission schools in different towns in his parish, paying off the church debt 
 and erecting a fine building for a parochial school. During the following 
 eight years he was pastor of Champaign and Rantoul mission, building a 
 large nunnery for the Sisters of Notre Dame, of Milwaukee, erecting a church
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 115 
 
 edifice at Penfield, and collecting twelve thousand dollars for the erection of 
 another church, the contract for which was let in February, 1888, a few 
 months before he left the parish. In April of that year he took charge of the 
 parish here, and the results achieved by him seem almost incredible. 
 
 St. Columba's, of which Dean Keating is pastor, is one of the finest 
 church edifices in Ottawa, and was erected at a cost of fifty-two thousand 
 dollars. A fine, mellow-toned pipe organ was built for this church and is 
 pronounced by the best musicians to be an instrument wonderful in its depth 
 of volume and perfection of tone. Father Keating has endeared himself to 
 the people of the parish, and gained the esteem of the entire community by 
 his wisdom and by the noble qualities which are his characteristics. In 1888 
 he was appointed dean of the diocese of Peoria, Illinois, and the work accom- 
 plished by him since then is a record in which he may feel a pardonable pride : 
 The greater part of the church debt has been lifted; St. Xavier's Academy, 
 costing some twenty-two thousand dollars, completed; the boys' school estab- 
 lished and new building erected; the new deanery completed, at a cost of 
 fourteen thousand dollars; and the cemetery enlarged and improved. These 
 are some of the visible results of his work, but of the good accomplished by 
 him as the wise adviser and spiritual director of his people who shall speak? 
 His influence has been far-reaching and lasting, causing him to be regarded 
 with affectionate reverence. On August 19, 1895, Dean Keating celebrated 
 his silver jubilee of twenty-five years in the service of the church. He is now 
 an irremovable pastor and one of the best known and respected citizens of 
 LaSalle county. 
 
 DAVID NITTER. 
 
 David Nitter, postmaster of the village of Norway, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, and the prosperous proprietor of a general store at this place, dates his 
 birth in Chicago, June 8, 1861. 
 
 Mr. Nitter is a son of William and Thea (Schlanbusch) Nitter, both na- 
 tives of Norway, who came to this country late in the '50s, where they were 
 shortly afterward married. The first few years of their married life was passed 
 in Chicago, whence, about 1864, they came to Norway, LaSalle county, 
 where he opened a general store. His death occurred here shortly after he 
 was established in business. Mrs. Nitter subsequently became the wife of 
 John Quam, a farmer, who died about eighteen years ago. After his death 
 she moved to Iowa, where she still lives. By her first husband she had two 
 children, David and a daughter, the latter dying in childhood. By her second 
 husband she had seven children. 
 
 David Nitter was reared principally on a farm, his stepfather being a
 
 Ii6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 farmer, and received a fair education in the common schools of the district 
 and normal school at Morris, Illinois, in the year 1881. He remained with 
 his mother until the age of sixteen years, when he left home and began the 
 battle of life for himself, starting out as a clerk. He clerked in Norway, 
 Serena and Sheridan, and after a few years thus spent he went to Iowa, where 
 "he was engaged in farming two years. Returning to LaSalle county at the 
 end of that time, he resumed clerking, spent one year at Sheridan and two 
 years in Seneca, and in the spring of 1888 engaged in business for himself 
 at Norway, where he has since continued successfully. His beginning was a 
 restaurant. To it he from time to time added other lines, until he now has 
 a complete general store, well stocked and up-to-date for an establishment 
 of its kind. In 1889 Mr. Nitter was appointed the postmaster of Norway, 
 which office he has filled acceptably for the past ten years. He is a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 Mr. Nitter was married in 1882 to Miss Maria Marcuson, a native of 
 Norway, and they are the parents of four children. 
 
 MORTON E. DOWNING. 
 
 The subject of this sketch, Morton E. Downing, is the superintendent of 
 one of the most important industries of LaSalle county — the mining and 
 shipping of sand for glass manufacture. 
 
 Mr. Downing was born in Bartholomew county, Indiana, January 12, 
 1868, and is of Scotch origin. The family, however, have long been identified 
 with America, having settled in Ohio at the time of their emigration to this 
 country. Don E. Downing, the father of Morton E., is a native of Cincin- 
 nati, Ohio, born some sixty-six years ago, and is now a resident of Marshall 
 county, Indiana, working at the carpenter's trade at Bourbon, that state. 
 He and his wife, w^hose maiden name was Jane Cassell, are the parents of the 
 following named children : Mary, who married Joseph Harris, resides in 
 Bartholomew county, Indiana; Emma, wife of Thomas Parrish, resides in 
 Durand, Missouri; Tamar is the wife of Harry Compton, of Wedron. Illinois; 
 Morton E., the subject of this sketch; Josie, wife of Tyde Deardorf, of Bour- 
 bon, Indiana; and Julia, wife of Phihp Baugher, also of Bourbon. 
 
 Morton E. Downing, as he grew up, spent some time working at the car- 
 penters trade, under his father's instructions, and some time working in a 
 machine shop; but on leaving his parental home at the age of twenty-one 
 he took a position as stationary engineer at Millington, Illinois. From that 
 place he went to Aurora, this state, where he filled a similar position in the 
 Aurora Chemical Works, and from there came to his present location at
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. wj 
 
 Weclron. Here he had charge of the engine at the works of the Wedron. 
 White Sand Company until 1896, when he w^as made foreman, and afterward 
 superintendent, the position he now holds. His continuance in the service- 
 of this company and his promotion by them is ample evidence of his ability 
 and faithfulness. 
 
 Mr. Downing was married in McHenry county, Illinois, in the town of 
 Woodstock, June 21, 1897, to Miss Effie Worden. They have an only childj. 
 Nora, born September, 1898. 
 
 PHILIP C. WATTS. 
 
 I 
 
 Prominent in the development of LaSalle county, the W^atts family, 
 founded here nearly three-score years ago by the subject of this biography, 
 is deserving of special mention. Loyal, patriotic citizens, always to be relied 
 upon to use their influence and ballot for the right and best, for progress and 
 improvement in all lines, their example is worthy of respect and emulation. 
 
 Philip C. W^atts, of South Ottawa, comes from one of the honored old 
 families of Devonshire, England. His grandfather in the paternal line was 
 one Joseph Watts, a farmer, whose wife was Dolly (Reed) Watts. Our sub- 
 ject, born in Devonshire, June 24, 1822, is one of the eight children of John 
 and Elizaljeth (Challacombe) Watts. The Challacombes were direct descend- 
 ants of William The Concjueror. The others were as follows: William; Jo- 
 seph; Elizabeth, wife of James Parker, of Macoupin county, Illinois; John,, 
 who served as a soldier in the war l3etween the United States and Mexico* 
 and later engaged in gold-mining in Australia and California; James, who< 
 was drowned in the river at LaSalle, Illinois; Henry, a resident of Devon- 
 shire, England; and Rebecca, wife of T. Chammins. 
 
 When Philip C. Watts was seventeen years of age he came to the United 
 States with the family, staying one year in New York, and since 1840 he has 
 dwelt in LaSalle county. He has been an ardent Republican since the organ- 
 ization of the party, and has acted in the capacity of justice of the peace and 
 as a member of the school board for many years. 
 
 A notable event in the history of P. C. Watts was his marriage, Novem- 
 ber 5, 1847, to Miss Margaret A. Brown, a daughter of Charles Brown, who> 
 came to Illinois in 1830 in a covered wagon from the east. He settled upon. 
 a claim south of Ottawa, built a log cabin and proceeded to develop a farm. 
 During the Black Hawk war he joined a military organization styled the 
 home e:uards. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Watts are Louisa, widow of 
 Calvin Ells, and William, both deceased; Clarissa, wife of Christopher Mills,, 
 of Marvsville. California; Russell, a successful business man of Ottawa; and:
 
 Ii8 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Edward, deceased. The father died May 20, 1876, when four-score years of 
 age, and the mother December 11, 1876, after having attained the age of 
 seventy-eight years. 
 
 To the union of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Watts nine children were born, and this 
 happy family circle is still untouched by the angel of death. Charles B., the 
 eldest, is supervisor of Earlville, Illinois, and by his marriage to Miss Anne 
 Gillett he has six children : Clarence, Harry, Alice, Daisy, Willie and Archie. 
 Elizabeth, the eldest daughter of our subject, is the wife of J. M. Poundstone, 
 of Ottawa, and the mother of four children, — Ralph, Florence, Mabel and 
 Grace. Henrietta, wife of J. Jones, of Livingston county, has three little 
 ones, — Clara, Howard and Philip. Laura, now a resident of Peabody, Kan- 
 sas, is the wife of Alexander Gray and has two children, — Arthur and Celia. 
 Louise married \\^alter Trumbow, of Peabody, Kansas, and they have two 
 sons, — Wesley and Ray. Florence wedded B. Holler, of Peabody, Kansas; 
 ^^^allace lives on the home farm; and Lucy and Clara are still living at home. 
 
 The year which witnessed the fiftieth anniversary of the happy wedded 
 life of Mr. and Mrs. \\^atts was celebrated by them in a very pleasant manner. 
 It happened that the great jubilee in honor of Queen Victoria was held that 
 3^ear, and they decided to visit England. They went together to the child- 
 hood home of Mr. Watts, where he renewed his friendship with old associates, 
 and the trip has left many pleasant memories in the minds of both. They 
 have reared their children to be noble, useful citizens, have always striven to 
 do their duty toward God and man, and without regret may look backward 
 along the pathway they have pursued hand in hand. They are earnest mem- 
 bers of the Alethodist church, as are their children, and they feel that the 
 promise of old has been fulfilled to them, that "goodness and mercy have 
 followed them all the days of their lives." 
 
 CHRISTIAN F. BRANDENBURG. 
 
 Christian F. Brandenburg, the son of the venerable and wealthy pioneer, 
 Peter Brandenburg, was born just west of Serena, December 23, 1856. He 
 obtained but little education at school, and his history can be summed up 
 briefly by saying that hard work has been his lot for thirty years, in which he 
 has been able to make a hand on the farm. His life history, could it be writ- 
 ten in full, would be filled with trying experiences, and finally crowned with 
 that abundant success his labors and perseverance so richly merit. When it 
 comes to "ups and downs" in life he steps aside and permits us to make a 
 brief reference to his paternal ancestors. 
 
 Peter Brandenburg was born in Heistelburg, Nassau, Germany, Sep-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 119 
 
 tember 26, 1824. His father bore the same Christian name and his mother 
 was a Miss Tomas. Peter is the third of four children of his farmer father, 
 and he went to the German schools, as was required, until he was fourteen 
 years of age. He then learned the old country method of farming and re- 
 mained with his father until he was twenty-four years old. He was then 
 given his liberty and barely enough money to pay his passage to America. 
 He sailed for the New World, being induced hither by some neighbor boys 
 who had preceded him; and he says that he was so displeased with the out- 
 look when he first landed that he wished many times he were back in the old 
 fatherland. He did not have a five-cent piece when he arrived at Serena; 
 so he was obliged to get work at once. He entered the employ of a farmer 
 for eleven dollars a month, and remained a farm hand for five long years. 
 In this period of time he saved six hundred dollars, and he bargained for his 
 first American real estate, — the old homestead west of the village of Serena. 
 He agreed to make payments on the same annually for three years, and really 
 saw no reason why he could not fulfil his agreement. He set out with a 
 light heart, for he was now his own governor and the sole manager of the 
 earthly affairs of the industrious Peter. His first crop was eaten up by the 
 chinch bugs; this was discouraging; but he planted again, and the second 
 season he came out as badly as the first. The third year he also failed to 
 get a good crop, and this so disheartened him that he proposed to his cred- 
 itor that he take the farm back; that he had worked three years, day and 
 night, and had nothing to show in return, and of course could pay nothing 
 on the land. The man who sold to him tried to discourage this move and 
 insisted that he try it yet one more year; and this he did, and with wonderful 
 success. From that date on he made money rapidly and added to his realty 
 holdings with great swiftness. He was as good as two hands himself and he 
 had plenty of boys, who inherited their father's industry, so that he followed 
 ao-riculture on a large scale, with little outlay for his help. But no matter 
 how well he prospered, Peter Brandenburg never ceased work for himself 
 until he found himself worn out and heavy with age. He is one of the largest 
 land-owners in LaSalle county, and is not unfrequently referred to as "the 
 old German who got rich by hard work." 
 
 This venerable old German, for his wife, married, in LaSalle county in 
 1855, Catherine Weber, who died in 1877. Her children are: Christian F. 
 (our subject); Caroline, wife of Joseph Moore; Frank Brandenburg, who is 
 a prominent young farmer of the town of Serena, and who married Ella De 
 Bolt; Mary, wife of George Jones, of Serena, Illinois; and George, who mar- 
 ried Ida Whitman and now resides on the old home place. In 1887 Peter 
 Brandenburg married Mrs. Matthias Stine, whose maiden name was Kathrina 
 Kern, and first husband Jacob Meyer.
 
 I20 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Our subject was married February 12, 1895, to Freda, daughter of Jacob 
 Meyer, whose widow afterward married Peter Brandenburg. Freda was 
 born in Germany in 1877, and she is the mother of two children,— Ruby and 
 
 Raymond. 
 
 The Brandenburgs have done as much as any other family toward the 
 development and improvement of the town of Serena. They have given 
 their energies freely, as others have done, expecting reward, and have not been 
 disappointed. They have grubbed roots, dug ditches and erected buildings 
 and done the innumerable other necessary things to be done in improving 
 a new country until their farms "blossom as the rose," as it were, giving evi- 
 dence of progress and prosperity at every point of view. They have not 
 dabbled in politics, for there is no promise of reward in that. They have not 
 undertaken other and strange ventures, with the hope of avoiding hard 
 labor and at the same time making big money, for they are the firm believers 
 in the adage, "Let well enough alone." 
 
 W. B. CUMMINS. 
 
 This gentleman has had an experience of twenty-two years in the grain 
 business, and since 1888 has been located at Ransom, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, where he is the representative of the Bartlett-Frazier Company, of Chi- 
 cago. He owns the grain elevator here and a half interest in the business, 
 and each year handles a large amount of grain, averaging no less than four 
 hundred thousand bushels. In 1897 he shipped three hundred and sixty- 
 seven car-loads and in 1898 three hundred and fifty-eight car-loads. 
 
 Mr. Cummins is a native of Lincoln, Marshall county, Illinois, and was 
 born March 29, 1851. His father, Theodore Cummins, was a native of Steu- 
 ben county. New York; his mother, whose maiden name was Nancy White, 
 was born in North Carolina, and their family comprised three children, now 
 married and scattered: W. B., whose name introduces this sketch; Ervin, 
 of Hot Springs, Arkansas; and Mary Duchene, of Carlisle, Arkansas. The 
 father of this family died at the age of seventy-two. The mother is still living, 
 in Carlisle, Arkansas. 
 
 W. B. Cummins was reared and educated in his native state, completing 
 his studies with a high-school course, and, with the exception of a few months 
 spent in Carlisle, Arkansas, he has always made his home in Illinois. He 
 was stationed for some time at Ancona, this state, where he bought grain, 
 and since 1888 he has been located at Ransom. 
 
 At the age of twenty Mr. Cummins was united in marriage to Miss Ida 
 Pratt, a native of Long Point, Livingston county, Illinois, and a daughter of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 121 
 
 Philander Pratt, of this state. Mr. and Mrs. Cummins have an only child, 
 Belle, who is now the wife of Frank Mears, of Kankakee, Illinois. 
 
 Ever since he became a voter Mr. Cummins has given active support to 
 the Democratic party, and at this writing is serving as township clerk. Fra- 
 ternally he is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America. 
 
 JOSEPH L. ARMSTRONG. 
 
 Success in any walk of life is not the result of chance, but is the outcome 
 of keen sagfacitv in business affairs combined with well directed effort, and 
 it is these qualities which have made Mr. Armstrong, of Brookville township, 
 one of the most enterprising and prosperous farmers of LaSalle county. 
 
 His birth occurred on the old family homestead March i, 1847, his par- 
 ents being Hon. George W. and Nancy Armstrong. His father was born 
 in Ohio, December 11, 1812, and was a son of Joseph Armstrong, whose birth 
 occurred in Ireland and who was of Scotch-Irish descent. The great-grand- 
 father, John Armstrong, was a linen merchant, and came to the United States 
 in 1780, locating in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in 
 merchandising for a number of years. His son Joseph was a lad of only ten 
 years at the time of the emigration to America. He was reared and educated 
 in Pennsylvania and there married Miss Elsie Strawn, a representative of an 
 old and honored Pennsylvania family. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Arm- 
 strong W'Cre born nine sons, namely: John S., who died in Ottawa, Illinois; 
 George W., the father of our subject; William, who died in South Ottawa, 
 in 1850; Joel, who died near Ottawa, in 1871; Jeremiah, who went west in 
 1849 and died in California in 1850; James, who died near Ottawa; P. A., a 
 very prominent citizen of Morris; CliiTord, who died in Licking county, 
 Ohio; and I. Z., who went to the west in 1849, and is now living in Sacra- 
 mento, California. Joseph Armstrong, the father, died in 1856, and the 
 mother passed away in 1871. 
 
 George W. Armstrong spent his youth in Ohio and is indebted to its 
 common schools for the educational privileges afiforded him. In 183 1 he 
 came to the west, making the journey with wagon and team. Two years 
 previously his brother John had come to Illinois and taken up his abode in 
 Putnam county. During the Black Hawk war George W. Armstrong was 
 Vvith his mother and brothers in the fort at Ottawa. They settled in this 
 county in 1831 on a half section of land, built a log cabin and began life in 
 the west in true pioneer style. On the loth of March. 1835, George Arm- 
 strong was married, in Jacksonville, Illinois, to Miss Nancy Green, a native 
 of Knox county, Ohio, and a daughter of John and Susanah (\Vinter) Green,
 
 122 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 both of whom are now deceased. Her sister, Matilda Green, was the first 
 wife of Jacob Strawn, the great cattle king. 
 
 Mr. Armstrong, father of our subject, has led a very busy and useful 
 life and is a prominent and influential citizen. For a year or two he operated 
 a sawmill on Wauponsee creek, in Grundy county, and then built and opened 
 a general store, which he later sold. For nineteen years he served as a super- 
 visor and for twelve 3'ears was the chairman of the board. For ten years he 
 was a member of the state legislature, being elected first in 1844. He was a 
 member of the constitutional convention in 1847. He was elected to the 
 legislature again in 1871, after which he served for six years without inter- 
 ruption. He was an active working member of the house and aided in secur- 
 ing the adoption of many important measures which have proved of great 
 benefit to the state. He was also a member of the first county convention 
 of LaSalle county, and at all times has been a progressive, public-spirited and 
 loyal citizen. He was a war Democrat at the time of the hostility betw^een 
 the north and the south and was an ardent admirer of Stephen A. Douglas, 
 the Little Giant of Illinois. Probably no man in LaSalle county has been 
 more prominent in public aft'airs or done more for her best interests than 
 George W. Armstrong, who has left the impress of his individuality upon 
 many departments of our public life. A valued member of the Masonic fra- 
 ternity, he was one of the active promoters of Seneca Lodge, in which he 
 held his membership. He was a man five feet and seven inches in height, 
 €rect in carriage and quick in movement. He was of high moral character, 
 firm in his convictions, and the temerity with which he made known his posi- 
 tion and his marked ability well fitted him for leadership. His wife passed 
 away February 25, 1893. Like her husband, she shared the high regard of 
 all who knew her, for she. possessed many sweet, womanly qualities which 
 endeared her to all. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong were born nine children, 
 eight of whom are now living: William, of Pueblo, Colorado, who served for 
 four years as a Union soldier in the civil war, being captain of Company A, 
 Fifty-third Illinois Infantry; Rev. Julius C, a pastor in the Congregational 
 church, who served for three years with the Ninety-first Regiment of Illinois 
 Volunteers; Millie Eliza, wife of William Crowley, of Burlington, Kansas; 
 Joseph L., who is living on the old homestead farm; Marshall W., a well 
 known attorney of Ottawa; Susan Ida, wife of L. B. Laughlin, of Bridge- 
 M-ater, South Dakota; James E., principal of the high school at Englewood, 
 Illinois; Charles G., an electrician in Chicago; and John G., who was a suc- 
 cessful lawyer, and died in Ottawa in 1890, at the age of fifty-four years. 
 
 Joseph Armstrong, whose name begins this sketch, was reared and edu- 
 cated in LaSalle county, and having arrived at years of maturity he was mar- 
 ried, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Miss Laura J. Henderson, the daughter of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 123 
 
 John P. Henderson, now deceased. They located on the old home farm, 
 which comprises four hundred and thirty acres of rich and arable land. Alto- 
 gether Mr. Armstrong owns eight hundred and sixty acres, and from the 
 golden harvests which he garners he secures a good income. He is accounted 
 one of the leading agriculturists of the county, and in his methods he is pro- 
 gressive, practical and systematic. His dealings are also characterized by 
 the utmost fairness, and he justly merits the confidence reposed in him. 
 
 Politically Mr. Armstrong is a Democrat, having supported that party 
 since attaining his majority. He keeps well informed on the issues which 
 divide the country politically, and is therefore prepared to give intelligent 
 support to his views. He has served for four years as a county supervisor, 
 and has been a member of the school board for fifteen years, discharging his 
 duties in a most prompt and satisfactory manner. Not only as a representa- 
 tive of one of the prominent pioneer families of the county, but also because 
 of his own personal merits, does he deserve mention in this volume among 
 the leading citizens of his section of the state. 
 
 HENRY PECK. 
 
 In the vicinity of Ottawa, LaSalle county, is some of the finest farm 
 land in the northern part of Illinois, and much of the prosperity of this section 
 is due to this fact and to one other of equal importance, that the agricultur- 
 ists hereabouts are thoroughly imbued with the spirit of the times and are 
 progressive in the extreme. 
 
 One of the successful farmers of this locality is Henry Peck, whose birth 
 occurred in the town of Ottawa, September 27, 1846. He is a son of David 
 and Jane (Griffith) Peck and a grandson of Baker Peck, who was a native of 
 Vermont. David Peck was born in Clark county, Ohio, where his father 
 had located at an early day. When grown to manhood he mastered the 
 trades of brick-mason and tailor, and, concluding that he would fare better 
 in the west, where towns were rapidly being built up, he came to Ottawa. 
 Here he found plenty of employment for years, but when still in his prime 
 he was summoned to the home beyond. He left four children, namely: 
 Anna, who is the wife of Albert Mclntyre, and Ruth, May and Henry. The 
 mother subsequently (about 1858) became the wife of James Pickens. 
 
 In his boyhood and youth Henry Peck attended the schools of Ottawa, 
 worked on the farm and clerked in a dry-goods store. In 1882 he took up 
 his abode on the fine homestead where he is still living. It is located but half 
 a mile from the town, and was formerly the property of the Rev. Justice M. 
 Clark. ]\Ir. Peck is extensively engaged in the stock business, buying and
 
 124 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 selling cattle and hogs, and in addition to that line of enterprise he has given 
 some attention to dairying of late years, having numerous customers in 
 Ottawa. 
 
 When he was twenty-five years of age ^Ir. Peck married Addie, daugh- 
 ter of James Pickens, and several years afterward she died, leaving two chil- 
 dren. Fred, now in his twenty-fifth year, was one of the patriotic young men 
 who responded to his country's call in the Spanish-American war, and served 
 under Colonel Bennett as a member of Company C. Third Illinois Volunteer 
 Infantry. Nellie, the daughter, became the wife of Cyrus P. Bradish, who is 
 deceased. In 1882 Mr. Peck wedded Miss Sarah Farnsworth, a daughter of 
 Robert Farnsworth, and live children bless their union, namely : Bertha, 
 Edward, Jane, Belle and Joseph. 
 
 Mr. Peck is connected with the Masonic order, being a member of Occi- 
 dental Lodge, No. 40. In his political creed he is a Democrat. 
 
 HON. IRVING H. TROWBRIDGE. 
 
 During the past decade this prominent citizen of Marseilles, LaSalle 
 county, has been before the public continuously in official capacities, and 
 has demonstrated beyond question his fitness as a representative of the 
 people. A fearless champion of what he earnestly believes to be their 
 rights, he presents his views in a concise manner, carrying conviction with 
 him. 
 
 The Trowbridges originated in Scotland, but many generations have 
 come and gone in America since the family was founded in the New World. 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject was \\'illiam Trowbridge. Sumner 
 Trowbridge, the father, is still living, his home being in Delta, Fulton county, 
 Ohio, where he was a pioneer and has passed the major portion of his life. 
 
 The birth of the Hon. Irving H. Trowbridge occurred March 16, 1849, 
 on the old homestead near Delta. With the l^asis of a good common-school 
 education, obtained in the village of Delta, and at Three Rivers, Michigan, 
 he entered Adrian College, at Adrian, ^Michigan, where he pursued studies 
 in the higher branches of learning. Then, returning to his native town, he 
 found employment in the service of a local druggist, and within the ensuing 
 five years thoroughly mastered the business. In 1876 he came to Alarseilles, 
 where he has since carried on a drug-store of his own. 
 
 In October, 1873, Mr. Trowbridge married Miss Ella Stall, of Delta, 
 Ohio. She was a lady of amiable disposition and was loved by all who 
 knew her. Six years ago, in June, 1893, the little household over whose 
 comfort and happiness she presided with womanly grace, was called upon
 
 I 
 
 i 
 
 < 
 
 i
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 125 
 
 to mourn her loss, as she was summoned to the heavenly mansions. She 
 left three promising- children — Leslie J., Ralph E., and Irene. 
 
 Though he has always taken an active interest in the election of the 
 nominees of the Republican party and the triumph of its principles, Mr. 
 Trowbridge had never aspired to public office and it was a matter of surprise 
 to him when, in 1890, he was elected as a member of the board of county 
 supervisors from Rutland township. He acted in that important position 
 for six years, to the full satisfaction of the people, and upon his retirement 
 from the office in 1896 he was nominated and elected to the legislature. 
 While serving as a representative he was especially honored for a new mem- 
 ber, as he was made chairman of the mines and mining committee, and 
 served on the committees on education, license, civil service, drainage and 
 waterways, and geology and science. In each of these committees he distin- 
 guished himself by his clear and comprehensive grasp of the questions 
 involved, and his ready and practical solutions of difliculties presenting 
 themselves. When his name came before the people for consideration at 
 the time of the expiration of his first term, he was renominated, with ^mall 
 opposition, and in the fall of 1898 was duly re-elected. In the organization 
 of the Forty-first General Assembly he was made chairman of the committee 
 on education — one of the most important of the house committees — and 
 was also a member of the steering committee, which is the body that shapes 
 all legislation during the session. He was very successful in all legislation 
 committed to his care by his constituents, some of which was of great im- 
 portance. He has a wide acquaintanceship with the leading men of the day 
 and possesses broad, liberal views upon all great public issues. 
 
 August 15, 1894, Mr. Trowbridge wedded Miss Rebekah S. Pomeroy, 
 a daughter of Cyrus Pomeroy. of Marseilles, and two children have been 
 born to them — Cyrus P. and Irving Harrison. 
 
 HENRY HOLMES. 
 
 Well known in Ottawa and within a radius of twenty-five miles of this 
 place, Henry Holmes ranks as a representative citizen of LaSalle county. As 
 an honored veteran of the civil war, as an active worker in the Republican 
 party, and as a conscientious, upright business man, he enjoys the respect 
 of a multitude of friends, and is justly entitled to be remembered as an old 
 settler of Illinois. 
 
 For three years Mr. Holmes has given his attention to the management 
 of his livery, feed and sale stable at No. 417 LaSalle street, Ottawa. The 
 establishment is located near the new bridge and is thoroughly equipped with
 
 126 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 carriages and vehicles of different kinds and a good stock of driving horses. 
 The barn, forty by eighty feet in dimensions and three stories in height, was 
 originally built for a grain elevator, and was used as such for some time, but 
 has been found to be equally well adapted to the purpose for which it is now 
 utilized. In 1896 Mr. Holmes sold out to Mr. C. Campbell, but in October, 
 1898, he resumed the control of the business, and has since carried it on suc- 
 cessfully. 
 
 A son of John Holmes, a hotel-keeper, Henry Holmes was born in 
 Wayne county, Ohio, November 16, 1840, the year of the famous "Tippe- 
 canoe" Harrison campaign. In his youth he attended the common schools 
 of Indiana, and in 1856, when the excitement over gold discoveries in Col- 
 orado was intense, he went to Pike's Peak, but returned home at the end of 
 some three months. In 1861 he offered his services to the United States, 
 enlisting in Company A, Fifty-third Illinois Infantry. For three years and 
 eight months he endured the hardships and perils of a soldier's life, striving 
 to preserve the Union, and among the numerous battles and encounters in 
 which he was engaged against the enemy were those at Shiloh, Jackson 
 (Mississippi), and the siege of Vicksburg, besides the famous march to the 
 sea with Sherman. Since he received the right of franchise he has given his 
 allegiance to the Republican party. 
 
 About the time he arrived at his majority Mr. Holmes was united in 
 marriage to Miss Nellie Cummings, who died February 26, 1880, leaving 
 three children, namely: George. Harry and ]\Iary. The daughter is now 
 the wife of Henry Arnold of Chicago, Illinois. In April, 1881, Mr. Holmes 
 was married to Miss Emma Walter. Three children bless this union, — Flora, 
 Willie and Lucy. The family reside in a pleasant home and have many 
 sincere friends among the citizens of Ottawa and vicinity. 
 
 H. G. KRUSE. 
 
 H. G. Kruse, an enterprising young business man of Ottawa, possesses 
 the qualifications which insure success in any hue of endeavor, and by the 
 exercise of judicious methods, excellent management and uniform courtesy 
 toward his customers he has won the respect and confidence of the public. 
 
 The father of our subject, G. A\\ Kruse, was a native of Germany, in 
 which country he passed twenty-five years of his life. Then, coming to 
 America in order to obtain the better opportunities for making a livelihood 
 afforded here, he became a loyal citizen of the United States. Soon after 
 his arrival on these hospitable shores he was united in marriage with Lliss 
 Annie Gronewald, who died in 1867, and left two sons and two daughters 
 to mourn her loss.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 127 
 
 Of these children, H. G. Kriise was born in Macomb, Illinois, August 
 20, 1867. He attended the common schools of that place and in Kewanee 
 served an apprenticeship at the wheelwright's trade under the guidance of 
 O. F. Kreidler. In 1887 he became the head trimmer for the firm of Gay 
 & Son, carriage manufacturers in Ottawa, Illinois, with which firm he con- 
 tinued for four or five years. He is now the proprietor of the Kruse Manu- 
 facturing Company, his plant being situated at the corner of Clinton and 
 Jackson streets, in the central part of Ottawa. The building is a new one, 
 substantial in construction, thirty by sixty feet in dimensions, and with a 
 wing thirty by forty feet, used for a shop. The fourteen years of practical 
 experience which Mr. Kruse has had in his present line of business renders 
 him thoroughly familiar with the demands of the trade and abundantly 
 able to supply his customers with just the kind of vehicle which they desire. 
 He manufactures various kinds of carriages, road wagons and carts, and 
 for style and workmanship, excellence and durability of material, the 
 vehicles turned out from this establishment are rarely surpassed. 
 
 Five years ago, August 7, 1894, Mr. Kruse was married to Miss Meta 
 Bruck, whose father, J. Bruck, is an old settler of Ottawa, and for many 
 years was engaged in the tailoring business here. The pleasant home of 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kruse is brightened by the presence of their little daughter, 
 Harriett, their only child. In his political standing Mr. Kruse is affiliated 
 with the Democratic party. He is an exemplary citizen, meeting every 
 responsibility and duty in a manly, straightforward way, and seeking ever 
 to forward the best interests of the community in which he dwells. 
 
 B. FRANK TRUMBO. 
 
 Trumbo is a familiar name in LaSalle county. The family which 
 bears it was founded here along with the Greens and other pioneers of 
 Dayton and Rutland townships and have left to later generations the im- 
 press of their civilizing influence. While Frank Trumbo, the subject of 
 this sketch, is not a descendant of the first Trumbos of the county, he is 
 a blood relative and possesses the same family characteristics which endear 
 Elias Trumbo and his descendants to the population of the above-mentioned 
 townships. 
 
 B. Frank Trumbo is a son of Moab Perry Trumbo, one of the successful 
 farmers of Dayton township, LaSalle county, where he settled in 1853, 
 having come here that year from the "Old Dominion." Moab Perry 
 Trumbo was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, December 16, 1829. 
 The farm upon which he was born has been the property of the Trumbos
 
 128 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 for one hundred and thirty years, having been the property of his grand- 
 father and father, both named Jacob. The younger Jacob Trumbo also 
 came to LaSalle county, Ilhnois, in the year 1853, and shortly after his 
 arrival here he died. His wife Elizabeth, nee Snyder, will be remembered 
 by the people of Dayton township as living as late as 1873. Their children 
 are: Dorothy, widow of Lewis Hess, of Kingman, Kansas; Oliver, assessor 
 of Dayton township, LaSalle county; Moab P., and Mary J., wife of Isaac 
 Green, of Dayton township. Moab P. Trumbo and his wife, whose maiden 
 name was Rebecca Kagy, have two children — Frank and Maie. The latter 
 is the wife of Ed. Bradfor, the proprietor of the Ottawa Steam Laundry. 
 
 It was on the old Trumbo homestead in Dayton township, November 
 25, 1862, that Frank Trumbo was born. He was educated in the public 
 schools and in Drew's Business College, and on completing his studies 
 settled down to the life of a farmer. He has ever since been engaged in 
 general farming and stock-raising, and is regarded as one of the most 
 promising young farmers in the township. 
 
 Mr. Trumbo was married December 3, 1886, to Miss Josephine 
 Rhodes, the daughter of Joseph Rhodes, well known in Ottawa as "the 
 liveryman." Their union has been blessed in the birth of two children: 
 Helena, born in 1887, and Josephine, born in 1892. 
 
 Mr. Trumbo is a Democrat and is at this writing the supervisor of 
 his township, to which office he was elected in the spring of 1898. Also 
 he is serving on the public-buildings committee and on the committee to 
 settle with the recorder and to audit the accounts of the state attorney. 
 And in this connection it should be further stated that he had been drawn 
 into the public service by being named and elected for office without per- 
 sonal solicitation on his part. 
 
 REV. J. J. GROGAN. 
 
 The pastor of St. Patrick's church at Ransom, LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 is a familiar figure to the residents of that vicinity and he has made many 
 friends aside from those who come under his jurisdiction as a pastor. His 
 work in the ministry since coming to this charge has been attended with the 
 m.ost flattering results and has marked him as a man of no small executive 
 ability and as a shepherd who watches carefully after the spiritual wants 
 of his flock. He was educated in the University of Chicago, being a student 
 there from 1863 to 1867. The following year he was made curate of St. 
 Patrick's church, on the West Side. Chicago. While there he built St. 
 Jarlath's church, which is located on Jackson street, and had charge of that
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 129 
 
 district for about four years. His next charge was at Mill Creek, Lake 
 county, this state, where a handsome church was erected under his guidance, 
 and two years later he was transferred to Sheffield, Bureau county, Illinois, 
 where a parsonage and parochial building were built, at a cost of two thous- 
 and dollars. 
 
 The church of St. Patrick's, at Ransom, was built in 1883, at a cost 
 of somewhat over two thousand dollars, and six years later Father Grogan 
 was given charge of the parish. He at once set about improving and 
 remodeling this structure, the cost being about twenty-five hundred dollars. 
 He also purchased six additional lots, and the property as it stands to-day 
 speaks eloquently of the reverend father's energy and forethought. It is 
 beautifully situated in a charming location, and is one of the most attrac- 
 tive spots in this vicinity. The parish organization is composed of about 
 fifty families, and the love and reverence in which they hold their pastor is 
 but a fitting tribute to his worth. The quiet, earnest manner in which 
 he has gone about his w-ork, and the success which has characterized his 
 ministrations, have caused him to be highly regarded by all who have had 
 the opportunity of meeting him, and no citizen stands higher in the esteem 
 and honor of the residents than the faithful, hard-working pastor of St. 
 Patrick's. 
 
 MARTIN C. HODGSON. 
 
 Ridge Farm, one of the best known horse farms in LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, is owned by the Hodgson estate and operated by Martin C. Hodgson, 
 son of and successor to the original founder of the farm, Eli Hodgson. In 
 this connection we take pleasure in referring personally to both gentlemen. 
 
 Eli Hodgson was born in the state of Ohio in 18 19, son of Joel Hodg- 
 son, who emigrated to Illinois in the year 1831. In this state Eli w^as reared 
 from his eleventh year, and was here married to Miss Phoebe Kincade, who 
 bore him the following named children : Ellen and Mary, who died in child- 
 hood; Sarah, wife of F. W. Farnham, of Shell City, Missouri; Almeda, who 
 died, unmarried; Martin C, whose name initiates this sketch; Emily, wife 
 of L. B. Pickerill, of Clinton, Illinois; J. W., of Lexington, Nebraska; 
 Martha J., of Clinton, Illinois; and Joel E., of Ottawa, Illinois. Eli Hodgson 
 came to Farm Ridge township, LaSalle county, in 1853, when this part of 
 the country was all wild land, and here purchased three hundred and twenty 
 acres, comprising what is now known as Ridge Farm, and a few years later, 
 in 1858, began dealing in horses. He was one of the first men in the state to 
 give especial attention to fine horses. In 1874 he first imported Percheron
 
 I30 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 stock direct from France, and made it a point to secure the best the market 
 afforded. Mr. E. Dillon, another well known importer of stock in this state, 
 was a brother-in-law of Eli Hodgson. The latter built a fine house and barn 
 on his farm and otherwise improved the same, and became well known as 
 one of the leading men of the county, recognized as an authority on all ques- 
 tions pertaining to horses. He was noted for his fair dealing and his hospi- 
 tality. The latch-string of his home was always out, and a cordial welcome 
 was extended to all who came his way. He was politically a Republican, and 
 religiously a member of the Christian church. In physique he was large and 
 well proportioned, weighing about two hundred pounds, and in manner he 
 was always genial and obliging. He died November ii, 1893, and his good 
 wife passed away December 20, 1895; she was born November 6, 1822. 
 
 Martin C. Hodgson was born August 6, 1852, in Tazewell county, Illi- 
 nois, and, was a babe when lirought to the farm on which he has since resided. 
 He received his education in the district schools, the academy at Eureka, 
 Illinois, and in the broad school of experience. As soon as he arrived at 
 adult years he became his father's partner and was associated with him in 
 business up to the time of his father's death, when he succeeded him. Under 
 his supervision Ridge Farm maintains the high standard of excellence which 
 it had attained, and its horses, both black and gray Percherons, are second 
 to none in the state. 
 
 Mr. Hodgson has been twice married. At the age of twenty-five he 
 married Miss Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of James Wilson, of Iowa, and to 
 them were given four children, — Edna F., Ethel Maud, Everett Eli and 
 Ernest W. This wife and mother died in 1886, and in 1894 he wedded Miss 
 Hattie M. Zibbell. 
 
 Like his father, Mr. Hodgson is a man of large physique and pleasing 
 manner. Indeed, he possesses many of his father's sterling characteristics. 
 Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, and has taken the Knight 
 Templar degrees, having membership in Ottawa Commandery, No. 10. 
 
 JAMES GORDON. 
 
 The extensive landed interests — seven hundred and sixty acres — which 
 are scheduled as part of the property of James Gordon, have been acquired 
 entirely through his well-directed and earnest efforts, and thus he is justly 
 entitled to the proud American title of a self-made man. Although he has 
 now rounded the psalmist's span of three-score years and ten. he possesses 
 the vigor and energy of a man of much younger years, and is still actively
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 131 
 
 identified with the business interests of LaSalle county, as a farmer and 
 stock-raiser, his home being one of the fine farming properties of Allan 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Gordon, who has been a resident of the county since 1853, and 
 w^as born in Roxburyshire, on the Tweed, in the north of England, seventy- 
 three years ago, his parents being John and Mary (Davidson) Gordon. His 
 father was a native of Coldstrom, Scotland, while the mother was born in 
 the north of England. They both died in the latter country, where they 
 had spent their married life. Their four children were James; Elizabeth; 
 John, who died in Ford county, Illinois; and Margaret, who is living in 
 England. 
 
 James Gordon spent the days of his childhood and youth in the land 
 of his nativity, and there acquired a good common-school education and 
 learned a trade. When about twenty-six years of age he sailed from Liver- 
 pool to New York, hoping to benefit his financial condition in the New 
 World. After eight weeks and four days spent upon the broad Atlantic 
 he landed in the eastern metropolis, whence he at once came to LaSalle 
 county. Here he began earning his livelihood by working in the harvest 
 fields, and the following year he worked in a sawmill in Putnam county. 
 His first purchase of land comprised eighty acres, in Brookfield township, 
 two miles south of Marseilles. With characteristic energy he began its 
 development, and his careful management and practical business methods 
 soon enabled him to extend the boundaries of his farm. From time to time 
 he has added to his landed possessions until he now has four hundred and 
 forty acres in Brookfield township and three hundred and twenty acres in 
 Allan township. He resides upon the latter and on the home farm he has 
 erected a fine modern residence, large and substantial barns and com- 
 modious sheds for the shelter of his stock. He also has a wind-mill and the 
 latest improved machinery. There are also good pastures, supplied with 
 running water, and beautiful groves add to the value and attractive appear- 
 ance of the place. Mr. Gordon makes a specialty of raising blooded cattle 
 and has made a close study of the needs of stock, so that this branch of 
 his business is most ably carried on and has proved a very profitable source 
 of income. 
 
 In Ottawa, Illinois, Mr. Gordon was married to Miss Johanna How- 
 ard, and to them have been born five children, namely: John, who is 
 married and resides in Shaler, Iowa; James, who married Miss Ida Pelon, 
 and is located on the old homestead, in Brookville township; Hannah 
 and Frank, both at home; and Jane, wife of James Kennedy, of Brook- 
 field township. 
 
 Mr. Gordon votes with the Republican party and is deeply interested
 
 132 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in political matters, keeping well informed on the questions and issues of 
 the day. He has never sought public office, however, preferring to devote 
 his energies to his business interests, which have been so capably controlled 
 that he has won signal success. 
 
 HIRAM D. OLMSTEAD. 
 
 Hiram D. Olmstead, more familiarly known among a wide circle of 
 friends as Deacon Olmstead, is a retired farmer of Ottawa, LaSalle county, 
 Illinois. He was born in the town of Catherine, Tioga county. New York, 
 December 9, 1822, and is a son of David and Esther (Clinton) Olmstead. 
 The father was born in the year 1800, in the state of Connecticut, and the 
 mother two years later, in the state of Massachusetts. She was a relative 
 of the celebrated Governor DeWitt Clinton, of New York. In October, 
 1832, David Olmstead and his family started on their long journey from 
 New York to this county. The trip was made by wagon and was neces- 
 sarily slow and tedious. Arriving here they took up a claim some four 
 miles northeast of Marseilles. This land was afterward offered for sale by 
 the government, the squatter having the first right to purchase. Mr. Olm- 
 stead bought the one hundred and sixty acres upon which he had settled and 
 set about its improvement. Here he lived during the remainder of his 
 life, adding to the original purchase until he had acquired three hundred and 
 twenty acres of land. He was a man of courage and great force of char- 
 acter, making him a fearless defender of right. He was an active worker 
 in the Methodist Episcopal church and died on his farm in 1855, deeply 
 mourned by all who knew him. His wife had crossed the river of Death 
 three years previously to- the removal of the family to this state. His father 
 was one of the first settlers in LaSalle county. He was a good friend of 
 Sibbony, the noted Indian chief. 
 
 Hiram D. Olmstead was but ten years old when he came to this 
 county. He attended school during the winter months until he was nine- 
 teen years of age. The school-house was a rude affair of logs, with benches 
 taking the place of the comfortable desk and seat of our modern civilization, 
 and it was surprising what swift progress they made. When nineteen _ 
 years of age he began to operate for himself, working on a farm by the 
 month for three years. In 1844 he was married to Mrs. Elnor A. Harding, 
 the widowed daughter of James Howland, of New York state. She owned 
 a farm and upon it they moved after their marriage and lived for upward of 
 thirty years, and here the four children of Mr. and Mrs. Olmstead were born 
 and grew up. They are as follows: Charles H., a farmer in Dayton town-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 133 
 
 ship; Smith H., deceased, whose widow resides on the homestead; Judson 
 H., now of Kansas; and Almira, wife of A. H. Fuller, of Ottawa. 
 
 Mr. Olmstead added to his occupation as farmer that of raising fine 
 hogs, his pigs growing into popular favor and being shipped to all parts 
 of the state for breeding purposes and invariably commanding good prices. 
 In 1876 the family moved to Ottawa and rented the farm to the son, 
 Smith H. They have made their home in the city since; and here, on 
 March 23, 1896, Mrs. Olmstead passed to her reward after rounding out 
 eighty-one years of usefulness. She was a woman of strong sympathies, a 
 devoted wife and mother and an untiring worker in the vineyard of the 
 Master. She had for years been an earnest laborer in the Baptist church, 
 in which organization her husband has been a deacon for forty years. Mr. 
 Olmstead is a stalwart Republican and was trustee of Freedom township 
 for a number of years. He is now in his seventy-seventh year and is a 
 fine example of well-preserved manhood, being hale and hearty, a fact 
 which is no doubt largely attributable to his total abstinence from tobacco 
 and liquors of all kinds. 
 
 JOHN M. COSTELLO. 
 
 John M, Costello is the well known blacksmith of Ottawa, whose fame 
 as a horse-shoer of more than average ability has gained for him more than 
 a local reputation. He is a native of this county, having entered this 
 mundane sphere at the village of Marseilles on August 15, 1846. 
 He is a son of Michael and Mary (Hogan) Costello, both parents 
 having come from Ireland to this country in 1840. Michael 
 Costello was a contractor on the Illinois and Michigan canal, but sold this 
 contract later to Michael Killelea and moved upon a farm about three 
 miles from Marseilles. He lived there until his death, in 1850, and became 
 a successful farmer and stock-raiser. Five children were born to him, viz.: 
 Ellen, wife of William Killelea; Mary Ann, wife of John W. GafTaney, of 
 Chicago; Margaret S., of Chicago; Bridget, widow of Mr. Lynch; and 
 John W., our subject. The widow and five children survive his death. 
 
 John M. Costello was about four years old at the time of his father's 
 death and made his home with the family of Michael Killelea until he was 
 fourteen years old, attending school at the Grove school-house. He was 
 then bound to Patrick McDermott, of Ottawa, to learn the trade of black- 
 smith. After serving his time he went to work for Thomas McDermott 
 for a time, but later went to Morris, where he worked at his trade. Return- 
 ing to Ottawa he was employed four years by Hahn & Shehan, buggy and 
 wagon manufacturers. He then entered into a partnership with John
 
 134 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Leonard for eighteen months, running a shop in this city. In 1876 he 
 opened a shop at No. 108 East Main street, in an old frame building, for- 
 merly a part of the old Mansion house, kept by one Mr. Wade, but his busi- 
 ness increased to such an extent that this building would not meet the 
 requirements of his trade and he erected a two-story brick building. He 
 now has three forges and has three men working for him the greater part 
 of the time, and has all the work he can attend to, being especially in de- 
 mand among the farmers. 
 
 November 26, 1874, he was married to ^liss Eliza Fennerty, a native 
 of Ottawa and the eldest daughter of James and Bridget (O'Brien) Fen- 
 nerty, who were born in Ireland and emigrated to America in 1831, coming 
 to Ottawa in 1834. Mr. Costello has erected a fine residence on Post 
 street for his home, and owns besides other city property. He began life 
 in a small way with but scant means, and by industry and frugality has laid 
 by a competency which will allow him to pass his last days in comfort and 
 ease if he be so disposed. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. 
 
 C. W. WOOD\\^\RD. 
 
 Grand Rapids township. LaSalle county, Illinois, includes among its 
 leading citizens the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. On 
 his present farm, which comprises two hundred and five acres, Mr. Wood- 
 ward has resided since 1871, when he purchased it of George Mills, and 
 he is thoroughly identified with the best interests of this locality. Some 
 personal mention of him is appropriate in this work, and we take pleasure 
 in presenting to our readers the following review: 
 
 C. W. Woodward was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, February 
 23, 1847, the son of Caleb Woodward, also a native of Fayette county, 
 Pennsylvania. Joseph W^oodward, the grandfather of our subject, was 
 likewise born in the Keystone state. He was of Scotch and EngHsh descent 
 and was a man of honest industry, by occupation a farmer. Caleb Wood- 
 ward grew up on his father's farm in Fayette county, and there married Miss 
 Rebecca Lynn, a native of that county and a daughter of Samuel Lynn and 
 wife, nee McCormick, both of whom died in Pennsylvania. Caleb Wood- 
 ward died in Pennsylvania, in 1847, when our subject was six months old, 
 and his widow later became the wife of Elias Jeffries. She died in Dela- 
 ware county, Iowa, in 1859. 
 
 After his father's death the subject of our sketch found a home with 
 his paternal grandfather, with whom he lived for nine years. From his ninth 
 year until he reached maturity he was a member of the household of his
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 135 
 
 uncle, Taylor Woodward. His youth was passed in farm work, and a por- 
 tion of each year he attended the public schools. On reaching manhood 
 he engaged in farming on his own account, remaining in Fayette county 
 until 1871, in which year he came west to Illinois and purchased the farm 
 he now occupies, as stated in the beginning of this sketch. This place is 
 nicely improved with first-class buildings, etc., the residence being located 
 on a natural building site, and everything conveniently arranged and well 
 
 kept. 
 
 Mr. Woodward was married October 24, 1867, to Miss Martha J. 
 Leckey, a native of the same county in which he was born, and a daughter 
 of William and Mary A. (Moore) Leckey, also natives of Fayette county. 
 Mrs. Leckey died in middle life, leaving two children — Mrs. Woodward and 
 ^.Irs. Louisa Rice, of Fayette county. Mr. Leckey lived to the age of sixty 
 years, and he likewise died in Pennsylvania. By a second marriage he had 
 other children. By trade he was a millwright, in politics was a Republican, 
 and in religion a Lutheran. To Mr. and Mrs. Woodward have been born 
 eleven children, nine sons and two daughters, namely: Anna Alice, wife 
 of Charles Palmer of Grand Ridge, Illinois; Charles Lynn, a bookkeeper 
 of Ottaw^a, Illinois; William A., of Webster county, Iowa; I. Lewis, a 
 bridge-builder of LaSalle county; Etta M., at home; Arthur E., of Webster 
 county, Iowa; Chester R., at home; Clayton, a student of Lake Forest, 
 Illinois; and Samuel C, Kent L. and Floyd Wayne. Mr. and Mrs. Wood- 
 ward are members of the Presbyterian church. Politically he is a Repub- 
 lican. 
 
 THOMAS ROWE. 
 
 Thomas Rowe is one of the well known early settlers of Grand Rapids 
 township, LaSalle county, Illinois. He was born in New Haven county, 
 Connecticut, December 12, 1831, and is descended from old New England 
 families who were noted for their industry, honesty and patriotism. ^ Mr. 
 Rowe's father was Frederick Rowe, a native of Bennington, Vermont. Fred- 
 erick Rowe's mother was, before marriage, a Miss Perry, and her people were 
 among the patriots in Revolutionary times, six of her brothers serving in 
 the Revolutionary army. Thomas Rowe's mother's maiden name was 
 Hepsebee Johnson. She was born in New Haven, Connecticut, daughter 
 of Jesse Johnson, whose a^jcestors came from England in the Mayflower. 
 
 In 1849 Frederick Rowe left his New England home and, accompanied 
 by his family, came west to Illinois, making the journey across the country 
 to Buffalo, thence via the lakes to Chicago, and by canal from Chicago to 
 Ottawa. Arrived in LaSalle county, he settled in Grand Rapids township,
 
 136 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 and here he passed the rest of his life and died, his age at death being 
 seventy-one years. The wife and mother likewise was seventy-one years 
 of age when she died. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and in his political views Mr. Rowe was Democratic. Their children 
 in order of birth were as follows: Georgiana Rigler, who died in Chicago; 
 Minerva James, of Connecticut; Frederick W., of Ottawa, Illinois; Ellen 
 Lowry, deceased; Thomas, whose name initiates this sketch; Elizabeth 
 Ford, of Grand Ridge, LaSalle county; and ]\Iary Jeffries, of D wight, Illi- 
 nois. 
 
 Thomas Rowe was reared in Connecticut, where he received a fair 
 education in the common schools, and wdiere for one year he was employed 
 in a tack and nail factory. Then came their emigration to Illinois. He was 
 eighteen at that time, and on their settlement here he devoted his energies 
 to assisting his father in work on the farm. He remained on the home farm 
 until 1858, when he thought to try his fortune in Texas, and went to Hunts- 
 ville, where he made the first brooms manufactured in that state. He was 
 in the south at the time the civil war broke out, and circumstances impelled 
 liim to enter the Confederate army, in which he served for a period of three 
 years, being with the forces that operated in Arkansas and Louisiana. At 
 the close of the war, in 1865, he returned to his old home in Illinois and has 
 since been a resident of LaSalle count}^ He is now the owner of one hun- 
 dred and seventeen acres of choice farming land, well improved with good 
 house and barn, and under an excellent state of cultivation. 
 
 Mr. Rowe was married, April 12, 1868, to Mary E. Read, a native of 
 Saratoga county, New York, and a daughter of Butler and Emeline Read, 
 natives of that county, both now deceased. The fruits of this union were 
 four children — Alice, now the wife of Grant Baker, of Grand Ridge; Fred- 
 erick, who died in infancy; Emma L., a successful teacher, employed in 
 the Grand Ridge schools; and Jessie B., of South Qmaha, Nebraska. The 
 mother of this family died in 1886. She was a most amiable woman, loved 
 by all who knew her, and was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. In August, 1890, Mr. Rowe married ]\Irs. A. D. Hodgeman, widow 
 of Ransom Hodgeman and daughter of Ephraim and Abigail (Lowe) Ray, 
 the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of ]\Iedina county, Ohio, 
 in which county Mrs. Rowe was likewise born. Her parents are still living, 
 being residents of Victoria, Knox county, Illinois. The father is eighty- 
 three years of age, and the mother eighty, and their married life has covered 
 a period of sixty-two years. Both have long been devoted members of the 
 Methodist Episcopal church. By her first husband, Mrs. Rowe has five 
 children, namely: Isabelle, wife of C. Hammond, of Victoria, Illinois; 
 Alvin, also of Victoria; Ira E., of Missouri; Carl N., who was a soldier in
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 137 
 
 the late war with Spain; and Raymond B., at home. Mr, Hodgeman died 
 April 17, 1889. He was a man of sterling integrity and was held in high 
 esteem by the people among whom he lived. He was identified with the 
 Methodist Episcopal church, the Masonic fraternity and the Republican 
 party. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Rowe are Presbyterians in religious adherency, and po- 
 litically Mr. Rowe is a Republican. He is a man whose genial hospitality 
 is well known and who has the confidence and high regard of all who have 
 ever in any way been associated with him. 
 
 JERRY W. WAKEY. 
 
 The prosperous and well-to-do farmer whose name initiates this re- 
 view, Jerry W. Wakey, is a native of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, and dates his birth August 21, 1859. He is a son of William 
 W^akey, deceased, one of the prominent early settlers and respected citizens 
 of this country. He was born, reared and educated in Germany and came 
 as a young man to the United States, locating shortly afterward in LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, where he married and made permanent settlement. His 
 widow, Elizabeth Wakey, who is still a resident of this county, was born 
 and reared in Perry county, Pennsylvania. 
 
 Jerry W. was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in 
 the public schools, and at home was early taught that honesty and industry 
 form the foundation of all true success. He remained at home, assisting 
 his father in the farm work until he attained his majority. Starting out in 
 life for himself, he was well equipped by careful training, and it was but 
 natural that he should succeed in his operations. He is now the owner of 
 a' fine farm of two hundred and forty acres, located on section 28, Grand 
 Rapids township, and ranking as one of the best farms in the township, 
 and his residence, which was built in 1896, at a cost of two thousand dollars, 
 is of modern architectural design, and shows by both its interior and exterior 
 surroundings that its owner is not only a prosperous man, but also that 
 he and his family are people of culture and refinement. Among other 
 improvements on his farm may be mentioned the commodious barn and 
 other buildings, and the windmill, which furnishes the power for bringing 
 water from a depth of two hundred feet and supplying it to convenient 
 places for use, in the residence, milkhouse, etc. 
 
 Mr. Wakey was married February 3, 1887, to Miss Luemma Wood- 
 ward, a native of LaSalle county and a daughter of George B, Woodward,
 
 138 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 who died in 1892, her mother having passed away in 1867. Mrs. Wakey 
 was educated in Lincohi, Ihinois, and is one of a family of two, her brother 
 being J. W. Woodward, of Grand Ridge, this state. Mr. and Mrs. Wakey 
 have one son. Earl Rodner, born June 22, 1892. 
 
 Both Mr. Wakey and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, being prominent and active in the same, and for years they have 
 been interested in Sabbath-school work. Politically he is a Republican, and 
 has filled some local offices, such as that of road commissioner, etc. Frank, 
 genial and hospitable, Mr. Wakey has a large acquaintance and a corre- 
 SDonding number of friends. 
 
 A. D. SIMON. 
 
 The year that witnessed the close of the great civil war in the United 
 States was the year in which the subject of this article saw fit to cast in his 
 lot with our people, and from that time until the present day none of its 
 citizens have been more loyal and patriotic, in word, thought and deed. 
 Thirty-three years have rolled away since Mr. Simon identified himself with 
 the business interests of Ottawa, and during this long period he has main- 
 tained an unblemished record for integrity and square dealing. 
 
 F. A. Simon, the father of our subject, a native of Cassel, Germany, 
 served in the standing army of the empire much of his active life, winning 
 distinction, and for twenty-seven years held official rank and title. He was 
 a fine musician, and his talent in that line was inherited by his son, A. D., 
 of this sketch. The latter was born in the city of Cassel, Germany, and 
 when of sufficient age entered the public schools. He obtained a liberal 
 education, and paid particular attention to the study of music, in which he 
 became proficient when quite young. 
 
 He emigrated to this country in i860, and in 1865, in partnership with 
 his brother Carl, opened a store in Ottawa where all kinds of pianos and 
 musical instruments were kept for sale. In 1884 A. D. Simon started a 
 store on his own account. Years ago this business had won a foremost 
 place in this department of enterprise in LaSalle county, and this reputa- 
 tion is sturdily maintained by the proprietor. The location is central, at 
 No. 803 LaSalle street, and here may be found many of the leading makes 
 of pianos and organs in a great variety of styles and cases, suited to the 
 diiTfering tastes and requirements of purchasers. High-grade musical instru- 
 ments of all kinds are kept, and hard to please, indeed, must he be who can- 
 not be suited here. 
 
 For over twentv vears Mr. Simon has been the organist in the Metho-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 139 
 
 dist church of Ottawa, and his love for music increases rather than wanes 
 as he grows older. He stands high in social and fraternal circles and, among 
 others, is connected \vith the Knights Templars. In politics he is a stanch 
 Republican. 
 
 SAMUEL D. COLE. 
 
 It is not alone to the lives of the great that we must look for the lessons 
 of life. It will not make a man a great farmer or merchant to emulate 
 the deeds of a great lawyer or general or naval commander. There are 
 more farmers than statesmen, and there always will be, and if it were not so 
 the statesman's occupation would be gone. The life of a successful farmer 
 like Samuel D. Cole of Ottawa, Illinois, is, in detail, important to thousands 
 who will necessarily have to follow in his footsteps more or less closely. 
 
 Samuel D. Cole was born on a farm in Tompkins county, New York, 
 March 31, 1821, a son of Joseph and Depsey (Robinson) Cole. His father 
 was a native of France and when young came to the United States, when, 
 after learning and working at the shoemaker's trade, he took up farming in 
 New York, and later in life removed to Indiana, where he died. His mother 
 was a daughter of Andrew Robinson, a well-to-do farmer of Tompkins 
 county, New York, where she was born. 
 
 Samuel D. Cole was brought up on a farm, and after he was old 
 enough assisted his father with its work until he attained his majority. 
 He then came west as far as Cleveland, Ohio, where he was employed 
 by a contractor, at teaming, carpentry and any other work there was to 
 be done. He was always looking for a dollar, but he wanted no dollars but 
 honest ones, and was willing to work hard for such. He got ahead a little 
 financially and was married at Cleveland, Ohio, May 15., 1845, to Elizabeth 
 Bell, who was born August 20, 1828, the daughter of Jacob and Sarah 
 Bell, of that city. In that same year he came to Illinois with his young 
 wife, and rented a farm in Vermilion township. In those times this would 
 have been a proposition not without risks to one who, like Mr. Cole, might 
 enter upon it on a cash capital of only twenty-five dollars. It was haz- 
 ardous, even to that day of small things, but it was a transaction which 
 must be emphasized here as indicating the man's strong, decisive char- 
 acter and unconquerable perseverance. He kept this farm three years 
 and made money on it, and was then able to venture upon the purchase 
 of an eighty-acre farm in the township of Utica, where he began farming 
 and raising stock. He gave much attention to hogs, as he could raise them 
 and get them to market in a short time and turn his small capital over often. 
 As he made money he improved the property and added to it until he
 
 I40 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 had four hundred acres of choice land, provided with buildings of the best 
 class and responsive to the most perfect cultivation. His stock was of all 
 kinds and of the highest grade. 
 
 There came a time when it was no longer necessary for Mr. Cole to 
 attend personally to his farming and stock-raising, and he moved to 
 Ottawa, with the intention of living there retired and contented. But he 
 had been too busy a man for too many years to take readily to a life of ease. 
 He secured control of a boat on the canal, which he ran for five years. 
 He then added one hundred and sixty acres to his farm, where he remained 
 ten years, but finally, in 1875, retired from active agricultural life and moved 
 into Ottawa, where he purchased a tract of eighty acres, where his son 
 Charles carried on gardening until 1892, when he sold it to the Terracotta 
 Manufacturing Company and moved to his present home. He owns eight 
 or ten good houses and two store-houses, the rental and care of which 
 demand much of his time; and he also loans money, but devotes much 
 attention to the supervision of his farming interests. 
 
 There have been born to Samuel D. and Elizabeth (Bell) Cole six 
 children: Louisa, who died in infancy; Lydia, widow of Alonzo Tate; Julia 
 B., the wife of Bona Cole, a cousin, and living in Chicago; Albert, living 
 on the Cole farm in Utica township; Charles, a gardener; and Sherman, a 
 carpenter, living in Ottawa. Mr. Cole was formerly an old-line Whig, but 
 has been a stanch Republican since the organization of the party. He is 
 a member of Occidental Lodge, No. 40, Free and Accepted Masons, and of 
 Ottawa Chapter, No. 37, Royal Arch Masons. He is widely known as a 
 successful business man and his frugality and industry and their well de- 
 served reward should be a shining lesson to the young men of his acquaint- 
 ance. 
 
 ENOCH H. PEDERSEN. 
 
 Enoch H. Pedersen, of Sheridan, Mission township, owes his success 
 to his own efforts, his energy, industry and laudable ambition being the 
 elements whereby he has won a place among the substantial citizens of 
 LaSalle county. 
 
 He was born in Leland, this county, June 14, 1861, a son of Peter H. 
 and Lavina (Hanson) Pedersen, both of whom were natives of Norway. 
 His grandfather was Halvar Pedersen, who with his family, consisting of a 
 wife and four children, emigrated to this country in 1843. A settlement 
 was made in Mission township, this county, and four years later they 
 removed to Leland, where the grandfather spent his last days. He was
 
 ^^-^'U^ ^::^^^^
 
 1 
 
 4
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 141 
 
 a farmer by occupation but spent his last years in retirement. Peter H. 
 Pedersen entered the ministry of the Norwegian Lutheran church in early 
 manhood, but after some years devoted to that work he was obliged to 
 discontinue preaching on account of failing health. Subsequently he 
 engaged in merchandising in Leland for seven years. He was married in 
 this county, to Lavina Hanson, who died in 1866, while his death occurred 
 in 1873. They left three children, who are still living, namely: Enoch H.; 
 George M., of Yorkville, Illinois; and Minnie, the wife of Benjamin John- 
 son, of Cambridge, Iowa. A son, Noah, died in 1865. In 1839, when Mr. 
 Pedersen's mother was three years of age, her parents settled in LaSalle 
 county, near Brumback creek, a few miles north of Ottawa, and here they 
 resided until the following year, when they moved to Adams township in the 
 same county, where many of the family still reside. For a second wife Peter 
 H. Pedersen married Bertha Void, and by this marriage there was one child, 
 which died in infancy. 
 
 Mr. Pedersen, of this review, spent the days of his boyhood and youth 
 in Leland, and when nineteen years of age came to Sheridan. He acquired 
 his preliminary education in the schools of the former place and also pursued 
 his studies in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and in Keokuk, Iowa. Afterward 
 he engaged in clerking in a general store two years, and then one year 
 in a drug-store in Leland; and on coming to Sheridan he accepted a clerical 
 position in a general store, which he filled for six years. He then embarked in 
 general merchandising on his own account, continuing in that line of business 
 for twelve years, during which time he had several partners and conducted 
 stores at the towns of Sheridan, Dayton and Yorkville, Illinois. In the fall 
 of 1898 he embarked in the hardware business in Sheridan and was success- 
 fully engaged in this line of business until the fall of 1899, when he sold 
 his stock. 
 
 In 1885 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Pedersen and Miss Rose 
 McClary, of Sheridan, the daughter of Thomas and Susan McClary, early 
 settlers of Mission township. They have two sons: Pierre M., born in 
 1886; and McClary W., born in 1890. Socially Mr. Pedersen is a Royal 
 Arch Mason and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. In 
 politics he is a staunch Republican, having supported that party since attain- 
 ing his majority. He keeps well informed on the issues of the day and 
 does all in his power to promote the growth and insure the success of 
 his party. He has served as school treasurer of Mission township for ten 
 years, as alderman of Sheridan for one term, and in April. 1898, he was 
 appointed by John C. Ames to the oftlce of deputy United States marshal, 
 in which capacity he is now serving most acceptably. 
 
 In the beginning of his business career Mr. Pedersen did not have
 
 142 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 wealth to aid him. His reliance has been placed upon the more substantial 
 qualities of perseverance, untiring enterprise, resolute purpose and com- 
 mendable zeal; and withal his actions have been guided by an honesty of 
 purpose that none have questioned. 
 
 ISRAEL C. COPE. 
 
 A prominent figure in the annals of Streator is Israel C. Cope, wlio has 
 achieved distinction in numerous important public positions, acquitting him- 
 self of the duties devolving upon him with zeal, fidelity and promptness, and 
 meriting the high enconiums which have been accorded him. The following 
 facts relative to himself and his honorable career will possess much interest 
 to his hosts of admirers, here and elsewhere. 
 
 The Cope family was established in America by one Oliver Cope, a 
 member of the Society of Friends, who accompanied William Penn on one 
 of his voyages from England to the vicinity of Philadelphia. Israel C. is a 
 son of Eli and Susan (Shotwell) Cope, and a grandson of James Dickinson 
 and Rebecca (Cooke) Cope, and of John Shotwell, the latter of New Jersey, 
 while the Copes were natives of the Keystone state. 
 
 The birth of Israel C. Cope took place in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, 
 March 4, 1849, he being one of ten children, five of whom were sons. He 
 spent his youthful days in his native county, where he gained an excellent 
 education. Later he pursued his studies in Bethany College, West Virginia. 
 In 1 87 1 he decided to try his fortunes in the west and went to Ottumwa, 
 Iowa, where he spent two years. In 1873 he came to Streator and secured 
 employment as a clerk, and subsequently he embarked in the drug business 
 upon his own account. He met with success in his financial undertakings, 
 and thoroughly merits the high esteem in which he is held by those who 
 have had business dealings with him. 
 
 Though he has loyally adhered to the Republican party since becoming 
 a voter, Mr. Cope has been nothing of a politician in the sense of seeking 
 public honors. His influence, however, in local circles has been materially 
 felt and acknowledged, and his appointment as the postmaster of Streator, 
 under President Harrison's administration, gave general satisfaction. Later 
 he was appointed deputy United States marshal of the northern district 
 of Illinois, in which capacity he is still acting. For the past nine years he 
 has been the Illinois state secretary of the American Protective Tariff 
 League. 
 
 On the last day of May, in the centennial year, Mr. Cope married Miss 
 Fannie O. Ames, a daughter of Isaac and Aurelia (Mooar) Ames, of Streator.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 143 
 
 They have a son and daughter — Jessie O. and Ehiier A. Mr. and Mrs. Cope 
 have an attractive home in this town, and are surrounded by the numerous 
 comforts and hixuries which bespeak true refinement in the possessors, as 
 indicating love for the beautiful. 
 
 Socially, Mr. Cope is a member in high standing in the Masonic order. 
 He belongs to Streator Lodge, No. 602, F. & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 
 168, R. A. M., of Streator; and Ottawa Commandery No. 10, K. T. 
 
 ANDREW J. REDMEN. 
 
 The subject of this sketch furnishes an illustration of the self-made 
 man. Coming to Illinois and locating in LaSalle county more than four 
 decades ago, without means, his only resource being his pluck and energy, 
 Andrew Jackson Redmen w'orked his way to the front, and to-day he occu- 
 pies a representative position among the leading farmers of Farm Ridge 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Redmen is a native of Preble county, Ohio, and was born Decem- 
 ber 14, 1835. The Redmens were among the earl}^ settlers of this country 
 and occupied prominent positions in New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia 
 at an early day. John Redmen, the grandfather of Andrew J., was a soldier 
 in some of the early wars. His son Benjamin Redmen married Miss Eliza- 
 beth House, a native of West Virginia and a descendant of German ancestry. 
 After their marriage they moved west to Preble county, Ohio, where they 
 reared their family and passed the rest of their lives. Their children, 
 seven in number, were named as follows: Mary Catherine, deceased; Ellen 
 Caroline; Andrew Jackson; Sarah Jane, deceased; Susan; one child who 
 died in infancy; and William. The father died at the age of fifty-nine 
 years. He was a farmer all his life, and politically was a Democrat. 
 
 • Andrew J. was reared on his father's farm in Preble county, attending 
 the subscription schools of the neighborhood, assisting in the farm work 
 at home, and early having impressed upon his mind lessons of honesty and 
 industry. Leaving home at the age of twenty-one, in 1856, he came to 
 Illinois and found employment in LaSalle county. A few years later he 
 returned to Ohio and was married, and in i860 came back to Illinois and 
 settled in Farm Ridge township, LaSalle county, where he has since lived 
 and prospered. When he landed here the second time his capital consisted 
 of thirty-three dollars in money and an abundance of energy, and his suc- 
 cess is due wholly to his own perseverance and good management. He is 
 now the owner of four hundred and forty acres of fine land, comprised in
 
 144 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 four well improved farms, and is ranked with the leading farmers of the 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Redmen was married in Preble county, Ohio, to Miss Sarah 
 Bunger, a native of that state and a daughter of Samuel and Eva (Lock) 
 Bunger. They have eight children, namely: Mrs. Eathlinda Rutter, of 
 western Nebraska; James P., who owns one hundred and sixty acres of land 
 and is engaged in farming in Farm Ridge township, LaSalle county; John 
 Perry% of Webster county, Iowa; Samuel, on his father's farm; William 
 F., on Deer Park farm; Mrs. Eva H, Provins, of Gardner, Illinois; and 
 Andrew J., Jr., and Leroy at home. 
 
 Mr. Redmen has always supported the Republican party and has served 
 officially in several local ofhces. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. xVs a citizen he stands high in the estimation of the people of his 
 communitv. 
 
 HENRY F. HOWLAND. 
 
 In reviewing the life history of Henry F. Howland, one of the leading 
 and wealthy citizens of Streator, one is inevitably impressed with what he, 
 v.ho was a few years ago a poor man, has accomplished. From his boy- 
 hood industry and diligent application to w'hatever task he had before 
 him have been among his marked traits of character, and this concentra- 
 tion of his energy to the working out of some particular aim is one of the 
 secrets of his success. 
 
 The father of our subject, Shubal Howland, was born at Cape Cod, 
 Massachusetts, and during the greater part of his mature life he was en- 
 gaged in merchandising. The mother, whose maiden name was Mary 
 Godfrey, was born at Blackstone, Rhode Island, and passed the most of 
 her life in her native state. 
 
 Henry F. Howland was born in Seekonk, Massachusetts, May 5, 1839. 
 When he was quite young his parents removed to Rhode Island, and there 
 the lad attended the public schools until he was about fifteen years of age. 
 He then obtained employment in the great Lonsdale Manufacturing Com- 
 pany's mills, at Lonsdale. Rhode Island, W'here he continued to render 
 faithful service for some fourteen years. 
 
 In 1870 the desire to see the west, with a view to making his perma- 
 nent abode there, led to his coming to LaSalle county, and, having some 
 capital, he invested it in a furniture and undertaking establishment at 
 ^A^ilmington, where he remained eleven years. During this time he was 
 always at the front in furthering the development and improvement of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 145 
 
 his home city. He served two years as city clerk and six years as a mem- 
 ber of the city council, and was also solicited a number of times to accept 
 the office of mayor, but declined further honor in that line. Becoming 
 acquainted with Daniel Heenan, of Streator, through that gentleman's 
 persuasion he was induced, in 1880, to remove his business to Streator, 
 where he has met with even greater success, and numbers among his 
 patrons the best families of the place. In 1891 he erected a fine, substantial 
 three-story brick block, forty-five feet by ninety feet in dimensions, and 
 all of the room thus afforded is used by him in the various departments 
 of his prosperous business. He carries a large and well selected stock of 
 household furnishings, carpets, furniture and general supplies. A fine line 
 of caskets and funeral equipments are to be found in that department of the 
 enterprise, and a good hearse and horses complete what is considered one 
 of the best undertaking outfits in the county. Mr. Howland's reputation 
 in his special lines of business has extended over the southern and central 
 part of LaSalle county, and his record for fairness and square dealing is 
 unsurpassed. 
 
 In 1859 Mr. Howland wedded Miss Mary Carlin, a daughter of John 
 Carlin, of Lonsdale, Rhode Island. Five children were born to this worthy 
 couple, namely: Mary, wife of Nicholas Casey, a retired farmer of Streator; 
 Lydia, who is at home; Henry J., who is associated in business with his 
 father; John F., now employed by the Santa Fe Railroad Company; Lydia, 
 who is at home; and Lucy, who is still pursuing her studies at the Academy 
 of the Sacred Heart, Chicago. 
 
 In politics Mr. Howland is a stanch Republican. For six years he 
 served as a member of the Streator school board, favoring progressive 
 methods and better educational facilities for the rising generation. Socially 
 he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. He owns his attractive 
 home and other valuable property here, and has an assured competence for 
 his declining years, all of which is the result of his executive ability and 
 good judgment in business affairs. 
 
 J. J. WAFER. 
 
 Unusual merit and stability of character must be possessed by the 
 young lad who is thrown upon his own resources at an age when he 
 should be in the school-room, yet who bravely fights the battle for a liveli- 
 hood in which many of his elders are worsted, and eventually comes ofif 
 victor over circumstances. This is found to be the case in the history of
 
 146 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 J. J. Wafer, who for the past five years has been engaged in business in 
 Ottawa. 
 
 He is a native of St. Louis, his birth having taken place in that city 
 some thirty-four years ago. His father, John Wafer, now deceased, was 
 a son of the Emerald Isle, but in his young manhood he emigrated to the 
 United States, and taking up his residence in St. Louis there married Miss 
 Elizabeth Early. Li 1876 they removed to Denver, Colorado, where they 
 dwelt for years. 
 
 J. J. Wafer had but limited educational advantages, as he commenced 
 serving an apprenticeship at the plumbing, gas and steam-fitting business 
 when he was but eleven years of age. He made rapid progress in the craft, 
 and at last was promoted to the position of foreman for the business house 
 of W. W. 'Judd, of Denver, in whose employ he continued for eight years. 
 He is a practical workman, understanding thoroughly every branch of his 
 line of business, and all contracts awarded him are executed with a prompt- 
 ness and ability which make friends of all of his patrons. Since locating 
 in Ottawa his place of business has been at No. 104 Main street, where 
 may be found a complete stock of plumbers' supplies. He has succeeded 
 in gaining a large and remunerative patronage, and his outlook is most 
 promising. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Wafer is a Knight of the Globe, and a member of the 
 L O. M. A., and politically he is independent. In 1890 Mr. Wafer mar- 
 ried Miss Ella Hayne, a daughter of William Hayne. Mrs. Wafer is a 
 native of Ottawa, and is a lady of liberal mental and social attainments. A 
 little son and daughter, Willie and Esther, bless their happy home, where 
 is represented the acme of comfort and culture. 
 
 C. E. FARNHAM, M. D. 
 
 Dr. C. E. Farnham, of Grand Ridge, Illinois, is one of the prominent 
 young physicians in LaSalle county, and the following brief sketch of his 
 life is appropriately given in this connection. He was born in Farm Ridge 
 township, LaSalle county, Illinois, February 16, 1865, son of William F. 
 Farnham, a well known and highly respected citizen of the township. The 
 latter is of New England birth and ancestry, born, reared and educated in 
 Maine. He came to Illinois when a young man, locating in LaSalle county, 
 and was here married to Miss Sarah Hodgson, daughter of Eli Hodgson, 
 deceased, a prominent early settler of the county. In 1870 William F. 
 Farnham and wife went to Missouri, locating in Vernon county, at Shell 
 City, where they have since lived. They have the following named children:
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 147 
 
 C. E., whose name introduces this sketch; WilHam G. ; Warren E., a 
 teacher, and Mattie E. 
 
 C. E. Farnham received his education chiefly at Shell City, Missouri, 
 and at the age of eighteen commenced teaching, which occupation he fol- 
 lowed for a few years. In the meantime he chose the medical profession 
 for his life work, and regularly took up the study of medicine in 1887, under 
 the instructions of Dr. H. C. Jarvis, a well known and successful physician 
 of Shell City, with whom he remained one year. In 1888 he entered 
 Bennett Eclectic College, in Chicago, from which institution he graduated, 
 being one of a class of seventy-five members. Immediately after his gradu- 
 ation, in 1890, he located at Harding, LaSalle county, Illinois, where he 
 began his professional career and practiced two years. From Harding he 
 came, in 1892, to Grand Ridge, his present location, where he soon built 
 up a good practice and where his success as a physician and his kindly 
 and genial manner have brought him into favor with the people among 
 whom he lives. 
 
 Dr. Farnham was married in 1890, at Osceola, Clark county, Iowa, to 
 Miss Rosa Sutton, an accom.plished young woman, who was reared in 
 LaSalle county, being the daughter of William and Martha Sutton. Dr. 
 and Mrs. Farnham have one child, Edna M. 
 
 Politically and religiously Dr. Farnham clings to the faith in which 
 he was reared, being a Republican and a Methodist. In church matters 
 he takes an active interest, and at this writing is steward of the Methodist 
 church at Grand Ridge. Fraternally he is identified with the Knights of 
 Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, being a past chancellor in 
 the former. Personally Dr. Farnham is a man of fine physique, weighing 
 two hundred pounds, and in manner he is frank and genial. 
 
 AARON S. WILKINSON. 
 
 The gentleman whose name we are pleased to place at the head of 
 this memoir, — the late Aaron S. Wilkinson, of Allen township, LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, — was a justice of the peace and a veteran of the civil war. 
 The record of his life, briefly given, is as follows: 
 
 Aaron S. Wilkinson was born in Auburn, New York, July 7. 1828, 
 son of Aaron Wilkinson, a native of Scott's Plain, New York, and his wife, 
 Polly (Wilkins) Wilkinson, daughter of a Revolutionary soldier. Aaron 
 and Polly Wilkinson were the parents of a large family, whose names in 
 order of birth are: Mrs. Sophia Wisner, of Hanson. Nebraska: Permelia 
 Linsley, of New York; James, an early settler of Allen township, LaSalle
 
 148 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 county, Illinois, is deceased; Polly Granger, deceased; Eleanor Caldwell, 
 deceased; and Cornelia Holcomb, deceased. 
 
 In his native state Aaron S. Wilkinson was reared and educated. He 
 had been twice married. His first wife was before marriage Miss Maria 
 Babcock, she being a native of Branch county, Michigan, and daughter of 
 Frank Babcock, of that state. The fruits of their union were four children, 
 viz.: Edna, wife of James Ford, of Ransom, Illinois; James, of Crystal 
 Falls, Michigan; Frank, who died at the age of twenty-seven years; and 
 Ambrose B., who died at the age of twenty-eight, leaving a wife and three 
 children. Mrs. Maria Wilkinson died June 23, 1885. She was a member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church and was a most estimable woman, loved 
 by all who knew her. In September, 1886, Mr. Wilkinson was married 
 to Mrs. Lovisa Wilkinson, who is the daughter of Bourbon Matthews, a 
 native of Virginia. By this marriage there are two children: Irma and 
 Bertha, aged ten and three years respectively. 
 
 Mr. Wilkinson's war record began in September, 1862, when he 
 •enlisted in Company B, Eighth Michigan Cavalry, under Captain Miles 
 Warren and Colonel Stockton, and he was made first lieutenant of his 
 company. He was with his command, participating in the engagements in 
 which it took part, until June 10, 1864, when he was honorably discharged, 
 and thereupon returned home. 
 
 Politically Mr. Wilkinson was always known as an ardent Republican. 
 For twelve years he served as a justice of the peace and a notary public. 
 Fraternally he was identified with the Masonic Order, and was a member 
 of Francis M. Lane Post, No. 247, G. A. R., having been its first com- 
 mander and being senior vice-commander at the time of his death. Mr. 
 Wilkinson was an accomplished musician, having taught music for over 
 forty years, and for some years past was the leader of the Methodist church 
 choir. November 3, 1899, Mr. Wilkinson passed to his reward, leaving 
 a large circle of friends to mourn his demise. He leaves his wife and their 
 two children and two children by his former marriage to mourn his 
 loss. He Avas a member of the Methodist Episcopal church of Ransom. 
 
 WILLIAM A. JEFFERY. 
 
 During the years 1895 ^^^'^ 1896 William A. JefTery was the efificient 
 and popular chairman of the Republican township central committee at 
 Ottawa. He is considered one of the most loyal workers in the party in 
 this locality, and, at the same time, he is not an office-seeker, never having 
 had aspirations in that direction. He firmly believes in the usefulness and
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 149 
 
 wisdom of the party principles and seeks to promulgate its beneficent doc- 
 trines. In the order of the Knights of Pythias he is an esteemed member, 
 and at present he occupies the honored position of major of the second 
 battalion of the Uniformed Rank. 
 
 For the past twelve or thirteen years Mr. Jeffery has been a resident 
 of Ottawa. He is engaged in contracting and building and has his busi- 
 ness office at No. 325 Madison street. Many of the best houses of the- 
 town have been erected by him, or under his direction, and examples of 
 his handicraft are to be seen upon every side. Upright and honorable in 
 all his transactions, faithful in the carrying out of his contracts, whether 
 verbal or written, he justly ranks high among the business men of this 
 place. 
 
 Thomas Jeffery, the father of our subject, was born in New York state, 
 and was of English descent. He married a Miss Mary Andrews, who passed 
 to her reward in 1893, and to this worthy couple nine children were born. 
 All of the children, save William A., are residents of Michigan. In order 
 of birth they are named as follow^s: William A.; Leanora; John; Milo; 
 Lillie; Elton; Edward; Hattie; and Ivia. The father has made agriculture 
 the main business of his life, and in this he has been quite successful. In 
 his political adherency he is a Democrat. 
 
 The birth of William A. Jeffery took place on the old homestead hi 
 Wayne county, Michigan, September 27, 1850. He received the benefits- 
 of a good common and high school education, and w^as thus qualified for 
 the battle of life. Subsequently to his graduation in the Howell high, 
 school he commenced learning the carpenter's trade, and in 1882 he came 
 to Illinois, wdiere he has since been busily engaged in his chosen vocation. 
 On New Year's day, 1878, a marriage ceremony performed in Mar- 
 seilles, Illinois, united the destinies of William A. Jeffery and Miss Florence 
 Irwin, a daughter of Richard Irwin, ex-county superintendent. Three sons 
 and a daughter grace the union of our subject and wife, namely: Mary,, 
 Amos, Ray and Frank. 
 
 DAVID KROUSE. 
 
 David Krouse, of Ottawa, Illinois, is a native of the Keystone state,. 
 and dates his birth in Luzerne county on the 27th of September. 1846. His 
 forefathers were of German origin and were among the early settlers of 
 Pennsylvania. His father, Joseph Krouse, married a Miss Huthmaker, and 
 to them were born seven children, — all sons. 
 
 David's boyhood days w^ere passed on his father's farm and in attend-- 
 ance at the public school, and ^^•]len he was fifteen the great civil war broke;
 
 I50 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 out. The next year, in 1862, at the age of sixteen, he enlisted as a member 
 of Company G, One Hundred and Seventy-seventh Pennsylvania Volun- 
 teers, under Captain B. G. Cooper. His army service covered a period of 
 ten months, during which time he took part in the battles of Suffolk and 
 Deep Creek, Virginia. He was then honorably discharged, and returned 
 home and resumed farming. 
 
 In 1864 he served an apprenticeship with Charles Roth, of Wilkes- 
 barre, Pennsylvania, in the gunsmith's trade, remaining with him three 
 years, and in 1867 he came to Ottawa, working at his trade with H. P. 
 Drunker for three years and the same length of time with D. S. Ebersol. 
 Since then has been in business for himself. 
 
 At the age of twenty-six years Mr. Krouse married Miss Sarah A. 
 Arnold, also a native of Pennsylvania, and their union has been blessed in 
 the birth of three children, viz.: Jesse, Benjamin Franklin and Alice. Ben- 
 jamin F. was in the late war with Spain, a member of Company C, Third 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Krouse is identified with the Republican party, and by 
 appointment filled for some time the office of receiver of the port at 
 Ottawa. Socially he maintains membership in the Uniform Rank, Knights 
 of Pythias, in which organization he was elected first lieutenant and after- 
 ward captain. 
 
 LEVI CLAY. 
 
 For sixteen years Levi Clay has lived retired from the active cares and 
 labors to which his prime was given, his home being in Streator during this 
 period of enjoyment of the fruits of his former toil. Energetic and progres- 
 sive, he made his own way in the world from boyhood, and won a position 
 and competence and the esteem of all who know him. 
 
 Levi Clay comes from the same ancestral stock as does the distin- 
 guished Kentucky statesman, Cassius M. Clay. He is a son of David and 
 Catherine (Harter) Clay, and a grandson of David Clay, Sr. His maternal 
 grandfather, George Harter, was one of the pioneers of Stark county, Ohio, 
 and the latter's wife, whose maiden name was Bowman, came from Baden, 
 Germany, in 1725, as some old records state. 
 
 Our subject's father was a native of Pennsylvania, and his marriage to 
 Miss Catherine Harter, in 1809, was the first wedding in that county. Ten 
 children were born to David and Catherine Clay, and of this number eight 
 lived to maturity, — George, whose location since 1836 is unknown; David 
 died at Plainfield, Illinois, leaving a wife with five children, three sons and 
 two daughters; Jacob died in Darke county. Ohio, leaving seven children,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 151 
 
 one son and six daughters; John, with his wife and children, one son and 
 five daughters, hves in Cahfornia; Catherine and husband died in Stark 
 county, Ohio, about 1842, leaving an infant son, Abraham Miller, who is at 
 this time a minister of the gospel at Alliance, Ohio; Solomon Clay, of Pauld- 
 ing county, Ohio, having been married four times, has a wife and ten chil- 
 dren; Polly married John Ditsler, of Summit county, Ohio, and died there 
 about 1849; ^^^ Levi is the subject proper of this sketch. 
 
 Our subject's mother became the wife of George Henny after the death 
 of her first husband, and by her second union had one daughter, Priscilla, 
 now a resident of Fonda, Iowa, and wife of Jacob Sanders. 
 
 Born in 1825. upon the parental homestead, in Stark county, Ohio, 
 Levi Clay early learned the proper management of a farm. His education 
 was limited to an occasional three-months term of school, and, as he was 
 young when his father died, the cares of life fell upon his shoulders when he 
 was a mere boy. He remained in his native state until 1844, when he came 
 to this county, with but seven dollars and an ax to start with. The seven 
 dollars was stolen, leaving only the ax! For several years he resided in 
 Ottawa or vicinity. In 1846 he enlisted in the First Illinois Volunteer In- 
 fantry, for service in the Mexican war, and saw some hard fighting, taking 
 part in the battle of Buena Vista and other engagements. Upon his return 
 he worked at plastering in Ottawa for a year and a half. 
 
 In 1848 he was married, and, settling upon a farm in Livingston county, 
 in the vicinity of Streator, cultivated the place many years, greatly improved 
 it, and in the course of time added more until his possessions amounted to 
 three hundred and ninety-one acres. His buildings and everything about 
 his homestead were kept in fine condition, and the supervision of the prac- 
 tical, painstaking owner was apparent to the most casual observer. In the 
 raising and feeding of cattle and hogs he was quite successful, realizing a 
 large income from this source alone. 
 
 More than half a century ago, in 1848, Mr. Clay married Miss Cordelia 
 M. Ecker, of LaSalle county. Her parents, John and Lucy (Roberts) Ecker, 
 were natives of New York state, and at an early day became residents of 
 Illinois. Mrs. Clay was summoned to the silent land in 1895. The only son, 
 Cassius M., is now occupying the family homestead in Livingston county. 
 He makes a specialty of breeding fine Morgan horses and Jersey cattle, and 
 is a progressive, wide-awake business man and agriculturist. He married 
 Miss Barbara E. Zeigler, daughter of \\'illiam Zeigler, of Livingston 
 county, in 1874, and four children bless their home, — Ora M., Edward C, 
 Avis B. and Mabel R. 
 
 The only daughter of our subject is Lucetta J., wife of William M. 
 Bentley, of Osage township. LaSalle county. She has three children,
 
 1^2 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 namely: Ola M., wife of Edgar J. Hakes; Minnie E., wife of R. Bailey; and 
 Arlie M. 
 
 In his early life Mr. Clay was affiliated with the Whig- party, and upon 
 the founding of the Republican party he joined its ranks and has been faith- 
 ful to its principles from that day to the present. His career has been 
 marked by rigid integrity, and to his posterity he will leave the priceless 
 heritage of an untarnished name and record. 
 
 AARON KLEIBER. 
 
 Aaron Kleiber was born in Rutland township, LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 August 25, 1833, and in this county he has thus far spent his life, devoting 
 his energies to agricultural pursuits, his present location being in Bruce 
 township. 
 
 Mr. Kleiber traces his ancestry along the agnatic line to the French. 
 His grandfather, John Henry Kleiber, was born in France, and early in 
 life became a resident of this country, living for some years in Pennsylvania. 
 In Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, Joseph Kleiber, the father of 
 Aaron, was born, and in Licking county, Ohio, he was reared and married, 
 the lady of his choice being Miss Elizabeth Daniels. In 1830 the young- 
 couple left Ohio and came out to Illinois, settling in LaSalle county. They 
 became the parents of eight children, namely: Mary, Margaret A., Jonathan, 
 Malissa, Aaron, James, William and Stephen. All of this number are now 
 deceased except Aaron and Stephen, and the last named resides on the old 
 homestead, in Rutland township. The father died at the age of seventy-one 
 years. He had lived for nearly forty-two years in this county and had not 
 only seen the land developed from its primitive state into fine farms, with 
 substantial buildings thereon, but also had done his part toward bringing 
 about this change. Politically he was a Democrat, and both he and his 
 wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Aaron Kleiber grew up on his father's farm, his boyhood days being 
 spent not unlike other farmer boys of the neighborhood, and after reaching 
 manhood he purchased a farm in Allen township, three and one-half miles 
 southwest from Ransom. He now has a well cultivated and valuable farm 
 of two hundred acres, and is ranked with the prosperous and influential 
 farmers of his township and county. 
 
 February 20, 1856, he was married to Miss Rosanna McKernan, a 
 native of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, Illinois, and a daughter 
 of Captain J. McKernan, an old and well known citizen of this county. 
 Captain McKernan was born in Ohio, son of John and Polly (Stowder)
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 153 
 
 McKernan, and in his native state was married to Miss Mary Cramer, 
 daughter of Henry Cramer. They had a family of nine children, namely: 
 Rosanna, now Mrs. Kleiber; Mrs. Candis Ackerman, of Iowa; Ann Eliza 
 Gochanour, of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county; Samuel; Celanda 
 Lockwood, of Streator, Illinois; Charles, of Iowa; Augusta McKernan, of 
 Streator; and George and Ralph, deceased. The mother now resides with 
 her daughter, Miss Augusta McKernan, at Streator. The father died at 
 the age of sixty-three years. He was a man of prominence in the county, 
 was a Republican, and filled a number of political ol^ces. His military 
 title was earned during the civil war. He was captain of a company in 
 the One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was held 
 as prisoner at Huntsville for some time during the war. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Kleiber have had eleven children, five of whom are living, 
 as follows: James, who married Miss Harriet Cramer, resides in Bruce 
 township; Mary, wife of Fred Zigler, of Manville, Illinois; Joseph, at home; 
 Elma, wife of Alfred Patton, of Allen township, this county; and Grace, wife 
 of Perry Snyder, of LaSalle county. The other members of the family died 
 in childhood, — Stephen, Milton, Candace, Mabel, Maud and Myrtle. 
 
 Mr. Kleiber is identified with a number of fraternal organizations, and 
 politically he gives his support to the Democratic party. Honorable and 
 upright in all his dealings, and frank and genial in manner, he enjoys high 
 standing among his neighbors and many friends. 
 
 HENRY SMEETON. 
 
 Some forty-four years have passed since this worthy citizen of Ottawa 
 cast in his lot with the inhabitants of this little city, and he enjoys the dis- 
 tinction of being one of the oldest business men in the place. His fellow 
 townsmen esteem him highly, and his reputation for integrity and upright- 
 ness is something of which he may justly be proud, as it is well merited. 
 
 The parents of Henry Smeeton were William and Jane (Berridge) 
 Smeeton, of Devonshire, England. Thomas, a brother of William Smeeton, 
 v.as an inventor, and an excellent business man. He operated a large fac- 
 tory, where seamless undervests were manufactured. John Smeeton, a rela- 
 tive, was the keeper of the famous Eddystone Lighthouse, which is situated 
 off the south coast of England. William Smeeton was a manufacturer of 
 Brussels carpets. Both he and his wife were members of the Congrega- 
 tional church. Of their live children John and Jane died in England; Har- 
 riet is the widow of Robert Scott, and is a resident of Chicago, Illinois, and 
 Georg-e still lives in England.
 
 154 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Henry Smeeton was born April 2, 1825, in Northamptonshire, Eng- 
 land.. His boyhood was happily passed in the beautiful country of his birth, 
 and when he was quite young his enjoyment of music became marked. He 
 made a flute all by himself, and when he had learned to play it he set his 
 heart on possessing a violin, and this, too, came to him in time, and he mas- 
 tered that instrument. He has never lost his love for music, and many of 
 the happiest hours of his life have been spent in this pastime. 
 
 On reaching man's estate Mr. Smeeton concluded to settle in the 
 United States. SaiHng from Liverpool, he had a long, tedious voyage of 
 live weeks and two days' duration. Proceeding westward, he arrived in 
 Chicago, then a small city, bearing little promise of the great future in store 
 for her, and there he found employment as a carpenter. Later he became 
 interested in the manufacture of roofing, and has since given much of his 
 time to the development of this line of business. In 1855 he came to Ot- 
 tawa, and established himself in the manufacture of various articles of hard- 
 ware, household utensils, roofing, metallic shingles, etc. By judicious meth- 
 ods of transacting his business affairs, and by industry and well applied 
 energy, he built up a remunerative patronage and amassed a competence. 
 Politically he has always been a strong Republican, and keeps thoroughly 
 posted in the history of the world, current events, and matters affecting 
 the welfare of this great republic, of which he is a devoted son and a true 
 patriot. Like his venerated parents, he attaches due importance to religion 
 and everything else which tends to develop the better part of man's nature, 
 and for years he has been a member of the Congregational church. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Smeeton and Miss Eliza Crowden was celebrated 
 in 1850. Their three daughters are Susan, wife of D. B. Snov;, a leading 
 attorney of Ottawa; Louisa, who married Rev. Mr. Paisley, a Presbyterian 
 minister; and Anne, wife of William Paisley, now the business manager in 
 the factory established here by our subject. Mrs. Anne Paisley is a very 
 successful and popular musician and teacher of the art, and apparently 
 inherited her talent from her father. He looks on the bright side of things, 
 and b}- his genuine optimism sheds an atmosphere of cheer and pleasant- 
 ness wherever he goes. 
 
 AMMON S. JOHNSON. 
 
 Ammon S. Johnson, who resides on his farm on section 3, Otter Creek 
 township. LaSalle county, Illinois, was born in the township in which he 
 lives, October 6, 1861, the son of Ole Johnson, an old and well known 
 citizen of this county, now deceased, who Avas born and educated in Norway. 
 
 Ole Johnson came to America in 1849. I^^ 185 5 l^^ ^^'^^ married to
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 155 
 
 Miss Martha Hill, a woman possessing both education and refinement, and 
 who, like himself, was born in Norway. Three children were born to 
 them, a son and two daughters, namely: Ammon S., the subject of this 
 review; Serena, wife of William Harris, of South Dakota; and Bertha, 
 wife of Neal J. Hone, of this township. Ole Johnson died in October, 
 1896. His widow survives him and is now sixty-three years of age. She 
 is a member of the Lutheran church, with which he likewise was identified. 
 
 Ammon S. Johnson was educated in the public schools and at the State 
 Normal School, and since he became a man has been engaged in the occu- 
 pation in which he was reared, that of farming. He located on his present 
 farm in 1886. This place comprises three hundred and sixty acres on sec- 
 tion 3, Otter Creek township, and among its improvements are a beautiful 
 modern residence. Its large barns, granary, well kept fences, etc., and its 
 well cultivated fields, together with the attractive home, are all indicative 
 of the prosperity which has attended the efforts of the owner. 
 
 Mr. Johnson was married February 17, 1886, to Miss Frances Horn, 
 A\ho was born and reared in LaSalle county, daughter of Francis Horn, 
 one of the old settlers of the county. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have one 
 child, a son, William A., now ten years of age. 
 
 Politically Mr. Johnson has always advocated the principles of the 
 Republican party, and has served officially in several local capacities. He 
 has been a member of the school board for nine years, has been township 
 clerk four years, and has twice served as township collector. He is a man 
 in the prime of life, frank and genial in manner, well posted on all the 
 topics of the day, — in short, one of the "live" men of the township. 
 
 GRANT C. STEBBINS. 
 
 This gentleman, the present mayor of Marseilles, Illinois, is a man of 
 large public spirit, closely identified with all the business interests of the 
 town, and generally and favorably known throughout the county and state 
 as a business man and politician. He was born in the town of Manlius, 
 LaSalle county, March 27, 1862, and is a son of Burr and Dency (Mullen) 
 Stebbins. His youth and early manhood were spent on the old home- 
 stead, but at the age of twenty he entered the business college at Dixon, 
 Illinois, where he developed his naturally keen insight of the business world. 
 
 In 1883 he left school and his native state for the west, and while in 
 the employ of the Sante Fe Railroad Company engaged in the real-estate 
 business in Kansas and Nebraska, handling thousands of acres of rich agri- 
 cultural lands. At the expiration of seven years he returned to Marseilles
 
 156 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 and opened a real-estate and insurance office, and now represents one of 
 the largest insurance agencies in northern Illinois. He represented the 
 Cincinnati Underwriters' Insurance Company as general agent for the west 
 for over four years, having full charge of the state, with over one hundred 
 agents. He has built up an excellent business, both in the insurance line 
 and in the real-estate department. He is a man of keen foresight and 
 executive force, of marked energy and sound judgment, and is seldom at 
 error in regard to his opinion either of men or lands. He has a good stock 
 farm in Brookfield township and other investments in the west. 
 
 In 1888 Mr. Stebbins was married to Miss Kate Kritchfield, of Wa- 
 keeney, Kansas, a daughter of Joseph Kritchfield, a prominent citizen of 
 that place. Three children have been born to the union: Dencie E., 
 Gladys B., and James LeRay. The family have a pleasant home on West 
 Clark street, where their cordial hospitality is extended to a large circle of 
 friends. 
 
 Mr. Stebbins is a Republican in politics, always having been an active 
 worker in the party. He is a broad-minded, public-spirited man, and has 
 spent freely of his time and money for the promotion of his city's pros- 
 perity, and as a testimony to his merit was elected to the office of mayor of 
 the city last spring, by a very large majority of the votes of the people. 
 
 WALTER L. ROSS. 
 
 Several years ago Walter L. Ross became identified with the interests 
 of the flourishing town of Streator, and, being connected with the railroad 
 corporation as general agent, is well known to the traveling public of this 
 locality. Strictly attentive to his duties, prompt and reliable, and thor- 
 oughly trustworthy, he is highly esteemed by his employers, and at the 
 same time his genial manner and courteous treatment of all witli whom 
 he has dealings make him popular. 
 
 Born in Bloomington, Illinois, January i, 1865, our subject is a son of 
 A. S. and Margaret (Clark) Ross, natives of Somerset county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, and Frankfort, Kentucky, respectively. The paternal grandfather 
 of Walter L. was James Ross, and his maternal grandfather bore the name 
 of John Clark. An early settler in Bloomington, A. S. Ross was engaged 
 in the hardware business there for many years, and was considered one of 
 the representative citizens of the place. 
 
 The boyhood and youth of Walter L. Ross were spent at his birthplace, 
 his education being obtained in the common and high schools of Bloom- 
 ington. Upon the completion of his course of study he entered the employ
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 157 
 
 of the Western Union Telegraph Company, at Pontiac, IlHnois, and a year 
 later began working for the Central Union Telephone Company. Since 
 1882 he has been connected with the Wabash Railroad Company, as a clerk 
 and telegraph operator and in other capacities. During the first two years 
 of this service he was stationed at Pontiac, then was transferred to Streator, 
 and acted as chief clerk here for a year. He was next sent to Forest, 
 Illinois, where he held a position in the ofitice of the train dispatcher for 
 some time. Returning to Streator, he became the agent for the Indiana, 
 Illinois & Iowa, and the Wabash Railroads, and in 1896 he took charge of 
 the entire passenger and freight business of the Indiana, Illinois & Iowa 
 Railroad Company at this point. He has been prosperous, as he eminently 
 deserves, and from time to time has invested his carefully husbanded means 
 in real estate in Streator. 
 
 In the social circles of this town Mr. Ross occupies a prominent place. 
 Pie is the president of the Haynes Coal Company, and is a member of the 
 local lodge of the Knights of Pythias. Politically he favors the platform 
 of the Republican party, and uses his ballot on behalf of its nominees. On 
 the 22d of November, 1888, Mr. Ross and Miss Kate Cox, a daughter of 
 J. N. Cox, deceased, of Streator, were united in marriage, and two children 
 grace their home, namely: Mildred K. and George Sidney. Mrs. Ross is 
 a lady of excellent education and general attainments, and, with her hus- 
 band, enjoys the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. 
 
 BURR STEBBINS. 
 
 The inevitable law of destiny accords to tireless energy and industry 
 a successful career, and there is no other path that leads to prosperity save 
 that of persistent and well directed effort. It was in this way that Burr 
 Stebbins became one of the substantial citizens of LaSalle county, where 
 he located in pioneer days, becoming one of the leading representatives 
 of the agricultural interests of this section of the state. He was born in 
 Chautauqua county. New York, on the 3d of January, 1831, his parents 
 being Josiah and Eliza (Case) Stebbins. His father was born in the Empire 
 state and his mother was a native of Connecticut, her birth occurring in 
 Unabilla, in 1802. When seventeen years of age she removed to western 
 New York, where she married Josiah Stebbins. The Stebbins family is of 
 English origin, but was probably founded in America at an early period 
 in the history of the country. 
 
 Burr Stebbins spent the first eight years of his life in New York and 
 then accompanied his parents on their removal to Michigan in 1839. There
 
 158 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 he remained until 1854, when he became a resident of LaSalle county, 
 locating in Manlius township, where he improved a new farm, transform- 
 ing the wild lands into richly cultivated fields. As time passed and his 
 financial resources increased he added to his property until the old home- 
 stead comprised three hundred and sixteen acres of the choice prairie land 
 which has made the farms of Illinois justly celebrated throughout the 
 Union. He made excellent improvements upon the place, built good 
 fences, erected substantial buildings, and secured all the accessories and 
 conveniences of the model farm. He was a man of great energy, and his 
 diligence and perseverance brought him gratifying financial returns. In 
 1886, desiring to lay aside the more arduous duties of farm life, he removed 
 to Marseilles, where he spent his remaining days. 
 
 In July, 1859, Mr. Stebbins was united in marriage to Miss Dency Mul- 
 len, of Morristown, New Jersey, the fourth daughter of William and Abigail 
 (Crane) Mullen. She was born in Morristown, November 3, 1835, and by 
 her marriage became the mother of four children, namely: Grant C, a 
 prominent real-estate and insurance agent of Marseilles; Everett J., de- 
 ceased April 12, 1899; Cora F., a talented elocutionist, living with her 
 mother; and Delia, wife of Eugene D. Allen, a pharmacist, of Marseilles. 
 
 Mr. Stebbins was a Republican of the most pronounced type, and be- 
 fore the organization of the party he voted the Whig ticket. He served 
 for some time as a member of the city council of Marseilles, and 
 gave an earnest and conscientious support to all measures and movements 
 which he believed would result to the benefit of the city. He passed away 
 April 17, 1894, at the age of sixty-three years, and many friends, as well 
 as his immediate family, deeply mourned his loss. He left to his wife and 
 children the priceless heritage of an untarnished name, for his life had ever 
 been characterized by fidelity to duty and by faithfulness to every trust 
 reposed in him. His widow is still occupying the family home on Wash- 
 ington street, and is a lady held in high esteem by all who know her. 
 
 RICHARD FARNSWORTH. 
 
 The spirit of self-reliance and independence so universally prevails 
 in the United States that it is a matter of congratulation to the average 
 man when he can truly afifirm that he has been the architect of his own 
 fortune, — that he is indebted to no one for the prosperity which at last 
 crowns his labors. Though success does not smile upon many who are 
 thoroughly deserving, it is a well established fact that the undeserving rarely 
 win riches and position. R. Farnsworth, who is well and favorably known
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 159 
 
 in Ottawa and LaSalle county, may be styled a self-made man, and the 
 recital of his history may prove an incentive to others. 
 
 His grandparents, Abraham and Sarah (Smith) Farnsworth, were 
 natives of Yorkshire, England. His father, Robert Farnsworth, was born 
 in 1822 in Yorkshire. When he was four years of age he was brought by 
 his parents to Belleville, Ontario. He devoted his life to agricultural pur- 
 suits and passed his declining years at the home of our subject and his 
 sister, Mrs. Sarah Peck. For a long period he was an active member of 
 the Methodist Episcopal church, and for years served as clerk of the 
 congregation with which he w'as connected. His wife, Betsy, a daughter 
 of Asa Wilcox, departed this life in 1866, in Ontario, and of their six 
 children five survive, namely: Richard; Sarah, wife of Henry Peck; David, 
 a resident of Ottawa; Robert, and J. C, of Ottawa. Asa died when a 
 child, and Robert departed this life November 17, 1899. 
 
 Richard Farnsworth was born in Belleville, Hastings county, Ontario, 
 April 15, 1849, ^^''d was reared in that section. In starting out to make 
 his own way in the world he began learning a trade, to wdiich he devoted 
 three years. Then, going to Indiana, he worked on a farm for two years. 
 At the time that he left home he had but two dollars and forty cents, and 
 that sum was stolen from his trunk the first week! He had many dis- 
 couraging experiences, but he bravely persevered, sticking to his task, and 
 winning the commendation of his employers. Husbanding his small means, 
 and gaining an invaluable reputation for honesty and reliability, he pros- 
 pered, and in 1872 purchased the fine homestead which he has since carried 
 on. It is situated but half a mile from Ottawa, comprises two hundred 
 and thirty-six acres, and is considered one of the most valuable farms in 
 the county. The buildings on the place alone cost upward of ten thousand 
 dollars, and many substantial improvements have been made by the enter- 
 prising proprietor since it came into his possession. He has not been 
 afraid of hard work, has met his obligations manfully, has dealt honestly 
 and fairly by all with whom he has had business transactions, and the result 
 is apparent. # 
 
 As might be expected of a citizen of this character, Mr. Farnsworth 
 has not neglected his public duties. He has served as a member of the 
 local school board, and as one of the supervisors of LaSalle county, his in- 
 fluence being used for advancement and improvement in all lines. His 
 ballot is always given to the nominees of the Republican party. Fraternally 
 he is identified with the A. F. and A. M., belonging to Occidental Lodge, 
 No. 40; Shabbona Chapter, No. 37, and to Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, 
 K. T. 
 
 The first wife of Mr. Farnsworth was Editli, daughter of James and
 
 i6o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Elizabeth (Close) Pickens, natives of Massachusetts. She was summoned 
 to her reward on the 2d of February, 1889, and left four children to mourn 
 her loss, namely: Walter, who is a commercial traveler and at present is 
 living in the Bay state; George, who is a high-school student in Ottawa; 
 Percy and Lizzie, who are at home. In February, 1890, Mr. Farnsworth 
 married Miss Emma Danz, of Peru, Illinois. She was a daughter of Charles 
 and Margaret (Nebel) Danz, and by her marriage was the mother of one 
 child, Gretchen. Mrs. Farnsworth passed away March 3, 1899, mourned 
 by her family and a large circle of friends. \\^ith Mr. Farnsworth she was 
 a member of the Congregational church. 
 
 NATHAN FLEMING. 
 
 The gentleman named above, who is the subject of this biographical 
 record, was born at Chestnut Hill, Chester county, Pennsylvania, January 
 10, 1827. His paternal great-grandfather was of Scotch-Irish descent and 
 came from Donegal, Ireland, to America early in the eighteenth century. 
 He settled in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, where his son John Fleming 
 was born in 1772. The latter was a carpenter by trade and followed his 
 chosen vocation during the greater part of his life. He married Miss Eliza- 
 beth Hill, who was born in Donegal, Ireland, and came with her parents 
 to Lancaster county when very young. Their only child, John Fleming, Jr., 
 was born in 1803, in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania. The mother died 
 soon after the birth of her son, who was carried in his father's arms to Cones- 
 toga valley, in Lancaster county, where he was reared by his maternal 
 grandparents. The "little red schoolhouse," where he pursued his education, 
 was still standing, near Morgantown, Pennsylvania, when Nathan Fleming 
 visited the locality in 1895. John Fleming never married again after his 
 wife's death in 1803, but spent the most of his time in later years in the 
 home of his son. He died in Davenport, Iowa, in 1844, in the seventy-third 
 year of his age. In religious belief he adhered to the faith of the family — 
 the Presbyterian. 
 
 In 1825 John Fleming, Jr., w^as united in marriage to Miss Mary 
 Brower, a daughter of Abraham and Mary (Goodman) Brower. Her father 
 was of Dutch parentage. He was born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, in 1783, 
 and died in 1869, a member of the Methodist church, in which he was class- 
 leader and exhorter. His wife, who was of German descent, was born in 
 Reading, Pennsylvania, in 1784, and departed this life in 1877, in her ninety- 
 third year. They were the parents of five sons and six daughters, of whom 
 three sons and one daughter are still living. Both the Browers and the
 
 i 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 i
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. i6i 
 
 Goodmans were weavers and workers in textile fabrics. Although Pennsyl- 
 vania Dutch was his mother tongue, Abraham Brower acquired an English 
 education and taught school, his family being proficient in both languages. 
 John and Mary (Brower) Fleming had nine children, six sons and three 
 daughters: Nathan; Isaac N.; Joshua C, who died in infancy and is buried 
 at Harmony church, Berks county, Pennsylvania; James, who died in 1869, at 
 the age of thirty-six years; Mary Anna, who died in 1847, in her thirteenth 
 year; Elizabeth; Margaret Jane; Burr Bryant, who died in 1876, in his 
 thirty-fourth year; and John Davis, who died in infancy. 
 
 In the spring of 1837, John Fleming, Jr., and his family made their 
 first move westward, stopping in Butler county, Pennsylvania; in 1841 they 
 removed to Mount Vernon, Ohio; in 1843 to Marion county, that state, 
 and in the autumn of 1845 came to LaSalle county, Illinois, locating on 
 the bank of the Illinois river just above the present site of Seneca. In 
 October, about one month after their arrival, John Fleming, Jr., suddenly 
 departed this life, in his forty-third year, his death being occasioned by a 
 congestive chill. "It has always seemed providential, after these many 
 removals, that he should just live to leave his family in this God-favored 
 land of the great state of Illinois." 
 
 When the family removed from Ohio Nathan Fleming did not accom- 
 pany them, having an engagement to run a potash factory, at six dollars per 
 month. Not hearing of his family, he returned late in the fall to Ohio, 
 from Pennsylvania, where he had gone at the close of his term of engage- 
 ment, and there he first learned of the death of his father. He at once 
 started for Illinois, arriving about the ist of March, 1846, having traveled 
 on foot alone five hundred miles in the dead of winter. "Shall thy mother 
 ever forget thee?" If ever a mother was glad to meet her son it was then. 
 He, being the eldest, assumed his place at the head of the family and thus 
 relieved his mother of much responsibility and care. She was most devoted to 
 her children, her most pronounced characteristic being her unselfish love 
 for them. She departed this life at the home of her daughter Elizabeth, 
 in North Evanston, Illinois, December 14, 1879, and lies buried in the 
 cemetery by the little church in Manlius. 
 
 In 1847 Nathan Fleming was employed on the farm of Solomon Bell, 
 whose stepdaughter he subsequently married. In 1848 he rented a farm 
 and was enabled to make a first payment on land bought at the first canal- 
 land sale of that year. He continued farming until 1853, when he went 
 to California, going from New York by ship and across the isthmus of 
 Panama. He engaged both in agricultural pursuits and mining in California 
 until 1857, but not meeting with the success he anticipated he returned home 
 by the route which he had previously taken.
 
 t62 biographical AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 On the 19th of April, 1858, in Ottawa, Illinois, was celebrated the 
 marriage of Nathan Fleming and Maiy Harrington, who was born in Central 
 Square, near Syracuse, New York, January 22, 1837. Her grandfather, 
 John Harrington, was a native of England, and in that land married Miss 
 Mary Barbara Bell. They became the parents of seven children, of whom 
 Thomas, the father of Mrs. Fleming, was the eldest. He was born in England 
 August 7, 1808, and came to America with his parents about 1834. On 
 the loth of March, 1836, he wedded Margaret Summers, at Central Square, 
 New York. She was born December 16, 181 1, and in 1837 they came to 
 Marseilles, where Mr. Harrington was drowned in the Illinois river, March 
 16, 1838. In 1844 Mrs. Harrington was united in marriage to Solomon 
 Bell, of Rutland township, and on the 6th of January, 1876, she was called 
 to her final rest. To Nathan Fleming and his wife eight children were born : 
 Herbert H., born May 26, 1859, was a soldier in the Cuban war as a member 
 of the Second Regiment Illinois Infantry; Sherman, who was born March 
 26, 1 86 1, and married Bertha Arnold, by whom he has two children — 
 Margaret Lucile and Florence A.; Edwin D., who was born November 28, 
 1862, and died March 29, 1864; George C, who was born February 12, 
 1865, and married Jessie C. Samuels, by whom he has three children — 
 Nathan L., Mary E. and Jeanette B.; Gertrude; James, who was born 
 March 13, 1870, and died April 17, 1892; Frederic S., born July 31, 1872; and 
 Margaret June, born June 5, 1874. 
 
 In 1858 Mr. Fleming engaged in the milling business in Ottawa, carry- 
 ing on operations there until 1863, when he rerrtoved to his farm in Rutland 
 township, operating it until 1867. Through the six succeeding years he 
 purchased grain in Marseilles for the firm of Scott & Harrington, after 
 which he took a vacation, going to California, where he visited some of 
 the places that he had seen in the '50s. The First National Bank of Mar- 
 seilles was incorporated in 1871 and Mr. Fleming was one of the original 
 stockholders. He was elected vice-president January 17, 1874, and has 
 since served continuously in that position. In 1891 the directors presented 
 him a splendid gold watch chain and charm. In 1874 he removed to the 
 farm where he now resides, leasing it for three years, and at the end of 
 that time extending the lease. Upon the death of Mr. Bell, his wife's step- 
 father, one-half of the farm reverted to Mrs. Fleming and Mr. Fleming 
 purchased the other half of the remaining- heirs. 
 
 In 1848 our subject cast his first presidential vote, supporting Martin 
 Van Buren. Since the organization of the Republican party he has been 
 one of its staunch supporters, never swerving in his allegiance to the party 
 and its principles. It has been his good fortune to represent that somewhat 
 rare and ideal condition in which the office sought the man, rather than
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 163 
 
 the too common reversal of the case. He is at present township trustee of 
 schools, and is officially connected with other concerns, being a director 
 of the Rutland and Manlius Friendly Aid Insurance Company; treasurer of 
 Marseilles Lodge, No. 417, F. «& A. M.; vice-president and director of the 
 First National Bank of Marseilles, and has held the office of assessor of 
 Rutland township for twenty-live years, being elected twenty times without 
 opposition. He voluntarily resigned in 1898. He is a member of Marseilles 
 Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M.; Shabbona Chapter, No. 37; and Ottawa Com- 
 mandery. No. 10, K. T. In January, 1897, Mr. Fleming, accompanied by 
 his wife, made another trip to California, and one of the places of interest 
 visited by them was the old mining camp at Nevada City, California. On 
 the very ground where Mr. Fleming had worked a claim forty years before, 
 they found one solitary man at work. After a pleasant sojourn in the 
 Golden state, they returned to LaSalle county and to their many friends 
 living in this section of the state. 
 
 The following is an extract from the remarks of Mr. P. A. Butterfield, 
 made on the fortieth anniversary of their wedding: 
 
 Mr. and Mrs, Fleming : Your children and friends have met with you in 
 commemoration of your wedding which occurred forty years ago to-day, 
 and have chosen me, in behalf of your children, to present to you their filial 
 gratitude for favors, precept and example, and also this fine furniture. May 
 it be useful, ornamental and always a reminder of those who view you with 
 tender regard and loving kindness in your declining years. 
 
 Allow me also to present to you these beautiful chairs, in behalf of 
 your many friends here convened, as a memento of their kind regard and 
 esteem. They do not offer them as an article of any considerable money 
 value, nor do they conceive they would be any more thankfully received 
 by you were they more elaborate. They tender them to you hoping you 
 may use them much, that they may be useful and comfortable, and bring 
 to you that rest and repose so necessary to the welfare of those who have 
 started down the western slope of life's hillside. Finally they present them 
 wishing that they may cause you to recall occasionally the vision of the 
 donors, the day and the date which makes this meeting and greeting emi- 
 nently proper. 
 
 G. E. PENNEY. 
 
 G. E. Penney, a retired farmer residing at Ottawa, Illinois, may well 
 be classed among the representative men of LaSalle county. Intelligent, 
 public-spirited and liberal, his life has been an example and inspiration to 
 others to make the best of their opportunities, even as he has done. He 
 was born in the town of Adams, Jefferson county, New York, October 3,
 
 i64 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 1832, the state in which his father, George Penney, was also born. The 
 family came from England to this country about the year 1630 and settled 
 in the New England colony. The grandfather Penney married a Miss 
 Crosby and moved to "York" state, where he brought up his children. 
 George Penney married Miss Polly Gardner, whose father, Ezekiel Gard- 
 ner, was a native of Rhode Island and moved from that state to New York 
 after the birth of Polly. She died in that state in 1870, and her husband 
 twenty years later. 
 
 Mr. Penney was the second child in a family of five who reached 
 mature years. His boyhood and youth were passed in Jefferson county, 
 and there he received his education, finishing with a course in Adams col- 
 lege. He farmed in the summer and for three years employed his time by 
 teaching during the winter months, but his natural inclination was for 
 farming, and in 1856 he came to LaSalle county and ])urchased a farm of 
 one hundred acres at Freedom Center, in Freedom township. This land 
 and its cultivation received his closest attention and he brought it to such a 
 state of perfection that it yielded him a sufificient return to enable him to 
 add to it until he owned four hundred acres of the choice land for which 
 this state is famous. He has been much interested in raising cattle and hogs 
 of a fine grade, and in this respect he has been a benefactor to the com- 
 munity by teaching them the benefit to be derived from raising choice 
 stock on the farm. He has been unusually successful as a corn-grower, 
 raising some two hundred acres annually and feeding a part of it to his 
 hogs and cattle, thus not only getting more for his crop, but also keeping 
 his land in the best possible condition of fertility. He feeds and sells from 
 this farm each year a carload of hogs, and his successful crops and hand- 
 some returns from the stock raised has demonstrated clearly that he has 
 solved the problem of extensive crop-raising without impoverishing the 
 land. For twenty years he gave his entire attention to agriculture, and 
 then took up his residence in Ottawa in 1877, and the following twelve years 
 carried on his farm by means of hired help. Since then he has rented the 
 land and for four years engaged in buying grain near the Rock Island Rail- 
 road. 
 
 In 1855 Mr. Penney was married to Miss Arvilla Wheeler, daughter 
 of Daniel Wheeler and a native of the township of Lorraine, near Adams, 
 New York, where our subject was born. Three children were born to 
 them: Anna Dell, wife of Thomas McCall, of Chicago; Edith M., wife 
 of Emil Johnson, of this city; and George B., of Chicago. Mrs. Penney 
 passed to her reward May 6, 1896, a sincere member of the Baptist church, 
 and left a host of friends to mourn her demise. 
 
 April 17, 1899, Mr. Penney was married to Mrs. Elizabeth Johnson,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 165 
 
 the daughter of Rev. David and Ruth (Lewis) Prichard. Her father was 
 a native of Brekenshire, Wales, and her mother of Remsen, Oneida county, 
 New York. Mrs. Penney was born in Delhi, Delaware county, Ohio, Jan- 
 uary 26, 1850. By her former marriage, to W. W. Johnson, she had two 
 daughters: Mrs. Lucy Lansing, who lives at Amboy, Illinois; and Ger- 
 trude, who lives with her mother. 
 
 Mr. Penney is an earnest worker in the Baptist church, of which he is 
 a trustee, and he is also a prominent Mason, belonging to Freedom Lodge, 
 No. 194, A. F. & A. M. Li politics he is a Republican, but has never 
 aspired to ofifice. In 1892 he erected a fine residence in one of the most 
 pleasant locations in the city, on Paul street, which is a model of modern 
 architecture and convenience. It is finished in the most approved modern 
 style and heated throughout with hot water, making it a most comfortable 
 and desirable property. Mr. Penney is characterized as a broad-minded, 
 upright man, whose conduct in life will bear the test of the closest scrutiny 
 and who has the esteem of evervone. 
 
 SYLVANUS S. THOMPSON. 
 
 Some forty-five years ago Sylvanus S. Thompson came to LaSalle 
 county, with whose welfare he has been closely associated ever since, and 
 few citizens of Marseilles and vicinity are better known or more highly 
 esteemed. 
 
 The family to which our subject belongs has been represented in 
 Pennsylvania for several generations. John Thompson was the grand- 
 father and George L. Thompson the father of Sylvanus S. Born in the 
 Keystone state in 1823, George L. Thompson married, in 1846, EHzabeth 
 Wilson, of the same state. In 1854 they removed to LaSalle county and 
 settled in the town of Grand Rapids, where the husband and father improved 
 a farm, and was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits until his 
 death in 1891. The mother, who was a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth 
 Wilson, departed this life in 1877, having preceded her husband about four- 
 teen years. 
 
 The birth "of Sylvanus S. Thompson occurred in Beallsville, Wash- 
 ington county, Pennsylvania, June 10, 1847, and he was consequently seven 
 years of age when he accompanied his parents in their removal to this 
 county. He acquired a thorough, practical knowledge of farming when 
 quite young, and continued to aid his father in the management of the old 
 hom.estead until he reached his majority. He then engaged in farming upon 
 his own account, and was prosperous in the undertaking. Making a
 
 i66 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 specialty of raising and feeding cattle and hogs, he found a ready market 
 for them, and derived a good income from this source alone. For twenty- 
 five years he has owned a homestead in Grand Rapids township, and has 
 instituted substantial and valuable improvements upon the place within 
 this period. The farm comprises three hundred acres of fertile land, all 
 kept under fine cultivation. Since 1892 Mr. Thompson has lived in Mar- 
 seilles and has carried on his farm by the aid of reliable men whom he has 
 employed. March 26, 1874, the marriage of our subject and Miss Sylvia 
 vStead, a daughter of Henry Stead, of Grand Rapids township, LaSalle 
 county, was solemnized. A son and a daughter were born to this worthy 
 couple, namely: Henry S., now a student at Lake Forest, Illinois; and 
 Ethelinda, now the wife of Charles Booth, of Peoria, Illinois. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Thompson is a Knight Templar Mason, belonging to 
 Marseilles Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M.; Ottawa Chapter, No. 37, R. A. M.; 
 and Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, K. T. Politically he has been a faithful 
 worker in the ranks of the Republican party for years, having held many 
 positions of trust. In June, 1898, he was honored with the appointment 
 to the postmastership at Marseilles, and, entering upon his duties upon the 
 1 6th of the following July, he has made a record as an efficient and popular 
 public ol^cial. 
 
 SAMUEL P. HALL. 
 
 An able member of the LaSalle county l)ar is Judge Samuel P. Hall, 
 who for the past nine years has been engaged in practice in Ottawa, and 
 who long since achieved distinction in the field of jurisprudence. He is 
 a man of scholarly attainments, possessing thorough knowledge of the 
 law, sound judgment upon all disputed points, and the clear, logical mind 
 which readily solves intricacies and involved questions. All cases entrusted 
 to him he manages with masterly skill and tact, and never stoops to the 
 petty methods employed by too many members of the legal profession, but 
 maintains that high standard of ethics to which none can take exceptions. 
 
 The family to which our subject belongs, and to wdiich his name and 
 record haVe added new luster, is one of the oldest in New England. The 
 founder of this branch in America was a native of England, and settled in 
 th« colony of Connecticut in 1645. Sherman A. Hall, the paternal grand- 
 father of the judge, was one of the pioneers of DeKalb county, Illinois, 
 where he was occupied in agricultural pursuits until his death. 
 
 Born December 25, 1818, in JefTerson county. New York, Russell R. 
 Hall, the father of the judge, passed his boyhood there, and about 1845 
 became a resident of DeKalb count v, Illinois. December 22, 1848, he
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 167 
 
 married Miss Ruth Ann Simmons, who was born July 10, 1823; and to 
 them were born two sons and a daughter: Samuel P., Frank, who is a 
 farmer of LaSalle county; and Emeline M., wife of C. C. DufTy, of Ottawa, 
 the present clerk of the supreme court. The death of Mrs. Ruth Ann Hall 
 occurred July 16, 1861. 
 
 The birth of Samuel P. Hall took place May 16, 1851, in Clinton, 
 DeKalb county. In his youth he attended the public schools and Jenning's 
 Seminary, at Aurora, an institution conducted under the auspices of the 
 Methodists. He continued his higher studies there until he was graduated, 
 in 1 87 1. Having determined his future course in life, he then began the 
 study of law in the office of Judge Parks, of Aurora, and later he was guided 
 and aided by William Barge, a lawyer of Dixon, Illinois. Circumstances 
 prevented his rapid progress in the acquisition of a legal education, and it 
 was not until 1879 that he was admitted to the bar of LaSalle county, in the 
 appellate court at Ottawa. He established an office at Piano, Illinois, and 
 subsequently, in February, 1881, removed to LaSalle, where he succeeded 
 in building up an extensive practice. In 1890 he was elected to the judge- 
 ship of the probate court of this county, in which office he made a record 
 of which he may justly be proud. Upon the expiration of his term, in 1894, 
 he opened an office in Ottawa, and is conducting a general law business, 
 giving particular attention to probate matters. Politically he is identified 
 with the Democratic party, and socially is a member of Acacia Lodge, 
 No. 67, F. & A. M., of LaSalle. 
 
 December 17, 1881, Judge Hall married Miss Carrie Henry, daughter 
 of James K. Henry, of Dixon, Illinois. They have a pleasant home and 
 are the parents of five promising children, who are named, in order of birth, 
 as follows: Samuel P., Jr.; Bruce; Ruth H.; Blanche, and Esther. Mrs. 
 Hall is a lady of intelligence and culture, and presides over her home with 
 womanly grace and dignity, endearing herself to all who know her, and 
 carrying an atmosphere of loving sympathy and helpfulness wherever she 
 goes. 
 
 FREDERICK P. TISLER. 
 
 Prominent among the French-Americans of LaSalle county is Fred- 
 erick P. Tisler, a well-to-do and enterprising florist of Marseilles. He was 
 born in Alsace, France, December 15, 1843, l^is parents being Charles B. 
 and Catherine (Neuviller) Tisler. Both of his grandfathers, John Tisler 
 and Charles Neuviller, were soldiers serving under the orders of Napoleon 
 Bonaparte. In 1855 the Tisler family, to which our subject belonged, emi- 
 grated to the United States. Arriving in New York city, they proceeded
 
 1 68 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 on their westward journey, and thenceforth were residents of Ottawa, Illi- 
 nois, until death released them from life's burdens and responsibilities. 
 Mrs. Tisler died in 1867, and was survived by the husband and father, whose 
 death took place in 1895. 
 
 Frederick P. Tisler is the eldest of five children, and with his brother 
 and three sisters attended the public schools of his native land. After 
 coming to this country he went to the Ottawa schools for a short time, 
 and then set about learning the carpenter's trade. During the next few 
 years he was employed in the building of many of the houses and stores 
 in Ottawa. In 1879 he came to Marseilles, where for a score of years he 
 was similarly occupied. In 1892 he embarked in a very different line of 
 enterprise, and has made a success of the venture. He opened a green- 
 house, and has since made numerous improvements which add greatly to 
 the value of the plant. A fine hot-water system is used during the winter 
 season for keeping the greenhouse at the proper temperature, and all mod- 
 ern appliances and devices used by florists are employed by ]\Ir. Tisler, 
 who is wide-awake and progressive. He is very popular. In 1896 his 
 fellow citizens elected him to the position of alderman, and he was re-elected 
 for a second term. In 1897 he was appointed collector of taxes for Rutland 
 township. Fraternally he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Work- 
 men. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Tisler married Miss Sophie E. Scheidecker, who was born 
 and reared in France. She is a daughter of Louis and Henrietta (Bernard) 
 Scheidecker, and from this union were born to them the following, namely: 
 Sophie E., wife of M. H. Pitts, of Deer Park, Alabama; Emilie H., wife 
 of Louis Morel, Marseilles; Fred P., Jr., a machinist; Ida J., a graduate of 
 1893; May L., a teacher in the Marseilles schools; Charles L., who died 
 in Ottawa, in 1878; Henry A.; Cora L., a graduate of the class of 1899 
 (M. H. S.); Adele L.; Eva J.; and Mabel E., who died in 1890. All of the 
 children were given a liberal education and are well qualified to meet 
 the battles of life. Mr. Tisler is a man of thorough integrity of character, 
 as all who know him cheerfully testify. 
 
 CHARLES H. KNICKERBOCKER. 
 
 Charles H. Knickerbocker, a retired farmer of LaSalle county, was 
 born in Columbia county, New York, August 17, 1841, upon a farm near 
 where both his parents were ushered into existence. His father, James B., \vas 
 born February 5, 181 2, and his mother, Catherine, nee Latimer, in 1821. 
 In 1845 JaiT^es Knickerbocker brought his family to LaSalle county, Illi-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 169 
 
 nois, and settled on a farm in Manlius (now Miller) township. He broke 
 the sod, improved tlie land and did general farming. He was a man whose 
 personality was largely felt throughout the community, where he was much 
 esteemed. He was a Republican and held a number of minor offices. He 
 was a member of the school board several years and also acted in the ca- 
 pacity of treasurer for the school. His death occurred on his farm, May 4, 
 1884, his wife dying there March 8, 1887. Their children are: Harriet, 
 deceased, wife of Richard Pitzer; Sally, wife of J. B. Parr, of Manlius; 
 Milton, deceased; Lorinda, wife of George Bowers, residing on the old 
 homestead; and Charles H., our subject. 
 
 As a boy Charles H. Knickerbocker was inured to the work incident 
 to farm life. He attended district school during the winter months, work- 
 ing on the farm in summer. He remained with his parents until he attained 
 his twenty-first year, when he began to follow agriculture for himself, at 
 first on rented ground. He then purchased eighty acres in ]\Iiller town- 
 ship, where he lived until 1883, when he bought one hundred acres in 
 Brookfield township, where he moved, remaining there until 1884, and 
 he then came to Marseilles. He has been most successful in his farming 
 operations and has accumulated a neat competency by his thrift and in- 
 dustry, making him independent of future labor. January 10, 1866, he 
 was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Shipman. daughter of Johnathan 
 and Laura A. (Woodard, born February 23, 181 2) Shipman. Her father 
 was born in Providence, New York, March 11, 1809, and was captain of 
 the home guards. Johnathan Shipman was united in marriage, in Provi- 
 dence, New York, September 30, 1830, to Miss Laura A. Woodard, and 
 they came to Marseilles, LaSalle county, in 1856. They were the parents 
 of four children, three of whom lived to maturity: Marcius M., who lives 
 in Nebraska; Rebecca, wife of our subject; and Davis N., who is a resident 
 of Joliet, Illinois. Johnathan Shipman died January 28, 1883, and his wife 
 passed away September 28 of the same year. 
 
 WILLIAM F. FLETCHER. 
 
 In all the various relations of life W. F. Fletcher bears an excellent 
 reputation. As a citizen he upholds all movements of progress and im- 
 provement, and loyally supports the principles which lie at the foundation 
 of good government. As a business man his integrity, justice and enter- 
 prise are well known and favorably mentioned among the people of Ottawa. 
 In the home circle and in society his genial, happy manner and genuine
 
 ijo BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 kindliness of nature render his presence something to be wished for, and 
 thus his friends are numerous. 
 
 The father of our subject, WilHam G. Fletcher, is still living, and is 
 now in his eighty-second year. He is a native of Virginia, and has fol- 
 lowed the occupation of machinist as a means of gaining a livehhood. His 
 wife, the mother of William F. Fletcher, bore the maiden name of Hester 
 Griffin. To the marriage of William G. and Hester Fletcher four sons and 
 two daughters were born, of whom the eldest sons, John and Stephen, are 
 deceased, and the others are named, in order of birth, Catherine, George, 
 Mary and William F. The mother is now seventy-eight years of age. 
 
 Our subject was born in Baltimore, Maryland, March 26, 1855, and 
 when he arrived at a suitable age he commenced attending the public 
 schools of Baltimore, where he laid the foundations of the liberal educa- 
 tion which he now possesses. In 1875 he came to Ottawa, where he has 
 been engaged in the manufacture of cigars since 1886. He enjoys an exten- 
 sive patronage, which he justly deserves, owing to the high grade of work 
 which is turned out under his supervision. He is the manufacturer of the 
 celebrated Red Back brand, the reputation of which is not confined to La- 
 Salle county limits, and also Fletcher's Key West and the original Monte- 
 zuma, all of which are strictly hand-made. 
 
 The pleasant home of Mr. Fletcher is located at No. 927 Walnut street. 
 He was married in 1875 to Miss Christiana Baisch, a daughter of Jacob 
 Baisch. Mrs. Fletcher's parents were born in Germany and emigrated to 
 America in 1848, coming direct to Ottawa, where they resided until 1887, 
 when they moved to Madison, Nebraska, where they still reside. Our 
 subject and wife have one child, Lillie B., born June 15, 1876, and is a well- 
 educated, accomplished young lady, living with her parents. Mr. Fletcher 
 is essentially a domestic man, usually passing his leisure time at home. He 
 IS not a politician, but discharges his duty as a voter, his preference being 
 the Republican nominees and principles. 
 
 JOHN FUNK. 
 
 John Funk, one of the leading and public-spirited citizens of Ottawa, 
 LaSalle county, is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in the 
 town of Coblentz, on the river Rhine, August i, 1838. When he was 
 five years of age he accompanied his parents, Francis J. and Elizabeth 
 (Burger) Funk, to America, taking passage in a sailing vessel, the Victoria, 
 at the port of Havre de Grace, France. After a long, tedious voyage of 
 many weeks the little party landed at their destination, New Orleans, and
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 171 
 
 proceeded by steamer up the Mississippi river. At first the family Hved 
 in LaSalle, but later removed to the vicinity of Rutland, where the father 
 purchased a tract of land of John Green. The wife and mother was sum- 
 moned to her final rest in 1847, ^"^ soon after that sad event the father 
 bought a lot and built a house near the old Fox River Hotel, in Ottawa, 
 making his home here until 1852. 
 
 The year mentioned was a notable one to John Funk, for though but 
 fourteen years of age, his father permitted him to become his companion 
 on a trip across the plains. They started with an ox team on April i, 
 and reached Shasta, California, on the 8th of September following. For 
 eleven months they prospected, being at the placer mines of the Pitt and 
 Grace rivers chiefly, and at the expiration of that time they returned to this 
 state, better satisfied than ever before with its advantages. Francis J. 
 Funk married Esther Morton, a native of Massachusetts, and two children 
 were born of their union. Eliza, their daughter, was reared in the family 
 of a Mr. Reddick, by whose surname she was called. The death of Francis 
 J. Funk occurred in 1880, when he was in his eighty-second year, at his 
 homestead adjoining the town of Streator. 
 
 Upon his return to this state from California John Funk resumed 
 agricultural pursuits, to which he gave his attention until he reached his 
 majority. Then, going to Streator, he embarked in the lumber business, 
 selling out his interest in the same in 1870. His next venture was to be- 
 come a member of the firm subsequently known as McCormick & Funk, 
 grain dealers, and in this enterprise he met with great success. At the close 
 of a year and a half he bought his partner's interest and moved the build- 
 ings and business to Long Point, Livingston county, IlHnois. He remained 
 there for eighteen months, then leasing the property and returning to his 
 father's old homestead near Streator. He assisted in the management of the 
 farm during the last years of the elder man's life, and continued to carry on 
 the place until 1888. For the last eleven years he has lived in Ottawa, and 
 has occupied the residence on Columbus street which was formerly owned 
 by his sister, who died a number of years ago. He is the owner of one 
 thousand acres of excellent farm land in Valley county, Nebraska, and of 
 a valuable improved homestead of two hundred and forty acres near the 
 town of Wallace, LaSalle county. Many of the leading industries of 
 Streator found an influential friend and supporter in Mr. Funk. One of 
 the founders of the Streator Coal Company, he was a stockholder and a 
 director of the organization for years, and was a director and vice-president 
 of the Streator Bottle and Glass Company for several years. In political 
 principles he is clear-minded, and, though he never sought or desired public 
 ofTfice, his friends and neighbors frequently brought forward his name as
 
 172 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 a candidate for local positions, with the result that he was elected and served 
 as one of the trustees of Streator, as assessor of the town, and as assessor 
 of the town of Bruce, and held various other offices, acquitting himself in 
 a creditable manner. 
 
 In the autumn of 1864 Mr. Funk and Miss Mary Rich, of Streator, 
 were united in marriage at the home of the bride's parents, H. and j\Iary 
 (Strockbien) Rich. Eight children bless their union, namely: Elizabeth, 
 now the wife of E. S. Kempton, of Adams, Livingston county, Illinois; 
 Amelia, Mrs. William H. Hendricks, of Sandwich, Illinois; Ella, who mar- 
 ried Frank Egan, of Ottawa; Mary, wife of R. H. Smith, a member of the 
 firm of Funk & Smith, grain dealers of Streator; Lydia, Fannie and Sylvia, 
 who are at home; and Frank, who is a high school student. 
 
 THOMAS SULLIVAN. 
 
 Thomas Sullivan, of Allen township, LaSalle county, is one of the sub- 
 stantial and influential farmers of northern Illinois and represents that tvpe 
 of citizenship of whom any community might well be proud. He has 
 amassed a considerable property by hard work and good judgment dis- 
 played in looking after his business, and his achievements in this regard 
 cannot but be a source of gratification to him and his family. Starting in 
 life a poor boy, with no one to help him to prosperity, he has shown what 
 an American lad can accomplish when possessed of ambition, industry, per- 
 severance and frugal habits. His example will act as an incentive to the 
 youth of this age, by firing their ambitions, and his life is well worthy their 
 emulation. He was born in Norway, on May 2, 1835. The death of his 
 father left his mother and three small children without means. She was 
 a woman not easily daunted, and at once set to work to earn a living for 
 herself and little ones. She was not afraid of hard work and the endurance 
 she displayed in caring for her family was one of the characteristics which 
 made her successful in her efforts. She was called to the higher life in 
 1846, leaving one daughter, Julia, and two sons, Thomas and Avian, of 
 Norway township, to bless her memory. 
 
 Thomas Sullivan was reared to manhood by Samuel Pierson, of this 
 county. He first labored three years, receiving no wages, and when he 
 reached an age when he was able to engage his services for wages he 
 worked for Ole Anderson, the first year receiving a pair of calves and the 
 second year four dollars per month. He was frugal in his habits, and soon 
 was able to purchase one hundred and sixty acres of land, paying therefor 
 six dollars per acre. He continued to save his earnings and add to his
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 173 
 
 original purchase until he had secured six hundred and forty acres of land 
 in this township. This is well improved and cultivated, and is as valuable 
 as any land in the state. It is provided with good groves, which furnish 
 the necessary shade for the stock, while the large, commodious barns and 
 a modern residence, which was constructed at a cost of five thousand dol- 
 lars, make his land one of the most attractive in this section. 
 
 ]\Ir. Sullivan and Miss Margaret Ann Thompson were joined hand and 
 heart and have traveled the path of life together for many years. Ten 
 children have blessed their union — six daughters and four sons — namely: 
 Isabella Curren, of Aurora, Illinois; Mary Ann Nelson, a resident of Minne- 
 sota; Sarah; Martin; John Allen, who resides in Meeker county, Minnesota, 
 on a farm of three hundred acres, wdiich is the property of his father; Nellie, 
 ,vho lives at home; Ila Anderson, Minnesota; Lydia, Frank and Marshall, 
 all at home. Mr. Sullivan and his family are attendants at the Methodist 
 Episcopal church, of which they are members, and where they are earnest 
 workers. He is a Republican in politics and represents that party as 
 assessor of Allen township. He also renders effective service as a member 
 of the school board and is one of the most honorable and esteemed men of 
 the county. 
 
 ALBERT E. BUTTERS. 
 
 About sixteen years ago Albert E. Butters was admitted to the bar of 
 LaSalle county, and for eleven years of this period he was engaged in the 
 practice of his profession alone. Since 1894 lie has been associated in 
 partnership with Robert Carr and George J. Gleim, under the firm name of 
 Butters, Carr & Gleim. They enjoy an extensive practice, of the most 
 representative type, and number on the list of their clients many of the 
 leading business houses and prominent citizens of Ottawa and LaSalle 
 county. 
 
 William and Elizabeth (Wilson) Butters, the parents of our subject, 
 were natives of Scotland. Both were born and reared in the city of Glas- 
 gow, and there was celebrated their marriage. Soon after that event the 
 young couple sailed for America, the land of opportunity, and reached 
 New York city in 185 1. They continued their westward journey, coming 
 direct to Ottawa, and within a short time they settled in the village of 
 Harding, in Freedom township. The father opened a blacksmith shop and 
 built up a good trade, but the continuance of California gold discoveries 
 eventually led to his journeying to the Pacific slope. There he spent two 
 years in the gold-mining region. Returning to his old home in Freedom 
 township, he continued to cultivate and improve his farm until the death of
 
 174 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 his loved wife, December 30. 1883. He removed to Ottawa at that time, 
 and died in this city November 29, 1896, aged seventy-seven years. Mrs. 
 Butters was born in 1821, and was consequently in her sixty-third year at 
 the time of her demise. Of their seven children two, William and James, 
 are deceased. Agnes married a Mr. Wilcox; Elizabeth is the wife of C. C. 
 Carpenter; Anna, married C. H. Stockley, of Freedom township; and Jane 
 is the wife of C. K. Howard. 
 
 Albert E. Butters was born in Freedom township, LaSalle county, 
 September 22, 1865. He grew up on the farm and received the customary 
 district school education of the period. Later he graduated in the Ottawa 
 high school and then pursued a course of commercial studies in the Ottawa 
 Business College. Thus well equipped for the practical duties of life, he 
 obtained a position as a teacher, and during the following three years was 
 in charge of schools at Harding and Dayton, Illinois. In the meantime 
 he spent his leisure hours in the study of law, and was admitted to practice 
 in 1883, as previously stated. By strict attention to business, and by the 
 exercise of the talents with which he is liberally endowed, he has risen to 
 an enviable position among the members of his profession, and commands 
 a large share of the patronage of the public. Socially he is connected with 
 Freedom Lodge, No. 194, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and polit- 
 ically he is an active worker in the Democratic party. 
 
 On the 1 8th of February, 1890, Mr. Butters married Miss Ida B. Hayes, 
 a daughter of George Hayes, a leading citizen of East Saginaw, Michigan. 
 November 19, 1892, was the date of the birth of their son, Harold. 
 
 GRANT CONARD. 
 
 Ottawa boasts of no more ambitious, enterprising young men than he 
 of whom this sketch is penned. Admitted to the bar by the supreme court 
 of Illinois, in 1895, he immediately embarked in the practice of law at Ottawa. 
 He also became interested in the sale of real estate, particularly farm lands 
 in Indiana, Missouri and Texas. To those various states, and to others in 
 the great and prosperous west, he for several years conducted excursions 
 of homeseekers, and was successful in locating a laro-e number of families, 
 happily and to their entire satisfaction. Recently, however, on account of 
 his large and steadily increasing law practice, he has found it necessary 
 to abandon his real-estate operations and devote his entire time to the 
 interests of his clients. In view of the fact that he has been engaged in 
 the practice of law but a few years, and when he started had his reputation 
 to make, his success has been marked, and his future is full of promise.
 
 m. 
 
 1
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 175 
 
 The ancestors of Grant Conard were undoubtedly Germans, the correct 
 name beine "Conrad." But neither the date of their first settlement in 
 America nor the manner in which the name became changed can be definitely 
 ascertained. Certain it is, however, that for a number of generations prior to 
 the Revolutionary war his ancestors resided in the colony of Virginia and 
 were leading and respected people in that aristocratic old state. The 
 great-grandfather of our subject, Anthony Conard, was a soldier of the 
 Revolutionary war, and all of his descendants have been noted for patriotism 
 and loyal citizenship. The father of Anthony Conard was John Conard, a 
 native of Virginia. His children were Anthony, John, Jonathan, Nathan, 
 Joseph and Susan. Anthony was born at the foot of the Blue Ridge moun- 
 tains, in Loudoun county, Virginia, in 1760, and was but a mere boy when 
 he enlisted in the patriot army. After the war he resided in Virginia, near 
 the plantation of General Washington, with whom he was personally 
 acquainted, and upon at least one occasion General Washington was a visitor 
 at the home of Anthony Conard. 
 
 In 1827 Anthony Conard emigrated to the state of Ohio. He lived one 
 year in Belmont county and then located in Licking county, Ohio, near the 
 village of Utica, where he died in 1843. He was buried on the farm of his 
 brother Joseph, near Utica, Ohio. 
 
 Anthony Conard, Jr., grandfather of our subject, was born in Virginia,, 
 in October, 1799, and died in Crawford county, Illinois, December 26, 
 185 1. In 182 1 he married Nancy Gregg, a native of Virginia. She was born 
 in 1801 and died in LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1847. The eldest son oi 
 Anthony and Nancy Conard was David Wilson Conard, father of our subject. 
 (The name "Wilson" was the family name of Nancy Gregg's mother.) David 
 W. Conard was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, April 7, 1825, and died in 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, April 24, 1899. He removed to Licking county, 
 Ohio, with his parents in 1828, and came to LaSalle county, Illinois, on 
 horseback from Licking county, Ohio, arriving here May 24, 1846. Soon 
 after coming to this county he located on what is now section 30 of Miller 
 township, and engaged in farming, in which business he was unusually 
 successful, becoming one of the largest landowners in this county. His 
 success is a striking example of what may be accomplished by a youth 
 who has the energy and perseverance to seize upon opportunity, and tO' 
 master it by diligence and perseverance. 
 
 David W. Conard was a man of sterling worth. Unassuming, unosten- 
 tatious, he had no political ambitions, but was forced at various times 
 to accept the honorary offices of his town. He practiced strict economy with 
 himself, but was generous to others. He was a splendid example of the 
 citizen farmer, informed upon the matters pertaining to his country's wel-
 
 176 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 fare, regarding these not simply from the standpoint of a partisan, but from 
 the broader view of a patriot. It is with pleasure that we insert here a 
 brief extract from the resolutions adopted by the board of directors of the 
 First National Bank of Marseilles, Illinois, upon the death of this old 
 settler. 
 
 "Resolved, That in the death of David W. Conard this board loses a 
 member who for an unbroken period of twenty years had been a director 
 of this association. His long period of service is thus coincident with much 
 of the entire history of the bank; yet his business activities were so intense 
 and extended that his work here was but a small part of that restless energy 
 by which he attained success and became conspicuous in his chosen field 
 of practical enterprise. David W. Conard was pre-eminently a self-made 
 man, of that self-reliant American type which creates and wins success. 
 He always took an active interest in public affairs, and held public positions 
 of responsibility and trust, and yet such was the versatility of his mind that 
 he found time for a wide range of reading, and in his literary attainments 
 had written papers and poems on practical subjects of the day. 
 
 "Our departed friend lies in the sleep of death, and after reviewing the 
 activities of his busy life it is hard to realize that he is still in death. 
 
 To rest forever, after earthly strife. 
 In the calm light of everlasting life." 
 
 David W. Conard was married in LaSalle county, Illinois, March 17, 
 1853, to Elizabeth J. (Grove) Conard. Of the children born of this marriage 
 but three are living, Wilson, born October 5, 1863, residing upon a farm 
 in Rutland township in this county; Laura, born November 15, i860, now 
 the wife of Samuel H. JMontgomery, of Marseilles, Illinois; and our subject, 
 Grant, born August 5, 1867. Elizabeth (Grove) Conard was born in Licking 
 county, Ohio, January 17, 1828. She was a daughter of David and Anna 
 (Howser) Grove. David Grove was born in Shenandoah county, Virginia, 
 October 14, 1804, and died in this county February 18, 1880. Anna 
 (Howser) Grove was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, December 2, 1805, 
 and died in this county August 8, 1849. David and Anna (Howser) Grove 
 were married in Licking county, Ohio, December 22, 1826, and came to 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, in December, 1829, being among the very first 
 settlers of this county. During the Indian troubles and the Black Hawk 
 war David Grove and family lived in the old fort in Ottawa, to which place 
 they had fled wdien warned by Shabbona of the approach of the murderous 
 Black Hawk and his tribe. The mother of our subject is still living and 
 lias a vivid recollection of the stirring scenes of her childhood. She resides 
 with her dauo-hter, Laura, in Marseilles, Illinois. She is one of the few
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 177 
 
 survivors of that rugged band of pioneers who prepared the way for the 
 advanced civiHzation of to-day — who left the comforts and luxuries of their 
 eastern homes, braved the dangers and privations of a new country and 
 on the rough borders of civilization toiled and suffered and died that their 
 children might inherit the promise. 
 
 David Grove was a son of John and Barbara (Lienbarger) Grove, 
 natives of Germany, the correct name for Grove being "Grafif." Barbara 
 was born in 1773 and died in LaSalle county, Illinois, in June, 1853. 
 
 The birth of Grant Conard took place in Miller township, this county, 
 and during his boyhood he attended the district school of the neighborhood 
 at such times as he could be spared from the work of the farm. After attain- 
 ing his majority he attended the Grand Prairie Seminary, Onarga, Illinois; 
 Ottawa Business College; Columbia School of Oratory, Chicago; and the 
 Kent College of Law, Chicago. He taught in the public schools of tnis 
 county several years, and also taught in the Ottawa Business College. For 
 three years that institution was under the management of Mr. Conard, this 
 being prior to his entrance into the legal profession. He read law in the 
 of^ce of Lincoln & Stead, prominent attorneys of this place. Mr. Conard 
 is a stanch Democrat and has taken considerable interest in local politics. 
 
 The year which witnessed Mr. Conard's entrance into the professional 
 world was marked by an event of equal importance in his career, as on 
 November 7th of that year Miss Mildred Shaver became his wife. Her par- 
 ents, George D. and Fidelia (Munson) Shaver, were among the early 
 settlers of LaSalle county, and here Mrs. Conard was born and reared. 
 She was born February 5, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Conard have two children, 
 namely: Horace Milton, born August 6, 1896, and Fidelia Elizabeth, born 
 April 17, 1898. 
 
 George D. Shaver was born in this county January 28, 1839. He was a 
 son of Cyrus and Betsey (Hackett) Shaver. Cyrus Shaver was born in 
 Licking county, Ohio, August 30, 1812, and died in this county February 
 21, 1883. Betsey (Hackett) Shaver w^as born in Wheeling, Virginia, 
 November 4, 181 5, and is now living in this county. The parents of Cyrus 
 Shaver were David and Nancy (Grove) Shaver. David Shaver was born 
 in Shenandoah county, Virginia, October 10, 1787, and died in this county 
 January 2, 1848. Nancy (Grove) Shaver was born in Virginia, July 31, 1791. 
 They were married August 8, 181 1. The father of David Shaver was 
 Nicholas Shaver, a native of Virginia. George D. and Fidelia (Munson) 
 Shaver were married in this county December 20, i860. George D. is a 
 prominent farmer of LaSalle county, Illinois, and resides upon a farm in 
 Rutland township. Fidelia (Munson) Shaver was born in this county No- 
 vember 18, 1840, and died in this county, February 28, 1891. She was a
 
 j;8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 daughter of William and Rachel (Hall) Munson. William Munson was 
 born in Onondaga county, New York, October 5, 1806, and died in this 
 county February 16, 1879. He settled in LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1833. 
 His father was Hiram Munson, a native of New York. Rachel (Hall) 
 Munson was born in Kentucky, in 18 17. She was a daughter of William 
 and Mary J. R. (Wilburs) Hall, ^^'illiam Hall was born in Georgia, in 
 1787, and his wife Mary was born in Kentucky, the same year. William 
 Hall and wife and their daughter Elizabeth were massacred by the Indians, 
 at the Indian Creek massacre, in Freedom township, LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 May 20, 1832, and their two daughters, Rachel and Sylvia, were taken 
 captive by the Indians. Rachel died in LaSalle county, Illinois, May 20, 
 1870. 
 
 JOHN H. ANDERSON. 
 
 No one can hear the story of John Hunter Anderson's life and fail to 
 be impressed with the pluck and fortitude which he has manifested. Nor 
 can one refrain from deeply admiring and respecting this worthy citizen of 
 Streator, and at the same time must learn many lessons from his brave 
 struggles with adversity and obstacles which would have daunted the spirit 
 of most men. 
 
 A native of Airdrie, Scotland, born July 8, 1859, our subject is a son of 
 William and Mary (Hunter) Anderson and a grandson of John Anderson 
 and John Hunter. The parents, who are likewise natives of the land of 
 heather, are still living, their home being in Streator. They emigrated to 
 the United States when their son, John H., was an infant but nine months 
 old, and for a number of years Mr. Anderson was inspector of coal mines 
 at Braidwood and Streator, Illinois, later acting in the same capacity at 
 Virden. 
 
 The boyhood of our subject was spent in Braidwood, W^ill county, 
 Illinos, chiefly, his educational advantages being limited, as he commenced 
 working in the coal mines at the early age of ten years. Eight long, tedious 
 years the lad was thus employed, at the end of which time he met with the 
 great calamity. of his life. A large portion of the roof of the mine in 
 which he and his brother were working collapsed, and when he was extri- 
 cated it was found that his spine was seriously injured. Paralysis of the 
 lower limbs resulted, and for a long time he was practically helpless. When 
 he had partially recovered the brave youth set about the task of mastering 
 the science of telegraphy, and is entirely self-taught. At length he was 
 employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company at Streator, and 
 remained with that concern for twelve years. In 1892 he became the man-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 179 
 
 ager of the Postal Telegraph Cable Company's office at Streator, and still 
 occupies this responsible position. He has proved himself faithful and 
 efficient, and enjoys the confidence and sincere respect of all who know 
 him. In early Hfe he formed careful, frugal habits, and, partly owing to 
 this, and partly to the fact that he has made judicious investments of 
 his savings, he is now the possessor of a competence. He owns three good 
 residences in Streator, and rents two of them, while the third is his own 
 home, and besides he has money invested in the wholesale and retail tobacco 
 business. 
 
 On the 5th of May, 1893, the marriage of John H. Anderson and 
 Miss Emily Anderson was celebrated in Streator. Mrs. Anderson, who 
 is of Swedish parentage, and was not even in the remotest degree related 
 to our subject, is a lady of good education and refinement, and, like her 
 husband, has numerous friends in thj= city. 
 
 WILL:tAM E. WILLIAMSON. 
 
 William E. Williamson, of Miller township, LaSalle county, is one of 
 the leading agriculturists of this county, where he enjoys an extended 
 acquaintance, having grown from infancy to manhood here. His parents 
 were Endre and Christena (Gunnerson) Williamson, both natives of Nor- 
 way, who moved to Miller township, where our subject was born Feb- 
 ruary 4, 1852. Endre Williamson was born February 5, 1827, and was 
 educated in the Norwegian schools. He came to America in the year 1849, 
 and was married in this country to Miss Christena Gunnerson, who was 
 born in Norway, March 25, 1832. He located in this county and purchased 
 some land, where he engaged in farming and reared his family to honorable 
 manhood and womanhood. Eight children blessed their home, namely: 
 William E., the subject of this biography; Cordelia Knutson; Martin E.; 
 Milton C; George F.; Albert; Theodore H., who farms the homestead; and 
 Helen Hoganson, deceased. The living children are all residents of this 
 vicinity except George F., who resides at Rankin, Vermillion county, Illi- 
 nois. The father died February 7, 1876, and the mother passed away Au- 
 gust 5, 1899. 
 
 William E. Williamson received his education in the public school, 
 and at the same time improved his spare moments by assisting his father 
 with the farm work. He has always shown a remarkable aptitude for this 
 industry, and when he arrived at manhood he purchased a farm of one hun- 
 dred and forty-three acres in this township, where he has since made his 
 home. He is a careful business man and his land shows that brain as well
 
 i8o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 as brawn has been applied in its cultivation. He was married December 
 12, 1878, to Miss Sallie O. Sampson, a native of this county, and a daughter 
 of S. K. Sampson, who was born in Norway. Seven children have been 
 born to them — Mamie, Silas, Charlotte, Ethel, Ernest and two who died 
 in infancy. Mr. Williamson is a strong Democrat, and has held a 
 number of township offices, being at present school treasurer and town 
 clerk of the township. Himself and family are members of the Church of 
 the Latter Day Saints, and are most estimable people, greatly respected. 
 
 WILLIAM JOSEPH HORN. 
 
 Located on a fine farm in Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, near the town of Streator, we find the subject of this sketch, William 
 Joseph Horn, son of John Horn, deceased, for many years a prominent and 
 influential citizen of the county. 
 
 John Horn was born in Germany in 1833, ^"^^ i^^ early life came to this 
 country. With the exception of some six years, when he worked at the 
 carpenter's trade, he spent his life in agricultural pursuits. In 1852 he 
 made the overland journey to California, experiencing the usual hardships 
 and privations incident to a trip across the plains at that day. Being a 
 successful hunter, he killed a considerable amount of game on the way. At 
 the end of a year spent in California he returned east, making the journey 
 by the isthmus route. In LaSalle county, Illinois, he acquired a large 
 farm, comprising six hundred and fifty acres, on which he built a commo- 
 dious residence, large barns, etc., and on which are several groves. He 
 chose for his wife Miss Theresa Burgall, a native of Alsace, France, a young 
 woman well educated in both the French and German languages. To 
 them were born ten children, eight of whom grew to adult age. They are 
 as follows: William Joseph, whose name initiates this review; Frances 
 M, Johnson; George Henry, of Otter Creek township, LaSalle county; 
 Mary A. Schlachter, of Streator, Illinois; Neal, of Otter Creek township; 
 Lizzie R. and Katie B. Kuhn, of Grand Rapids township, LaSalle county; 
 and Sarah, of Streator, Illinois. The two deceased were James and Amelia. 
 The mother of these children is still living, but their father died in February, 
 1892, at the age of fifty-nine years. He was a member of the I. O. O. F., 
 and gave his support politically to the Republican party. 
 
 William Joseph Horn was born in the township in which he now lives, 
 January 28, 1861; was reared on his father's farm and educated in the pub- 
 lic schools near his home. At the age of twenty-four he left home and went 
 to Comanche county, Kansas, where he resided eight years, engaged in
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. i8i 
 
 the stock business. At the death of his father he returned home and took 
 charge of the home farm, and has carried on its operations ever since. 
 
 Mr. Horn was married, at the age of twenty-nine years, at Cold Water, 
 Comanche county, Kansas, to Miss Nora E. Kohar, who was born and 
 educated at South Bend, Indiana, daughter of David and EHzabeth Kollar, 
 now residents of Oklahoma. Mrs. Horn is one of seven children — Delia 
 Merrill, Joseph, Franklin, Horace, Nora E., Clara Barber and Almira 
 Pierce. Mr. and Mrs. Horn have four sons — Leon G., John David, Frank- 
 lin Elmer and James Foster. 
 
 Mr. Horn is a member in good standing of the Modern Woodmen 
 of America and the Knights of Pythias. Politically he is a Republican. 
 
 JAMES R. HUNT. 
 
 James R. Hunt, proprietor of the Spring Hill Dairy, Ottawa, Illinois, 
 has been in business here for over twenty-seven years. He purchased the 
 dairy from Samuel Dickerman, keeps over fifty head of cows, and has a 
 large sale for his products — pure milk and cream. 
 
 Mr. Hunt was born January 25, 1847, i" the Sandwich Islands, where 
 his father. Rev. T. Dwight Hunt, was a missionary. His father was a 
 native of Rochester, N. Y., was educated at Yale college, and was for 
 many years a minister of the gospel, a power for good wherever his influ- 
 ence was felt. For seven years he was located in California, doing evangel- 
 istic work. He died in New York at the advanced age of seventy-four 
 years. His wife's death occurred some years previous to his. She was a 
 native of Newark, New Jersey, where they were married, her maiden name 
 being Mary Hedges. 
 
 The first eight years of James R. Hunt's life were spent in California. 
 The next move the family made was to New York, and from there he went 
 to Marquette county, Wisconsin, locating near Portage City. Thus his 
 boyhood experience was diversified, being passed in the far west, the east 
 and in the middle northern state of Wisconsin. AVben he was twenty-one 
 years of age he was united in marriage to Miss Evelyn M. Bangs, a daugh- 
 ter of Alba Bangs, of Oxford, Wisconsin. The fruit of their union is 
 seven children, whose names in order of birth are as follows: William B., 
 a missionary in Korea, who was educated at Lake Forest University at Lake 
 Forest, Illinois, and Princeton Seminary, at Princeton, New Jersey; Mary 
 C, the wife of Robert Evans, a missionary in China; Henry H., educated 
 at Wooster University, at Wooster, Ohio, and is now a resident of Moline, 
 Illinois; and Charlotte, Laura L., Gertrude M., and J. Raymond, at home.
 
 i82 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Hunt is a public-spirited man, interested in educational matters 
 and all that tends to promote the general welfare of his community. For 
 years he has been a member of the school board. He is politically a Re- 
 publican and religiously a Presbyterian. He joined the Presbyterian 
 church in Oxford, Wisconsin, and he has remained a consistent church 
 member, regularly attending services. 
 
 ALLEN S. GUM. 
 
 Allen S. Gum, now living retired at his old home adjoining the town of 
 Marseilles, LaSalle county, is a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, his 
 birth having occurred upon the plantation owned by his father, August 25, 
 1832. The latter, Norton Gum, as well as his father. Captain James Gum, 
 ■were likewise natives of Rockingham county. The mother of our subject 
 was Sarah, daughter of Joseph Shoup, who was of German ancestry. In 
 1836 Norton Gum concluded to try his fortunes in the west, and coming 
 to LaSalle county he located not far from Streator. Two years later his 
 ■death occurred, and subsequently his widow became the wife of William 
 JR-ichey, who owned a small farm adjoining the limits of Marseilles. One 
 ■daughter was born of this union, namely, Harriet Richey. After the death 
 •of the senior Mr. Richey his widow went to Indiana and made her home 
 with a daughter until her death. The children of Norton Gum and his wife 
 Sarah, nee Shoup, were: Catherine and Harvey, both of whom died at the 
 age of five )^ears; Steven M., who married Anna Harris; Serena P., who, on 
 September 20, 1838, married John Richey; Diana, who became the wife of 
 Amasa G. Cook; St. Clair, who married Julia E. Reniff; Joseph S., who mar- 
 ried Corneha Bradford; John, who married Ada Wilson; Allen S., who mar- 
 ried Abby J. Mullen; and Harriet, who became the wife of Charles Van 
 Auher. 
 
 As he was but four years of age when his parents removed to this county, 
 Allen S. Gum has but few associations or memories of any other home, and 
 has consequently been identified entirely with the welfare of this section. 
 Until he was seventeen years of age he resided with his mother on the farm 
 near Marseilles, his time being spent largely in the local schools, where he 
 gained a liberal education. 
 
 In August, 1862, Mr. Gum enlisted in the defense of the Union in 
 Company C, Seventy-second Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, un- 
 der the command of Captain James (now of Chicago) and Colonel Star- 
 ing. After being mustered into the service the young man proceeded with 
 Jiis regiment to Paducah, Kentucky, and was then ordered to join the Union
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 183 
 
 forces in their memorable siege of the city of Vicksburg. After that great 
 struggle he became ill and was sent to the hospital, but as soon as possible 
 he rejoined his regiment and participated in a number of more or less im- 
 portant engagements. Exposure and the general hardships of army life 
 once more laid him low, and for weeks he was in the hospitals at Louisville, 
 Kentucky, and Keokuk, Iowa. He was finally mustered out and given 
 his honorable discharge. Returning to Marseilles, he purchased a tract of 
 thirty acres near the town, and has sold off a portion of the land. There 
 are large gravel and sand banks of this property, and for years the owner 
 has derived a substantial income from this source, as the sand is desirable for 
 building purposes, while the gravel is extensively employed in the construc- 
 tion of graveled roads. 
 
 In his political convictions Mr. Gum is a Republican. Fraternally he 
 is a member of the Joseph Woodruff Post, No. 281, Grand Army of the 
 Republic. 
 
 In 1866 the marriage of Allen S. Gum and Miss Abby J. Mullen was 
 celebrated in Ottawa. Four sons and two daughters have been born of 
 this union, namely: Erasmus M., Harvey, George S., Charles Newcome, 
 Kittie A., and Hazel Lillie. The three younger children are at home, and 
 the elder ones are enterprising young men who are making their own way 
 in the world, and reflect great credit upon their parents. Mrs. Gum is a 
 daughter of William and Abby (Crane) Mullen, and was born and reared 
 in the Buckeye state. 
 
 LUDWIG H. MAASS. 
 
 Ludwig Herman Maass, one of the well known, prosperous German- 
 American farmers of South Ottawa township, LaSalle county, identified 
 with this county since 1870, is a native of Prussia, Germany, born June 3, 
 1843, a son of Peter and Sophia (Schrader) Maass, who passed their entire 
 lives in their native land. Ludwig H. attended school, according to the 
 German custom, until he was fourteen, and was then put to a trade. He 
 worked at his trade, that of tailor, until 1868, with the exception of time 
 spent in the army. He served in the German army as a member of Gager 
 Battalion, No. 2, Greifswald Pommern, for a period of twenty-two months, 
 making an honorable record. In 1868 he sailed from Hamburg for New 
 York, being eleven days in making the voyage, and from New York di- 
 rected his way to Bourbon, Indiana, where he worked for six months. 
 After that he spent some time in Chicago, and in 1870 came to LaSalle 
 county, locating in Ottawa, where for ten years he worked for Fisk & Been, 
 the leading tailors of that place, and five years for Mr. Steinmetz. At the
 
 1 84 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 end of this time he bought his farm, one hundred and forty-three acres of 
 fine land, three miles and a half from Ottawa, well improved with good 
 buildings, fences, etc., and conveniently arranged for successfully carrying 
 on general farming. 
 
 Mr. Maass was married in Germany to Miss ]\Iaria Hannemann Jurg- 
 ens, a daughter of Carl and Christena (Jurgens) Hannemann, natives of 
 Germany. She was born November 8, 1844. Air. and Mrs. Maass are 
 the parents of five children, namely: Alma, wife of Martin Oleson, of 
 Marseilles, Illinois, who has three children, one son and two daughters; 
 Bertha, the wife of William Schuette, of Brookfield, Illinois; Otto J., who is 
 married, has one daughter and is engaged in farming in Fall River town- 
 ship, LaSalle county; and Hermann and Peter, at home. 
 
 Politically Mr. Maass is somewhat of an independent, but affiliates for 
 the most part with the Democratic party. He favors education, religion 
 and general reform, and has reared his family to occupy useful positions in 
 society. 
 
 CHARLES W. LONG. 
 
 Lying along the public highway, two and three-quarters miles from 
 Wedron and seven miles northeast of Ottawa, is the fine farm owned and 
 occupied by Charles W. Long, one of the well-known and popular citizens 
 of Rutland township, LaSalle county. 
 
 Mr. Long belongs to a family that has for many years been identified 
 with this county, his grandfather, Christopher Long, having been one of its 
 early pioneer settlers. Lewis Long, the father of Charles W., was born in 
 LaSalle county in 1825. He was married to Miss Emily Barber, a native 
 of New York state, and a daughter of L. E. Barber. The fruits of their 
 union have been eight children, seven of whom are living at this writing, 
 viz.: Eugene C, of LaSalle county; Emma F., wife of G. J. States, of this 
 county; Charles W., whose name initiates this review; Ruth Inez, wife of 
 George Finkle, who resides on the old Long homestead, near Marseilles; 
 Bertha A., wife of F, Spencer, of Rutland township, LaSalle county; Lewis 
 Walter, and Arthur F. The father of this family has long been recognized 
 as one of the successful and substantial men of the county. 
 
 Charles W. Long was born on the old Long homestead, in ]\Iiller 
 township, LaSalle county, Illinois, August 8, 1862. He was reared and 
 educated in his native township, and from boyhood has devoted his ener- 
 gies to farming. He has for some years past given no little attention to 
 the stock business, making a specialty of raising a high grade of cattle. 
 Politically he gives his support to the Republican party.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 185 
 
 October 18, 1888, Mr. Long married Miss Mary Etta Clark, of LaSalle 
 county, daughter of Richard and Mary (Parr) Clark. They have two chil- 
 dren — Harry L., born July 23, 1891; and Ethel Esther, born January 7, 
 1899. 
 
 FRANCIS A. FROST. 
 
 For more than half a century the Frost family to which the subject of 
 this sketch belongs has been represented in Ottawa. S. L., the father of 
 Francis A., was of English extraction, though New York state was the 
 place of his birth. For some time he lived in Michigan, in which state he 
 married Miss Onilla Shaw, and in 1847 they removed to Ottaw^a, coming 
 the entire distance in a covered wagon. Mr. Frost was a ship carpenter 
 by trade, but after becoming a citizen of this tow-n he devoted himself to 
 general carpentering. He died in CaHfornia soon after the close of the 
 civil war, and his wife lived to attain the age of three-score years. Both 
 w^ere devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Francis A. Frost was born in Three Rivers, Michigan, March 20, 1846, 
 and is one of six children born to his parents. The others are Mrs. 
 Josephine Toobs, of Ashtabula, Ohio; Agnes, wife of Judge E. Nugen, of 
 Idaho; Fernando, a resident of California; Mrs. Belle Hulsey, who died in 
 Ohio; and Edward, wdio died in Texas. The education of F. A. Frost was 
 obtained in the public schools of Ottawa, and when the civil war broke out 
 with the enthusiasm of youth he w^as determined to enlist as a soldier. He 
 had his name enrolled as a private of Company I, One Hundred and Thirty- 
 eighth Illinois Infantry. He served his time out in this regiment and then 
 re-enlisted in Company A, Third Illinois Cavalry, under Captain Sanders. 
 He made a good record as a soldier, and for years has been an honored 
 member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He also belongs to the K. of 
 P., I. O. O. F., A. O. U. W., and other orders. He is a second lieutenant 
 in the local branch of Knights of Pythias. 
 
 For a period of thirteen years Mr. Frost served most creditably as a 
 member of the Ottawa police force, and in 1889 he entered the employ of 
 the government as a mail carrier. This line of business he followed for four 
 years and seven months, then resigned his position. In his political views 
 he is a stalwart Republican, devoted to the interests of the party under whose 
 beneficial and conservative policy this nation was reconstructed and made 
 a power, as never before, among the nations of the world, subsequent to the 
 great civil war. 
 
 Mr. Frost has been twice married. The wife of his youth was Miss 
 Sarah C. Lightfoot, of this place, to whom he was wedded December 17,
 
 1 86 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 1867. She departed this Hfe in 1872, leaving one child named Ora, who is 
 now the wife of James Dick, of Joliet, Illinois. In 1874 Mr. Frost mar- 
 ried Miss EHza Kain, of Ottawa, whO' passed away in 1895. A son and a 
 daughter were born to this union, namely: Agnes Delbridge, whose home 
 is in South Ottawa; and Fernando, who is a painter L}- t.aae and engaged 
 in his calling in this place. 
 
 FRANK GENTLEMAN. 
 
 LaSalle county has had no more useful, patriotic citizens among her 
 inhabitants from the days when it was a wilderness to the present time than 
 the family of which Frank Gentleman is a sterling representative. His 
 paternal grandfather was a native of England, but at an early day in the his- 
 tory of the United States transferred his allegiance to the land of the free, 
 and was thenceforth a resident of the Green Mountain state. 
 
 William Gentleman, the father of our subject, was born in Orange 
 county, Vermont, in 1805, and was reared to maturity there, receiving a 
 liberal education for that day and place. In 1833 ^^^ determined that he 
 would seek his fortune in the new west, and coming to Illinois located in 
 Fall River township, a portion of which was heavily timbered at that time. 
 Making a careful selection of land, he continued to dwell upon the prop- 
 erty thus judiciously chosen until he was summoned to the home beyond, 
 in 1893. He made good improvements upon his farm, and gave much 
 attention to the raising of live stock, in which he was very successful. The 
 unpretentious house which he occupied at first gave place to a substantial 
 one of stone, and few better or more commodious farm houses are to be 
 found in the county to-day than this one, now^ occupied by the subject of 
 this review. The wife and mother, whose maiden name was Dorinda Har- 
 den, also was a native of the Green Mountain state. Daisy, her elder 
 daughter, is the wife of John E. Muir, of Fall River township. Willard, 
 the eldest son, is a prominent attorney at law in Chicago; James, the pro- 
 prietor of the St. Hubert Chop House in Chicago; Rena, who married C. 
 D. Basore, who owns one of the finest fruit farms in LaSalle county. 
 
 Frank Gentleman was born in Fall River township, February 25, 1866, 
 and, being the youngest son, he remained with his parents on the home 
 farm after some of the elder ones had embarked in the battle of life else- 
 wdicre. During the winter season he attended the district schools, and 
 later the Ottawa grammar school. More and more he relieved his father 
 of the cares and management of the homestead, until he was the practical 
 head of affairs, and when death claimed his venerable parents he very 
 naturally continued in his accustomed way of doing things. He has known
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 187 
 
 no other home than this, his birthplace, now one of the most desirable 
 farms in the township. Of late years he has given much attention to the 
 raising of Norman horses. Short-horn cattle, and Poland-China hogs, keeping 
 his farm thoroughly stocked with high grades. Business enterprise and 
 well-directed talents are rapidly bringing him to the front ranks of the 
 agriculturists and financiers of LaSalle county, and his future is one of great 
 promise. 
 
 In political matters Mr. Gentleman is a stanch Democrat, taking an 
 active interest in local elections and using his influence for the men who in 
 his estimation are best qualified to carry out the wishes of the people. For 
 two years he served as the assessor of this township, and in 1896 was hon- 
 ored by being elected as the supervisor of this district. Upright and just, 
 possessing worthy principles and a genuine desire to see the right triumph, 
 he enjoys the good will and high opinion of every one who has the pleasure 
 of his acquaintance. , 
 
 THOMAS HOUGAS. 
 
 Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, includes among its best class 
 of farmers a number of men who are of Norwegian descent, and who in- 
 herit to a marked degree the characteristics which contribute to the success 
 of that nationality. 
 
 Goodman Hougas, the father of Thomas Hougas, was born in Nor- 
 way, and when a youth came to America and settled in Illinois. He was 
 married in New York to Miss Julia Madland, and they became the parents 
 of eleven children, of whom five are -now living: Isabella, wife of O. Lewis; 
 Thomas, the subject of this sketch; Daniel, of Pottawattamie county, Iowa; 
 John, also of Iowa; and Caroline Bower, of Sheridan, IlHnois. Three of 
 their children died in infancy and three daughters after they were grown, — 
 Elizabeth Lewis, Sarah Selle and Julia Richards. Both parents died in the 
 prime of life, — the mother at the age of thirty-six years, the father in 1849, 
 at the age of forty-nine. He was an elder in the Church of the Latter Day 
 Saints. 
 
 Thomas Hougas was born in Rutland township, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, December 2, 1836, and was reared and educated in his native county. 
 Thrift and industry were early instilled into him. Being left an orphan at 
 an early age, he was thrown upon his own resources, and the success he has 
 made in life is due to his own efforts. He has a farm of two hundred and 
 seventy-nine acres on section 14, Miller township, which is highly culti- 
 vated and improved with excellent buildings, the whole comprising a most 
 desirable and model rural place.
 
 i88 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Mr. Hougas was married in 1858, in Miller township, to Miss Harriet 
 Elizabeth Teal, a native of Dutchess county, New York, and a daughter of 
 Edward Teal, an early settler of LaSalle county. The fruits of their union 
 have been eleven children, the record of whom is as follows: Joseph; 
 Daniel C; Ida, wife of William Gallup; Xathan Alma; John B.; George 
 A.; Charles M.; Susan May; Nathaniel, who died at the age of two years; 
 Zenus Melvin, who died in infancy; and Emma Jane, who was the wife of 
 Oliver Hayer, Jr., and died in 1897, at the age of thirty-nine years. 
 
 Mr. Hougas has long been identified with the Reorganized Church of 
 Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, in which he is a minister of high stand- 
 ing. Politically he is a Republican, and for fifteen or twenty years has 
 been a member of the school board. 
 
 FREDERICK RICHARDS. 
 
 One of the most extensive land-owners in LaSalle county is Frederick 
 Richards, whose possessions aggregate twenty-two hundred acres. The life 
 history of such a man well deserves a place in this volume, for his example 
 should serve as a source of inspiration to young men who are forced to enter 
 upon a business career without capital. Strong determination, great diligence 
 and unfaltering perseverance brought to ]Mr. Richards the splendid success 
 which now crowns his elTorts and w^hich makes him one of the wealthy men of 
 his adopted county. 
 
 A native of Prussia, Germany, he was born in September, 1828, and in 
 the schools of the Fatherland he acquired his education, pursuing his studies 
 until fourteen years of age. He then entered upon an apprenticeship to 
 the cooper's trade, serving a four-year term, during which time he thoroughly 
 mastered the business, becoming an expert workman. On the expiration 
 of that period he came to America, believing that in the New World better 
 opportunities and advantages were afforded young men than in the older 
 countries of Europe. After a voyage of forty-seven days he landed in 
 New York city, and thence proceeded to Illinois, making the journey by way 
 of the canal to BuiTalo, New York, and thence by the Great Lakes to Chicago. 
 He completed the journey to Ottawa by the Illinois and Michigan canal, 
 arriving at his destination in the summer. Soon afterward he secured em- 
 ployment with a Mr. Hoffman, who was engaged in the coopering business, 
 his work being to make pork and flour barrels and butter firkins. Engaged 
 in that service, Mr. Richards spent two years in Eagle township, LaSalle 
 county, and subsequently turned his attention to farming, devoting his
 
 S-^^<.e/e^ ^oM ^^ c/ ^2>n--^
 
 1
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 189 
 
 energies to the cultivation of the fields through the day, while in the evenings 
 he worked at his trade. 
 
 In 185 1 Mr. Richards made his first purchase of land, consisting of 
 one hundred acres, in the township of Bruce. In 1852 he began the devel- 
 opment of the tract, and in addition carried on work at his trade. His energy 
 and ability enabled him to so prosecute his labors that he derived therefrom 
 a good income, and as his financial resources increased he extended the 
 boundaries of his farm until it comprised one hundred and forty acres. In 
 1 86 1 he made an additional purchase of two hundred and forty acres, and 
 upon his farm, then comprising more than half a section, he began feeding 
 cattle and hogs. The new branch of business also proved a profitable one, 
 and, as stock brought good prices through the war, he made considerable 
 money and invested it very judiciously. In 1863 he purchased another 
 tract, of one hundred and sixty acres, in Bruce township, making five 
 hundred and forty acres in all, and at different times he has added to his 
 landed possessions until he now has twenty-two hundred acres of valuable 
 land. His last purchase was made in 1894, when he became the owner of 
 what is known as the Payne farm — a tract of two hundred and seventy-six 
 acres. His home farm comprises five hundred acres, and is one of the most 
 desirable country residences in this section of Illinois, being improved with 
 all the accessories and conveniences of the model farm. A good residence, 
 spacious barns and large cattle sheds are found upon the place, and the 
 well tilled fields yield to the owner a golden tribute in return for his care 
 and labor. One of his purchases consisted of eighty acres, a part of which 
 was within the corporation limits of Streator. This he has laid out in town 
 lots, and it is known as the Richards addition. One of his valuable farms 
 is situated in Livingston county. He has been one of the successful cattle- 
 feeders of Bruce township, LaSalle county, feeding as high as five hundred 
 head of cattle in a year and about one thousand head of hogs. His business 
 interests have been well conducted. He follows progressive methods, his 
 practical common sense readily selecting what is best in the new theories 
 that are advanced in regard to farming and stock-raising. He has ample 
 shed room for the shelter of cattle and hogs through the winter and during 
 inclement weather, which insures good animals, well fitted to be placed 
 upon the market. 
 
 In addition to his extensive agricultural interests Mr. Richards has 
 also carried on other lines of business, and is to-day the owner of a good 
 grain elevator at the town of Richards. He handles all kinds of grain 
 and is doing a large and profitable business in that way. He has been a 
 stockholder and director in the Union National Bank, at Streator, since its 
 organization, and his sound judgment has contributed in no small measure to
 
 I90 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 its success. His systematic methods, his unfaiHng energy and his reHability, 
 which is above question, are the characteristics which have brought to him 
 wealth and gained him a position among the leading business men of La- 
 Salle county. 
 
 In 185 1 Mr. Richards was united in marriage to Miss Leah Croty, 
 a native of Germany, but at that time a resident of LaSalle county. They 
 had one son, William, now a prosperous farmer of Otter Creek towfiship, 
 LaSalle county. The mother died in 1856, and Mr. Richards afterward 
 married Mary Graham, by whom he had the following named children: 
 Thomas, Mary, Alexander, Louis, Walter, Charles, and two who died in 
 infancy, named James and Fred. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Richards is independent, voting for the man 
 of his choice, regardless of party affiliations. He has served as commissioner 
 of highways for a period of twelve years, his long continuance in office 
 well indicating his fidelity to duty. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster 
 of Richards. His duties of citizenship have ever been faithfully performed, 
 and in all life's relations his well known integrity has won him confidence 
 and respect. 
 
 J. B. BAILEY. 
 
 The proprietor of the Ottawa livery, feed and sale stable, J. B. Bailey 
 is one of the native sons of LaSalle county, and has spent his whole life 
 within its boundaries. He is well and favorably known, not only in Ottawa, 
 but in various parts of the county, and bears an excellent reputation as a 
 business man and worthy citizen. 
 
 The father of the above-named gentleman was a native of Ireland, born 
 in April, 18 12; but he left the land of his birth when he was a youth of 
 about sixteen years, and in 1828 sailed for America, the land of promise. 
 For some time he lived in Oswego, New York, after which he proceeded to 
 Illinois. Arriving in this state in 1835, he settled in LaSalle county, and 
 years afterward he took up his residence in Ottawa. In 1836 Mr. Bailey 
 served on the committee which built the first Catholic church erected in 
 Ottawa. 
 
 J. B. Bailey was born in 1854, during the period that his parents resided 
 in LaSalle county, and when he had reached a suitable age he commenced 
 attending the common schools. Industry and economy were among the 
 lessons which he thoroughly mastered in his youth, and these principles 
 carried out in his later life were the foundations of his present prosperity. 
 Many years ago he embarked in the livery business, and within his spacious 
 stables can be found a large assortment of horses and vehicles, including
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 191 
 
 carriages, both single and double, hacks, picnic wagons, etc. In political 
 matters Mr. Bailey is a Democrat, and fraternally he is associated with the 
 Woodmen of America. 
 
 When he was a young man of about twenty-three years, in 1877, Mr. 
 Bailey married Miss Cathrine A. O'Conner. This estimable couple have 
 a very nice family, comprising five sons and three daughters, whose names, 
 m the order of birth, are as follows: Christopher R., Elmer E., James B., 
 Mary L., Catherine E., Alice Estella, William Francis, and Edmund Joseph 
 Robert. 
 
 BYRON A. ROATH. 
 
 Byron A. Roalh, one of the brave boys who wore the blue through 
 the trying years of the civil war, has been an honored inhabitant of Mar- 
 seilles since the close of that dreadful strife. He is a native of Lockport, 
 Niagara county. New York, his birth having occurred October 19, 1842. 
 His parents. Mason and Hannah (Swift) Roath, were likewise born and 
 reared in that town, where they continued to reside until about 1845. The 
 father was of Teutonic extraction, as his great-grandfather was a native of 
 Germany, while the mother of our subject, a daughter of James Swift, of 
 the Empire state, was of Scotch descent. 
 
 When he was three years old Byron A. Roath was taken to Michigan, 
 where his parents carried on a farm on a school section of land for five years. 
 At the expiration of that period the family located near Adrian, Michigan, 
 and there our subject attended school. His military life began in t86i, 
 when he enlisted in Company F, Ninth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, Cap- 
 tain George K. Newcomb and Colonel W. W. Duffield being in command 
 of his company and regiment. That winter was spent in camp at Louis- 
 ville, Kentucky, and the following spring the regiment was sent to Eliza- 
 bethtown, where Mr. Roath's company was detached, and, going to Nolin, 
 Kentucky, participated in the battles of Murfreesboro, July 13, 1862; 
 Lavergne, Tennessee, December 27, 1862; Stone River, Tennessee, De- 
 cember 29 to 31, 1862, and January i and 2, 1863; Chickamauga, Georgia, 
 September 19 and 20, 1863; Mission Ridge, November 25, 1863; Rocky 
 Face Ridge, Georgia, May 8, 1864; Resaca, Georgia, May 14, 1864; Dallas, 
 May 27, 1864; Kenesaw, June 25, 1864; Chattahoochie River, July 3 to 6, 
 1864; siege of Atlanta, July 22 to August 25, 1864; and Jonesboro, Georgia, 
 September i, 1864. With his regiment our subject was then ordered to 
 Chattanooga to take charge of the deserters and bounty-jumpers, and 
 later served under General Grant, and in the Army of the Cumberland. At 
 the battle of Stone River he was taken prisoner by the forces of General
 
 192 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Wheeler, but fortunately was released at the end of thirty-six hours on 
 parole, and sent to Nashville, Tennessee. In December, 1864, he and his 
 comrades veteranized and continued actively engaged in the war for the 
 preservation of the Union until peace was declared, being mustered out in 
 June, 1865. He was a brave, efficient and thoroughly reliable soldier, 
 prompt and cheerful in the performance of his duties, and fully merited the 
 high esteem in which he was held by his comrades and superiors alike. 
 From 1878 until 1888 Mr. Roath was a member of Company A, Twelfth 
 Battalion, Illinois National Guard, commencing as first lieutenant and 
 served in that capacity for six years. He was then elected captain and 
 served until the company was disbanded. 
 
 In October, 1865, Mr. Roath came to Marseilles, where he has unin- 
 terruptedly dwelt during the intervening years. He had mastered the 
 trade of mason and plasterer, and continued to follow this calling for some 
 ten years. He then embarked in the mercantile business, keeping a general 
 line of goods, and for fifteen years he was very prosperous as a merchant. 
 Then elected justice of the peace, he held that office acceptably to all con- 
 cerned for twelve years, and for two years served as an alderman, repre- 
 senting the third ward in the town council, and being elected on the Re- 
 publican ticket. He is an ardent admirer of the principles of that party, 
 and has been a member of the county central and township committees. 
 For some time he has conducted a general insurance and real estate busi- 
 ness, besides being a notary public. Being interested in the Covenant Mu- 
 tual Benefit Association, he was one of its directors for three years. Social- 
 ly he is affiliated with Marseilles Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M., and 
 Ottawa Chapter, No. 37, R. A. M., and Joseph Woodruff Post, No. 281, 
 G. A. R. 
 
 Soon after his return from the battle-fields of the south Mr. Roath 
 married Miss Amanda A. Bangham, daughter of John Bangham, of Mar- 
 shall, Michigan, and they have two living children, namely: Anna A., now 
 the wife of AI. L. Robinson, of Marseilles; and June A., an enterprising 
 3'oung man, who is still living at home with his parents. 
 
 JACOB H. BAISCH. 
 
 This prominent citizen of Ottawa, LaSalle county, was born Novem- 
 ber 15, 1858, in this place, which he has always looked upon as his home. 
 He is a son of Jacob Baisch, who was born in Germany, where he passed 
 twenty-seven years of his life. Then crossing the Atlantic, he landed in 
 New York city, where he resided for some time, ^^'hile there he married
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 193 
 
 Miss Caroline Raisling, and in 1850 they came to Ottawa. Later, in 1888, 
 this worthy couple removed to Madison county, Nebraska. The father is 
 a loyal citizen of this his adopted country, and reared his children to the 
 same high standard of patriotism. Two of his sons are now living- in Ne- 
 braska, — Joseph in the town of Broken Bow, Custer county, and Fred in 
 Madison, Madison county. The only daughter, Christiana, is the wife 
 of William Fletcher. 
 
 Jacob H. Baisch, of this sketch, is fortunate in being almost equally 
 proficient and familiar with both the English and German languages. After 
 completing his public school education in Ottawa he commenced learning 
 the trade of cigarmaker, at which calling he was employed from 1874 until 
 1888. He was associated with W. F. Fletcher in the cigar business from 
 1886 to 1888, and met with success, and since 1888 he has been located at 
 800 Jackson street in the saloon business. 
 
 At the age of twenty-five years Mr, Baisch married Miss Adaline 
 ]\Ieyer, a daughter of Joseph Meyer, of this town. They have one child, 
 Lottie B., now in her fourteenth year, and a promising student in the local 
 schools. Following the example of his father, Mr. Baisch is an ardent 
 adherent of the Republican party. Socially he is identified with the Ger- 
 man Benevolent Order and the United American Workmen. He enjoys 
 the friendship of a large circle of acquaintances, who one and all united in 
 wishing him well and in praising his sterling qualities. 
 
 WILLIAM S. REDDICK. 
 
 This gentleman is one of the popular citizens and successful farmers 
 of Otter Creek township, LaSall.e county, Illinois, and also belongs to that 
 class of brave men whose ranks are each year being thinned, — the veterans 
 of the civil war. 
 
 William S. Reddick was born in Washington, D. C, in 1841, and is 
 of Irish descent. His father, James Reddick, was born on the Emerald 
 Isle, son of William Reddick, and when a lad of six years accompanied his 
 parents to America. In this country he grew up, and here married Miss 
 Margaret Wise, who was born and reared in Georgetown, across the river 
 from Washington, D. C. They made their home in the east until 1858, 
 when the family came west to Illinois and settled in LaSalle county, north 
 of Ottawa. On his father's farm William S. was early taught lessons of in- 
 dustry and economy, and soon after he came to this state he engaged in 
 farmiing on his own account, an occupation in which he has since been en- 
 gaged, his location being in Otter Creek township.
 
 194 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Reddick married Miss Matilda Wakey, 
 who was born near South Ottawa and who is the daughter of WilHam 
 Wakey, an early settler of LaSalle county. Mr. and Mrs. Reddick have 
 six children, viz.: Lulu Weber, a successful music teacher; Maggie, wife 
 of James Armstrong, of Streator, Illinois; Birdie, wife of Charles Gerry, 
 of Otter Creek township; Mamie, at home; William Clifford, of Streator; 
 and James, who married Miss Carrie L. Baker, daughter of Christian 
 Baker. The Reddick family attend worship in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, and politically Mr. Reddick is a Democrat. 
 
 JOHN L. CLARK. 
 
 We have now to consider the career of a pioneer and the son of a 
 pioneer, — a man who, with the good example of an honest, intelligent and 
 enterprising father before him, has made his way to a position of prominence 
 in the business and social circles of LaSalle county, along lines which com- 
 mend him to his fellow citizens and assure him that self-satisfaction 
 belongs of right to the man whose aims are high, whose methods are good 
 and whose success is in every way praiseworthy. 
 
 Such a man is John L. Clark, of Ottawa, Illinois, a son of the late Hon. 
 James Clark, one of the most prominent men in this part of the state. James 
 Clark, father of John L. Clark, was born in Ashburnham parish, Sussex, 
 England, September 9, 181 1, a son of James and Ann (Westen) Clark, 
 and died at Utica, Illinois, in 1888. He learned the ccachmaker's trade 
 in England, and in 1830 came to the United States and located at Grafton, 
 Ohio. After farming there four years he came to Utica, Illinois, and in 
 1835 bought two hundred and forty acres jof land. He lived in a log house 
 for ten years. He was contractor for a portion of the Illinois & Michigan 
 canal, which work he finished in 1848. In 1849 he was appointed first post- 
 master of Utica, and held the office continuously for fourteen years. He 
 began the manufacture of hydraulic cement in 1845. Later his son, John 
 L. Clark, was associated with him in the business, which reached an annual 
 production of one hundred thousand barrels. Under the firm name of 
 James Clark & Son they bought grain extensively at Utica from i860 until 
 1878. From 1867 until 1869 they manufactured stoneware pottery. In 
 1869 they became associated with William White and began the manufac- 
 ture of sewer pipe and drain tile, the first factoiy of the kind of any im- 
 portance in the county, and they continued until 1878, when they leased 
 the property and retired from the business. As early as 1852 James Clark 
 & Son commenced the shipment of sand from Utica to St. Louis for the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 195 
 
 manufacture of glass; also large quantities were shipped to the different 
 iron manufacturers. They continued this business until 1877. In 1883 
 the hydraulic cement enterprise passed into the control of a joint stock 
 company, of which Mr. Clark was president. Upon the completion of the 
 Rock Island Railroad, in 1853, Mr. Clark was made its agent, a position 
 wdiich he held for many years. He was long a member of the board of 
 supervisors of LaSalle county, and he w^as a member of the Illinois legisla- 
 ture in 1870-71 and served on the committee on canals and on other commit- 
 tees of equal importance. He was a man of strict business integrity and 
 of honest, upright principles, as well as of indomitable will and tireless 
 energy. 
 
 He was twice married, — first to Charlotte Sargent, a native of England, 
 who died August 12, 1877; ^^<^ his second wife was Mary J., nee Cary. 
 James Clark and Charlotte Sargent were married September 18, 1830, and 
 they had children as follows: John L., born in Ohio, July 8, 1832; James, 
 born in Ohio, November 4, 1833, died August 4, 1845; Charlotte, born 
 April 29, 1838, married John B. Peckham, and is now a widow living at 
 Danville, Illinois; Ann W., born in Illinois, December 31, 1841, died March 
 27, 1848. 
 
 John L. Clark attended school in the old county court house at Ottawa. 
 The teacher was a Mrs. Towell. Later he attended the Mount Palatine 
 Academy, in Putnam county, Illinois. After leaving school he assisted his 
 father in the hydraulic cement business at Utica, and in time became his 
 partner. He was connected with the enterprise until 1879; in 1882 he 
 moved to Iowa and engaged in farming on a tract of seven hundred and 
 twenty acres of land in Hancock county, which he purchased. In 1888 he 
 returned to Illinois and located at Ottawa, and has since given his time 
 to the supervision of his general business interests. He was elected super- 
 visor in 1872 and served two terms. 
 
 Mr. Clark was married October 29, 1856, to Miss JuHa Hardy, a 
 daughter of Truman Hardy, of Utica township. Mrs. Clark was born in 
 Vermont, October 29, 1834. Her great-grandfather, Lemuel Hardy, was 
 born in 1737 and died in 18 13. The grandfather, Silas Hardy, born 
 March 13, 1763, served as captain in the war of 1812, and died December 
 6, 1827. Truman Hardy, the father of Mrs. Clark, was born at Monkton, 
 Vermont, June 4, 1792, served in war of 1812, and died in Utica township, 
 November 22, 1869. 
 
 The following brief mention of Mr. Clark's children will be found of 
 interest: J. Truman is a graduate of the Northwestern University and is a 
 dentist living and practicing in Chicago; Charlotte became the wife of E. G. 
 Osman, a publisher of Chicago; George H. was graduated with the degree
 
 196 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of M. D. at Hahnemann Medical College, Chicago, and took special courses 
 in the hospitals of London, England, Vienna, Austria, and is practicing his 
 profession at Humboldt, Iowa; Jessie married T. J. Lynch, a prominent 
 merchant of Ottawa, Illinois; and Julia lives with her parents. 
 
 GEORGE HACKSHAW. 
 
 The broad acres and pleasant rural home of the subject of this sketch, 
 George Hackshaw, are located in Otter Creek township, LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, not far distant from the town of Streator. Mr. Hackshaw is a 
 native of the county in which he lives. He was born November 14, 1852, 
 the son of a prosperous and highly respected pioneer of the county, John 
 Hackshaw, a native of England. John Hackshaw was married at Toronto, 
 Canada, to Miss Elizabeth Jensen, a native of Glasgow, Scotland. Their 
 union was blessed in the birth of six children, namely: Jane McCormick, 
 of Chicago, Illinois; John F., of Streator, Illinois; Mary S.; Satie S.; Corwieh- 
 er, who passed away in childhood; and George, whose name introduces this 
 sketch. In LaSalle county the parents spent the greater part of their lives 
 and died, the father passing away in the prime of life; the mother lives 
 in Streator. She is an energetic, industrious woman, of great strength of 
 character, and early instilled into her children right principles of living. 
 The home farm comprised three hundred and twenty acres, and on it the 
 family were reared. 
 
 George Hackshaw early became familiar with all kinds of farm work, 
 and on reaching adult years engaged in farming for himself. He owns a 
 fine farm of two hundred and twenty acres, on which he raises the usual 
 crops of this locality, and where he is interested in the stock business. 
 
 Mr. Hackshaw was married May 17, 1894, at Streator, Illinois, to Miss 
 Minnie Willard, a native of Chicago, Illinois, and the daughter of William 
 J. Willard, deceased. 
 
 Politically Mr. Hackshaw is known as a Republican. He may well be 
 classed as one of the best citizens of the township, for he shares the respect 
 and confidence of his fellow men. 
 
 THEODORE WEBERLING. 
 
 Theodore Weberling, superintendent of the water works and electric 
 light plant of Peru, Illinois, was born in Hanover, Germany, February 7, 
 1849. His parents were Frederick and Carolina (Groetch) Weberling, who 
 came to the United States in 1853, ^"d located in Peru, where they spent the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 197 
 
 remainder of their lives. The father was a carpenter, who worked many 
 years in the Peru Plow and Wheel Works. Both were members of the 
 Evangelical Lutheran church, and are held in kindly remembrance. The 
 father died in 1875, and the mother survived him but ten years. They had 
 but two children, the elder, Henry, dying after coming to Peru. 
 
 Theodore Weberling was but little more than four years old when he 
 became a resident of Peru. At the age of thirteen he was taken from 
 the public school and placed with a harnessmaker to learn the craft. Here 
 he remained five years, and the succeeding five years were spent as a 
 journeyman at his trade, mostly in Atlanta and Galesburg, both in Illinois. 
 Returning to Peru he opened a saloon, which he personally conducted six- 
 teen years, and in 189 1 retired permanently from the business. In 1888 
 the Peru electric light plant was established, and he was placed in the man- 
 agement of it. Three years later this plant was purchased by the city, 
 and he was continued in the management, while the same year the water- 
 works were built, and he was made superintendent of them when they 
 were put in operation the following January. About this time he was 
 appointed J:o the office of street commissioner and still holds the several 
 positions, giving to them his whole time and attention, and discharging the 
 duties in a highly satisfactory manner. He favors the Lutheran church, 
 and is a Republican in politics. He is an active worker in the Independent 
 Order of Odd Fellows, and also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of Amer- 
 ica and the Alystic Workers of the World. He was married in 1878 to 
 Miss Bertha, daughter of Albian Smith, and five children have been born to 
 them, — Antoinette, Alvina, August, Edward and Max. 
 
 EDWARD S. PEDDICORD. 
 
 Among the native sons of Manlius township, LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 is the subject of this sketch, Edward S. Peddicord, who owns one hundred 
 and sixty acres of fine land and is classed with the prosperous farmers of 
 his localit}^ 
 
 Mr. Peddicord was born March 4, 1862, son of Edward and Elizabeth 
 (Johnson) Peddicord, prominent residents of this county for over forty-six 
 years, now both deceased. They were the parents of the following named 
 •children: William D., a resident of Dallas county, Iowa; Lewis E., of 
 Chicago, Illinois; Willis P., who died in childhood; Charles J., of Marseilles, 
 LaSalle county; Edward S., whose name introduces this sketch; Milton B.; 
 Isabel, deceased; Ami J., of Story county, Iowa; Jannie, of Marseilles. 
 
 Edward S. was reared in his native county and educated in its public
 
 198 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 schools, and has all his life been engaged in farming. His farm is located 
 three miles from Seneca, is under a high state of cultivation, and is improved 
 with modern residence, large barn, fine grove and orchard, etc. In short, 
 it is one of the most desirable farms in this vicinity. 
 
 Mr. Peddicord was married at Ottawa, Illinois, May 19, 1886, to Miss 
 Nora Mayers, a daughter of John and Barbara Mayers; and to them 
 have been born six children, whose names in order of birth are x\rthur 
 Frank, Louise, John, Isabelle, Eunice and Joseph. 
 
 In his political af^liations Mr. Peddicord is Republican. He is now 
 serving his fourth year as a member of the school board. 
 
 WILLIAM HOLLY. 
 
 For half a century or more William Holly, a prominent citizen of 
 Peru, has resided in the neighborhood of this town, and during his life in 
 LaSalle county he has been a witness of much of its development from the 
 wilderness. He has given his attention to various lines of business since 
 he reached man's estate, and has prospered in nearly all of his undertakings. 
 
 The grandfathers of our subject, on both sides of the house, were of 
 German birth. Daniel Holly, the paternal grandfather, spent some years 
 in his native land, was married there and finally emigrated to Butler county, 
 Ohio, where he engaged in farming. The parents of our subject were 
 Daniel and Helen (Bender) Holly, both natives of the Fatherland. They 
 had five sons and two daughters, namely: Mary, wife of Christian Brenne- 
 mann, of this county; John, of Putnam county; William, the immediate 
 subject of this sketch; Theodore, of Putnam county; Gustav, of Kansas; 
 Eliza, wife of Oscar Brennemann, of Putnam county; and George \\'., of 
 this county. AMien he came to the United States Daniel Holly, Jr., was a 
 boy, and the remainder of his youth was spent on a farm in Butler county, 
 Ohio. With his wife and four children he came to Illinois, making the 
 trip by boat from Cincinnati to St. Louis; thence up the Illinois river, over 
 which he crossed and proceeded to Hennepin, Putnam county. They set- 
 tled on a farm about ten miles distant from that town, and in the course of 
 time the father accumulated considerable property. He retired about five 
 years prior to his death, which occurred in Peru, in 1887, when he was 
 seventy-one years of age. His widow is still living, and is now in her 
 eighty-fourth year. In religious belief they were originally Mennonites, but 
 Mr. Holly became a Free Thinker when he was about fifty-five years of 
 age. For several years he served as a justice of the peace, and also acted in 
 the capacity of road commissioner at Peru.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 199 
 
 William Holly, of this sketch, was born in Butler county, Ohio, May i, 
 1843. When he was twenty-one years of age his father gave him a team of 
 horses, and he began farming a part of the old homestead on shares, and 
 also ran a threshing machine. At the end of four years he went to Gran- 
 ville, ■ Illinois, and clerked in a general store. Within a year the manage- 
 ment failed, and Mr. Holly was chosen to take charge and sell out the stock, 
 which required about a year. Then, going to Chicago, the young man 
 purchased a new, fresh stock of goods, and opened a store of his own in 
 Granville. After spending three years in that enterprise he sold out, at a 
 fair profit, and in the fall of 1875 ^^^ joined his brother-in-law, Oscar 
 Brennemann, and started a grocery store in the new building which had 
 just been erected in Peru by the senior Mr. Holly. The firm was known 
 as Holly & Brennemann, and that management was in existence some five 
 years. Mr. Holly then bought out his partner's interest and continued 
 alone in business until 1887, when he finally disposed of his stock. His 
 next enterprise was the Peru Elevator Company, which he organized. 
 Renting the elevator he managed it for three years, from 1890 to 1893, and 
 then sold out. 
 
 In 1890 Mr. Holly and five other public-spirited citizens — G. D. Ladd, 
 Theodore Weberling, G. Lassig, H. Bellinghausen and Charles Bruner — 
 sunk an artesian well, and at a depth of about seven hundred feet a fine vein 
 of salt water was struck. They went down further, and, reaching a depth 
 of fourteen hundred feet, found fresh water. Pipes were put in and the well 
 was afterward sold to the city, which built new water-works. In 1893 Mr. 
 Holly went to California, and, stopping in Salt Lake City, he took a few 
 plunges in the briny inland sea, and so thoroughly enjoyed the effects that 
 he returned home with a new idea, which he proceeded to put into suc- 
 cessful operation. Purposing to use the salt water piped from the above- 
 mentioned well, he opened an establishment, — a bath-house for giving hot 
 salt-water baths, — and has since enlarged the capacity of the bath-house, 
 until there are now ten separate rooms, with all approved appliances. The 
 ground floor is devoted to the use of men and the second story to ladies, 
 while the basement contains a fine plunge bath, used chiefly in the summer 
 season. Though the popularity of the bath-house is greatest during the 
 hot weather, it receives a liberal patronage the year round. 
 
 Mr. Holly has other business interests. He is a stockholder in the 
 Peru Plow & Wheel Company, and has served on the board of directors 
 for this company, and also as treasurer. He is also a stockholder and 
 director in the Peru Plow & Implement Company, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, 
 and is also interested in the Peru Shoe Company, of which he is general 
 manager.
 
 200 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 In politics our subject has been perfectly independent, voting for the 
 nominee or principle in which he believed most thoroughly, and changing 
 from one party to the other as he deemed best under pubHc conditions. 
 He voted for S. J. Tilden in 1876, and had cast his first vote for Lincoln, 
 as nominee for a second term. He supported Cleveland the first time that 
 he ran, but not liking his methods he next used his ballot in favor of Har- 
 rison. Then he reverted to Cleveland, and, lastly, he voted for McKinley, 
 and every time the man for whom he desired the place of chief executive 
 (since 1876) has been elected. Personally ]\Ir. Holly has never aspired to 
 public of^ce. He is a member of the Peru Sharp-shooters' Society, but is 
 not connected with any of the lodges. 
 
 In 1888 the marriage of ]\Ir. Holly and Miss Emma ^Miller was sol- 
 emnized. They have had three children, Arthur, Gertrude and Lillian. 
 The last named, little Lillian, died in 1896, at the age of three years. 
 
 AMNION B. MOON. 
 
 For many years having followed farming in LaSalle county, Mr. Moon 
 is now living retired in Streator, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned 
 and richly desen-es. He is one of the extensive land-owners of the com- 
 munity, and his property has all been acquired entirely through his well 
 directed efforts. A native of Eden township, LaSalle county, he was born 
 January 27, 1834, his parents being Albert and Elizabeth Moon. The 
 father was born in Virginia, in 1808, and the mother's birth occurred in 
 Kentucky, January 28, 1818. The Moon family was probably established 
 in the Old Dominion at an early period in its history, for the paternal 
 grandfather of our subject, who was of Scotch and English descent, was a 
 native of that state, and there resided until after his marriage. In 1833 he 
 became one of the pioneer settlers of Illinois, making his home in Reading 
 township, Livingston county, until called to his final rest. Albert Moon, 
 the father of our subject, was reared to manhood in Greene county, Ohio, 
 and when twenty-four years of age cast in his lot Avith the early settlers 
 of LaSalle county, his home being on a farm near Tonica. At the time 
 of the Indian massacre in the Black Hawk war there was a company of 
 sixteen organized at Ottawa to bury the victims of the savage cruelty, 
 and Mr. Moon was among the number chosen for that purpose. In the 
 winter of 1833 he was united in marriage with Elizabeth Boyle, a daughter 
 of David and Rachel Boyle, who settled in Putnam county, Illinois, in 
 1829. Four children were born of this union: Ammon B., of this review;
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 201 
 
 Salanda, wife of Mr. Sawyer; Matilda, wife of H. B. Schuler, of Chicago, 
 Illinois; and Jacob W., who is living at Iowa Falls, Iowa. In 1834 the 
 father of this family disposed of his property in LaSalle county and the 
 following year purchased a tract of land in Reading township, Livingston 
 county. There he carried on agricultural pursuits until his death, which 
 occurred on the 19th of November, 1865. 
 
 During his infancy Ammon Moon was taken to Livingston county, 
 where the days of his boyhood and youth were passed upon his father's 
 farm. He assisted in its cultivation, and after acquiring a practical English 
 education in the common schools he began farming on his own account, 
 his early training in the fields then proving of practical value to him. He 
 secured a farm on section 34, Eagle township, erected thereon a frame resi- 
 dence in the fall of 1856, and the following spring took possession of the 
 place and began its development and improvement. Soon the land was 
 transformed into richly cultivated fields, which yielded to the owner a 
 golden tribute. As time passed he extended the boundaries of his place 
 until it comprised four hundred and eighty acres, and he made excellent 
 improvements upon it, erecting substantial buildings and replacing the 
 first residence with a modern and commodious brick structure in 1872. 
 At other times he has purchased property elsewhere, and in addition to the 
 old homestead he has one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 33 
 and one hundred and sixty on section 27, making an aggregate of eight 
 hundred acres. After a long and active life upon the farm, during which 
 he won most gratifying success, he retired to private life in 1893, taking 
 up his abode in Streator, where he is now living, surrounded with the com- 
 forts which make existence most pleasant. 
 
 On the 8th of October, 1856, Air. Moon was united in marriage to 
 Miss Mary E. Lyon, a daughter of William and Elizabeth (Mills) Lyon. 
 Her father, who was born in Clinton county, Ohio, in 181 8, died in Pontiac, 
 Illinois, in 1892, and her mother, who also was a native of the Buckeye 
 state, passed away in Pontiac, in 1882. To Mr. and Mrs. Moon were born 
 five children, but two are now deceased, namely: Carrie, who died in 
 infancy, and Lillie, who died at the age of five years. The three children 
 now living are Nellie I., William A. and Estelle E. Nellie I. married 
 William Turner and has two children, — Guy F. and Harry. In 1882 Mr. 
 Turner passed away and his widow afterward became the wife of Dr. O. J. 
 Raub, of Abilene, Kansas, and by this marriage there is one boy, named 
 Stanley. Estelle E. became the wife of Dr. O. D. Holland, of Streator, 
 and they have one son, named Parke. 
 
 Mr. Moon is one of the oldest native sons of LaSalle county, and 
 through more than six decades he has watched with interest the progress
 
 202 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 and improvement which have marked the onward march of time, ever 
 bearing his part in the same. He has been a citizen loyal and true, and 
 in the management of his business affairs he has accumulated a handsome 
 property, which is the merited reward of his earnest, honest labors. 
 
 ROBERT N. CRAWFORD. 
 
 Robert N. Crawford, president of the Mendota National Bank, was 
 born on a farm in Bureau county, Illinois, November 28, 1868, and repre- 
 sents a type of business man that is a credit to any community. He has 
 worked his way by patient industry and the faithful discharge of the duties 
 that came to his hand, from the humble career of a farmer lad to the posi- 
 tion of president of one of LaSalle county's most firmly established banks, 
 showing what the American boy is capable of. His parents were Charles and 
 Mary A. (Liscom) Crawford, the former a native of the state of Vermont 
 and the latter born in Massachusetts. They were united in the holy bonds 
 of matrimony in Vermont and came west to seek their fortunes in the 
 broad and fertile prairies of Illinois, settling, in 1849, in Bureau county, 
 where they engaged in farming. They remained in that locality for twenty 
 years and then moved to a farm in LaSalle county, a short distance west 
 of Mendota, where they continued to share the vicissitudes of life until 
 Februarys 1877, when the grim reaper. Death, entered their home and took 
 from it the husband and father just as he had passed the fifty-sixth mile- 
 stone in his journey of life. Left alone with a family to care for, the 
 mother bent her energies to rearing them to Hves of usefulness and honor; 
 and how well she succeeded is well known by the citizens of Mendota, 
 who watched with interest her noble life. She is now in her seventy-fifth 
 year and resides on the old homestead, made dear by years of tender asso- 
 ciations and memories. 
 
 Robert N. Crawford was the youngest of seven children and was 
 reared on his father's farm. His love for learning was given scope and 
 after leaving the country schools he completed the high-school course at 
 Mendota. Farm work did not appeal to his nature as did the more exciting 
 and active commercial life, and at the age of nineteen years he bade adieu 
 to the monotony of farm life and took up his residence in this city. He 
 was fortunate in securing a clerkship in the First National Bank and was 
 well adapted to the work, remaining with the institution in that capacity 
 for ten years, when he resigned to become the president of the Mendota 
 National Bank. This bank was organized in July, 1897, and opened for 
 business in September of that year with a capital stock of fifty thousand
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 203 
 
 dollars. It is one of the solid institutions of LaSalle county and has a large 
 number of depositors. 
 
 Robert N. Crawford was united in marriage, in 1892, to Miss Mary 
 E. Truman, a daughter of William Truman, an extensive farmer of this 
 county. Mr. Crawford keeps intelligently posted on political subjects and 
 renders valuable aid to the Republican cause. He is a Knight of Pythias 
 and also a Knight Templar Mason. He is interested in all municipal mat- 
 ters and has been closely identified with the city's growth during recent 
 years. He is straightforward and upright in all transactions and has won 
 the commendation of all who have had any dealings with him. 
 
 GUSTAVE J. KEIM. 
 
 When Gustave J. Keim, a man six feet in height and finely proportioned, 
 a man of notable military presence, takes his position at the head of his 
 company, — a captain of the Uniformed Rank of the Knights of Pythias, — • 
 he commands the respect of all observers and is looked upon with just 
 pride by those under his orders. He is in the prime of early manhood, as 
 his birth occurred June 12, 1867, and Ottawa was the place of that event. 
 He has grown to maturity in this town, receiving his education in her public 
 schools, and since entering the world of business Ottawa has continued to 
 be his home. The associations of his whole life thus being connected with 
 this immediate locality, he is thoroughly patriotic and genuinely interested 
 in everything relating to the growth and prosperity of the town. 
 
 The father of our subject, Martin Keim, w^as a native of Germany, born 
 August 6, 1836. He was reared on his father's farm and in 1857, when 
 the young man was twenty-one years of age. his senior paid three hundred 
 dollars to the government for the release of the son from the law requiring 
 military service. Soon afterward Martin Keim bade adieu to the Father- 
 land and came to America. During the civil war he enlisted in the defense 
 of the land of his adoption, and participated in some of the worst battles 
 of the conflict, including that of Chickamauga and the siege of Vicksburg. 
 He served in the Twenty-fourth Illinois Infantry, his commanding officer 
 being Colonel Hecker, who was a German and had done valiant servnce in 
 the Mexican war, with General Thomas. By trade Martin Keim was a 
 cooper, and after the close of the war he settled in Ottawa, where he found 
 employment. Socially he was identified with the Independent Order of 
 Odd Fellows. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Keim married Miss Lizzie Gabauer, likewise a native of 
 Germany; and as the years rolled by six children came to bless their
 
 204 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 happy home. One son died at the age of nineteen years, but the other chil- 
 dren are still living, and are named respectively Gustave, Adam, George, 
 Herman and Emma. 
 
 Gustave Keim, the first-born, was taken into business with his father 
 as soon as he was old enough to be of service, and was quite young when he 
 had mastered the trade. He has continued in the butcher business and has 
 built up a fine reputation for honor and exactness in all his transactions. 
 He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, St. Elmo Lodge, No. 70; Humboldt 
 Lodge, No. 555, of the Masons, and is a member of the Union Hose 
 Company, which is organized for protection against fire. Politically he 
 uses his franchise in favor of the principles and nominees of the Democratic 
 party. 
 
 On the 20th of July, 1897, ]\Ir. Keim married Miss Adeline Meyer, a 
 well known Ottawa lady. The young couple have one child, a son, named 
 Walter M. They have a pleasant, cosy home and have a host of friends in 
 this place. 
 
 A. F. NICHOL. 
 
 A. F. Nichol, a farmer residing in Rutland township, LaSalle county, 
 was born December 30, 1852, a son of John Tilton and Rebecca (Mickey) 
 Nichol. His great-grandfather was a native of Scotland, where he was 
 united in marriage to a Miss Hilton, by whom he had two sons and three 
 daughters. He emigrated to America about the year 1770. John Tilton 
 Nichol is a native of Washington county, Pennsylvania, a son of Robert and 
 Elizabeth (Tilton) Nichol. His father was born in Washington county, 
 Pennsylvania, in 1780 and died in 1831. His mother was born in Elizabeth- 
 town, New Jersey, in 1782 and died at her son's residence in 1854. J. T. 
 Nichol was reared a farmer, receiving a common-school education. He left 
 his. native county and settled in Wayne county, Ohio, thence he moved 
 to Ashland county, that state, and in June, 1845, came to LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, and settled where he now lives, in Rutland township. He bought 
 eighty acres of land, but has added to these until he now owns four hundred 
 acres, and his improvements are among the best in the township. Mr. Nichol 
 was married February 6, 1840, to Rebecca Mickey, a native of Ashland 
 county, Ohio, born December 25, 1820, a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth 
 (Woodrow) Mickey. Her father was a native of Westmoreland county, 
 Pennsylvania, and her mother of Maryland. To Mr. and Mrs. Nichol have 
 been born seven ohildren, five of whom are living: Lucius R., a resident 
 of Bates county, Missouri, who was a soldier in the civil war, a member of 
 Ford's Cavalry, Company L, Fifteenth Regiment. He enlisted January,
 
 I 
 
 ,a
 
 ^MuAy 
 
 x^-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 205 
 
 1862, and served until the close of the war; Marcia, wife of M. H. Trow- 
 bridge, also of Bates county, Missouri; James E., of Platte county, Nebraska; 
 A. F., our subject; Flora B., of this township; Samantha E.; and John Orr, 
 deceased. In politics Mr. Nichol is a Republican and has served his town- 
 ship as supervisor for seven years. He is also a member of the Masonic 
 fraternity. Rebecca Nichol was laid to rest February i, 1890, at the age 
 of seventy years. 
 
 A. F. Nichol received his preliminary education in the schools of his 
 native township, also spent one year at the Northwestern University at 
 Evanston, Illinois, and is now taking a course in engineering and surveying, 
 at Scranton, Pennsylvania. On December 30, 1879, he made a journey 
 to Ashland county, Ohio, bringing back with him a wife. This lady was 
 Miss Sadie Riddle, daughter of Samuel and Margaret (Dally) Riddle, born 
 September 24, 1853. Three children have blessed their home, one of whom, 
 Portia, was taken to the heavenly home at the tender age of five years. 
 Ethel was born February 14, 1886. Grace was born December 24, 1893. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Nichol are highly respected residents of the community in 
 which they live. He is a Republican and has served his party in places 
 of trust. 
 
 SAMUEL C. WILEY. 
 
 Samuel C. Wiley, a retired farmer and lumber dealer of Earlville, La- 
 Salle county, Illinois, was born in Somerset county, Maine, November it, 
 1833, and was a son of Charles and Seraphina (Greenleaf) Wiley. His 
 great-great-grandfather was a native of Scotland, who moved to Ireland, 
 where the great-grandfather was born and when this lad was about twelve 
 years old the family moved to America and settled in Massachusetts. Rob- 
 ert Wiley was the youngest of seven sons, and was born in the state of 
 Maine, where he grew to man's estate and married Hannah Charles, who 
 also was a native of Maine. Her parents came from Sweden. 
 
 Charles Wiley was born in Freiburg, Maine, March 15, 1803. He mar- 
 ried Miss Seraphina Greenleaf, by whom he had a family of five children, 
 namely: Samuel C; Henry, a farmer on the old home in Freedom town- 
 ship; Mary Ann, who died in early life; Laura, who also died young; and 
 Martha, the wife of David Davis, born in LaSalle county. In 1844 Charles 
 Wiley brought his family direct from the state of Maine to Freedom town- 
 ship, LaSalle county, Illinois, where he and his sons developed a farm of one 
 hundred and sixty acres. He died in 1875 and was survived by his widow 
 until 1896, who died in her eighty-sixth year. Her parents were English 
 people, who located in Maine in the early days. Charles Wiley was one of
 
 2o6 BIOGRAPHICAL AXD GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 five brothers who settled in this county, one of whom was Dr. Samuel Wiley, 
 of Mendota. The father also made this his home during his later years and 
 died here. The family were adherents of the Universalist church and were 
 upright, honorable people, highly esteemed. 
 
 Samuel C. Wiley was but eleven years of age when his parents moved 
 to this county, which has since been his home. The advantages for obtaining 
 a schooling at that time were very limited, as long distances must be 
 traversed in order to reach a school, which at best was a very primitive affair 
 and the teaching of the crudest sort. As Samuel's life was spent on a farm 
 it was not easy to take advantage of even the opportunity thus offered, so 
 his education was obtained chieflv from observation and reading. He re- 
 mained at home until his marriage, but in the meantime had purchased a 
 farm of two hundred and forty acres in Meriden township, which he had 
 developed and placed in a high state of cultivation. He has been one of the 
 most prosperous farmers in Illinois and added to his original farm until 
 to-day he has five hundred acres of as fertile land as can be found in the state. 
 About 1874 he entered into partnership with ^^^ E. Hapeman and opened 
 a lumber-yard, which he conducted eleven years, when he sold out to his 
 partner. For the past fifteen years he has been engaged in buying and 
 shipping live stock and has made it a profitable business. 
 
 He was united in marriage, in 1858, to ]\Iiss ]\Iary E. Thompson, a 
 native of New York and a daughter of Harvey I. Thompson, who came from 
 that state to Christian county, Illinois, when Mrs. Wiley was a child and later 
 located in this county. Their union was blessed by the birth of eight chil- 
 dren, seven of whom are still living; Laura died when about two years old, 
 and the seven living are Carrie, J\label, Herbert C, Gilbert, Ruth, Rosa and 
 George S. ]\Irs. Wiley was spared to her family until her fifty-third year was 
 passed, in 1893, when she was called to enter the life everlasting. Mr. Wiley 
 is a Knight Templar Mason and an adherent of the Democratic party. He 
 has held a number of minor offices, acting as the supervisor of Earl and 
 Meriden townships for seven or eight years, and in 1882 was elected to the 
 house of representatives from this district, and was re-elected two years 
 later. 
 
 JOSEPH KOCH, SR. 
 
 Seventy-eight years ago the birth of Joseph Koch occurred in Bavaria. 
 Germany, the date of the event being ^larch 21, 1821. He is a son of 
 Michael Koch, who was a native of the same kingdom, where he was 
 occupied in agricultural pursuits until his death, in 1878, when he was about 
 seventy-five years of age. His first wife, the mother of our subject, whose
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 207 
 
 maiden name was Barbara Baumann, departed this life in 1832. The father 
 remanded, and his second wife Hved to attain th.ree-score and ten years. In 
 their rehgious behef they were all Catholics. Both of the grandfathers of 
 our subject were fanners, and both were upward of seventy years old at the 
 time of death. 
 
 Joseph Koch, of this sketch, is the only survivor of his father's family. 
 He had but one brother, Andrew by name, and one sister, Mary Ann, who 
 married "V^alentine Redline, of Waterloo, Iowa; and both have passed away. 
 In his youth our subject attended the public schools of his native land and 
 aided in the management of the parental homestead. In 1853 he came to 
 the United States, being accompanied by his wife, Eva Baumann, who died 
 while they were journeying across the country and was buried in Battle 
 Creek, Michigan. Mr. Koch became a resident of Peru, which he has since 
 looked upon as his home. At first he worked at whatever he could find to 
 do, in order to gain an honest livelihood. Nature had endowed him with 
 a marked talent for music, and before very long he had plenty of occupation 
 in teaching various kinds of instrumental music. He organized the first 
 cornet band in Peru, as well as the first orchestra, and for years was a leader 
 in local musical circles. His genius and ability once recognized by the 
 citizens, he had his time fully taken up in meeting the many demands upon it, 
 his pupils being numerous and his evenings being largely occupied in fur- 
 nishing nuisic for balls, receptions and other public occasions. Though near- 
 ing four-score years, his love for music is not a whit abated, and though he 
 does not give lessons as formerly he finds solace and happiness in evoking 
 sweet harmonies. The life of an artist of any profession leads away from 
 what are termed "the practical realities," yet Mr. Koch has never failed in 
 his duty as a citizen, and has always manifested deep interest in the public 
 welfare. He uses his right of franchise in behalf of the Republican party. 
 
 The first marriage of Mr. Koch was celebrated in Germany, half a cen- 
 tury ago, the lady of his choice being Miss Eva Baumann. Four children were 
 born to them, but all died at an early age. In February, 1854, Mr. Koch 
 and Miss Mary Ann Keupp, daughter of Kilian and Margaret Keupp. were 
 united in wedlock. Three children blessed their union, of whom Mary, the 
 eldest, became the wife of John Fischer and had live children, — Josie, Annie, 
 Minnie, John and Henry. After the death of Mr. Fischer his widow married 
 George Weber, of Peru. Joseph, the only son of our subject, is a wagon- 
 maker by trade, is unmarried, and at present is a citizen of Leonore, Illinois. 
 Minnie, the youngest daughter, married Frank Zadow, who was killed in 
 a railroad accident. His widow subsequently became the wife of William 
 Fuchs. and they have a little daughter, named Annie. The devoted wife of 
 our subject, Mrs. Mary Ann Koch, was summoned to her reward in Fcbru-
 
 2o8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 ary, 1890, when she was in her seventy-third year. This worthy couple came 
 to Peru in its early days and witnessed its gradual growth and the correspond- 
 ing development of the surrounding country. Their sterling quahties won 
 the love and friendship of those who were associated with them in any 
 manner, and naught but the kindest feelings have always been entertained 
 for them. 
 
 PETER A. OLSEN. 
 
 It is a fact continually receiving greater recognition that the Scandi- 
 navian race is playing a very nnportant part in the development of the 
 great west and northwest, and equally certain it is that no more patriotic, 
 honest, industrious citizens can be found in the length and breadth of 
 this fair land. For many generations the people of the Scandinavian penin- 
 sula have been noted for their peaceful, law-abiding qualities, for their up- 
 rightness of word and deed, for sincere trust in God and fraternal regard 
 for their fellow men. 
 
 Peter A. Olsen is proud of the fact, and well he may be, that he comes 
 of this noble race of "hardy Norsemen." His birthplace was in the pic- 
 turesque town of ]\Iolde, Norway, on the same line of latitude as, and not 
 a great distance from, the Shetland islands, north of Scotland. The date 
 of his birth is April i, 1868. His father, Ole Olsen, is a jeweler by trade 
 and for thirteen years plied his calling in Chicago, thence returning to his 
 native land, in 1893. The mother of our subject died when he was twenty- 
 four years of age. 
 
 The education of Peter Olsen was acquired in the excellent public 
 schools of Bergen and Christiania, Norway, and was completed in Chicago. 
 The young man's love for journalism manifested itself when he was scarcely 
 out of the school-room, and he served an apprenticeship to the business in 
 the ofifice of the Norden and later in the office of the Skandinaven, a news- 
 paper which is published in Chicago. Having thoroughly mastered the 
 trade and become familiar with the various departments connected with 
 the publishing of a paper, Mr. Olsen established the Afholds-Vennen, 
 which was first issued in Chicago, March 30, 1894. Subsequently he re- 
 moved to Ottawa, in 1896. and the first local edition of this now popular 
 journal bore date of April 4, 1896. Thus it is now entering upon the 
 seventh year of its existence, and is no longer an experiment, as it has won 
 its way into the hearts and homes of about fourteen or fifteen hundred 
 Scandinavians in this vicinity and in the adjacent territory. The paper, 
 comprising four pages, is devoted particularly to the interests of the Nor- 
 wegian people and is sound and progressive in tone, advocating righteous
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 209 
 
 causes, such as temperance and disinterested American citizenship, the 
 purity of the ballot and the nobility of labor. A brilliant future is opening 
 before the young and ambitious editor, who seems peculiarly fitted to stand 
 in the attitude of a leader of thought among his beloved people. In poli- 
 tics he is an uncompromising Republican, believing heartily in the policy 
 of the party under whose wise guidance the ship of state breasted the stormy 
 weaves of the troublous civil-war period, and rode through breakers, scarcely 
 less dangerous, of the "reconstruction" and great financial crises of 1873 
 and 1893. 
 
 On the 4th of August, 1888, Mr. Olsen and Miss Marie A. Solem were 
 united in marriage in Chicago. They have two interesting little girls, — ■ 
 Caroline and Viola. Mrs. Olsen is a lady of culture and good education, 
 ajid in innumerable ways she is of assistance to her husband in his important 
 undertakings. 
 
 EDGAR S. BROWNE. 
 
 Edgar Selwyn Browne, mayor of Mendota, Illinois, was born on a farm 
 in Oxford county, Maine, May 11, 1851. His parents were George H. 
 and Lavina (Shaw) Browne, both natives of Boston, Massachusetts, and 
 representatives of old New England families. The Brownes are of English 
 origin and the Shaws are of Welsh extraction. George H. Browne was a 
 merchant and the owner of farming land. During the civil war he was a 
 member of the Seventeenth Maine Regiment, which he entered as a private. 
 He was in charge of hospitals at Alexandria, Virginia, and was a con- 
 temporary of Morrill, Blaine and Hannibal Hamlin, and served in the Maine 
 legislature in 1859 with James G. Blaine. In politics he was a Republican. 
 After the war he carried on merchandising, also speculating in lumber and 
 doing contract work. He died in February, 1896, at the age of seventy- 
 two years. His widow, at this writing (1899), eighty-one years of age, re- 
 sides in Mason, Maine. 
 
 Edgar S. Browne spent his boyhood days up to the age of thirteen 
 years on a farm. He is the eldest of a family of four, and, their father being 
 in good circumstances, all were given excellent educational advantages. 
 Edgar S. is a graduate of Gould's academy. Bethel, Maine, and was for some 
 time a student in the State Normal School at Farmington, Maine. He 
 began teaching at the early age of fourteen years and taught and attended 
 school alternately. While teaching he studied law, and was admitted to 
 the bar of Maine in 1871. For five years he practiced law in Portland, 
 Maine, and in 1876 he came west and located in Chicago, where he spent 
 nearly a year, at the end of that time removing to Earlville and becoming
 
 2IO BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 associated in the practice of law with his cousin, Hon. J. W. Browne, with 
 whom he was afterward in business at Mendota. He located in Mendota 
 in 1879, and since that date has continued here. He is what is known as a 
 trial lawyer, and his successful career has shown him to be possessed of 
 more than ordinary ability in this line. Politically he has always been a 
 Democrat. In the east he filled some minor offices, and in LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, he has been frequently honored with ofificial position. Mr. Browne 
 was the principal of the high school at Bethel, Maine, and in Gould's 
 academy was professor of higher mathematics, grammar and elocution. 
 Also he taught Latin in the last named institution. He served as justice of 
 the peace, commissioner of deeds for Maine and New Hampshire, and was 
 a trial justice in New Hampshire, being located in Coos county, that state, 
 for a brief time. After coming to Mendota his first public office was that 
 of city attorney, which position he resigned before the close of the second 
 year. As the incumbent of that office he tried one hundred and twenty- 
 one cases, and won each case, his salary being one hundred dollars per 
 year! No wonder he resigned! 
 
 In 1886 he was elected a member of the lower house of the Illinois 
 state legislature, as representative for LaSalle county; and was re-elected 
 in 1888. He was made the chairman of the Democratic caucus of the mem- 
 bers of house and senate that formulated the bill for the reduction of state 
 expenses, which afterward made the state go Democratic at the polls. He 
 was the author of a large portion of the bill which was enacted and entitled 
 "An act to create sanitary districts and remove obstructions in the Des 
 Plaines and Illinois rivers," which went into effect July i, 1889, and which 
 was of great moment and utility to the valleys of said rivers. In another 
 issue he was influential in securing a defeat of a movement for the consolida- 
 tion of the supreme court. In 1891 Mr. Browne was elected the door- 
 keeper for the house of representatives, and during this time participated in 
 the great election contest for United States senator in which John M. 
 Palmer was successful. Mr. Browne was re-elected doorkeeper in 1890, 
 and held that position during the Democratic reapportionment of the state. 
 In 1882 he was a member of the LaSalle County Democratic central com- 
 mittee. In 1888 he was chairman of the committee on permanent organi- 
 zation at the state Democratic convention of marching leagues, and as 
 chairman he decided the tie vote in favor of Frank Jones, of Springfield; as 
 the permanent president of the league. Mr. Jones afterward became assist- 
 ant postmaster general under Cleveland. Mr. Browne was elected mayor 
 of Mendota in 1897, a position he has since filled and in which he has 
 rendered most excellent service. 
 
 Turning from his political career to his domestic life, we record that
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 211 
 
 Mr, Browne was married in 1885 to Miss Gertrude Schick, of Mendota, 
 and the fruits of their union are two children, — Robert G. and Hazel 
 Beatrice. 
 
 ADNEY N. TUCKER. 
 
 Adney N. Tucker, who is engaged in the livery business in Sheridan, 
 Illinois, is a representative of one of the pioneer families of LaSalle county. 
 
 Mr. Tucker was born in Freedom township, LaSalle county, Ilhnois, 
 December 26, 1850, a son of Jacob and Phoebe E. (Beem) Tucker. Jacob 
 Tucker was born in New Hampshire, November 11, 1822, and died in 
 Sheridan, Illinois, February 28, 1897. He came to LaSalle county, a young 
 man, in the spring of 1845, ^^^ here, February 23, 1848, was married to 
 Miss Phoebe E. Beem, who was born in Ohio, July 20, 1824, a daughter 
 of Benjamin Beem. The latter removed with his family to IlHnois in 1837, 
 making the journey by wagon, and settled in Freedom township, LaSalle 
 county, where he passed the rest of his life. After their marriage Jacob 
 Tucker and wife settled on a farm in Freedom township, where they lived 
 until 1871, that year removing to Sheridan, where he died, as above recorded, 
 and where his widow still resides, at this writing being in her seventy-fifth 
 year. 
 
 Adney N. Tucker is an only son, and has but one sister living. He 
 was reared on his father's farm and after his marriage, in 1870, took charge 
 of the farming operations on the homestead, later coming into possession 
 of it and still retaining ownership. He gave his attention to agricultural 
 pursuits until 1897, when he came to Sheridan and engaged in the livery busi- 
 ness, which he has conducted since February 16, 1898. 
 
 Mr. Tucker was married in 1870 to Miss Olive Hall, a native of Wayne 
 county, Iowa, and they are the parents of three children. He affiliates 
 with the Democratic party, and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of 
 America. 
 
 PETER C. ANGEVINE. 
 
 Among the retired farmers of LaSalle county is the gentleman whose 
 name introduces this sketch, Peter C. Angevine, of Sheridan. He is a 
 native of the neighboring state of Indiana, born in Dearborn county, August 
 I, 1830, a son of James and Susan (Montfort) Angevine, the former a native 
 of New York city, born August i, 1777; the latter of Fishkill, Dutchess 
 county. New York, born September 23, 1793. James Angevine was a son
 
 212 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of John Angevine, also a native of New York city, and a son of Daniel Ange- 
 vine, who was a native of Rochelle, France. Daniel Angevine had to 
 leave France on account of his religious views and was among the Hugue- 
 nots who sought refuge from persecution in America. He was a sea cap- 
 tain and ship-owner and also at one time was a wine merchant. It was 
 about 1643 that he landed in the American colonies and made a settlement in 
 New York city, where he passed the closing years of his life, working at the 
 trade of shoemaker. John Angevine, the grandfather of Peter C, was born 
 and reared in New York city, and was there married to Miss Sallie Coutant, 
 who, as her name indicates, was of French origin. They were the parents 
 of several children, James being their only son. For thirteen years during 
 his early life he followed the ocean, as a sailor and cooper. He was mar- 
 ried in New York in 1812, and in 18 17, accompanied by his wife and three 
 children and his father and mother, he came west to Indiana, which had only 
 the year previous attained to the dignity of statehood, and, selecting a loca- 
 tion in Dearborn county, made a permanent settlement. Their children in 
 order of birth were as follows: James A., John H., Charles E., Alletta AT, 
 Eliza A., William, Gilbert, Jane S., Peter C, Sarah L. and Addie V. 
 
 Peter C. Angevine came to LaSalle county, Illinois, in the fall of 1869, 
 landing on the present site of Sheridan, October 27. That w^as before the 
 town of Sheridan came into existence. He has since been identified with 
 this place. His father also came to LaSalle county, but lived here only a 
 short time, when he died and was taken back to Dearborn county, Indiana, 
 and laid to rest by the side of his wife. Peter C. carried on farming opera- 
 tions here during his early residence in the county, but for some time past 
 has lived retired. 
 
 He came to LaSalle county in the fall previous to his permanent settle- 
 ment here, and November 18 married Miss Jane E. Rowe, returning with 
 his bride to Indiana and remaining there nearly a year. Mrs. Angevine 
 was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, July 27, 1833, a daughter of Robert 
 and Mary (McMath) Rowe. Mr. Rowe was a Scotchman, born in Edin- 
 burgh, Scotland, January 10, 1802, and died in Sheridan, Illinois, June 10, 
 1879; his wife, a native of Pennsylvania, born November 21, 1804, died in 
 Sheridan in 1857. ]\Ir. Rowe was brought to this country when two years 
 old by his parents, Robert and Isabelle (Mill) Rowe, their settlement being 
 in Dearborn county, Indiana, where Robert grew up and married. He and 
 his family came to LaSalle county, Illinois, April 5, 1838, and settled on a 
 farm which is now covered by the town of Sheridan, where he lived for 
 many years, carrying on agricultural pursuits. He was also a surveyor and 
 made many of the surveys in this locality, and he was somewhat of an 
 astronomer, too. He was a successful man in whatever he undertook, and 
 
 I
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 213 
 
 was well known and highly respected in this vicinity. His family comprised 
 the following named members: Mary Ann, Isabelle M., James M., Samuel 
 M., Jane E., Amelia, Emmeline, Alfred, and two that died in childhood. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Angevine had an only child, Aline A., who died at the age 
 of five years; and they have an adopted daughter, Fannie A. 
 
 In their religious faith Mr. and Mrs. Angevine are Universalists and are 
 identified with th© church of that denomination. 
 
 WILLIAM TRUMAN. 
 
 For almost half a century William Truman and wife were honored iti- 
 zens of Mendota township, LaSalle county. They literally saw the "wil icr- 
 ness bloom as the rose," and aided materially to this result by their own 
 well-directed industry. Their numerous friends will peruse the history of 
 their well-spent lives with interest, and great credit and praise is certainly 
 due this estimable couple for the heroic manner in which they met and over- 
 came the obstacles which confronted them at the time of their early settle- 
 ment here. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject bore the same Christian name. 
 He was born in England, and died there when over three-score and ten years 
 of age. In his early manhood he was pressed into the government service, 
 at London, and was held on board of a man-of-war for some time. By 
 trade he was a carpenter, and followed that vocation chiefly as a means of 
 livelihood. He reared three children, one of whom was Robert, the father 
 of William Truman, of this sketch. He learned the trades of carpenter and 
 wheelwright in his youth, and in 1852 he removed to the United States. 
 Locating in LaSalle county, he resided here for almost two-score years, 
 working at this trade for some time. He died at the home of his son, Robert, 
 in Daykin, Nebraska, in 1896, when in his eighty-fifth year. His wife, 
 Elizabeth, departed this life June 21, 1884, aged seventy-four years. She 
 was one of the four children of John Robison, a native of England and a 
 miller and baker by trade. He lived to be over seventy years of age, dying 
 in his native land. Mr. Truman was an Episcopalian in religious faith, while 
 his wife was identified with the Baptist denomination at the time of her 
 death. Three sons and three daughters were born to them, namely: Will- 
 iam, John R., of Denver; Robert, of Daykin, Nebraska; Jane, wife of A. C. 
 Johnston, of Denver, Colorado; Eliza, wife of David Reece, of Denver; and 
 Lizzie, deceased, formerly the wife of William McBoyle.
 
 214 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 William Truman was born in Lincolnshire, England, April i6, 1833, and 
 received a limited education in the public schools. When he was a mere 
 child he began learning the bakers and confectioners' trade and subse- 
 quently devoted his time to this calling for many years, meeting with finan- 
 cial success. After coming to the United States in 1852 with his newly 
 wedded wife he located in LaSalle, whence they removed to Mendota in 
 1855. I" this place they established a bakery and confectionery shop, and 
 carried it on prosperously for a period of twelve years. They were the pio- 
 neers in this line of business here and enjoyed a large and remunerative pat- 
 ronage. After the civil war Mr. Truman and John Mundie entered into part- 
 nership and bought, sold and shipped cattle and hogs for the next ten years, 
 one year's business alone amounting to one hundred and eighty thousand dol- 
 lars. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Truman rented the homestead where his widow now re- 
 sides. The place then comprised five hundred acres, and, after renting it 
 for ten years, he purchased three hundred acres of the tract, which he 
 greatly improved. Forty acres of the original three hundred acres he sold for 
 three hundred dollars an acre, and in its stead he bought a two-hundred and 
 forty-acre farm adjoining it on the northeastern corner. In addition to this 
 he owns residence and business property in Mendota. For many years he 
 made a specialty of breeding and raising shorthorn cattle, and sheep of an 
 excellent grade, and upon his farm line stock was always to be found. 
 
 Politically Mr. Truman was a Republican, and for ten years he served 
 as a supervisor of his home township. For eleven months during the civil 
 war he was on scout duty, under the command of Provost Marshal Wanless, 
 of Denver, and his enlistment was under Colonel Shivington, who was a 
 Methodist minister in times of peace. Once, while on duty, Mr. Truman 
 captured five men, and upon other occasions he distinguished himself for his 
 daring and ef^ciency. Fraternally he was a Mason, belonging to the Men- 
 dota lodge and chapter, and to the council, and to Bethany Commandery, 
 No. 28, k. T. 
 
 On the 20th of April, 1852, Mr. Truman and Mary Taylor were united 
 in marriage in England. Her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth (Taylor) Tay- 
 lor, were faithful members of the Methodist church. They died in England, 
 their native country, the father in 1847, ^^ the age of fifty-two years, and 
 the mother in 1881, when in her eighty-fifth year. Only three of their ten 
 children now survive, namely: Mary; Elizabeth, wife of William Clawson, 
 of Welbourn, England; and James, who for over thirty-one years has been a 
 citizen of Mendota. 
 
 Four sons and three daughters were born to our subject and wife. 
 Louisa, who is unmarried; Adeline Elizabeth, who died when young; William
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 215 
 
 S., who died when four years of age; Charles Robert and another child, 
 who died in infancy; William R., an enterprising farmer of this township, 
 who married Bertha Blanche Boslough, and has two children, — Greta Marie 
 and Theora Tryllis; and Mary E., who is the wife of R. N. Crawford, the 
 president of the Mendota National bank, and their children are Louise and 
 Robert N., Jr. Mr. and Mrs. William Truman became members of the Meth- 
 odist church early in life, Mr. Truman lived a life of perseverance, energy and 
 earnest purpose, succeeded in business life, secured for himself an excellent 
 reputation as a citizen, and passed away in death leaving to his family and 
 friends a full assurance of his abiding faith in the Christian religion. His 
 death occurred July 11, 1899. 
 
 JOHN WALTER. 
 
 An enterprising, straightforward business man of Ottawa is he of whom 
 this sketch is penned. He comes of sturdy, industrious German ancestry, 
 and possesses the sterling traits of character for which the sons of the Father- 
 land are celebrated. Kindness and generosity and a sincere desire to be of 
 service to his fellow men makes him win friends wherever he goes. 
 
 John Walter, Sr., was born in Germany, and about half a century ago, 
 when he was a young man, he left the scenes and friends of his childhood 
 to found a new home in the United States. Coming to Ottawa, he sub- 
 sequently married here Miss Julia Leix, and seven children blessed their 
 union. Four of the number are deceased; Julia is a resident of Ottawa, and 
 Joseph is a resident of Chicago. 
 
 John Walter, our subject, was born in this town over two- 
 score years ago, the date being September 15, 1858. His entire life has 
 been spent in this place, here he was educated in the public schools, and 
 here he embarked in his successful business career. He served a thorough 
 apprenticeship at the hardware business, learning the trade of manufacturing 
 sheet-iron implements, and follows both branches of enterprise. He is the 
 owner of a large and well stocked hardware store, situated at No. 312 Main 
 street. 
 
 In 1885 Mr. Walter married Miss Louisa Schomas, the daughter of 
 Charles Schomas, deceased. The sons and daughters who grace the union 
 of our subject and wife are named respectively Joseph, Carl, Julia, Louisa, 
 and Helen. 
 
 In political afifairs, Mr. Walter is an ally of the Democratic party. In 
 the local fraternities he is associated with the Uniformed Rank of the
 
 2i6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Knights of Pythias, the German Benevolent Society and the Pleasant Even- 
 ing Club. He contributes liberally to various charitable organizations and 
 favors local improvements and everything tending to promote the beauty 
 and desirability of Ottawa as a place of residence or investment. 
 
 MILO J. LUTHER. 
 
 Streator has no more thoroughly representative citizen than Milo J. 
 Luther, whose ardent interest in the growth and progress of the town has 
 continued unabated during the long period of his residence here. By his 
 means and influence he has fostered many of the leading industries and enter- 
 prises of this vicinity, and to his wise counsel and excellent judgment are 
 due numerous advantages and improvements which our citizens enjoy. 
 
 In common with the majority of his countrymen who have risen to 
 positions of honor and high standing, Milo J. Luther was born and reared 
 upon a farm; his forefathers were of the agricultural class. The founder 
 of the Luther family in America came to these hospitable shores from 
 England, and the great-grandfather, Ezra Luther, born in 1751, was so in 
 sympathy with the Colonies that he took up arms in their defense during the 
 war of independence. He was a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and 
 died in 1847. His son Nathaniel, the next in line of descent, w-as born 
 in Rhode Island, in 1784. In early manhood he removed to New York. 
 In the war of 181 2 he enlisted and served his country as a captain of militia. 
 He died in Scio, Allegany county. New York, November 12, 1862. Benja- 
 min, the son of Nathaniel, was born March 9, 1806, and departed this life in 
 the town of Scio, New York, September 3, 1859. For a companion and 
 helpmate along life's journey he chose Electa, daughter of Peter L. Stout, 
 like himself a native of the Empire state. Her father, who was a man of 
 much influence and decision of character, w^as born in New Jersey, and upon 
 arriving at man's estate he married a Miss Waite Luther. He fought for 
 his country in the war of 18 12, and reared his children to be loyal, patriotic 
 citizens. 
 
 The birth of Milo J. Luther, son of Benjamin, took place on the parental 
 homestead in Scio, Allegany county, New- York, October 15, 1835. His 
 boyhood days passed happily and uneventfully in the usual pursuits of 
 country lads, and it was not until he was twenty-four years of age that he 
 left home. Going to Pennsylvania, he soon found employment with con- 
 tractors, then constructing a portion of the Oil Creek Railroad. He con- 
 tinued with them and in the service of the railroad company for seven years, 
 giving entire satisfaction in the performance of the duties assigned to him.
 
 C^CyL^I^cZ^-y
 
 J
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 217 
 
 In 1867 he came to LaSalle county and was placed in charge of the construc- 
 tion of the first line of railroad built out of Streator. At that time the 
 mining industry had not reached its present importance in this region, but 
 the possibilities in this direction soon appealed strongly to the mind of Mr. 
 Luther, and he became a leading spirit in the firm known as the Luther & 
 Tyler Coal and Coke Company. Gradually his interests and investments 
 widened and he became an extensive operator in coal and iron mines, and in 
 gold and silver mines as well. He was one of the fortunate few who reaped 
 a splendid financial harvest during the great advance in Brotherton and 
 other mining stocks some years ago, and at present he owns shares in 
 prominent and promising mines in difTerent parts of the west. Probably in 
 no one matter has he contributed more to the industrial prosperity of 
 Streator and vicinity than by his system of coal-w-ashing, by which process 
 great quantities of coal, hitherto considered valueless, have been freed from 
 dust and other impurities and rendered fit for use. 
 
 The genuine interest which Mr. Luther maintains toward everything 
 in the line of progress and education has been manifested in ways too numer- 
 ous to mention. Fraternally he is associated with Streator Lodge, No. 607^ 
 F. & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168; and Ottawa Commandery, No. 
 10, K. T. 
 
 His cultured, accomplished wife ever warmly seconds his efforts, and 
 for three decades has shared his joys and sorrows. It was in Streator, 
 January, 1869, that Mr. Luther wedded Melissa E. Wilson, daughter of 
 James Wilson, of Pennsylvania. James Wilson was of Scotch-Irish descent, 
 born in New York in 181 1. He married Hannah Baumgardner, of Mills- 
 boro, Washington county, Pennsylvania, who died in 1852. Mr. Wilson 
 died in California in 1855. Mrs. Luther was born in Millsboro, Pennsylvania, 
 January 14, 1848, and was their only child. Possessing the same broad, 
 progressive views of her husband, she endorses all movements calculated to 
 benefit the locality in which her lot is cast, and besides taking a distinctive 
 part in literary affairs here she has served with great credit as the president 
 of the Women's Council, a city federation of women's clubs, and was for 
 twenty years a member of the Ladies' Library Board. She is at present one 
 of the trustees of the Citv Public Librarv. 
 
 DELOS ROBINSON. 
 
 No man has been more prominently connected with the public interests 
 of Sheridan than this gentleman, who for many years was postmaster and 
 the leading merchant of the town. His fidelity in the former position, and 
 his reliability and enterprise in the latter, won him the confidence and respect
 
 2i8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of the entire community, and he well deserves mention among the represen- 
 tative citizens of LaSalle county. 
 
 Mr. Robinson was born on a farm in Tompkins county, New York, 
 July 8, 1834, his parents being Eh and Charlotte (Young) Robinson. The 
 father was a native of Putnam county, New York, and a son of Chapel 
 Robinson, who also was born in the same county and was a soldier in the 
 war of 1 812. His father was one of the heroes of the Revolution, and it is 
 believed was a native of New York, of Scotch origin. The family traditions 
 say that the original American ancestors came to this country wath the Puri- 
 tans in the early settlement of New England. The mother of our subject 
 was also a native of the Empire state, and was a daughter of John Young, an 
 older brother of Brigham Young. Delos and Mrs. Celesta Rowe, of Chi- 
 cago, were the only children born unto Eli and Charlotte Robinson. The 
 parents removed to Kirtland, Ohio, in 1835, and in that place the daughter 
 was born and the mother died, her death occurring in 1840, when about 
 twenty-eight years of age. The father afterward married Sallie Ann 
 Sprague, and about 1842 returned with his family to New York, but in 1854 
 again came to the west, locating in Mission township, LaSalle county, in 
 the spring of 1855. Here the father died in 1888, at the age of seventy-six 
 years, his remains being interred in the cemetery at Sheridan. He was a 
 farmer by occupation, but lived a retired life in his later years, and from 1869 
 until his death made his home in Sheridan. 
 
 Delos Robinson ac-companied his father on his various removals, com- 
 ing with him to LaSalle county, and casting in his lot with the early settlers 
 of this locality. His childhood days were spent on the farm, and his educa- 
 tion was obtained in the common schools. When twenty-one years of age 
 he started out in life for himself, and after his marriage in 1856 removed 
 to Livingston county, where he purchased a tract of raw prairie land and 
 developed an excellent farm of eighty acres. On the 22d of August, 1856, 
 Miss Emeline Rowe became his wife. She was born near Cincinnati, Ohio, 
 and by her marriage became the mother of three children, namely: Char- 
 lotte, who died at the age of two years; Ida Belle, wife of Robert Knapp, 
 of Sheridan; and Eugene D., a merchant of Sheridan, who became his 
 father's successor in business about six years ago. The mother of these 
 children died in the spring of 1865, when Mr. Robinson was in the army. 
 
 On the 8th of August, 1862, prompted by a spirit of patriotism, our sub- 
 ject enlisted, joining the "boys in blue" of Company C, One Hundred and 
 Twenty-ninth Illinois Infantry. He was made sergeant of his company, 
 and continued at the front until after the cessation of hostilities, when he 
 was mustered out June 25, 1865, in Washington, D. C. He was in the west- 
 ern department under General W. T. Sherman and participated in the At-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 219 
 
 lanta campaign, was with that general on the notable march to the sea, and 
 then took part in the Carolina campaign to Raleigh. He was always found 
 at his post of duty, and whether on the tented field, keeping guard in the 
 silqnt watches of the night or in the thickest of the fight, he was always loyal 
 to 'the starry banner on account of the cause it represented. He is now a 
 valued member of Clayton Beardsley Post, No. 672, G. A. R., and for several 
 years has been honored with the office of commander. He has for years 
 taken an active interest in Freemasonry, being a Master Mason, and has 
 served as secretary of his lodge for the last fifteen years. 
 
 Mr. Robinson resumed farming upon his return from the war, and was 
 again married September 24, 1868, his second union being with Miss Eliza 
 Howard, a native of Yates county. New York. They now have a daughter, 
 Bertha N., and have lost two children, who died in infancy. The year fol- 
 lowing his marriage, 1869, he came to Sheridan and embarked in general 
 merchandising. He followed that business for twenty years, conducting an 
 excellent store, well equipped with everything found in a first-class estabhsh- 
 ment of the time. He received a Hberal patronage, which was accorded 
 him by reason of his diligence and his straightforward dealing, and as the 
 result of his good business he accumulated a handsome competency, which 
 enabled him to retire from business life about six years ago, when he sold 
 out to his son. With the progress and upbuilding of the village of Sheridan 
 he has always been prominently identified, and has contributed largely to its 
 advancement and prosperity. He built the first hotel in the town, 
 and still owns the building, which is known as the Sheridan Hotel. He was 
 also the first postmaster, and served in that office altogether for nineteen 
 years, his continuous occupancy being interrupted during President Cleve- 
 land's first administration. His long term plainly indicates his fidelity to 
 duty, his administration being satisfactory to the public and the government. 
 
 In politics Mr. Robinson has always supported the party which stood 
 by the Union in the dark days of war, and which has ever upheld American 
 institutions and protected American interests. For more than ten years he 
 has been a member of the Republican central committee of LaSalle county. 
 What he has done for his town and county in political and business lines 
 well entitles him to mention among the representative citizens. He has won 
 the friendship of many, the respect of all with whom he has come in contact, 
 and his example is well worthy of emulation. 
 
 Eugene D. Robinson, a son of Delos Robinson, was born near Pontiac, 
 Livingston county, Illinois, October 7, 1862, and obtained his education 
 in the common schools, acquiring a knowledge of the English branches that 
 fit one for the practical duties of life. He assisted his father in the store in 
 his youth, and in 1891 became his successor, since which time he has engaged
 
 220 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in merchandising on his own account. He is a man of marked enterprise 
 and energy, and his well directed efforts are bringing to him a merited pros- 
 perity. 
 
 In 1887 Mr. Robinson was united in marriage to Mtss Ola Hoffman, 
 who died in 1897, leaving a son, Clair E. In 1899 he wedded Mrs. Addie 
 Breuer, and in this community both are held in high regard. In his political 
 affiliations Mr. Robinson is a stanch Republican, and socially he is a Master 
 Mason. He ranks among the reliable business men and popular merchants 
 of Sheridan. 
 
 MATHIAS GOCHANOUR. 
 
 Among the men who have contributed largely to the prosperity and 
 development of LaSalle county, Illinois, none is more widely known or 
 stands higher in the esteem of his fellow citizens than Mathias Gochanour, 
 of Otter Creek township. He was born April 20, 1845, ii'^ Licking county, 
 Ohio, and is the son of Jonathan C. and Lucinda (Ritter) Gochanour. The 
 father is descended from Revolutionary stock and was born in the state of 
 Virginia, which was also the birthplace of the mother. Nine children were 
 born to them, namely: William H., of Otter Creek township; Mathias; 
 Angus, of Cass county; James, of Otter Creek township; John; Edward, 
 also of this township; Amanda Larry, a resident of Iowa; Jane Marsh, also 
 of that state; and Ann Johnson, of Otter Creek township. The mother was 
 taken to her heavenly home in 1895, when in her sixty-third year. She is 
 survived by her venerable husband, who is an honored resident of this 
 county and is past eighty years of age. He has been an industrious, hard- 
 working man and was engaged in the carpenter trade for many years. 
 
 Our subject was little more than two years of age when his parents 
 moved to this county, and it was here he received his education in the 
 common schools, and here he grew to a noble manhood. About twenty-four 
 years ago he purchased eighty acres of land, to which he has since added 
 until he now has a farm of two hundred and fifty acres. He is a capable 
 farmer and his place shows that thrift and care are part of his system of 
 work. He has improved his land with good barns and neat, roomy resi- 
 dence, and he has one of the most attractive homes in the neighborhood. 
 
 September 16, 1866, Mathias Gochanour and Miss Anna E. McKernan 
 were united in the holy bonds of matrimony. A family of seven children 
 have been born to them, namely: Ralph A., at home; Clara A., wife of 
 Henry Rumph, of Otter Creek township; Hugh J.; Pearl; Lloyd W.; 
 Paul, who died at the tender age of three years; and an infant daughter, who 
 was also transplanted to the heavenly garden. Mr. Gochanour is a Repub-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 221 
 
 lican in his political views and has served as township collector. He has 
 been a member of the school board for a great many terms, and is a strong 
 friend to education. He possesses a wide scope of knowledge and keeps 
 thoroughly conversant with all current topics of the day. Mrs. Gochanour 
 was born in LaSalle county, Illinois, and is a woman of worth. She is a 
 daughter of Captain James J. McKernan, deceased, an officer of Company 
 F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteers, and the maiden name of 
 her mother was Mary Cramer. The children born to Captain James J. and 
 Mary (Cramer) McKernan are as follows: Ralph; Rosanna Kleiber, of this 
 township; Candice Ackerman; Anna Gochanour, wife of our subject; 
 George; Samuel; Charles; and Augusta. 
 
 JOHN BOLDER. 
 
 France has contributed a host of sterling citizens to Illinois, and none 
 more worthy and patriotic than the family represented by the subject of 
 this biography. For fifty-five years the Dolders have been numbered among 
 the residents of LaSalle county, actively interested in its progress, and ma- 
 terially aiding in the development of its resources. Their lives have been 
 models of good citizenship, and in the multiplicity of their own private and 
 business affairs they have still found time to faithfully discharge their public 
 duties. 
 
 The father of the subject of this memoir, John Bolder, Sr., was born in 
 the province of Alsace-Lorraine, in 1816, and married there Martha Bolder, 
 a native of the same locality. After the birth of their first child, the worthy 
 couple decided to cast in their fortunes with the people of the United States, 
 and in 1844 crossed the Atlantic. Coming direct to LaSalle county they 
 located upon a farm in Northville township, whence they later removed to 
 Serena township. For about half a century the father was actively and 
 successfully engaged in agriculture, and bore an enviable reputation for 
 uprightness and integrity of word and deed. His long and useful career 
 came to a peaceful close in 1895, when he was in his eightieth year. His 
 faithful helpmate passed to the better land when she was in her eighty-fifth 
 year. They were the parents of seven children, all but one born in the United 
 States. Two of the number died in infancy, and William, the eldest, and 
 Frederick, the third child, are deceased. Magdalene is the wife of George 
 Lentz, and Elizabeth married Aaron Knight. 
 
 John Bolder, Jr., was born on the old farm in Serena township, LaSalle 
 county. May i, 1856, and in his boyhood received a liberal education in the 
 common schools. He remained with his parents, giving his time to his
 
 222 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 father until he reached his majority, when he was given charge of the farm, 
 as he had already given proof of his competence to manage the place. He 
 continued to cultivate the farm until 1890, when he came to Sheridan and 
 succeeded J. W. Wedding in business, buying that gentleman's interest in 
 the already established firm. At first Mr. Bolder dealt only in lumber and 
 coal, but he soon added farm implements and carriages to his stock in 
 trade, and has steadily prospered, his business growing rapidly from year to 
 year. He is eminently deserving of success, for he is energetic and business- 
 like, giving his full time and mind to meeting the desires of his customers, 
 and treating every one with whom he has dealings in a uniformly kind, 
 courteous, fair manner. His reputation for integrity and faithful execution 
 of all of his contracts is something of which he has reason to be proud, and 
 without exception his customers are his warm friends. 
 
 In 1 88 1 Mr. Bolder married Alice Morel, a daughter of Charles and 
 Marie (Bloom) Morel, natives of Alsace-Lorraine, France, and in 1866 came 
 to the United States and became early settlers of LaSalle county. Mrs. 
 Bolder was born in Belmont, Alsace-Lorraine, France, May 23, 1857, and 
 came to the United States in 1866, with her parents, who settled in Serena 
 township, this county. Two sons and four daughters have been born to 
 our subject and wife, their names in order of birth being as follows: Emma 
 Elizabeth, Henry George, Samuel Alfred, Ida May, Laura Ellen and Evaline 
 Alice. 
 
 Since becoming a voter, Mr. Bolder has given his allegiance to the Re- 
 publican party. He has capably officiated in several minor local positions, 
 and is an ex-member of the Sheridan village board of trustees and a present 
 member of the school board. He is deeply interested in the cause of educa- 
 tion and all movements calculated to benefit and elevate the race, and he 
 and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of 
 which he is a trustee, and are esteemed in social circles of the town. 
 
 MILAM J. BARACKMAN. 
 
 Both as a patriot and as a business man, Milam James Barackman has 
 an enviable record, and, if for no other reason than for what he sufifered and 
 endured that the Union might be preserved, he is entitled to a high place in 
 the annals of his country and state. 
 
 Born in Reading township, Livingston county, Illinois, September 26, 
 1842, he is a son of James and Ellen (Moon) Barackman, both of whom 
 were natives of Kentucky. Their deaths occurred when Milam J. was about 
 four years old, and he became a member of the household of his uncle,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 221 
 
 Albert Moon. Daniel Barackman, the paternal grandfather of our subject, 
 an early settler of Reading township, and a native of the Blue Grass state, 
 died in 1864. Jacob Moon, the maternal grandfather, was born in Virginia, 
 whence he removed to Ohio, and subsequently to Reading township, Liv- 
 ingston county, Illinois, Daniel, the only brother of Milam J., died at the 
 age of nine years, and his two sisters are Mrs. Gary, of Normal, Illinois, and 
 Mrs. Ellen Latham, of Saginaw, Michigan. 
 
 Until he was about eighteen years of age Milam J. Barackman lived 
 with his uncle, Albert Moon, and attended the local schools of his native 
 township. He then entered Lombard University, at Galesburg, Illinois, 
 and was making good progress in his studies when the outbreak of the war 
 routed all other interests from his mind. Upon the president's first cah for 
 volunteers, he enlisted in Gompany D, Twentieth Illinois Regiment of In- 
 fantry, and was filled with chagrin and disappointment when his guardian 
 withheld his permission for him to be mustered into the service on the ground 
 that he was not of age. After remaining at home for two weeks the young 
 man re-enlisted, this time in Gompany G, Forty-fourth Illinois Infantry, for 
 the term of three years, Golonel NoblesdorfT being his commander. With 
 his regiment he was ordered in pursuit of General Price, after which cam- 
 paign he participated in the battles of Pea Ridge and Perryville, and fought 
 under the leadership of General Rosecrans at the battle of Stone River, that 
 officer then being in charge of the Army of the Gumberland. For his 
 meritorious services in the great battle last mentioned Mr. Barackman's name 
 was placed upon a special roll of honor of non-commissioned ofificers, to 
 whose daring and fidelity General Rosecrans felt much indebted, and thus 
 acknowledged publicly. Later, when in the Twentieth Army Gorps, com- 
 manded by General McGook, our subject took an active part in the famous 
 battles of Ghickamauga and Mission Ridge. At Stone River, where the 
 Union forces suffered so dreadfully, Mr. Barackman was injured, and lost 
 his right eye, but it was not until 1864, when his regiment veteranized, that 
 the matter came before the notice of the proper authorities, who refused to 
 allow him to re-enter the lists with his comrades, as he desired to do. He 
 was accordingly mustered out of the service and honorably discharged, at 
 the Marine Hospital in Ghicago. 
 
 Returning to his old home in Reading township, Mr. Barackman became 
 interested in coal operations, to which he gave much of his attention for 
 the succeeding thirty years, then turning the entire business over to his son, 
 Arthur M. In the meantime he had also been successfully engaged in 
 farming, and owns a finely improved homestead of four hundred acres, in his 
 native township. One of the pioneer coal operators of Streator and vicinity, 
 he accomplished a great deal for this great industry, and is well known
 
 224 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 throughout this region. For some years he was the president of the 
 Barackman Coal Company, and was the senior member of the firm of 
 Barackman & Son, who for a period conducted a grocery in Streator. By his 
 well directed energy and financial ability he accumulated a snug little for- 
 tune, and now owns a large amount of valuable property aside from his 
 splendid farm, which he now rents to responsible tenants. Fraternally he be- 
 longs to Streator Post, No. 68, G. A. R., and in politics he favors the 
 Republican party. 
 
 In 1866 Mr. Barackman and Miss Fanny W. Goodyear, of Parkville, 
 Missouri, were united in marriage. Mrs. Barackman died in 1872, and left 
 two children, Arthur M. and Eulola F., the latter now the wife of Albert 
 Finchman, of Streator. In 1876 Miss Alice C. Tutlow, of Ottawa, Illinois, 
 became the wife of our subject. Their children, in order of birth, are as 
 follows: Harry E., Guy B., Jessie F., William G., and May. They are 
 receiving good educational advantages, and are being well equipped for the 
 battles of life. 
 
 ROBERT LINFOR. 
 
 An ex-soldier of the civil war and a well known and much respected 
 citizen of Allen township, LaSalle county, Illinois, is found in the subject 
 of this sketch, Robert Linfor, whose post-office address is Ransom. 
 
 Mr. Linfor dates his birth in Longsutton, Lincolnshire, England, Oc- 
 tober I, 1846, and is a son of William and Dinah (Isaba) Linfor. He spent 
 the first two years of his life in his native land and in 1849 came with his 
 parents and other members of the family to America, their objective point 
 being Ottawa, Illinois, where they settled and lived a short time and whence, 
 in 1856, they subsequently moved upon section 20, Allen township, locating 
 on a farm. Here the father lived until 1879, when he removed to Syracuse, 
 New York, where he is now living, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. 
 The mother died February 28, 1879, at the age of seventy-three years. They 
 were the parents of four children, namely: John, a resident of the same 
 township in which his brother Robert lives, and, like him a veteran of the 
 civil war; William, of Walnut, Iowa; Sarah Colder, who died in Kansas; 
 and Robert, whose name introduces this review. 
 
 Robert Linfor was engaged in work on his father's farm at the time the 
 civil war broke out. His love for his adopted country at once asserted itself 
 by his enlistment in the Union army. As a member of Company C. First 
 Illinois Light Artillery, under Captain M. H. Prescott and Colonel Charles 
 Hathling, he went to the front, being with the forces that operated in the 
 south. He was in the engagements at Kenesaw Mountain, Bentonville and
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 225 
 
 Atlanta; was on that famous "march to the sea," and took part in the grand 
 review of the victorious armies at Washington, D. C. June 12, 1865, he was 
 honorably discharged and returned home. 
 
 Mr. Linfor has made farming his life work. Since 1875 he has owned 
 and occupied his present farm, a fine tract of one hundred and sixty acres 
 in Allen township. His modern residence he erected in 1891; he has large 
 barns and other farm buildings, and the general appearance of his firm is 
 indicative of thrift and prosperity. 
 
 June 9, 1867, was consummated Mr. Linfor's marriage to Miss Cynthia 
 Alice Isgrig, of i\llen township, LaSalle county, Illinois. She was born in 
 Ohio and is a daughter of Wilson and Mahala (Loveland) Isgrig, natives of 
 New York and now residents of Glidden, Carroll county, Iowa. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Linfor have four children, namely: Carrie, wife of Grant West, of Chi- 
 cago; Lottie, wife of A. Berge, of Allen township; John W., at home, was 
 a member of the Third Illinois Infantry, Illinois National Guards, from 1893 
 to 1897; and Mabel, at home. 
 
 Mr. Linfor has always given his support to the Republican party and 
 has taken an active interest in local affairs, serving officially in various ca- 
 pacities. For twelve years he has been a member of the school board and 
 he has served as township collector two years. He is a member of several 
 fraternal organizations, including the Knights of Pythias, Lodge 312, of 
 Ransom, and the G. A. R. post at the same place. 
 
 JACOB BOLDER. 
 
 America would be much more desirable and better in every way if the 
 foreign-born citizens who came to dwell beneath her flag were all as loyal 
 and patriotic as is the subject of this notice. It would seem that a spirit of 
 love and gratitude should fill the heart of every man who has sought pro- 
 tection, wealth and citizenship, and found what he desired in liberal measure, 
 under the dear old Stars and Stripes; but too frequently, alas! is heard 
 throughout the land, in the press and from the platform and in public and 
 private gatherings, the voices of the malcontents, decrying the institutions, 
 laws and customs of the very country which has nourished them and their 
 children, and given them the luxuries, perhaps, which were reserved for the 
 nobility of their own fatherlands. But in the case of Jacob Bolder, as will 
 be seen, the utmost loyalty to the United States reigns in his heart. 
 
 He was born in the province of Alsace-Lorraine, France, November i, 
 1827, the fifth in order of birth of the eight children of Leonard and Magda- 
 lene (Stoffer) Bolder, the others being named Charles, Leonard, Caroline,
 
 226 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Louis, Christian, Benjamin and Felix. The parents were hkewise natives of 
 Alsace-Lorraine and the father serve under the great Napoleon in the French 
 army. 
 
 In his early manhood, Jacob Bolder learned the blacksmith's trade, 
 which he pursued until he was well along in years. Li 1844 he came to 
 the United States, and came direct to LaSalle county, where he remained 
 for a year. Then, going to Chicago, he spent four years in that place, then 
 a small village, with little promise of the great future in store for it. In 
 1849 he returned and established a blacksmith's shop on the hill just east 
 of the Ellerding water-power mill, and there for twenty-one years he played 
 the role of "the village blacksmith," after which he was similarly employed 
 at Sandwich, Illinois, for about a year. Feeling the need of a change, Mr. 
 Bolder next settled upon a farm in Northville township, and for eight years 
 devoted his entire attention to agriculture, with good success. Since 1873 
 he has made his home in the town of Sheridan, where, for seven years, he 
 was engaged in the lumber business. Then selling out, he later embarked in 
 the hardware business here, and for eight years commanded a large and 
 lucrative trade. At the end of that period he disposed of his stock and 
 retired from the commercial world for a brief time. We next find him 
 conducting a meat market, and in this venture, as in all others, he met with 
 success. After five years in this line of business he sold out and retired to 
 enjoy the competence which he had acquired by a life-time of hard and 
 industrious enterprise. 
 
 In 1849 Jacob Bolder married Miss Mary Louise Bolder, who has been 
 a true helpmate, ably seconding her husband's efforts to make a home and 
 competence. They were poor when they commenced the battle of life to- 
 gether, but they had brave hearts and were willing to exercise frugality and 
 toil industriously toward the goal which they had in view, and success 
 crowned their struggles. They have a beautiful home in Sheridan, and 
 are surrounded by all of the essential elements of comfort and happiness. 
 Each time that Mr. Bolder sold his business he and his wife took advantage 
 of his temporary retirement from the commercial world to make a trip to 
 their native land, for Mrs. Bolder, also, was born in Alsace, and came to 
 the United States in 1844. He is very fond of hunting, and every time that 
 he returned to the land of his birth he enjoyed the privilege of hunting in 
 the wild mountain regions, through the courtesy of an old friend, a wealthy, 
 influential man of Alsace. The same gentleman frequently urged Mr. Bolder 
 to remain in that province, instead of returning to the United States, but, 
 though his afifection for the land in which his happy childhood days were 
 spent is unchanged, he has strongly preferred to pass his declining years in 
 this country, — the place which has witnessed his struggles and triumph over
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 227 
 
 adverse circumstances, the land where the prime of his hfe has been passed. 
 Conspicuous in his pleasant home are some trophies of his skill in marks- 
 manship, — a finely mounted head of a wild boar, two mounted antelope heads 
 and the skin of a silver fox, — all killed in the forests of Alsace. Since his 
 arrival in America Mr. Bolder has been a loyal supporter of the Republican 
 party, casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont, and voting for 
 every Republican candidate since then. 
 
 JOHN LINFOR. 
 
 This respected resident of Allen township, LaSalle county, is a native 
 of Norfolkshire, England, born August 22, 1837, a son of William and 
 Dinah (Isaba) Linfor, also natives of Albion's isle. He is one of six children, 
 two of whom died in infancy. Sarah H., who became Mrs. Colder, died in 
 Kansas, in 1873; and those living are John William, a resident of Walnut, 
 Iowa; and Robert, of Allen township, LaSalle county, Illinois. In 1849 the 
 family emigrated to America, landing at New York August 22, 1849, after 
 being eight weeks on the Atlantic ocean. A few w^eeks after landing on the 
 shores of this New World they came to Ottawa, Illinois, arriving on the ist 
 day of October; and here the father, William Linfor, was the sexton of the 
 West cemetery of Ottawa, while John was bound out to Jerry Woods, of 
 that city. In 1856 John and his mother came out upon the wdld prairie and 
 began the development of the homestead now^ occupied by him, the father 
 and the other children remaining in Ottawa; but the next year they also came 
 here. John continued to work upon the place, assisting his father, in the days 
 when ox teams were employed in breaking the original prairie. The father 
 is still living, but is now a resident of Syracuse, New York. He was born 
 in 181 1, and his wife was born in 1805, and died in 1879. 
 
 On the 2d day of August, 1861, Mr. John Linfor, our subject, tendered 
 a member of Company E of the Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry Volunteers, 
 his services to the government for the preservation of the Union, becoming 
 This company w-as ordered to the front under Captain A. F. Jaques and 
 Colonel John A. Looniis, and Mr. Linfor's army service covered a period of 
 three years, — eighteen months in Company E. He was taken sick at the 
 second battle of Corinth, and taken to the hospital at St. Louis, and remained 
 there three months. Recovering, he enlisted again, this time in the Missis- 
 sippi Marine Brigade, in Company A, cavalry, under Captain J. R. Crandall 
 and Brigadier General Alfred W. Ellet. Finally he was honorably dis- 
 charged, at Vicksburg, September 23, 1864. 
 
 Returning to his Illinois home, he assisted his father on the farm, and he
 
 228 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 has ever since been engaged in agricultural pursuits, with that success that 
 attends perseverance and a judicial management. He is a member of Post 
 No. 247, G. A. R., and of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Mr, Linfor was married February 21, 1865, to Miss Martha E. Patten, 
 a native of Putnam county, Illinois, born November 16, 1845, ^ daughter 
 of David and Catherine (Umbarger) Patten, the former a native of Ohio, 
 born in June, 1826, and the latter of Pennsylvania, born in September, 1827. 
 Of the thirteen children of Mr. and Mrs. Patten six are still living, namely: 
 Martha E., George A., Owen W., Dartha J. Bergman, Alfred E. and Sarah 
 E. Bergman. David Patten was a member of Company E of the Twenty- 
 sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, going to the front under Captain A. F. 
 Jaques and Colonel John A. Loomis, in 1861. Mrs. Patten died in 1888, 
 and Mr. Patten died in the year 1895, both being members of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. Air. and j\Irs. Linfor have two children, — Flora E. and 
 Ida L., — both of whom are married and settled in life. Flora E., born July 
 14, 1867, is the wife of John Blair, of Allen township, and has one child, 
 named Flossie E.; and Ida L., born May 26, 1870, is the wife of Otto 
 Strobel, also of Allen township, and has two children, — Martha C. and 
 WiH-iam O. 
 
 WILLIAM H. CONARD. 
 
 William H. Conard. of Ransom, Illinois, is a prominent farmer and 
 stock-raiser of Allen township, and this biography of the representative men 
 of LaSalle county would fall far short of its object did it not contain a synop- 
 sis of his life. 
 
 He is a native of Licking county, Ohio, born November 9, 1843. The 
 ancestors of William H. Conard were undoubtedly Germans, the correct 
 name being Conrad; but neither the date of their settlement in America nor 
 the manner in which the name became changed can be definitely ascertained. 
 Certain it is, however, that for a number of generations prior to the Revo- 
 lutionary war his ancestors resided in the colony of Virginia and were re- 
 spected people in that aristocratic old state. The grandfather of our subject, 
 Anthony Conard, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war. Anthony was 
 born at the foot of the Blue Ridge mountains in Loudoun county, Virginia, 
 in the year 1760, and was but a mere boy when he enlisted in the patriot 
 army. After the war he resided in Virginia, near the plantation of General 
 Washington, with whom he was personally acquainted. The father of 
 Anthony Conard was John Conard, a native of Virginia. His children were 
 Anthony, John, Johnathan, Nathan, Joseph and Susan. In 1827 Anthony 
 Conard emigrated to Ohio, lived one year in Belmont county, and then
 
 .JM Ml^ 
 
 /y?A^^^^-«^>v2^
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 229 
 
 located in Licking county, same state, near the village of Utica, where he 
 died, in 1843. 
 
 Anthony Conard, Jr., the father of our subject, was born in Loudoun 
 county, Virginia, October 16, 1799, and emigrated to Licking county, Ohio, 
 in 1828, remaining there until 1847, when he emigrated to LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, and died in Crawford county, this state, December 26, 1851. 
 
 He married Nancy Gregg, a native of Virginia, on the i8th day of 
 January, 1821. She was born October 15, 1802, and died in LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, on the i6th day of December, 1847. Their children were Mary E., 
 Elinor, David W., Charles W., Amelia, George W., Nelson, John, Nancy, 
 James W., Melvina M., Joseph W., William H. and Rebecca L. 
 
 William H. Conard removed with his parents from Licking county, 
 Ohio, to LaSalle county, Illinois, when but three years old. Soon afterward 
 he was left an orphan and he was cared for by his friends until he was 
 nine years old, when his sister Nancy was married to P. W. Jacobs, of Serena 
 township, and was adopted by them until fourteen years of age. He helped 
 them on the farm in summer and attended district school in winter. At the 
 age of fourteen years Mr. Conard started out in life for himself, inheriting 
 nothing but health, an honest heart and willing hands to work. He began 
 working as a farm hand at ten dollars per month and by most frugal habits 
 and economy he saved sufiticient from his small earnings in four years of 
 patient labor to begin farming for himself on shares; but just at that time 
 his country was in danger, rebels in the south had seceded and were trampling 
 the "old flag" in the dust. President Lincoln had called for three hundred 
 thousand more men and Mr. Conard could no longer quench the flame of. 
 patriotism witMn his breast. He sold the little property he had, left the grain 
 in the field to be gathered by others and went to battle for his country. His 
 record in the army is one of honor, and it is with pleasure that we here insert 
 his army record, taken from the "History of the One Hundred and Fourth 
 Regiment of Illinois Volunteers," of which he was a member: 
 
 "Sergeant William H. Conard, aged eighteen, a farmer, enlisted from 
 Serena August 14, 1862; was in the Kentucky campaign and the battle of 
 Hartsville in the Tullahoma and Chickamauga campaigns; was present at 
 Elk River and Davis Cross Roads and the battle of Chickamauga, in the 
 battles of Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge and the skirmishes fol- 
 lowing; was promoted corporal for meritorious services May i, 1864; was 
 in the Atlanta campaign at Buzzards' Roost, the battles around Resaca, New 
 Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain and Peach Tree Creek. In the last named 
 battle he was severely wounded in the right shoulder and was sent to the 
 hospital, thence home. On recovering he rejoined the regiment at Golds- 
 boro, North Carolina, and participated in the last campaign. Promoted ta
 
 230 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 sergeant April 7, 1865, for meritorious services. Mustered out June 6, 
 1865. 
 
 "A soldier who could be counted upon in a tight place, on his return 
 home he was tendered a commission as a lieutenant in the regular army by 
 Hon. B. C. Cook, then a member of congress from the Ottawa district, but 
 declined." 
 
 Mr. Conard was married, the 20th of February, 1866, to Sarah Belinda 
 Dominy, a daughter of Lorenzo and Sarah A. (Gurnea) Dominy, both of 
 whom were natives of New York. Her parents were among the early settlers 
 of LaSalle county, and here Mrs. Conard was born and reared. She was 
 born March 13, 1845. To Mr. and Mrs. Conard have been born five chil- 
 dren, all of whom are living: John M., born January 24, 1867; WilHam L., 
 September 25, 1868; Belinda R., December 15, 1870; David E., November 
 2, 1873; and Reno J., August 12, 1876. John M. Conard was married to 
 Esther A. Shinn, of Ottawa, Kansas, January 21, 1891, and they have one 
 child, Alberta B., born March 2, 1899. Mr. Conard is a farmer and stock- 
 raiser on his ranch in Franklin county, Kansas. William L. Conard was 
 married to Elizabeth A. Martin, of Detroit, Michigan, January 31, 1894, and 
 they have two children: Wilma A., born November 27, 1894; and Harvey 
 M., December 23, 1896. Their home is in Toledo, Ohio. William L. is a 
 professor in the Toledo College. Belinda R. Conard was married to Frank 
 X. Strobel, of Allen township, on January 28, 1891. They live near the old 
 home and are farmers. David E. Conard was married to Nettie Clark, of 
 D wight, Illinois, February 15, 1899, and is a farmer near the old home. Reno 
 J. lives at the old home, single, and farms his own and a part of his father's 
 farm. 
 
 Lorenzo Dominy was born in Clinton county, New York, June 22, 1822, 
 a son of Ezra and Rhoda (Smith) Dominy. He removed with his parents to 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1835, and shared the hardships incident to a new 
 country. He was much respected. He served his town in the capacities of 
 supervisor and justice of the peace, and finally died at his home in Serena 
 township, April 18, 1887. Ezra Dominy was born on Long Island, New 
 York, May 13, 1786, and died January 13, 1879, in LaSalle county, Illinois. 
 Ezra was a son of Henry Dominy, also a native of Long Island, born Decem- 
 ber 26, 1746, and a grandson of Nathaniel Dominy, one of three brothers 
 who came to America from England and settled on Long Island. Henry 
 Dominy was in the employ of the government and was on Long Island when 
 it was captured by the British. The grandfather of Rhoda (Smith) Dominy 
 was a native of England and also settled on Long Island. Sarah A. (Gurnea) 
 Dominy was born April 21, 1826, in Montgomery county, New York, and 
 now resides in Los Angeles, California. Her father, William F. Gurnea, was
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 231 
 
 born September 15, 1796, in Montgomery county, New York, and died in 
 LaSalle county, Illinois. 
 
 Isabella (Peck) Gurnea, wife of William F. Gurnea, was born April 6, 
 1807, in Montgomery county, New York, and died in LaSalle county. 
 
 In the year 1866 William H. Conard bought eighty acres of land on 
 section 35 in Allen township and moved to it in 1867, and here he still 
 resides. He has occupied his time in farming and stock-raising and he has 
 added to the orginal eighty acres until now, after giving to each of his chil- 
 dren a good farm or its equivalent, he still has nine hundred and sixty acres of 
 good land in his possession. 
 
 Mr. Conard has served his town in the capacity of school trustee, road 
 commissioner, school treasurer and supervisor. He is an honored member of 
 the Grand Army of the Republic and belongs to the Methodist church. In 
 politics Mr. Conard is thoroughly independent. He votes for men and 
 measures and not for party. The party lash in the hands of party "bosses" 
 finds no victim of obedience in his political action. He votes his convictions 
 without obligations to partisans and believes the purity of the ballot-box 
 can be secured from fraud and corruption only by every one so doing. 
 
 HERMAN BRUNNER. 
 
 Herman Brunner, who was for some years president of the Peru Beer 
 Company and a well known citizen of Peru, was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, 
 Germany, on the 5th of March, 1838, his parents being August and Johanna 
 (Roth) Brunner. His father was the superintendent of iron works in Hirzen- 
 heim. Herman was the eldest of three children and acquired his education 
 in Germany. In October, 1866, he came to America, coming direct to Peru, 
 Illinois, where he accepted a clerkship in a store. After a short time, how- 
 ever, he resigned that position and became a clerk for the Peru Beer Com- 
 pany, with which he was connected up to the time of his death. In 1872, in 
 connection with Andrew Hebel, he purchased the business and conducted 
 the plant under the name of Hebel & Brunner. That partnership was 
 maintained until Mr. Hebel died and was succeeded by his son, Andrew, in 
 1886. Three years later the company was incorporated and has since been 
 known as the Peru Company. Herman Brunjier at that time became its 
 president, Andrew Hebel its secretary and treasurer, and Charles Herbold 
 its superintendent. They built up a good business and shipped their goods 
 to various markets. 
 
 In 1870 Mr. Brunner was married to Miss Rosa Reinhart, whose father,
 
 232 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Professor Joseph Reinhart, is well remembered here as a music teacher of 
 more than ordinary ability and skill. Four children were born to Mr. and 
 Mrs. Brunner, namely: Flora, Rose, Sidonia and Camilla. Mr. Brunner 
 died in December, 1899, but the family yet reside in Peru. 
 
 WILLIAM F. CORBUS. 
 
 William F. Corbus, of LaSalle, than whom few, if any, have been longer 
 engaged in the drug business in LaSalle county, is a native of the Buckeye 
 state, his birth having occurred in Millersburg, Holmes county, April 28, 
 1840. 
 
 He obtained a good common-school education, and from the time he 
 was thirteen until he was twenty years of age he worked at the printer's 
 trade in his native town, being employed in the office of the Holmes County 
 Republican. In i860 he came to this state and dwelt in Lee county until 
 Septem.ber 15, 1862, when he enlisted in Company K, Seventy-fifth Ihinois 
 Volunteer Infantry, as a hospital steward, in which capacity he continued to 
 serve until he was granted an honorable discharge, July 3, 1865. During 
 all this time he was with the Army of the Cumberland from its organization 
 until his company was disbanded, and took an active part in every skirmish 
 and engagement in which it was concerned. 
 
 After his return from the battle-fields of the south, ]\Ir. Corbus obtained 
 a position as a clerk in a drug-store in Mendota, and subsequently embarked 
 in the same line of business in that place as a member of the firm of W. F. 
 Corbus & Company. In 1876 he came to LaSalle, where he opened a drug- 
 store. 
 
 In 1870 the marriage of Mr. Corbus and ]\Iiss Clara M. Robison was 
 solemnized in Mendota. They have one son. Politically our subject is a 
 Republican, and fraternally he is a Master Mason and a member of the 
 Grand Army of the Republic. 
 
 HON. HAMILTON MURRAY GALLAGHER. 
 
 Without doubt one of .the most public-spirited and representative cit- 
 izens that Peru ever had was the gentleman whose name forms the heading 
 of this brief tribute to his worth and ability. Everything connected with the 
 city's progress and advancement, in whatsoever lines of industrial enterprise 
 or improvement, its municipal government, its educational system, and in
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 23^ 
 
 short in all things which affected the permanent welfare of the place, received 
 his earnest attention and elicited his zealous interest. 
 
 Bernard Gallagher, the paternal grandfather of our subject, lived in 
 Virginia during the progress of the war of the Revolution and rendered 
 effective service to the colonial army under Washington by carrying pro- 
 visions and supplies to the troops. On one of these expeditions he was 
 captured by a band of the enemy but was soon exchanged. He died in 
 Alexandria, Virginia, and left five or six children to perpetuate his name. 
 One of the number, Charles Henry, was the father of Hon. H. M. Gallagher. 
 He was born in the Old Dominion, but possessed the spirit of enterprise 
 which led so many of the sons of that state to explore the west and to- 
 develop its wonderful resources. After spending a few years in New York 
 city, engaged in the dry-goods business, he went to Moniteau county, Mis- 
 souri, some years prior to the outbreak of the civil war. In the vicinity of 
 Boonville, he owned and carried on a large plantation, and there he con- 
 tinued to dwell until he was summoned to the silent land, at the age of 
 eighty-two years. His wife, whose maiden name was Sophia Cole, survived 
 him about one year, and was over sixty-five years of age at the time of her 
 death. She was a native of Virginia, but her father and ancestors were 
 Pennsylvanians and of the old Dutch stock which did so much for that 
 great state. Seven of the nine children of C. H. and Sophia Gallagher are 
 yet living, namely: Sarah, wife of George Reynolds, of Missouri; Kate and 
 Mary, unmarried, and residents of Tipton, Missouri; Milton and Peyton, 
 of Missouri; Newton, of Peru, Illinois; and Jesse, of Waco, Texas. 
 
 The boyhood of our subject was spent in the vicinity of his birthplace, 
 near Tipton, Missouri, his nativity being on the 26th of April, 1841. He was 
 a studious lad, and though his advantages for obtaining an education were 
 not of the best in that western state, he made the best of his opportunities, 
 and attended the private school in Boonville which had at its head Professor 
 Kemper, a man of considerable ability. Before attaining his majority Mr. 
 Gallagher took up the study of law, and after being admitted to the bar 
 engaged in practice in St. Louis for a few years. In 1865 he went to 
 Ottawa, Illinois, where he was occupied in his professional labors for about a 
 year, after which he came to Peru, thenceforth to be his home. Here he was 
 the city attorney for a number of years, and concfucted an excellent and 
 representative practice as long as he lived. During some six or eight years 
 he was the editor of the Peru Herald, manifesting his unusual talents as 
 forcibly in this new field of effort as in any which he had hitherto undertaken. 
 
 The Democratic party of this section of the state, in whose councils 
 Mr. Gallagher ranked high, found in him an able supporter and friend. 
 He attended numerous conventions in the capacity of delegate, and acted
 
 234 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 upon many important committees. Elected to the office of mayor of Peru, 
 he served to the entire satisfaction of all of our citizens during a number of 
 terms, and at the time of his demise he was a supervisor and a member of 
 the board of education. In 1870 and 1871 he represented this district in 
 the Illinois legislature, winning fresh laurels for himself and party. Socially 
 he was a Master Alason, and also belonged to the Odd Fellows order. 
 
 In 1867 Mr. Gallagher married Miss Martha A. Brewster, who departed 
 this life about four years subsequently. Their only child, Charles D., w^as one 
 of the gallant Seventy-first Regiment of Xew York Volunteers in the late 
 Spanish-American war. The second marriage of Mr. Gallagher took place 
 November 18, 1874, ]\Iiss E. Lena Kellenbach becoming his bride. They 
 becanie the parents of three children, namely: Kate Murray, Harry Milton 
 and William Hamilton. The parents of Mrs. Gallagher, Anton and Margaret 
 (Birkenbeuel) Kellenbach, esteemed citizens of Peru, are natives of Prussia, 
 Germany. They came to this country in 1856, and, locating in this place, the 
 father was actively engaged in working at his trade, as a brick and stone 
 mason, and as a contractor on the Rock Island Railroad, for many years. 
 His father died in Germany, and his wife's father, William Birkenbeuel, died 
 on ship-board, on his way to America. He was then over three-score and 
 ten years of age. 
 
 The extremely active and successful life of H. M. Gallagher came to a 
 close wdiile he was in the prime of manhood, his vigor of mind and body 
 unimpaired. The summons came April 13, 1888, and he was laid to rest near 
 the city which he dearly loved and with whose fortunes his own had been 
 so closely interwoven. His record as a business man and citizen, as a friend 
 ^nd in the home circle, was above reproach, and his children have just cause 
 to be proud of his honorable name and fame. 
 
 THOMAS F. DOYLE. 
 
 The legal profession has ever had great attractions for a large class of 
 American young men; for, added to the desire to assist in the righting of 
 wrongs and injustice, which is a most natural and commendable feeling, 
 there are greater opportunities for genius to assert itself within this realm 
 than perhaps in. any other; and from its ranks our most illustrious statesmen 
 have been culled. He who grapples with the intricacies of the law receives 
 a peculiar training, acquires a keenness and acumen which qualifies him for 
 any position, howsoever responsible and important; and thus it is not strange 
 that bright, ambitious minds are the rule and not the exception among those 
 ^ho have practiced law.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 235 
 
 Thomas F. Doyle, one of the young members of the bar of LaSalle 
 county, is a native of Dimmick township, this county, his birth having oc- 
 curred July 8, 1873. He is a son of Luke and Ann (Hanley) Doyle, who 
 reside on a farm in the locality mentioned, and are worthy and respected 
 citizens of the community. The boyhood of our subject passed uneventfully, 
 his time being chiefly devoted to the obtaining of an elementary education 
 in the common schools of the neighborhood of his home. Later he went to 
 New York and completed his literary and scientific training at Niagara 
 University. He then entered the law department of the University of Mich- 
 igan, at Ann Arbor, and was graduated in that celebrated institution of 
 learning with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, in June, 1895. In the pre- 
 ceding April he passed the required examination admitting him to practice 
 in the Michigan courts, and subsequently he was admitted to the Illinois bar. 
 
 In September, 1895, Mr. Doyle accepted the position of assistant state's 
 attorney under V. J. Duncan, of Ottawa, then occupying the superior office, 
 and in this capacity he continued to act for one year, or until the expiration 
 of Mr. Duncan's term. Then coming to LaSalle, Mr. Doyle opened an 
 office and started upon the regular practice of law and continued alone in 
 business until January 15. 1897, when he entered into partnership with his 
 former friend and legal associate, Mr. Duncan. This business connection is 
 still in existence, and the firm enjoys a large and representative practice in 
 this section of the county. They are both deservedly popular with the 
 citizens of LaSalle and Ottawa, and take an active part in local affairs. Mr. 
 Doyle uses his right of franchise in favor of the platform and nominees of 
 the Democratic party. 
 
 HARRY E. ROCKWOOD. 
 
 Owning and occupying one of the nice country homes in Farm Ridge 
 townslnp, LaSalle county, is found the gentleman whose name forms the 
 heading of this sketch, — Harry Earl Rockwood, — a representative of one of 
 the well known families of the county. 
 
 He was born on his father's farm in Farm Ridge township, April 27, 
 1 86 1, a son of William H. Rockwood, deceased. The Rockwoods are of 
 English origin and the family was represented in America at an early day, 
 New England being their first place of settlement. (The genealogy is given 
 more fully further on.) William H. Rockwood was born at Chesterfield, 
 New Hampshire, November 2, 1826. In 1835 John Rockwood and family 
 came to Illinois and settled in South Ottawa tow^nship, LaSalle county, and 
 on his farm he and his wife passed the rest of their lives. He was a school-
 
 236 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 teacher as well as farmer, and his religious creed was that of the Presby- 
 terian church. 
 
 At the time his father moved to Illinois William H. was a boy of eight 
 years. He attended the district schools here and later was a student at 
 Granville, Illinois, and on his return from school he engaged in farming, 
 which he followed through life. He died on his farm in Farm Ridge town- 
 ship, LaSalle county, June 2, 1881, at the age of fifty-five years. He was 
 married, February 13, 1855. to Maria I. Dolittle, a native of St. Mary's, 
 Georgia, and a daughter of Alfred and Adaline (Garvin) Dolittle, the former 
 a native of Vermont and the latter of Florida. Alfred Dolittle was a 
 merchant. He came to South Ottawa, Illinois, in 1851 and engaged in 
 business and here he died at the age of sixty years. Mrs. Dolittle died at 
 the home of her daughter, Mrs. Rockwood, at the age of sixty-one years. 
 Mr. Dolittle was the father of eleven children, five by a former marriage and 
 six by the mother of Mrs. Rockwood. Mrs. Rockwood was educated in 
 Vermont and Massachusetts, and was before her marriage a popular and 
 successful teacher. To William H. Rockwood and wife were given seven 
 children, of whom only three are living, the others having died in early life. 
 These three are Harry E., the immediate subject of this sketch, who occupies 
 the old Rockwood homestead; Everette C., of Indianapolis, Indiana, engaged 
 in the stock business; and William H., Jr., a teacher, of Grand Ridge, 
 Illinois. The father was a man of local prominence. He filled several town- 
 ship of^ces, at different times, such as assessor and collector and member of 
 the school board. He was an active church worker, identified with the 
 Presbyterian church and for years one of its trustees. Mrs. Rockwood, 
 his widow, has a pleasant home in the village of Grand Ridge, where she 
 has resided since 1893, having moved here from the farm now occupied by 
 her son Harry E. 
 
 The Rockwood farm is one of the best improved and most desirable in 
 LaSalle county. The residence is located on a natural building site; the 
 barn is spacious, and everything is conveniently arranged, — in short, a model 
 farm. While he carries on general farming, Mr. Rockwood makes a specialty 
 of the stock business, raising and marketing cattle. 
 
 Harry E. Rockwood was married, in 1893, to Miss Nelly Margaret 
 Shepherd, of Deer Park, this county, where she was engaged in teaching 
 previous to her marriage. Their union has been blessed in the birth of three 
 children: Frank Shepherd, Robert Earl and Mildred, aged five, four and two 
 years respectively. 
 
 Mr. Rockwood is one of the progressive, up-to-date farmers of the 
 county, interested in everything intended to promote the general welfare 
 of his locality. He is a Republican and has filled some of the township
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 237 
 
 offices. Fraternally he is identified with Occidental Lodge, No. 40; Shab- 
 bona Chapter; and Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, of Ottawa. 
 
 In the genealogy of Mr. Rockwood, of the foregoing sketch, we add 
 that the first six generations of his American ancestry are taken from the 
 Genealogical Register of the descendants of the early planters of Sherborn, 
 Holliston and Medway, Massachusetts, compiled by Rev. Abner Morse, 
 A. M., of Sherborn, a member of the New England Historical and Genealog- 
 ical Society, and published in 1855. 
 
 The names Rockwood and Rocket were formerly identical, and the 
 latter is a corruption of the former. The name Rockwood was, no doubt, 
 local, derived from Rocky Woods in England, and once common in west 
 England. It was probably the abode of the first person who assumed it. 
 Nothing of their history prior to their arrival in New England had been 
 ascertained so far as known to the compiler of the genealogy referred to; 
 but the Rev. Abner Morse thought that in the further pursuit of their 
 genealogy they must explore the history of their Puritan sire among the 
 Rockwoods of England, in Dorset and Suffolk counties. 
 
 Tradition says that a page by the name of Rockwood at the court of 
 Henry VIII, in a game of chess with his king, won a manor belonging to 
 one of the monasteries distributed in his reign. In commemoration of the 
 victory he received from his king six chess rooks for his arms. The above 
 estate is still occupied by Rockwoods who are of the gentry. Richard Rock- 
 wood was a planter, of Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1636, having come 
 to this country in 1627 or before. His first wife was Agnes, a daughter 
 of Zachary Bicknell, of Weymouth, Dorsetshire, England. She died in 
 1643, ^t Braintree, Massachusetts, and he married a second wife, named 
 Ann. His children were, by his first wife, Nicholas, born in 1628, and by 
 his second wife, John, born in 1647. The latter married Johanna Ford, of 
 Braintree, in 1662; Lydia, who married Edward Adams, a son of Henry 
 Adams, of Braintree, now Ouincy, 
 
 Nicholas Rockwood first located at Braintree, and in 1650 he and the 
 sons of Henry Adams settled the town of Medfield. He married, first, Jane 
 Adams, a daughter of Henry Adams, who died December 15, 1654; and, 
 secondly, Margaret Holbrook, a daughter of John Holbrook, of Weymouth, 
 in 1656. She died April 23, 1670; and his third wife's name was Silence. 
 His children were: Samuel, who was born at Braintree and married Han- 
 nah Ellis; Benjamin; Josiah, who married Mary Twitchell; Elizabeth, wdio 
 became the wife of John Partridge; Rev. John Rockwood was the next in 
 order of birth; and the youngest was Nathaniel Dea, who was born Feb- 
 ruary 23, 1665, and died September 24, 1 721, at Wrenth. 
 
 Nathaniel Rockwood Dea (Deacon?) married Johanna Ellis,, a daughter
 
 238 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of Thomas Ellis, of Aledfield. and his children were: IMargaret, who mar- 
 ried Ebner Metcalf; Nathaniel, who married Margaret Phipps; Benjamin, 
 who married Mehetibel Thomson; Abigail; Ebenezer; Hannah, who be- 
 came the wife of Thomas Lawrence; ]\Iary; and Elisha, who was born June 
 II, 1716, and died December 5, 1788. 
 
 Elisha Rockwood settled in- Groton. August 18, 1738, he married 
 Elizabeth Adams, who was born September 4, 1719, and died May 16,^ 
 1799. She was the daughter of James Adams, of Sherborn, by his wife Abi- 
 gail nee Hill, and granddaughter of Moses Adams, by his wife Lydia nee 
 Whitney, and great-granddaughter of Henry Adams, of Medfield, by wife 
 Lydia Paine, and great-great-granddaughter of Henry Adams, of Braintree; 
 and she was distantly related to Robert Treat Paine, a signer of the Declara- 
 tion of Independence. His children were: Elisha, who was born Novem- 
 ber 9, 1740, and died in February, 1831; Joseph, Ebenezer, A. M., M. D., 
 Abagail, Elizabeth, Lydia, Sarah and Sybil. 
 
 Elisha Rockwood, of the above family, married Mary Farnsworth in 
 1762, and she died in 1765, and he married, secondly, Abigail Stone, in 1771. 
 He removed from Groton, Massachusetts, to Chesterfield, New Hampshire. 
 His children were: Elisha, D. D., who married Susanna Parkman; Will- 
 iam, who married Anna Horton; John, who married Sally Green, of West- 
 moreland; Otis, D. D., married Maria Johnson. 
 
 John Rockwood, of the above family, was born July 7, 1782, and died 
 June 29, 1859. He was married June 26, 1817, to Sally Green, of West- 
 moreland, who was born August i, 1791. and died January 8, 1882. She was 
 a daughter of Captain Levi Green, of Westmoreland, New Hampshire. 
 They resided on the paternal Rockwood farm in Chesterfield, New Hamp- 
 shire, until 1835, when he removed to Ottawa, Illinois, settling on a farm 
 in South Ottawa township, where he resided till his death. His children 
 were: Mary Abigail, who married Rev. James Dunn; Laura Maria; Loring 
 Otis; John Adams, who married Sarah Lewis; William Henry, and Elisha 
 Earl, who married Debora Cox. 
 
 ELIJAH B. LOVEJOY. 
 
 Elijah B. Lovejoy, a veteran of the civil war, and an honored citizen 
 of Ottawa, is now passing his declining days in the enjoyment of the fruits 
 of many years of diligent toil. In all of the varied relations of life he has 
 endeavored to perform his entire duty, and well does he deserve the praise 
 and admiration which are accorded him by all who are acquainted with him 
 or his history.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 239 
 
 Jacob Lovejoy, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of Connect- 
 icut, and was a descendant of one of the five famiHes that first located per- 
 manently in that state. They originated in England, and eventually went 
 to New Hampshire from Connecticut, and later settled in Hebron, that 
 state. Jacob Lovejoy served as a drummer boy in the war of the Revolu- 
 tion, and his son Phineas (father of Elijah B.) was a "minute" man, and, 
 enlisting in the war of 181 2, was commissioned to the rank of lieutenant in 
 that struggle with England. The wife of Jacob and mother of Phineas Love- 
 joy was a Miss Baxter in her girlhood. The birth of Phineas Lovejoy took 
 place in Hebron, Grafton county. New Hampshire, in 1771, and in Janu- 
 ary, 1866, he was summoned to the silent land. He married Annice Blood, 
 a daughter of James Blood. She was a native of Fairlee, Vermont, born in 
 June, 1783, and her death occurred in the town of LandafT, New Hampshire, 
 when she was in her eighty-second year. 
 
 Elijah B. Lovejoy was born in Hebron, New Hampshire, November 
 2/, 1816, and in his youth learned agriculture thoroughly, in its various 
 phases. He remained on the old homestead until he reached his majority, 
 and always continued the labors of farming as long as he led an active life. 
 He owned in connection with his farm a saw and shingle mill. In 1872 
 he decided to try his fortunes in LaSalle county, Illinois, and he accordingly 
 purchased one hundred acres of land in the northern part of Ottawa town- 
 ship, there giving his attention to the raising of crops commonly grown in 
 this region, and raising cattle and hogs to some extent. In 1882 he retired 
 from the active work which he had faithfully followed for so many decades, 
 and has resided quietly in Ottawa ever since. 
 
 In August, 1862, Mr. Lovejoy, enlisted in Company D, Thirteenth 
 New Hampshire Infantry, under the command of Captain John Fair and 
 Colonel Abel Stevens. With his regiment he was ordered to Washington. 
 District of Columbia, and soon afterward participated in the battle of Fred- 
 ericksburg, which lasted for three days. A short time elapsed, and Mr. 
 Lovejoy became seriously ill and was sent to the Garver hospital at Wash- 
 ington. At length he received a certificate of the surgeon in charge of the 
 institution that he was unfit for further duty on account of his impaired 
 health, was granted an honorable discharge from the army, and of late years 
 has been given a pension by the government. As a citizen he has been 
 noted for his patriotism and high regard for what he considers the duties 
 devolving upon every inhabitant of this great republic. He has acted in 
 the capacity of school director, and was once the president of the township 
 board. In politics he has given his allegiance to the Republican party since 
 its organization. For the past fifty-six years he has been an active member 
 of the Methodist Episcopal church, and has held the positions of class
 
 240 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 leader for fifty-six years and steward in the congregations to which he has 
 belonged. His zeal and fidelity in church enterprises have been unwaver- 
 ing, and he has always been safely relied upon to uphold every worthy 
 public measure or movement. 
 
 December lo, 1841, Mr. Lovejoy married Miss Maria E. Bullis, the 
 eldest daughter of Hera BulHs, of Addison county, Vermont. Six sons and 
 two daughters were born to this estimable couple, namely: Elvira M,, who 
 was born June 28, 1844, and married Allen Gififer, a farmer; Cyrus C, born 
 October 9, 1847, and became a Methodist preacher; Arzilla M., born Feb- 
 ruary 10, 1849, and married Rev. A. Ethridge, a minister of the Congre- 
 g-ational church; OHn T., born April 18, 1851, became a teacher and served 
 for a time as the president of the board of education of his town, and is 
 serving now; Amen E., born April 8, 1854, and is in business in the state 
 of Washington; Kilburn B., born May 10, 1861, is a truck gardener at Red 
 Wing, Minnesota; Irving B., born June 19, 1864, is a farmer in Ottawa, 
 I^aSalle county; and Walter C, born October 3, 1867, is a physician now 
 practicing in Chicago. The mother of these children was born November 
 15, 1821, and was called to the better land April 7, 1869. On the 17th of 
 November, 1869, Mr. Lovejoy wedded Miss Lorrain L. King, wdio was 
 born December 6, 1829, at Fairlee, Vermont; and by the latter marriage 
 there was one child, born October 10, 1871, who married Dr. Charles S. 
 Hubbard, and is now^ residing in Chicago. The last wife of our subject 
 has passed to her eternal rest. She was a lady of many amiable qualities. 
 
 FRANCIS M. DAUGHERTY. 
 
 Illinois is noted as the leading agricultural state of the Union, the grain 
 raised within her boundaries being shipped to all parts of the world, supply- 
 ing food for countless numbers, and her fine farms are the subject of general 
 observation. Perhaps no part of the state contains more fertile or better 
 •cultivated land than that lying within LaSalle county, and among the most 
 productive and well kept farms of this section is the one owned and operated 
 by the gentleman whose name appears above. 
 
 Francis Marion Daugherty was born in Nicholas county, Kentucky, on 
 the 22d of August, 1837, his parents, Thomas and Mary (Swartz) Daugherty, 
 being among the oldest settlers in LaSalle county. John Daugherty, the 
 Igrandfather of our subject, was a soldier in the Indian wars and was a resi- 
 dent of Kentucky, where his son Thomas was born. The latter grew to 
 manhood in that state and there married Miss Mary, daughter of John 
 Swartz. They both lived to attain good old age, — the father passing away
 
 i
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 241 
 
 in 1894, at the age of seventy-three years, and the mother being seventy-one 
 years of age at the time of her demise. In his political adherency Thomas 
 Daugherty was a Democrat of the old school. He and his wife became the 
 parents of ten children, concerning whom we offer the following epitomized 
 record: John, a resident of Texas county, Missouri; Francis Marion, the 
 immediate subject of this review; Sarah Willis, deceased; Daniel B., whose 
 life was sacrificed on the altar of his country in the war of the Rebellion, in 
 which he served as a corporal of Company F, One Hundred and Fourth 
 Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry; Rebecca Brown, deceased; Mar- 
 garet, deceased; Amos, a resident of Chariton county, Missouri; Nancy Ann 
 Smith, of Sumner, that state; and Andrew and Elizabeth, both of whom are 
 deceased. 
 
 Francis M. Daugherty came to Illinois in 1858, with his parents, and 
 when he was twenty-four years of age his loyalty and patriotism prompted 
 him to enlist as a member of Company F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois 
 Volunteer Infantry, with which he served as sergeant. He was offered a 
 commission in the Seventh Kentucky Cavalry, but preferred to remain with 
 his company. He was in a number of the important encounters with the 
 Confederate forces, taking part in the battle of Hartsville and was captured, 
 and also participating in the celebrated battles of Chickamauga, Lookout' 
 Mountain and Missionary Ridge. He was also in the Atlanta campaign, in 
 which he took part in the engagements at Buzzard's Roost, Rocky Face 
 Ridge, New Hope Church, Peach Tree Creek and the siege of Atlanta, and 
 in the engagement at Eutaw Creek he was wounded. He served three years, 
 or until the close of the war, being mustered out on the 6th June, 1865. He 
 was with his command in following Hood into Alabama, participated in the 
 famous march to the sea, thence through the Carolinas and on to Washing- 
 ton, where he took part in the Grand Review. 
 
 Returning home after his eftective service in defense of the integrity 
 of the nation, Mr. Daugherty turned his attention to the peaceful vocation 
 of agriculture, locating upon a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which is 
 his present place of abode. In the matter of permanent improvements the 
 farm is well equipped, having a good house and substantial and convenient 
 outbuildings, while the place is kept in a fine state of cultivation. Mr. 
 Daugherty is an acknowledged leader in the farming community in which 
 he has so long made his home. He was the first breeder of Poland-China 
 hogs in the county, and w^as the first man in his township to use tile to drain 
 his land. In politics he renders stanch allegiance to the Republican party 
 and its principles, and fraternally he keeps alive his interest in his old com- 
 rades in arms by maintaining membership in Post No. 68, Grand Army of 
 the Republic, at Streator.
 
 242 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 On the 15th of November, 1865, Avas solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
 Daiigherty and Miss Ruth Jefferson, daughter of Robert and Ann (Lock) 
 Jefferson. Of this union nine children were born, of whom seven yet survive. 
 Of the children we give the following brief record: Thomas, a commercial 
 traveler, who resides in Streator, married Miss Lida D. Sederbrand, of that 
 place; Mary Alberta, a successful teacher, is now the wife of F. K. Garver, 
 a commercial traveler of South Bend, Indiana; Robert married Emma E. 
 Holland, of Streator; Jane, wife of Dr. C. G. Reno, of Louisville, Kentucky, 
 was a successful teacher in Otter Creek township, this county; Hattie P. is 
 a graduate of the Streator high school, in the class of 1899; Francis is a 
 student in the Streator high school; William D. is the next in order of birth; 
 Anna died at the tender age of three years; and Rosa, a young woman of 
 exceptional talent, who was a very successful teacher and who gave great 
 promise for the future, was summoned to her heavenly home at the untimely 
 age of twenty-two years, deeply mourned by a wide circle of devoted friends. 
 
 Robert Jefferson, the father of Mrs. Daugherty, was a native of Eng- 
 land, and his wife was born in Ireland. They came to America and at first 
 took up their residence in Michigan, whence they later came to DeKalb 
 county, Illinois, and from there, in 1852, to Streator, where they passed the 
 residue of their days. The mother died at the age of sixty years, but the 
 father survived her many years, attaining the venerable age of ninety-one 
 years. He was a lifelong Republican, and both he and his wife were mem- 
 bers of and earnest workers in the Methodist Episcopal church. They became 
 the parents of five children, namely: Alexander, deceased; Mary Richards, 
 of Bruce township, this county; William, who was a soldier in the One Hun- 
 dred and Fourth Illinois V'olunteer Infantry, participated in all the battles 
 in which his company took part, and on July 21, 1864, while on the skirmish 
 line in front of Atlanta, he was killed by a Confederate sharpshooter; 
 Thomas, who also was a soldier, was a member of Company E, Twenty- 
 sixth Illinois Regiment, and he died at Scotsboro, Alabama, April 17, 1865, 
 from an attack of pneumonia; and Ruth, who was born near Romeo, Macomb 
 county, Michigan, June 15. 1842, is the wife of ]\Ir. Daugherty, the immedi- 
 ate subject of this sketch. 
 
 WILLIAM F. McNAMARA. 
 
 Young Irish blood is having a powerful influence in the municipalities 
 of the west. This is true no less of the small cities than the large ones. 
 At the head of the municipal government of LaSalle is a man of thirty-two, 
 who has been prominently connected with it since he was twenty-two years
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 243 
 
 of age. This man is certainly young for one of his prominence and experi- 
 ence. Both lines of his family descent have been Irish of the purest blood. 
 
 William F. McNamara was born on a farm in LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 March 16, 1867, a son of Michael J. and Bridget (Burke) McNamara. 
 Michael J. McNamara was a son of Martin McNamara, and was born at 
 Schenectady, New York, and came with his father to LaSalle county in 
 1847. The family located first at LaSalle, and later on a farm some distance 
 from that town, w4iere Martin McNamara died. The parents of Bridget 
 Burke settled in the county about 1847 also. After their marriage Michael 
 and Bridget (Burke) McNamara located on a farm in LaSalle county, and 
 lived upon it until 1884, when they removed to LaSalle, where Mr. Mc- 
 Namara embarked in the grocery trade, in which he has since continued 
 with success. 
 
 When his parents came to LaSalle William F. McNamara, future mayor 
 of the city, was seventeen years old. He had spent his life thus far since 
 his childhood in helping his father about the farm work and attending the 
 public schools. After the family took up their residence in LaSalle he was 
 for several years a student at the parochial school of the Brothers of St. 
 Patrick at LaSalle. At twenty-one he became a clerk in a clothing store, 
 and was thus employed for eight years. 
 
 Mr. McNamara's political experience began in 1889, when, as a Dem- 
 ocrat, he was elected alderman, and by successive re-elections he filled that 
 office until 1897, when he was elected mayor, which office he still holds, and 
 which he has filled with a zeal and ability that have made him popular with 
 all classes of citizens. 
 
 Mr. McNamara is a Roman Catholic, and is a member of the Catholic 
 Order of Foresters, the Royal Arcanum, the Court of Honor, the Knights 
 of Pythias and the Woodmen of America, and is always prominently identi- 
 fied with every movement having for its object the enhancement of the 
 welfare of the people of LaSalle and LaSalle county. 
 
 THOMAS N. HASKINS. 
 
 Thomas N. Haskins, a prominent attorney of LaSalle, was born Octo- 
 ber 29, 1862, in this city. He is a son of Thomas and Mary (White) Haskins, 
 both of whom were born in Ireland. They were married in Lexington, 
 Missouri, and moved to LaSalle in 1850, since which time they have resided 
 here. The father was a large contractor and dealer in lumber at one time, 
 and later lived on a farm in Woodford county for three years before moving 
 to LaSalle.
 
 244 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Thomas N. Haskins was reared in LaSalle and received his education 
 in that city during his early years. This was supplemented with a three- 
 year course in the Seminary of Our Lady of the Angels, now the University 
 of Niagara. Returning home he learned the trade of carpenter, at which 
 he worked only a short time, as it proved most uncongenial labor. He had 
 an inordinate love of books and decided to choose for his vocation the pro- 
 fession of law. Accordingly he began his studies in the office of the firm 
 of Meer, Duncan & O'Conor; had soon mastered the intricacies of that 
 profession, and was admitted to the bar in January, 1887. He has been a 
 practitioner in this city ever since, first in the firm of Hall & Haskins, then 
 alone, afterward in the firm of Duncan, O'Conor & Haskins, later as Duncan, 
 Haskins & Panneck, and still later as Haskins & Panneck, which is the 
 style of the firm at this time. He is a lawyer of more than average ability, 
 keen and shrewd in his judgment, and a forcible speaker who carries con- 
 viction to the mind of his hearers. 
 
 In 1890 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Conerton, of Dimmick, 
 this state. They are both devout members of the Roman Catholic church, 
 and are highly esteemed for their many worthy qualities. Mr. Haskins is 
 also connected with a number of fraternal orders, belonging to Royal Arca- 
 num, the Modern Woodmen of America and Court of Honor. In politics he 
 is a strong Democrat, and for four years made one of the ablest and most 
 efficient city attorneys ever elected to that office in LaSalle. In 1894 he 
 was the party candidate for state senator, and in 1897 was in the field as 
 candidate for circuit judge, in both races receiving a flattering vote. He 
 has many friends in both parties, and is deservedly popular among the great 
 mass of people, as well for his kindly, genial manner as his upright honesty 
 of purpose. 
 
 M. J. WELSH. 
 
 The subject of this review is one of the popular and well-known citi- 
 zens of Brookfield township, LaSalle county. His entire life has been spent 
 in this locality, for he is one of LaSalle county's native sons. His birth 
 occurred in 1866, his parents being Thomas E. and Ellen Welsh, both of 
 whom were natives of Ireland. The father was a farmer by occupation, 
 and in 1849 became a resident of this county, making his home here until 
 his death, which occurred in 1887. He had a family of four sons and four 
 daughters, namely: Edward, who died in 1885, at the age of twenty-four; 
 Dennis, of Verona, Illinois; Mrs. Dennis O'Donnell, who resides in Minne- 
 apolis, Minnesota; Mrs, William Coughlin, of Brookfield township; Thomas, 
 Ella and Mary, of Seneca, Illinois; and M. J., the subject of this review.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 245 
 
 J\lr. Welsh, whose name heads this article, was reared in LaSalle county, 
 and early became familiar with all the duties and labors of the agriculturist. 
 He attended the public schools and later was a student in the college at 
 Valparaiso, Indiana. At the age of eighteen years he began teaching school 
 and successfully followed that profession for ten years, his services giving 
 excellent satisfaction in the schools where he was employed. Since that 
 time he has devoted his energies uninterruptedly to his farming interests. 
 He owns, occupies and operates two hundred and forty acres of land, which 
 is under a high state of cultivation, the well-tilled fields yielding to the 
 owner a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon 
 them. He follows progressive methods in his farming operations, is prac- 
 tical and enterprising, and has one of the best-improved farms in his town- 
 ship. 
 
 Mr. Welsh has been twice married. On the 4th of October, 1894, he 
 wedded i\Iiss IMaggie ]\IcCormick, of Seneca, a lady of intelligence and 
 natural refinement, but in less than a year they were separated by death, 
 ]\Irs. \\>lsh being called to her final rest July 10, 1895. On the 27th of 
 February, 1897, j\Ir. \\'elsh was united in marriage to ]\Iiss Nellie Sheedy, 
 of Brookfield township, and they now have an interesting little son, Joseph 
 Russell. 
 
 In his political aftiliations Mr. Welsh is a Democrat, and is now serving 
 his sixth year as supervisor. He was also the town clerk for a number of 
 years, and his retention in public office plainly indicates the fidelity with 
 which he discharges his duties. Socially he is connected with the Modern 
 Woodmen of America. ]Mr. \\^elsh is a gentleman of enterprise, of frank 
 and genial manner, and is very popular, his commendable qualities winning 
 him favor with all with whom he comes in contact. 
 
 JOHN B. ULRICH, JR. 
 
 John B. Ulrich is one of the prominent and progressive young farmers 
 of Dayton township, LaSalle county, and is a worthy son of one of the hon- 
 ored early settlers of this county. His father, John B. Ulrich, Sr., was born 
 in Alsace, France, about seventy-seven years ago, and in early life emigrated 
 to this country, settling in Northville township, LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 where he was subsequently united in marriage to Miss Sophia Hubrecht, 
 Here he reared his family and here for a period of sixty years he has been 
 prominently connected with the material prosperity of his township. 
 
 The younger John B. Ulrich dates his birth in Northville township 
 April II, 1861. He was reared to farm life, and has always been engaged
 
 246 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in agricultural pursuits. He has only recently taken up his abode in Dayton 
 township, but has already thoroughly identified himself with its interests. 
 
 Mr. Ulrich was married January 25, 1893, to Mrs. Mary E. Marshall. 
 Mrs. Ulrich is a daughter of Edward Retz, one of the early Alsatian settlers 
 of Northville township, and a man highly respected throughout the county. 
 Her first husband, Edward Marshall, was a son of John L. Marshall, and 
 she has one son, Edward J. IMarshall, born January 30, 1880. Also by her 
 present husband Mrs. Ulrich has one child, Rosalie Sophia Margarete, born 
 March 18, 1894. 
 
 DAVID RUDE. 
 
 It is gratifying in this age to meet a man who has had the courage to 
 face the battle of life with strong heart and steady hand and carve out for 
 himself a competence, beginning at the very foot of the ladder and mount- 
 ing to success when the whole world seemed against him and he had no 
 capital with which to woo the fickle goddess of fortune. 
 
 Such has been the record of David Rude, who was born in Ashfield, 
 Franklin county, Massachusetts, May 7, 1831, and at the tender age of thir- 
 teen took upon his young shoulders the task of a wage-earner, a task that 
 has proved too much for many an older head. He is a son of Thaddeus 
 and Betsie (Vincent) Rude, both natives of Massachusetts. The father was 
 born in Franklin county, and was a son of Thaddeus, who was born at New 
 Salem, that state. They were of Scotch-Irish lineage, and settled in the state 
 of Connecticut, whence they emigrated to Massachusetts. Thaddeus Rude, 
 Jr., was a farmer and married Betsie Vincent, who was born in Denis, Cape 
 Cod, Massachusetts, and was of English descent. Her ancestors were 
 among the early settlers of that state, and she was related to Miles Standish, 
 the brave Puritan leader. The father died at Ashfield in 1833, in his thirty- 
 ninth year, leaving his widow with eight children to rear to adult years. 
 They were Arial, who died in ^Massachusetts in 1837; Elizabeth. Thaddeus, 
 Hannah, Alfred, Mary, David and Harriett. The mother did all in her 
 power for her children, and was assisted by them when they arrived at 
 years when their services would be of use to her. A number of the children 
 came west to Illinois, and here the mother followed them, settling in La- 
 moille, this state, where she died in 1886, at the age of ninety-three years, 
 conscious of a life well spent and a victorious struggle in behalf of her father- 
 less little ones. 
 
 David Rude remained on the farm until he was thirteen years of age, 
 and was able to obtain but little literary education, attending school for about 
 three years, some three months each winter. At the age of thirteen he
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 247 
 
 started out as a peddler of notions, traveling through the country and small 
 towns of Massachusetts with a pack on his back and selling notions and 
 small wares. This was continued until he was eighteen, when he was mar- 
 ried, and within a few weeks thereafter came west with his brother Thad- 
 deus, who had married a sister of Mrs. David Rude and located at Lamoille 
 on farm land. They remained there ten years and were joined there by the 
 mother and brothers and sisters, except Alfred. In i860 our subject moved 
 to Lamoille, where he engaged in general merchandising, although he re- 
 tained his interest in farm lands, and now owns some seven or eight hun- 
 dred acres in Iowa. Three years later he purchased a furniture store in 
 Mendota, Illinois, and in March, 1865, made this city his home. He sold the 
 furniture store in 1868 and took the position of bookkeeper for his brother 
 Thaddeus, who was in the grain business. In 1871 he purchased a hard- 
 ware store, first being associated with L. R. Curtis and later with George 
 Holland, who is still in the business with him. This has proved to be a 
 paying investment and has prospered under the management of Mr. Rude 
 until it is the leading store of its kind in Mendota. In all his business trans- 
 actions he has met with success, and he has never been without money 
 from the day he worked for Deacon Newton in Massachusetts for six months 
 for the munificent sum of thirty dollars (!) until the present time. 
 
 On September 20, 1849, ^^ the age of eighteen, he was united in mar- 
 riage with Miss Philena Hall, of Hawley, Massachusetts. The ceremony was 
 celebrated in Vermont by the famous Universalist minister, Hosea Ballou, 
 and the happy life thus inaugurated lasted until January 11, 1888, when 
 death claimed Mrs. Rude. November 29, 1888, Mr. Rude married Mary A. 
 Whitney, a most estimable lady. Mr. Rude is not a member of any church, 
 but contributes with a generous hand to the cause of religion, charity or 
 education. He was formerly an Abolitionist, but has voted with the Republi- 
 can party since he cast his first vote for Fremont. He was chiefly instru- 
 mental in establishing the electric-light plant in Mendota, and has become 
 closely identified with the city from his long residence and public spirit, and is 
 among the leading and most highly respected residents of the city. 
 
 JOHN B. OSTRANDER. 
 
 John B. Ostrander, proprietor of the Covel Creek House in South 
 Ottawa township, LaSalle county, is one of the well-known men of the town- 
 ship. He has himself been a traveler to a considerable extent, having made 
 the trip to the Pacific coast three times, and understands the business of 
 catering to the traveling public. 
 
 Mr. Ostrander is a New Yorker by birth. He was born near Corinth,
 
 248 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in Saratoga county, of the Empire state, May 31, 1824, a son of New York 
 parents. His father, Joseph P. Ostrander, was a native of Rensselaer 
 county, while his mother, whose maiden name was Rachel Barber, was 
 born in Tompkins county, both representatives of old and well-known fami- 
 lies. John Ostrander, the grandfather of John B., was a Revolutionary 
 soldier. His parents came to this country from Holland. Joseph B. Os- 
 trander and wife came to Illinois in 1852 and settled in Livingston county, 
 where he died. The mother of our subject died in Boone county, Iowa, 
 at the age of seventy-three years. The father was twice married, and had 
 two children by the first wife and five by the second. Of this number 
 three are now living: John B., whose name initiates this review; Mrs, 
 Jane Tombaugh, of Livingston county, Illinois; and Mrs. Hannah Clark, 
 of Boone county, Iowa. 
 
 John B. was reared in Erie county, Xew York, and there learned the 
 trade of carpenter. He came out to Illinois in 1844 and was employed in 
 work at his trade here until the California gold "fever" broke out in 1849, 
 when he was among its victims. He made the trip overland by stage to Cali- 
 fornia in 1863. spent some time at "Hangtown,-" or Placerville. and returned 
 east by way of the isthmus of Panama, again taking up his abode in Illinois. 
 He was variously employed for some years, made several moves, going in 
 1875 to Colorado, where he rem.ained a short time, and finally settled down 
 to the hotel business. He conducted a hotel at Marseilles, Illinois, for some 
 years previous to his taking charge of the Covel Creek House, which he is 
 now running, and which has long been a favorite resort for travelers. 
 
 Mr. Ostrander was married in 1849, ^^ Deer Park, LaSalle county, Illi- 
 nois, to Miss Nancy Latham, a native of Bradford county, Pennsylvania, 
 born in 1834. a daughter of Lyman S. and ]\Iary A. (Gollop) Latham, both 
 natives of Connecticut. Mr. and Mrs. Latham came west to Livingston 
 county, Illinois, in 1838, and resided here until 1862, when they went to 
 California. Both parents died in the Golden state, — the father at the age 
 of sixty-five years, the mother at eighty-four. In their family were eight 
 children, four sons and four daughters, ]\Irs. Ostrander being the only one 
 now living in LaSalle county. Mr. and Mrs. Ostrander have had nine chil- 
 dren, six of whom are living, viz.: Helen, wife of Ed Udell, of Rantoul, 
 Illinois; Bellzora, wife of John Poundstone, of Grand Rapids township, La- 
 Salle county; Mary, wife of John A. Sale, of Rantoul, Illinois; Charles H., 
 principal of a public school in Chicago; Frank M., a carpenter at 
 Mazon, Grundy county, Illinois; and Albert N., at home, a carpenter. 
 The three deceased are Viola, who died at the age of five years; Augusta J., 
 at the age of fifteen months; and Arthur, at the age of twenty-one years. 
 The last named was a promising young man and successful teacher.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 249 
 
 Politically Mr. Ostrander is a Republican, taking a commendable inter- 
 est in public affairs, and has filled several local offices. As a citizen he stands 
 in high esteem. 
 
 SIMON T. OSGOOD. 
 
 The standing of a town or community is measured -by the character 
 of its business men, and in this respect Marseilles is especially fortunate. 
 For about a quarter of a century Simon T. Osgood, one of its most progres- 
 sive and enterprising citizens, has been closely associated with its upbuild- 
 ing and prosperity, and with the patriotic spirit of all true Americans has 
 used his influence and means in the support of worthy public industries and 
 undertakings, upholding the law and good government and everything else 
 making for the permanent good of the people. 
 
 The Osgood family, to which our subject belongs, is one of the oldest 
 and most honored of New England, it having been founded here in 1638 
 by one John Osgood, an Englishman, and his wife, Sarah. They settled at 
 first in Andover, Essex county, Massachusetts, and several generations 
 of their descendants have lived in the Bay state. The great-grandfather of 
 our subject was Josiah Osgood, and the great-great-grandfather bore the 
 Christian name of David. The grandfather, Luther Osgood, was born in 
 Wendell, Massachusetts, June 20, 1780, and when the war of 181 2 was 
 being waged with England he served in the ranks of the American army. 
 For a wife he chose Miss Joanna (Beaman) Osgood, of Sterling and 
 Wendell, Massachusetts. 
 
 The parents of Simon T. Osgood were Luther P. and Catherine (Toll) 
 Osgood, the latter a daughter of Simon and Susan (Conde) Toll, and born 
 in the Mohawk valley in 1821. In 1852 the Osgood family removed to 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, and located upon a farm in Brookfield township. 
 The father became one of the successful and influential agriculturists of that 
 section, and at the time of his death, in 1889, he left a valuable estate, as a 
 result of his well-applied energy and business acumen. Both himself and 
 wife were prominent members of the Baptist church, and led worthy, up- 
 right Christian lives. The wafe and mother did not long survive her hus- 
 band, as she received her summons to the silent land in 1890. Of their 
 children Lucy M. is the wife of George Marsh, of Washington, District of 
 Columbia; Susan Condee is the widow of Henry Upton, late of Pierce, Ne- 
 braska; Catherine married Charles M. Carpenter, of Rock Rapids, Iowa; 
 Frances P. is the wife of Marshall M. Armstrong, of Ottawa, Illinois; and 
 Henry D., Luther P., Simon T., and Charles DeWitt are all residents of 
 Marseilles.
 
 250 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Born in the town of Verona, Oneida county, New York, March 14, 1843, 
 Simon T. Osgood lived in his native place for four years, after which he 
 passed five years in Oswego county, same state. Since 1852 he has dwelt 
 in LaSalle county, and until 1875 w-as connected with the agricultural inter- 
 ests of Brookfield township. For many years he was associated in the 
 grain business with Isaac Gage, also operating a planing-mill and dealing 
 extensively in ki'mber until after the death of the senior partner. Since 
 1890 Mr. Osgood has devoted his time and attention chiefly to the real- 
 estate business, and has bought and sold large tracts of land in the western 
 states. He owns considerable property in this county as well as elsewhere, 
 and has amassed a large fortune by his excellent financiering. 
 
 On the 22d of January. 1868, Mr. Osgood married Miss Louisa C. Gage, 
 of Brookfield township. She is the eldest daughter of Isaac and Lucy (Lit- 
 tle) Gage, and was born and reared in the township just mentioned. The 
 following named children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Osgood: Edgar G.; 
 Harriet L., wife of Howard McCullough, of Marseilles; Susan Conde, now 
 a resident of Phoenix, Arizona, and the w-ife of Rev. George H. Brewer; 
 Isaac Gage, who married Lottie Estelle Drakley, the youngest daughter of 
 Thomas Drakley, of ]\Ianlius township, and is managing the old home- 
 stead in Brookfield township; Lucy L., a student in the Chicago university; 
 John L., attending Morgan Park Academy, near Chicago; and Beman F., 
 Simon Milford and Catherine Toll, at home. 
 
 Religiously Mr. and Mrs. Osgood are Baptists, belonging to the Mar- 
 seilles church, where he has acted in the capacity of deacon for a score of 
 years or more. Politically Mr. Osgood is a Republican, and for several 
 years has been one of the trustees of Marseilles. He is a man with high 
 ideals of duty, and to his children he will leave an honorable record, of which 
 they will have just cause to be proud. 
 
 JAMES L. HILL. 
 
 James L. Hill resides near Kernan, and is one of the most popular and 
 progressive young farmers of LaSalle county, where he was born February 
 24, 1869. His parents were Thork and Elizebeth (Engleson) Hill. His 
 father was born in Norway in 1840, and when a lad of fifteen came to the 
 United States and made his home in this county. In 1862 he enlisted 
 in Company F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, under Captain 
 J. J. McKinnan, and took part in a number of engagements, among them 
 the battles of Hartsville, Tennessee, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. 
 He was in the grand review at Washington, District of Columbia, and re-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 251 
 
 ceived his honorable discharge in June, 1865. His wife was Miss Elizebeth 
 Engleson, who was born in Norway, and was a daughter of James Engleson, 
 deceased. He took his young wife to a farm of one hundred and sixty 
 acres, which he had purchased and which they utilized with unremitting 
 care. Prosperity attended their efiforts, and they were able to add to their 
 original purchase until they had a farm of two hundred and fifty acres of 
 fertile farm land. A family of six children grew up around them, viz.: 
 Serena, who was formerly a successful teacher, and is now the wife of Elmer 
 Remey, of Muncie, Indiana; James L., our subject; Bertha M., a popular 
 teacher in Streator, this state; Allie B., wife of Peter Peterson, of Otter 
 Creek township; Rosa D., who is engaged in teaching school; and Lizzie T., 
 who is yet a student. The mother resides at Streator, and the father died 
 June 13, 1894, at the age of fifty-four years. He was a Republican and a 
 member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Ransom. 
 
 James L. Hill grew to manhood in his native township (Otter Creek), 
 attending the public schools in winter and working on the farm in summer, 
 and later taking hold of the more serious duties of life with a vim that 
 bespoke success and won for him the hearty approval and commendation 
 of even the most critical. He acquired a good common-school education, 
 and was well prepared to enter upon his career in the pursuits of agriculture 
 in an intelligent manner. Developing a predilection for the carpenter's 
 trade, he entered the employ of S. W. Egbert, a contractor of Streator, 
 and for three years gave his whole time and attention to learning the busi- 
 ness. At length, however, owing to the failing health of his father, he 
 returned to the farm and managed it with vigor and magnificent success. 
 He takes great pleasure and pride in having only the best, his specialty being 
 the breeding of high-grade poultry. 
 
 November 28, 1894, he w^as united in matrimony with Miss Stella M. 
 Hayes, a daughter of Henry and Emma Hayes, of Wedron, in which place 
 Mrs. Hill was brought up and educated. October 16, 1899, to this worthy 
 couple twins were born, named Glen O. and Gale E. 
 
 Mr. Hill is a Republican in his politics, and has served his township one 
 term as constable, one term as a school trustee and two terms as a collector. 
 
 FRANK L. HOWE. 
 
 • Among the prosperous farmers of Miller township, LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, may be mentioned Frank L. Howe, whose postof^ce address is 
 Seneca. He was born in the township in which he lives, January 17, i860, 
 a son of Isaac W. and Alma (Packer) Howe, who were among the early 
 settlers of LaSalle county, and who lived on their farm in Miller township
 
 252 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 for many years, rearing their family here. Their five children, now scattered 
 and settled in life, are as follows: Jenny, wife of E. R. Butterfield, of St. 
 LaAvrence, South Dakota; John B., of Kentland, Indiana; Ida, wife of W. 
 J. Thomas, of Seneca, Illinois; Charles, also of Seneca; and Frank L., whose 
 name forms the heading of this sketch. The mother of these children 
 was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 
 Frank L. Howe passed his boyhood days as other farmer boys, assisting 
 in the farm work and attending the public schools, and when he grew up 
 engaged in agricultural pursuits on his own account. He has been success- 
 ful in his operations, has acquired considerable property, and is one of the 
 well-known and prosperous farmers of the county. 
 
 Mr. Howe was married September 27, 1882, to Miss ]\Iary \>lma Fry, 
 a native of Grundy county, Illinois, and a daughter of Simon and Achsah 
 (Wilson) Fry. !Mr. Fry was a Virginian, who went from that state to 
 Indiana in 1836, and in 1840 came over into Illinois, where he made a per- 
 manent settlement. Here he married Miss Wilson, the daughter of William 
 Wilson, a native of New York state. The fruits of their union were four 
 children, namely: Andrew J., who died at the age of seventeen years; 
 Aaron Burr, a resident of LaSalle county; ^lary V., wife of Mr. Howe; and 
 Jeannette, wife of F. A. Mossman. of Xettle Creek township, Grundy county. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Howe have two children: Edna M., born April 24, 1885; 
 and James Wallace, born September 16, 1889. 
 
 ]\Ir. Howe's father was a Democrat, and he also gives his support to this 
 party. 
 
 WILLIAM T. BEDFORD. 
 
 William Turner Bedford, editor and proprietor of the LaSalle Tribune, 
 first saw the light of day on September 18, 1863, in Surrey, England, and was 
 a member of one of the most prominent families of that community. His 
 grandfather, Joshua Thomas Bedford, represented the ward of Farrington 
 Without in the London common council for a period of niore than thirty 
 years, and at his death was succeeded by his brother, John T. Bedford, who 
 is still a member of that council. His father was William Henry Bedford, 
 who died in 1872. William H. was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Thorn- 
 ton, a daughter of the late General Thornton, who distinguished himself 
 while fighting with the allied armies of England and France, against Russia, 
 in the Crimean war of 1854, 
 
 William Turner Bedford received his education in his mother country, 
 graduating in 1879 at Christ's College, London, with the honors of the class. 
 He was an apt pupil and diligent in his studies, and the energy which marked
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 253 
 
 his school days has figured prominently in his business career. His first busi- 
 ness experience began on the staff in the correspondence department of the 
 large wholesale dry-goods firm of Copestake, Hughes, Crampton & Com- 
 pany. Having read much of the ad\'antages to be gained in America, he 
 determined to try his fortune in this country and early in 1884 sailed for 
 the United States. He landed in New York in February of the same year 
 and at once came to LaSalle, where for a short time he was engaged in the 
 insurance business, but not for a long period. His ability in the newspaper 
 field was soon recognized and he was offered the position of editor of the 
 Peru Daily News-Herald. He was the LaSalle editor of this publication 
 for six rears, and to his efforts, largely, is attributed the success of that 
 paper. In June, 1891, he succeeded A. L. Hennessy as editor and publisher 
 of the LaSalle Republican. He changed the name of the paper to the 
 LaSalle Weekly Tribune, and on July ist of that year issued the first number 
 of the LaSalle Daily Tribune. Although started on a very modest scale, the 
 Tribune now occupies a most enviable position among the newspapers of this 
 county and is essentially the people's paper, giving the news in a compre- 
 hensive and interesting form. Mr. Bedford's untiring work in making his 
 paper an excellent one is appreciated by the public and has enabled him to 
 place it on a secure financial basis which is flattering in the extreme. The 
 Tribune is Republican in tone and is earnest and fearless in its advocacy of 
 what it considers right, and equally fearless in its denunciation of wrong, 
 gaining it many supporters among Democrats as w^ell as Republicans; for 
 what the people want is honest convictions, boldly uttered. 
 
 Mr. Bedford was married October 20, 1892, to Miss Anna Elizabeth, 
 daughter of George B. Treat, of LaSalle. Being of a social disposition he 
 has attached himself to a number of fraternal orders, being a member of 
 De Soto Lodge, Knights of Pythias; LaSalle Lodge, IMystic Workers of 
 the World; and Deer Park Camp, ]\Iodern Woodmen of /Vmerica. He is 
 always prominent in the councils of the Republican party, and for four years 
 has represented his city on the county central committee. Although a young 
 man he has attained a wide degree of popularity, and the industry and 
 perseverance which have characterized his past bespeak for him an even more 
 successful future. 
 
 L. J. GROVE. 
 
 L. J. Grove was born January 29, 1842, and is a son of Joseph and Elma 
 N. (Jackson) Grove, and a grandson of John and Barbara (Limberger) 
 Grove, the grandfather being a native Virginian. Joseph Grove was born 
 in Licking county, Ohio, December 28, 1806, and remained there until he
 
 254 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 was a young man of twenty-five years. He then left that state and came 
 to LaSalle county, Illinois, making the trip on horseback. He purchased 
 the farm which is now occupied by our subject and became one of the most 
 successful farmers of this region. In 1838 he was married to Miss Elma 
 N. Jackson, a native of the state of Pennsylvania and a daughter of Jesse 
 Jackson, who came to LaSalle county at an early day. The children born 
 to them were as follows: Jesse, of Rutland township; L. J., our subject; 
 Elmira, wife of George Pitzer, of Rutland township; Samantha, wife of 
 Winkfield L. Appling, of \Mchita, Kansas; Mary, wife of H. L. Loring, of 
 this township; Minerva, who died in childhood; Jeremiah, who died in the 
 civil war; David L., who went to South America, and John, who died in 
 Nevada, Stor}^ county, Iowa, and left a widow and two children. The hard- 
 ships and privations endured by those early inhabitants of our state in its 
 wild, uncultivated condition, were enough to make the stoutest heart quail, 
 and they left their impress on Mr. Grove, completely shattering his health 
 and enfeebling his constitution, and eventually, at the age of fifty-two years, 
 his life was the forfeit. The mother reached the age of fifty-seven years, 
 when she too passed through the valley of the shadow of death. 
 
 L. J. Grove was educated in LaSalle county, where he grew to man- 
 hood. The first school which he attended was held in a log school-house, 
 with the most primitive furnishings. The farm upon which he now resides 
 was purchased by him in 1866, and contains two hundred and forty acres 
 of valuable farm land, while the barn, an immense structure which was put 
 up in 1888, would be noticeable in any locality. The main part of the struc- 
 ture is forty by sixty-four feet, with an "L" thirty-four by forty feet, while 
 the posts used in its construction measure twenty-four feet. In 1894 our 
 subject erected a handsome residence, at a cost of three thousand two hun- 
 dred dollars, from which a beautiful view of the surrounding country can 
 be seen, and it is conceded that he has one of the most attractive places in 
 LaSalle county. 
 
 He was married December 28, 1865, to Miss Malinda Pitzer. daughter 
 of William and Sarah (Kite) Pitzer, early settlers of this county. Five chil- 
 dren have resulted from this union. Their only son, William L. Grove, 
 was born on May 25, 1869, and December 12, 1893. he married Rose A., an 
 adopted daughter of F. A. Forbes, of Seneca. Two children have been born 
 to them, — Etta Pearl, who died at the age of two years and nine months, and 
 one son, Lucian, born December 3, 1898. The daughters of Mr. and Mrs. 
 L. J. Grove are Etta, wife of Arthur Long, of Miller township; Cora Mabel 
 and Belle, at home. One child died in infancy. Mr. Grove and family are 
 attendants of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which they are members, 
 and are liberal contributors to its cause. He is a believer in the principles
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 255 
 
 of the Democracy, and gives his support to that party, and is at present a 
 faithful member of the school board. He is a man who commands the 
 respect and confidence of every one, and his kindly nature is ever prompting 
 him to deeds of mercy. 
 
 ALBERT WILLIAMSON. 
 
 Among the popular young business men of Miller township, LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, is Albert Williamson, proprietor of a general store and the 
 postmaster at Danway. 
 
 Mr. Williamson is a native of the township in which he lives, born 
 February 15, 1870, and is of Norwegian descent. His father, Endre William- 
 son, was born in Norway in 18 19; his mother was, before marriage, Miss 
 Christina Gunnerson. They w^ere the parents of ten children, three of wdiom 
 are deceased. Those living are as follows: William E., Alartin E., Milton 
 C, Albert, Cordelia, Knutson and Theodore H., the last named on the old 
 Williamson homestead, — all residents of Miller township. The father of 
 these children died some years ago, and their mother died August 5, 1899. 
 
 Albert Williamson was educated in the public schools and the Pleasant 
 View College, and after leaving the latter institution secured a position as 
 clerk in a dry-goods store. As clerk he became familiar with every detail of 
 the business, was employed in this capacity for several months, and last year 
 he purchased the general store at Danway, w'hich he is successfully conduct- 
 ing, and where by his uniform courtesy. and his honorable business methods 
 he has won a large circle of friends. Politically he is a Democrat. Relig- 
 iously a Lutheran. He was appointed postmaster in 1899. 
 
 FRANK D. MOULTON. 
 
 Frank D. Moulton, one of Ottawa's best citizens, was born in Chicago, 
 the great and wonderful metropolis of Illinois, May 14, i860, the only child 
 of George W. Moulton and Lina Daniels Moulton. His mother died in 
 the centennial year, when her son Frank was a youth of sixteen. 
 
 •Much of the life of our subject has been passed in the city of his birth, 
 to whose fine public schools he is indebted for the excellent education which 
 he possesses. He graduated at the Chicago high school in 1879, at the 
 age of nineteen years, and soon afterward accepted a position as clerk in a 
 large wholesale mercantile establishment. The years of 1890 and 1891 he 
 spent in New York city and Baltimore, as timekeeper on elevators being con- 
 structed by J. T. Moulton & Son, grain elevator contractors. But he re-
 
 256 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 turned to the west, better satisfied with the enterprise and business activity 
 which prevails here. Since 1881 he has been a resident of Ottawa, which 
 place he intends to make his permanent home. He is now engaged with the 
 Pioneer Fireproof Construction Company, and has met with success and has 
 won an enviable reputation among the citizens of Ottawa as a man of sterling 
 uprightness and reliability in all his dealings. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Moulton and Miss Mabelle Ashley, a graduate 
 of the Ottawa high school, and a lady of many attractive characteristics, 
 was solemnized November 8, 1894. Mrs. Moulton is the daughter of 
 Thomas E. and Anna M. Ashley. Mr. and Mrs. Moulton have two chil- 
 dren, — George Franklin, born December 14, 1895, and Lina Maria, born 
 March 28, 1899. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Moulton is a Knight of Pythias, and has served as 
 master of finance of his lodge several years. He is also a member of the Uni- 
 formed Rank, K. of P., and has been recorder many years. Politically Mr. 
 Moulton is associated with the Republican party. He is a member of the 
 Baptist church, and is a valued worker in the Sunday-school, contributing 
 liberally of his time, means and influence to the advancement of Christianity 
 and high and noble principles of living. 
 
 Mr. Moulton is a cousin of George M. Moulton, colonel of the Second 
 Regiment, I. N. G., who served in the late war in Cuba and afterward was 
 a member of Colonel Fitzhugh Lee's staff in Havana. 
 
 JOSEPH C. HITTER. 
 
 Joseph C. Hitter is a native of Otter Creek township, born January 6, 
 1856, where he now resides, near Streator, LaSalle county, and is a son of 
 Henry and Augusta (Weler) Hitter. Henry Hitter was of German descent, 
 his ancestors having made their home in Saxony for many decades. He 
 was among the early settlers of LaSalle county, was married in Streator to 
 Miss Augusta Weler, and located at Willow Park. Later he moved to Chi- 
 cago, where he now resides. He is a Republican in his political views, and 
 in religion a devout member of the Evangelical church. Six children com- 
 pose their family, viz.: John, of Iroquois county; William, who died in in- 
 fancy; Joseph C, the subject of this biography; George, of Iroquois coimty; 
 Melissa (Mrs. Charles Iserman), of this township; and Emily Nolan, of 
 Chicago. 
 
 Joseph C. Hitter received his education in the public schools of LaSalle 
 county, and after completing his education turned his attention to farm- 
 ing. Realizing that whatever he achieved must be by his own unaided ef-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 257 
 
 forts, he applied himself diligently to his chosen task, and is to-day one of 
 the most substantial and influential citizens of his locality, a self-made man 
 in the truest sense of the word. His farm is supplied with good, comfortable 
 buildings, and shows that neatness and care have been used in its manage- 
 ment. 
 
 January 3, 1878, he led to the altar Miss Carrie Iserman, daughter of 
 William Iserman, a prominent farmer residing in this township. She is a 
 native of this county, where she was educated and grew to womanhood, and 
 her many excellent qualities of mind and heart have endeared her to a large 
 circle of friends. An interesting family of eight children have blessed their 
 liome, the two older, Estella B. and Lillie E., being employed as teachers in 
 the public schools, where they have met with success. Nora E., Josie N., 
 Ida A., Lawrence A., and Pearl W. constitute the other members of the 
 family, Clarence J. having died in infancy. Mr. Hitter has been warmly 
 interested in the cause of education, and for a number of years was one of 
 the most efificient members of the school board, making the opportunity, if 
 none was offered, for promoting educational interests. Furthermore Mr. 
 Hitter is greatly interested in public roads, having held the office as commis- 
 sioner of highways for nine successive years in Otter Creek township. His 
 family are extremely popular in the social circles in which they move, and 
 their integrity and fundamental worth have won for them general approval 
 and respect. 
 
 W. GUY ROSEBERY. 
 
 W. Guy Rosebery, the principal of Brown's Business College at Ottawa, 
 is an educator well known in this section of the state, and his marked devo- 
 tion to the profession he has chosen, combined with actual ability, has gained 
 him deserved prestige. He was born in Madison county, Illinois, near the 
 historic towns of Edwardsville and Alton. His father, Robert A. Rosebery, 
 is well and favorably kn'own throughout the county. The Gillhams, of 
 \\hich family his mother was a member, and the Roseberys were among the 
 first settlers of southern Illinois, and are to-day prominent in political, edu- 
 cational and social affairs. 
 
 Mr. Rosebery acquired his education in the public schools of Madison 
 and Montgomery counties, and in the Peoria high school. He prepared 
 for his work as a business educator by a thorough course in Brown's Peoria 
 Business College, one of the leading schools of the kind in the country, and 
 by private tutor. After teaching for about five years in the Peoria Business 
 College he came to Ottawa, in 1896, having been elected the principal of the 
 commercial department of Pleasant View College. He remained here for
 
 258 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 three years, giving his best efforts to the Avork and estabHshing this depart- 
 ment on a very thorough and practical basis. In July, 1899, he resigned 
 his position at this school to become the principal of Brown's Ottawa Busi- 
 ness College, to which institution he is now devoting all his energies. This 
 school is a part of the system known as Brown's Business Colleges, seven 
 large and successful schools being under one management. Professor G. 
 W. Brown, of Jacksonville, Illinois, is the president, and the various schools 
 are located respectively at Jacksonville, Peoria, Decatur, Galesburg, Bloom- 
 ington, Centralia and Ottawa. Brown's Business College made a splendid ex- 
 hibit at the educational exhibit at the World's Fair, receiving both diplomas 
 and medals. Professor Brown was the manager of the business educational 
 exhibit at the World's Fair, having been selected by the business colleges of 
 America. Professor Rosebery has made the business college at Ottawa of 
 equal prominence and proficiency with the others. 
 
 His reputation in educational circles is indeed enviable. He holds a 
 World's Fair diploma, issued by the board of lady managers to the business 
 educators who prepared students to assist in the business college exhibit at 
 the World's Fair. He is a member of the Business Teachers' Association, 
 the Western Penman's Association and the Federation of Commercial 
 Teachers of America. 
 
 Mr. Roseber)^ was married in January, 1900, to Miss Addielou Grant, of 
 Newport, Vermont, the daughter of Theophilus Grant, one of the prominent 
 residents of the state. 
 
 CHARLES P. SALLADAY. 
 
 Among the representative citizens of the town of Streator, Illinois, is 
 Charles P. Salladay, local manager of the Armour Packing Company. He 
 is a "Hoosier" by nativity, born in Albion, Noble county, Indiana, October 
 22, 1 861, a son of Samuel H. and Mary Ann (Russell) Salladay. 
 
 Samuel H. Salladay was a son of James Salladay and was born in 
 Kentucky in 18 13. By occupation he was a farmer. The greater part of 
 his life was spent in Indiana, but when well advanced in years he went to 
 Clinton, Iowa, where he died in 1898. The mother of our subject, Mary A. 
 Russell, was born in Ohio in 1823, her parents having moved at an early day 
 from Vermont to that state. She died in 1890. In their family were seven 
 children, three daughters and four sons, of which number four lived to adult 
 age, the others dying in infancy. Only two are now living, — Charles P. and 
 his sister, Mrs. C. S. Maltby, a resident of Iowa. 
 
 Charles P. Salladay spent the first thirteen years of his life in his native 
 town, Albion, Indiana. Then he moved with his parents to Mercer county,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 259 
 
 Illinois, and for a time attended school at Alexis, Illinois, following which 
 he was for three years a student in Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois. 
 He concluded his schooling with one year at Davenport, Iowa. Then he 
 entered the employ of the Armour Packing Company, at Davenport, where 
 he remained thus occupied until 1895. That year he was transferred to 
 Streator, Illinois, and placed in charge of the company's business as local 
 manager for Streator and neighboring towns in LaSalle and adjacent coun- 
 ties. 
 
 In 1896 Mr. Salladay was united in marriage to Miss Sue Atherton, of 
 Streator, wdiere she was born, daughter of George H. Atherton. Mr. and 
 Mrs. Salladay have one son, — George Harrison, born March 10, 1897. 
 
 Fraternally the subject of our sketch is identified with several organiza- 
 tions, including Emulation Lodge, F. and A. M., of Clinton, Iowa; Colum- 
 bus Lodge, No. 333, K. of P., of Davenport, Iowa; and Streator Lodge, 
 Modern Woodmen of America. 
 
 PROF. CHARLES ORRIN SOLBERG, A. M., B. D. 
 
 Pleasant View Luther college, one of the representative educational 
 institutions of Ottawa, and indeed of this section of Illinois, has not long been 
 in the field, yet has gained a very enviable reputation. It is conceded by 
 all that a better place of training for the young would be hard to find, as 
 here not only his mind but his heart and higher nature as well are cultivated, 
 and he goes forth to fight the battle of life well equipped in every respect. 
 The college is mentioned at some length in the sketch of the president, 
 Rev. L. A. Vigness. 
 
 The parents of Professor C. O. Solberg are Halvor and Anna (Natesta) 
 Solberg, his father being a native of Norway. Charles is one of four chil- 
 dren, all sons, and was educated in the schools of Beloit, Wisconsin. His 
 birth took place in Fillmore county, Minnesota, on the 24th of December, 
 1869. Naturally of a studious turn of mind, he made the most of his oppor- 
 tunities for the accjuisition of an education, graduating at Beloit college, 
 Beloit, Wisconsin, in 1893. He then entered the Lutheran Seminary in Chi- 
 cago, and was graduated in that institution of learning in the class of 1896, 
 the degree of Bachelor of Divinity being conferred upon him. He imme- 
 diately entered upon his career as a teacher, and from the first has met with 
 gratifying success. His methods are broad and liberal, and he has the rare 
 and happy faculty of being able to impart instruction in a clear and pleasing 
 manner. With his pupils he is deservedly popular, and his ready sympathy 
 and helpfulness is deeply appreciated by them. At present he is teaching
 
 26o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 classes in Greek and English, though his duties are not thus limited, but have 
 a comprehensive grasp of the work being performed in the school. Young, 
 active and ambitious, he is pressing forward to greater triumphs, which he 
 undoubtedly will win. 
 
 The marriage of Professor Solberg and Miss Anne Louise Jacobson, a 
 lady of excellent education and cultured tastes, was solemnized in Clinton, 
 Wisconsin, in 1896. They have one child, a little daughter, whom they 
 have named Helen Eunice. 
 
 GEORGE A. SCHMID. 
 
 Standing in the front ranks of LaSalle county's successful business men 
 is George A. Schmid, of Streator. By well-directed energy and strict ad- 
 herence to well-established financial methods he has won an enviable repu- 
 tation for acumen and ability, while at the same time he bears an unimpeach- 
 able name in regard to integrity and square dealing. 
 
 The birth of Mr. Schmid took place near Beyreuth, Bavaria, Germany, 
 August 23, 1856. His parents were John and Eva M. (Insbruker) Schmid, 
 who passed their entire lives in the kingdom of Bavaria. The father visited 
 America, and was very favorably impressed with the people and country, but 
 circumstances prevented his settling here, as he frequently remarked that 
 he would like to do, and his liking for America and her institutions was nec- 
 essarily an influential factor in the decision of our subject a few years later. 
 
 In the common and high schools of his native land George A. Schmid 
 obtained an excellent education, and when a youth of fifteen he commenced 
 serving an apprenticeship to the cabinet and carpenter's trades. Before he 
 had quite finished the three years of his engagement his father purchased his 
 time of his employer, and not long afterward the young man sailed for i\mer- 
 ica. Arriving in New York city, he remained there for a year, working as a 
 carpenter, and then went to a small town in Pennsylvania, where he found 
 employment. Subsequently he was given a position in the carpenter's de- 
 partment of the car construction shops at Irwin, Pennsylvania, and in 1879 
 he came to Streator, where he worked for the Chicago, Pekin & Southwest- 
 ern Railroad in their car-repairing shops. 
 
 For three years Mr. Schmid worked for the firm of Sipe & Miller, con- 
 tractors and builders of this place, at the end of that time buying an interest 
 in the business. He continued with his old associates as a partner until 
 1894, when he became the sole proprietor, buying out the others' interest. 
 He deals in lumber, lime and cement, and carries on a large and finely 
 equipped planing-mill and sash, door and blind factory. A specialty is made
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 261 
 
 of material for the fine interior work of stores, banks and churches; and all 
 kinds of moldings and finished lumber is furnished the trade. Many of the 
 splendid churches and public buildings, as well as some of the best residences 
 of Streator and neighboring towns, have been constructed under the contract 
 of Mr. Schmid, who employs from thirty to forty skilled workmen to carry 
 out his plans. Of this number twenty-three are on his pay rolls winter and 
 summer, the whole year round, and frequently in the busy season this force 
 is strongly augmented. It might be- mentioned that Mr. Schmid built St. 
 Anthony's Catholic church in Streator, and completed the interior work as 
 well as the rest of the structure, and the substantial church at Budd, Living- 
 ston county; St. Mary's church at Pontiac, Illinois; St. Thomas' church at 
 Philo; St. Mary's church at El Paso, this state; and convents and sisters' 
 homes at Eagle and Campus, Illinois, and the Spaulding Lyceum at Streator. 
 
 Erom its inception until the present time Mr. Schmid has been actively 
 connected with the Streator German Building & Loan Association, and is 
 now its vice president. Eraternally he is a member of the Ancient Order of 
 United Workmen, and belongs to the Catholic Order of Eoresters. He 
 has served the city as alderman for four years. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Schmid and Miss Lucy C. Wachter, a native of Illinois, 
 were united in marriage. They have become the parents of three daughters, 
 — Theresa, Lucy and Eva, — all now attending school. The family belong 
 to St. Anthony's CathoHc church, and are respected and held in high regard 
 by a large circle of acquaintances. 
 
 GAYLORD J. STATES. 
 
 On section 28, Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, is found the 
 pleasant home and farm of Gaylord States, one of the up-to-date farmers of 
 the county. 
 
 Mr. States is a native of the Buckeye state, having been born in Fairfield 
 county, Ohio, February 26, 1855. His grandfather and father, Abraham and 
 Emanuel States, respectively, were Pennsylvanians, the latter born May 6, 
 1823. At an early date the States family moved to Ohio, where they lived 
 until 1858, and it was in that state that Emanuel States was first married. 
 His wife, whose maiden name was Elenora Lysinger, was born in Bedford 
 county, Pennsylvania, September 9, 1828, a daughter of Joseph Lysinger, 
 who was of German descent. This union was blessed in the birth of twelve 
 children, of whom the following are still living: Amanda, wife of C. E. 
 Spencer; George and William, twins, of Greene county, Iowa; Rebecca C. 
 Harris, of Dallas county. Iowa; Gaylord J.; John N., of Grundy county, Illi-
 
 262 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 nois; Charles D., of Greene county, Iowa; Frank E., on the homestead; and 
 Cora, wife of James Parr, of Greene county, Iowa. Those deceased are 
 Angeline, Theodore and one who died in infancy. The mother of this fam- 
 ily died April 9, 1876. She was for many years, and up to the time of her 
 death, a devoted member of the Baptist church. For his second wife the 
 father married Mrs, Eliza Coats, of Lewis county, New York, who died 
 August 8, 1897. 
 
 Mr. States passed away March 9, 1899. Politically he was in early life 
 a Whig, and later identified himself with the Republican party, of which 
 he was a supporter the rest of his life. He was a great admirer of General 
 Fremont, and voted for him for president. 
 
 In 1 861, when Gaylord J. States, the direct subject of this sketch, was 
 six years old, his parents moved from Ohio to Illinois and settled on a farm 
 in LaSalle county, where they lived one year, then removing to Grundy 
 county, Illinois, remaining there until 1865, when they located on the old 
 home farm, section 33, Miller township; here he was reared and educated, 
 his educational advantages being limited to the public schools. He has 
 always given his attention to agricultural pursuits, and has been fairly pros- 
 perous in his operations. His present farm, comprising one hundred and 
 sixty acres of choice land, well improved, and under a high state of cultiva- 
 tion, he has owned and occupied since 1880. 
 
 August 12, 1879, Mr. States married Miss Emma F. Long, daughter of 
 Lewis Long, of Miller township, LaSalle county. She was born and edu- 
 cated in this county. Mr. and Mrs. States are the parents of two daughters, 
 Maude E. and Lena, aged respectively eighteen and fifteen years. 
 
 Like his father, Mr. States is a stanch Republican. He has served four, 
 terms on the school board, is interested in all that contributes to the general 
 welfare of his community, and is regarded as one of its substantial citizens. 
 Naturally of a genial, social nature, he is a favorite w-ith his large circle of 
 friends, and his accomplishments as a musician, in playing both the piano 
 and violin, add in no small measure to his popularity. He is a member of 
 the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen. 
 
 A. R. VAN SKIVER. 
 
 A progressive, public-spirited citizen of Streator is he whose name 
 heads this sketch. His influence, which is not slight, is always to be found 
 upon the side of good government, the enforcement of the law, progress 
 and improvement along all lines, better educational facilities and high-class 
 teachers for the rising generation, and everything which will be of perma- 
 nent benefit to the public of this community.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 263 
 
 A native of Preble county, Ohio, Mr. Van Skiver was born in the vicin- 
 ity of the town of Camden, September 20, 1856, his parents being Joseph 
 G. and Rebecca B. Van Skiver. After receiving a hberal education in the 
 pubHc schools, the young man engaged in teaching, and enjoyed the dignity 
 of conducting a school before he was twenty years of age. Feeling the need 
 of a better education in the higher branches, he pursued a scientific course 
 of study in the National Normal University, at Lebanon, Ohio, being grad- 
 uated in that well-known institution in 1879. He continued to devote his 
 time and energy to teaching and self-improvement until 1884, when he 
 came to Streator. Here he purchased a half interest in the Free Press, 
 becoming a member of the firm of Van Skiver & Fornof. His partner, J. 
 W. Fornof, is the present postmaster of Streator, and thus the major share 
 ■of the business of managing the paper falls upon our subject. 
 
 The Free Press is a wide-awake, representative journal, devoted to the 
 interests of the citizens of Streator and locality. It aims to give a clear, con- 
 cise account of the events which are occupying the attention of the busy 
 world, and at the same time gives items of especial interest to the people of 
 this section. It is Republican in political creed, and is a fearless champion 
 of the right. The well-grounded opinions of its editors are frequently re- 
 flected upon its pages, and without doubt the paper is growing in popularity 
 constantly. 
 
 Mr. Van Skiver has a very pleasant and attractive home, which is pre- 
 sided over by the lady whom he made his wife in 1881. She was then Miss 
 Fannie Beall, a daughter of F. A. Beall, of Preble county, Ohio. 
 
 % 
 
 RUFFIN D. FLETCHER. 
 
 Ruffin Drew Fletcher, local superintendent of the Chicago, Wilmington 
 & VermiHon Coal Company, Streator, Illinois, has resided in this city and 
 been identified with this company for a number of years and is well known 
 and highly respected. 
 
 Mr. Fletcher is a native of Montgomery county, Tennessee, born 
 December 2, 1840, and is a son of John H. and Alice (Bennyvvorth) Fletcher, 
 the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of England. Mrs. Fletcher 
 came to the United States with her parents when she was a girl of thirteen 
 years, and in Illinois, in 1838, she and Mr. Fletcher were married, he having 
 come to this state when a young man and located in Greene county. Shortly 
 after their marriage they moved to Tennessee, where they remained until 
 1 85 1, that year coming back to Illinois and again settling in Greene county. 
 From there he moved to Macoupin county, Illinois, in 1855, where he died
 
 264 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in 1878. His widow survives him and still makes her home in Nil wood, 
 Illinois. Her father was Samuel Bennyworth, 
 
 Mr. Fletcher's paternal grandfather was John Fletcher. He was a 
 native of North Carolina, of which state the Fletchers were early settlers. 
 The family, it is supposed, came to this country from Scotland. 
 
 R. D. Fletcher, the immediate subject of this review, spent the first 
 twelve years of his life in Tennessee, and accompanied his parents on their 
 return to Illinois, as above stated. He attended the district schools in 
 Greene and Macoupin counties and later was a student in a seminary at 
 Greenfield, Illinois. In 1862 he enhsted in the One Hundred and Twenty- 
 second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and rendered faithful service for three 
 years, until the close of the war. He was a participant in a number of 
 engagements. A portion of the time he was on detached service in the 
 quartermaster's and commissary departments, with Captain Langdon, who 
 was stationed a part of the time at Cairo, Illinois. 
 
 After receiving an honorable discharge, in June, 1865, he returned to 
 his home in Macoupin county, Illinois, and in 1869 began railroading on 
 the Chicago & Alton Railroad, with which he was connected for seven 
 years. At the end of that time he accepted a position with the Chicago, 
 Wilmington & Vermilion Coal Company, first as shipping clerk, in which 
 capacity he served for ten years. In 1889 he was promoted to the position 
 he now fills, that of local superintendent. This year is his twenty-sixth in 
 the service of the company. 
 
 In January, 1873, Mr. Fletcher married Miss Rachel S. Proctor, of 
 Mason City, Illinois, daughter of Richard and Rachel (Harris) Proctor. To 
 them have been born a son and a daughter. The son, Ralph Proctor 
 Fletcher, is deceased. The daughter, Edna May, is at home. 
 
 Mr. Fletcher has always been a stanch Republican and taken a deep 
 interest in the general growth and good of the town in which he lives. For 
 thirteen years he was a member of the school board. He is prominently 
 identified with the ]\Iasonic order, maintaining membership in Streator 
 Lodge, No. 607, F. & A. M.; Streator Chapter, No. 168, R. A. M.; and 
 Ottawa Commanderv, No. 10, K. T. 
 
 EDWARD G. LOEKLE. 
 
 Success rarely comes to the undeserving, and when, as in the case of 
 Edward G. Loekle, prosperity and high standing in a community have been 
 achieved, it is always interesting and profitable to trace the successive steps 
 taken toward this desirable goal. During the almost half a century of his
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 265 
 
 residence in Peru, LaSalle county, the subject of this article has been closely 
 associated with the commercial interests of the place, and has performed his 
 share of the labors which devolve upon every patriotic citizen. 
 
 The ancestors of E. G. Loekle were natives of Germany, and his parents, 
 Heinrich and Louise Loekle, lived and died in the province of Wurtemberg-. 
 They were honest, industrious people, and reared their children in the faith 
 of the Lutheran church, to which they belonged. The father, wdio at one 
 time was a member of a militia company, was a saddler and harness-maker 
 by trade. He died when about forty-two years of age, in 1835 or 1836. 
 and his widow survived him several years. Five sons and four daughters 
 were born to them, and the seven who are yet living are as follow^s: Charley, 
 of New York city; Paulina, wife of Henry Hartmann, of Lebanon, Pennsyl- 
 vania; Edward G.; Emelia, wife of Lawrence Kronawitter, of Chicago; 
 Henry, of Philadelphia; Ernest, of New York, and Ferdinand, of Stuttgart, 
 Germany. 
 
 Edward G. Loekle was born in the city of Ludwigsburg, Wurtemberg, 
 Germany, June 6, 1828. Until he was fourteen years of age he was a pupil 
 in the common schools of his native land, after which he learned the butcher's 
 trade and worked at that for several years. Being an ambitious young 
 man, he decided that he would try his fortunes in the United States, and on 
 the 1st of May, 1849, he arrived in New York city. Very wisely he left 
 the crowded metropolis at once, and going to Lancaster county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, he worked at his trade for two weeks, and then took a position upon 
 a farm, where he gradually mastered the English language and customs. 
 Learning that the west was a more promising place for enterprising men, 
 he came to Illinois, and May i, 1850, he had his first view of Peru. He has 
 since made his home here, and after the first year, when he worked at his 
 trade for wages, he has been engaged in business for himself. Opening a 
 market, he conducted it successfully for about forty years, but has been 
 retired for the last seven years. Since the Peru State Bank was organized 
 he has been the vice-president of the institution, which is now in a most 
 flourishing condition. He has used his franchise in favor of the Democratic 
 party. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Loekle and Aliss Catherine Mather, a daughter of 
 Jacob and Kunigundy Mather, was celebrated September 10, 185 1. Twelve 
 children came to bless their home, namely: Edward, Henry, Charley, Bertha, 
 Louise, Paulina, Emma, Frederick, Anna, Carrie, Otto and Minnie. Edward 
 died in infancy and Bertha when fourteen years of age. Henry, who mar- 
 ried Emma Sperber, and had one child, Eduard, died when in his thirty- 
 third year. Charley married Carrie Wolfer, and has three children living — • 
 Richard, Florence and Frank. Paulina is the widow of Henry Peters, and
 
 266 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 is the mother of three children, — Willie, Tillie and Edward. Emma wedded 
 Charley Danz, and has a son and daughter, Harry and Viola. Carrie is the 
 widow of Charles Birkenbeuel, by whom she had two children, — Reuben 
 and Clarence. Minnie is the wife of John E. Seepe and is the mother of a 
 son, named Walter. The other children of our subject are unmarried. Otto 
 is the assistant cashier of the Peru State Bank, and is a young man of ability 
 and promise. The parents are members of the German Evangelical church. 
 Their pleasant home at the corner of Putnam and Seventh streets has been 
 occupied by them for almost forty years, and many a happy family reunion 
 has taken place within these sheltering w-alls. Now in the evening of life, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Loekle, surrounded by their dear ones, may look back with 
 few regrets, feeling that they have ever striven to do their whole duty tow-ard 
 God and man, and knowing that the love and sincere regard of all who know 
 them is theirs without stint. 
 
 OTTO J. LOEKLE. 
 
 When a man is spoken of only in the highest terms by those who have 
 known him during his entire life, the public may rest assured that he is 
 perfectly trustworthy and deserving of respect, for no more just and compe- 
 tent judges could be found than those wdio have watched the development 
 of the child into the man, and the gradual building of his character. When, 
 therefore, the citizens of Peru, with one accord, praise the straightforward, 
 manly course which the subject of this sketch has followed from his boyhood 
 no greater tribute could be paid him. 
 
 Born in this town, October 9, 1870, in the house which still shelters 
 liim. Otto J. Loekle is a son of Edward G. and Katherine (Mather) Loekle, 
 both of whom are natives of Germany. The father, one of the best and most 
 favorably known citizens of Peru, was engaged in business here for forty 
 years and has made his home in this place for almost half a century. 
 
 The excellent public schools of Peru afforded Otto J. Loekle the oppor- 
 tunity of obtaining a liberal education, and he was not slow to make the best 
 of his advantages. Being graduated in 1888, he went to Chicago, where he 
 further qualified himself for a commercial career, by taking a course in 
 Bryant & Stratton's Business College. Returning home, he worked in 
 his father's market for about three years, at the end of which time he became 
 connected w'ith the Peru State Bank. Entering upon his new duties on the 
 first of January, 1892, he gradually worked his way upward from the humble 
 position of office boy to that of assistant cashier, and is now acting in that 
 responsible office. He is a young man of marked ability and his future is 
 full of promise.
 
 i
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 267 
 
 Educational affairs and everything affecting the pubHc welfare to a 
 greater or less degree are matters of deep interest to Mr. Loekle, who is a 
 patriotic American citizen, endeavoring to do his whole duty to the state 
 and community in which he lives. In 1893 he was elected as a member of 
 the city school board and worked for three years in that body, and in 1898 
 he was elected to serve as a school trustee. In the spring of 1897 he was 
 elected city clerk and re-elected in 1899, for a second term of two years; and 
 in 1898 he was elected to the office of township clerk, an office he is now 
 holding. In the spring of 1899 he was appointed deputy tax collector, 
 under Louis Leittl, to attend to the local taxes for the year just ended. 
 Thus it may be readily seen that Mr. Loekle's time and services are in 
 great demand, and, had he not been of so genial and accommodating a dis- 
 position, he would have declined some of the numerous responsibilities thrust 
 upon him. Formerly he was very active in the Democratic party, to which 
 he continues loyal; but a press of other duties is at present keeping him out 
 of politics. For some time he has been a member of the Liberty Fire Com- 
 pany and the Peru fire department. 
 
 In his social relations he is deservedly popular, and among the fraterni- 
 ties he is associated wdth the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen 
 of America, the Royal Neighbors and the Mystic Workers of the World. 
 He was reared in the faith of the German Evangelical church, and attends 
 the services of the local congregation. December 2, 1899, Mr. Loekle mar- 
 ried Miss Louise Neureuther, daughter of Charles and Louise Neureuther, 
 of Peru, Illinois. 
 
 JOHN COLLINGS. 
 
 John Collings, a venerable citizen of Ottawa, has been one of her prom- 
 inent business men for many decades. About eighty years ago his birth took 
 place in the northern part of England, the date of the event being June 11, 
 1819. His parents were Thomas and Ann (Jobling) Collings, who had six 
 sons and six daughters. 
 
 In early manhood John Collings determined to seek his fortune in 
 America, and accordingly he crossed the Atlantic. His chief business in 
 Hfe has been that of a tailor. He came to Ottawa, where he opened a shop 
 and actively engaged in business. A thorough master of his trade, he 
 commanded the best custom of the town, and can lay claim to having made 
 the wedding suits of many of the older merchants and citizens of this section 
 of the county. He attended strictly to his business, and by uniform courtesy, 
 punctuality and fidelity to his word and agreement, won the confidence and 
 regard of his patrons. In the multiplicity of his private interests, however,
 
 268 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 he never forgot the duties which rested upon him as a citizen of this great 
 republic. He cast his first presidential ballot for Abraham Lincoln, and has 
 ever since been a loyal Republican. At various times he has served as a 
 member of the local school board, and has been a member of the common 
 council. He is a deep student of politics and current events, and is an able 
 speaker and writer on the topics of the times. 
 
 In 1854 Mr. Collings married Miss Mary Anne, daughter of James and 
 Lucy (Cox) Fulton. Of the four children born to them, the only son, Henry, 
 died at the age of six months, and Lillian Virginia, a beautiful young lady, 
 died at the age of nineteen years. Two daughters survive, namely: Erminie 
 Rose, wife of Albert Prisler, of Ottawa; and Frances M., who married Farley 
 Swartz, and resides at No. 365 Winchester avenue, Chicago, Illinois. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Prisley have three children, Milton, Myron and Ethel; and Mr. 
 and Mrs. Swartz have a little daughter, Daisy. 
 
 JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. 
 
 For nearly three-score years the Adams family, now represented in 
 ]\Iarseilles, LaSalle county, by the subject of this article and his brothers, 
 have been prominently connected w^ith the manufacturing interests of north- 
 ern Illinois, and have a reputation which is world-wide, as the products of 
 their business plant have gone to all parts of the earth. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject was Samuel Adams, a native 
 of Cayuga county. New York. The parents of John Q. were the Hon. 
 Augustus and Lydia (Phelps) Adams, the latter a daughter of Joseph Phelps, 
 of the Empire state. The father was born in Genoa, New York, May 10, 
 1806, and grew to manhood in his native state. In 1840 he removed with 
 his family to Elgin, Illinois, where he speedily became a power in social, 
 business and political circles. He occupied numerous responsible positions, 
 was a member of the constitutional convention of the state in 1848, and served 
 with honor in the house and senate. He was a warm personal friend of 
 Abraham Lincoln, Judge David Davis and General John M. Palmer and 
 many other famous and representative men. In 1857 he removed from 
 Elgin to Sandwich, Illinois, where he organized the Sandwich Manufacturing 
 Company, of which he was the president for many years. He possessed 
 great mechanical ability and was the inventor of the celebrated Adams 
 corn-sheller and other agricultural implements. In 1870 he became the 
 president of the Marseilles Manufacturing Company, which was established 
 here by his sons, and for twenty-two years he was connected with this enter- 
 prise, or until his death, in 1892. His wife, Lydia, born in Homer, Cortland
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 269 
 
 county. New York, died at her home in Sandwich, in 1867, when in her fifty- 
 third year. She was the mother of eight children, seven of whom were sons, 
 and all but one of the number survive. 
 
 The birth of J. O. Adams occurred in Greenwood, Steuben county, 
 New York, July 23, 1839, and his youth was spent in Elgin, Illinois, where 
 he was educated in the public schools and academy. He then learned the 
 machinist's trade in his father's shop, and had just fairly started upon his 
 mechanical career when the great civil war came on. He took a very active 
 part in the Lincoln campaign of i860, being a member of the celebrated 
 Wide Awake Club. 
 
 In September, 1861, Mr. Adams enlisted in Company G, Fifty-second 
 Illinois Volunteer Infantry, under the command of Colonel Wilson. After 
 being encamped at Geneva, Illinois, and at Benton Barracks, St. Louis, 
 Missouri, the regiment was placed on guard duty along the Hannibal & St. 
 Joseph Railroad, and later stationed in Kentucky, at Smithland, where 
 Colonel T. W. Sweeny took command of the regiment. Arriving at Fort 
 Donelson just after the surrender, the regiment was sent north to Camp 
 Douglas, Chicago, with prisoners. Afterward, joining General Grant's 
 army, the regiment took part in the battle of Shiloh and there met with 
 heavy loss, as one hundred and seventy men were killed or wounded of the 
 four hundred and fifty participating in the engagement. Mr. Adams fought 
 in the thickest of the fray both days of the dreadful conflict, and later was 
 engaged in the siege of Corinth under General Halleck, and on October 
 3 and 4, 1863, in the second battle of Corinth under Rosecrans, in which 
 battle the division with which he was connected lost one thousand and four 
 out of less than three thousand men. General Hackelman, commanding 
 the First Brigade, was killed, and General Oglesby, commanding the Second 
 Brigade, was badly wounded. 
 
 In January, 1864, Mr. Adams veteranized. In April of the same year 
 the regiment joined Sherman's army and took part in nearly all the most 
 important battles of the Atlanta campaign, after which they went with Sher- 
 man on his famous march to the sea, and later on his other great campaigns 
 through the Carolinas, which included the burning of Columbia and the 
 battle of Bentonville, ending with the capture of Raleigh and the march to 
 Washington, where they took part in the grand review of the troops. He 
 served with the rank of first lieutenant and regimental quartermaster during 
 the last months of the war, and was discharged as such in July, 1865, when 
 his services were no longer required. 
 
 Returning to the peaceful vocations of life, Mr. Adams joined his father 
 and brothers, H. R. and O. R. Adams, in the Marseilles Manufacturing 
 Company, and gradually advanced until he became president of the concern,
 
 270 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 as he is to-day. In this finely equipped factory all kinds of corn-shellers, 
 horse-power pumps, plows, windmills and various implements required in 
 modern farming are manufactured in immense quantities, and sold and 
 shipped to all parts of this and foreign countries. The brothers have perse- 
 vered through many long years in their ambitious endeavor to build up an 
 extensive and remunerative trade, and have succeeded beyond their most 
 sanguine expectations. A large force of men are afforded employment, and 
 in numerous ways the community reaps benefit from this thriving industry. 
 In December, 1865, John Q. Adams and Miss Helen A. Beardsley, of 
 Carlton, Orleans county, New York, were united in marriage, at Sandwich, 
 DeKalb county, Illinois. They have a very handsome home, situated upon 
 the bluffs overlooking the town and surrounding country. Mr. Adams, it 
 is needless to say, is now, as he has always been, a firm friend to the prin- 
 ciples of the Republican party. He has not been desirous of holding public 
 of^ce, but has served as a member of the town board of trustees. Ever since 
 1856 he has been a member of the Congregational denomination, and for 
 the past thirty years has been treasurer of the Alarseilles church. His life 
 has been conspicuous for integrity, honor and nobility of word and deed; 
 he has been faithful in the discharge of his duty toward his country, his fam- 
 ily and to society in general. 
 
 CAPTAIN JOHN L. McCORMICK. 
 
 Probably the death of no private citizen has called forth such universal 
 and heartfelt expressions of genuine sorrow as were heard in Peru, Illinois, 
 when the news was received that Captain McCormick had passed away. It 
 was on June 25, 1893, when the earth was clothed with the verdure of spring- 
 time, a fitting season, for this noble life, which had battled with such courage 
 with the world for eighty-five years, to lay down its burdens and begin the 
 morning of a new life. He had resided in Peru for almost half a century, 
 and was known and beloved far and w4de for his many good qualities of 
 mind and heart. Many from surrounding cities were present to pay their 
 last tribute of respect, and his remains were followed to their last resting 
 place by a procession of friends that extended a mile in length. The Rev. 
 B. F. Underwood, of Chicago, conducted the brief, but impressive services, 
 speaking eloquently and touchingly of the honesty and integrity of Captain 
 McCormick, and the genial, kindly, charitable nature that won friends in 
 all circumstances and in all classes. 
 
 Captain John L. McCormick was born in Lycoming county, Penn- 
 sylvania, on New Year's day, 1808, and was a son of Joseph and Rebecca
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 271 
 
 (Qtiigley) McCormick. The family were originally from Ireland, the great- 
 grandfather of our subject, Joseph McCormick, being a resident of county 
 Antrim, near the famous "Giant's Causeway." After his death his widow 
 with her family came to America, settling in Chester county, Pennsylvania, 
 about the year 1760. John McCormick, the grandfather, was one of two 
 brothers who came to this country with their mother; the brother went 
 west and the grandfather settled in Pennsylvania, and from this source also 
 are sprung the family of that name whose reapers have made their name 
 familiar throughout the United States. John McCormick died in Pennsyl- 
 vania, in 1842, after rounding out his century of life. 
 
 Joseph McCormick, the father, was also a Pennsylvanian, as was his 
 wife. He was a farmer and raised his family of two sons and three daughters 
 on his farm of eighty acres. He lived to be about seventy-five years old. 
 None of his family are living. His wife was a daughter of John Quigley, a 
 native of Lycoming county, but a German by descent. He was a farmer in 
 his native state and an active, hard-working man. He had passed his 
 eightieth year when he met an accidental death, being killed by a threshing 
 machine. 
 
 Captain McCormick remained on his father's farm in his native state 
 until he attained his majority. He was then appointed, by Governor Wolfe 
 of that state, as foreman of the canal running between the mouth of the 
 Juniata and Northumberland rivers. He held this position three years and 
 then began buying and selling lumber, transporting it on rafts to New York 
 and Port Deposit, Maryland. In 1836 he w^ent to Pittsburg, where he con- 
 tinued in the same business, adding coal and ice to his stock. He remained 
 in this enterprise until the fall of 1847, when he moved to Peru to engage 
 in the ice business, having formed a partnership with William B. Quigley 
 and Victor F. Wilson, the former having an office at Vicksburg and the latter 
 at Natchez. They dealt extensively in ice, which was obtained from the 
 Illinois river and the numerous sloughs in that vicinity. In 1854 Captain 
 McCormick turned his attention to farming and stock-raising. He had, by 
 his own unaided efforts and with no capital except a stout heart and willing 
 hands, been steadily laying up a fortune, and was now the owner of over 
 twelve hundred acres of choice land in the fertile valley of Illinois and it 
 was a source of much pleasure to him during the remainder of his life to 
 attend to its cultivation. He was a shrewd business man and a good man- 
 ager, and in no place was his business ability better displayed than in the 
 management of this large estate. 
 
 September 30, 1841, he was married to Miss Anna Jones, a native of 
 Paupack, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Henry and Arabella (Newman) 
 Jones. Her parents were natives of Dublin, Ireland, who came to this
 
 272 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 country and settled in Paupack about the year 1820. Eight children were 
 born to Mr. and Mrs. McCormick, namely: Joseph Henry, who married 
 Mrs. Jennie Arnold and has one son, Henry Joseph, who lives in Caledonia 
 on a farm; William Quigley, who left college to take up arms for the Union, 
 serving all through the war; he was promoted for bravery at the battle of 
 Vicksburg, and died February i, 1881, at the age of thirty-five years, eleven 
 months and four days; John Lowry, Jr., who died November 15, 1891, aged 
 forty-four years, one month and two days; Charles and Douglas who died 
 in infancy; and twin daughters, Rebecca and Arabella, and the youngest 
 child died in infancy. Miss Arabella, who is at home and has charge of 
 her father's extensive business interests, manages the farms and other 
 affairs of the estate with a clearness of perception and a sound judgment sel- 
 dom displayed by a woman. Captain McCormick took an intelligent interest 
 in politics and was active in furthering the interests of the Democratic party. 
 He was elected mayor of Peru in 1855 and discharged the duties devolving 
 upon him in an able and efhcient manner. He was a warm personal friend 
 of that eminent statesman, Stephen A. Douglas. 
 
 RINALDO M. GALLUP. 
 
 Rinaldo Martin Gallup, of Stavanger, Miller township, LaSalle county, 
 was born in Rhode Island, January 26, 1838, and is the son of George S. and 
 Betsey Fuller Gallup, his father being born in Connecticut and his mother 
 in Rhode Island. His grandfather was Martin Gallup whose father came 
 from England when he was a young man and settled in the state of Rhode 
 Island. George S. Gallup married Miss Betsey Fuller, whose ancestors of 
 that name are not unknown to Revolutionary fame. They had three children, 
 whom they reared to adult years. The eldest, Rinaldo Martin, is the subject 
 of this brief biography; Isadora Ruth, the wife of Z. Bourne, living in Ham- 
 ilton county, Iowa; and William Spencer, residing in this township. Their 
 mother died in her seventy-third year, and their father is still living, now in 
 his eighty-fourth year, — both the parents thus reaching a good old age. 
 
 Rinaldo M. Gallup attended the public schools and in them received a 
 good common education. He remained at home until his twenty-second 
 year, when he purchased a farm and began to manage for himself. On 
 November i, i860, he married Miss Ann Eliza Holley, of Salisbury, Con- 
 necticut, and five children were born to them, — John S., Nettie A., Nellie 
 E., Nina B. and Bessie F. John, the eldest, has been twice married. Miss 
 Cora Lewis becoming his first wife. She died six years after marriage, 
 leaving a daughter, named Mav. He was afterward married to Mrs. Ade-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 273 
 
 laide Ormsby, of Connecticut. Nettie married Eugene Barker, of Seneca, 
 Illinois, and resides in Morris, this state. 
 
 Mr. Gallup is a progressive farmer, who believes in taking advantage of 
 modern ideas to accomplish work in these modern times, and the result is 
 seen in his successful business. Politically he is a supporter of the Republi- 
 can party. He is social and genial by nature and has made many warm 
 friends in this community, who appreciate the sterling worth of the man 
 and the integrity and energy which have contributed to his success. 
 
 OWEN W. HUFF. 
 
 An honored old resident of Ottawa is Owen W. Huff, who, after a very 
 active and enterprising business career, settled in this place many years ago 
 and has since been retired. Though now in his eighty-fourth year, he is 
 hale and hearty, and is in the complete possession of all of his faculties, bid- 
 ding fair to enjoy life for many years to come. The subjoined sketch of his 
 past will be of interest to his multitudes of friends, both in Ottawa and else- 
 where. 
 
 His parents were James and Catherine (Hess) HufT, both of whom were 
 natives of Luzerne county, Pennsylvania. The father of James was John 
 Huf¥, who served under General Washington throughout the greater part 
 of the Revolutionary war. He married Martha Burns and reared a large 
 family. John Huf¥ was a powerfully built man, six feet and six inches in 
 height, and his mental characteristics were no less remarkable than was his 
 physical strength. The Huffs originally came from Scotland, and have been 
 in this country for many generations. The father of our subject's mother 
 was Abraham Hess, a native of Germany, and his wife was a Miss Sarah 
 Wright prior to their marriage. For several years after the birth of Owen 
 W. Huff, January 29, 1816, his parents lived upon a farm near the village of 
 Sunbury, Delaware county, Ohio. The father died there in 1830, and was 
 survived by his wife, who attained the advanced age of ninety-one years. 
 
 Owen W. Huff's birthplace was in Luzerne, now Wyoming, county, 
 Pennsylvania, but his first recollections are of Ohio, whither his parents had 
 taken him in his infancy. He went to the district school and to one in 
 Columbus, the state capital, then a mere village. His first regular employ- 
 ment was as a farm hand, his wages being four dollars a month and board, 
 and later he was paid double that amount. Going to Portsmouth, Ohio, he 
 spent some time there and made a reputation for reliability and trustworthi- 
 ness that resulted in his appointment to superintend the construction of fifty- 
 one miles of railroad between Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi. He
 
 274 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 received seventy-five dollars a month and board while acting in this respon- 
 sible position, and most of the time for months was on horseback, riding back 
 and forth along the line of the road. When the railroad had been completed 
 he returned to Delaware county, Ohio, and purchased fifty acres of land in 
 the woods. This property he soon disposed of, at the rate of five dollars an 
 acre. Then going to Cincinnati he entered the employ of his brother John, 
 and while there he was offered a position in the state penitentiary at Colum- 
 bus, Ohio. He accepted the place and remained there for twenty years, 
 investing the amount which he saved from his salary in local real estate. 
 Some property which he owned on Main street, near the depot, he sold 
 later at a price three times as great as the purchase price. His next move 
 was to come to Illinois, and, locating upon a farm of two hundred and six- 
 teen acres in the vicinity of Elgin, Kane county, he cultivated the place for 
 about two years. A favorable opportunity then presenting itself, he sold 
 the farm, for which he had paid seven thousand dollars, and realized just three 
 thousand dollars on the transaction. From 1858 to 1874 he was engaged in 
 the wholesale liquor business in Ottawa, and since selling out in the last 
 named year he has been retired, merely looking after his various investments. 
 For half a century Mr. Hufif was cheered and assisted in all his under- 
 takings by the presence of his devoted wife, who was a woman of rare traits 
 of mind and character, and was respected and loved by all who knew her, 
 Mrs. Hufif bore the maiden name of Julia Winders, her father being William 
 Winders, of Columbus, Ohio. She was born in West Virginia, and removed 
 to the Buckeye state with her parents when she was quite young. Four 
 children blessed the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Hufif, namely: Charles E., 
 now of Pollard, Oregon; Minnie H., wife of Henry Aronstine, of Anderson, 
 Indiana; Eliza, who, with her husband, George Sherman, is deceased; and 
 Alice, who died when in her twenty-second year. The loving wife and 
 mother was summoned to her reward on the i6th of January, 1893, mourned 
 by all who had ever known her. 
 
 I. N. BEEM. 
 
 One of the old and reliable business houses of Ottawa has, as a member 
 of the firm, the subject of this article, I. N. Beem, who is of German 
 descent, though his family has been located in the United States for several 
 generations. His grandfather, Michael Beem, was a hero of the Revolution- 
 ary war, and the same spirit of devotion which he manifested toward his 
 country in that crucial period of its history has animated his descendants. 
 He married and reared to maturity eight sons and three daughters. 
 
 One of the sons, Jacob Beem, born in 1799, was the father of our sub-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 275 
 
 ject. He was an early settler in Licking county, Ohio, and lived to attain 
 the age of seventy-six years. His wife, whose maiden name was Phoebe 
 Rose, was a daughter of Philip Rose, and was a native of the Buckeye state. 
 She survived her husband several years, dying likewise at the age of seventy- 
 six years. They were the parents of ten children, of whom, Milton died in 
 Oregon; Orrin, a soldier during the civil war, was accidentally killed at 
 Marion, Ohio; his home was in Richmond, Ohio; Albert died at Macomb, 
 Illinois; Jacob is a farmer of Richwood, Ohio; P. Andrew and Stephen G. 
 were soldiers in the Union army in the war of the Rebellion; both died in the 
 service; Arminta Frances is the wife of Adam Marrow^, of Union county, 
 Ohio; and Lewis and Benjamin F. are residents of Richwood, Ohio. 
 
 L N. Beem was born in Licking county, Ohio, August 7, 1832. He 
 received a liberal education for that day in the schools of the neighborhood 
 and Columbus, Ohio; learned the tailor's trade of his uncle, Philip Rose, and 
 came to Illinois in 1850, settling at Magnolia. He engaged in the merchant 
 tailoring business. He entered a quarter section of land from the govern- 
 ment, near Wenona, and moved on and improved it. He remained at that 
 town lor three and a half years, then going to Henry, where he gave his 
 time and attention to the grocery business for several years. He went to 
 Columbus, Ohio, and engaged in the merchant tailoring business until 1866, 
 when he went to Arkansas, and raised a crop of cotton. In 1867 he cG^me 
 to Ottawa, and in 1871 became a member of the firm with which he has 
 continued ever since. This w-ell known business house, which w-as estab- 
 lished in 1867 under the style of Fiske, Strickland & Wing, has gone by its 
 present title, Fiske & Beem, for the past twenty-eight years. Prosperity 
 has smiled upon the efforts of this firm to give ample satisfaction to their 
 customers, and their straightforward, just methods of transacting business 
 merit the esteem which they enjoy. 
 
 On the 31st of January, 1856, Mr. Beem married Miss Mary Clarkson, 
 a daughter of William and Sarah (Alexander) Clarkson, of Putnam county, 
 Illinois. Three children bless the marriage of our subject and wife, namely: 
 \A''illiam Orrin, who is carrying on a fruit farm at West Plains, Howell 
 county, Missouri; Frances, who became the wife of Charles Bradford, and 
 died, leaving one child, Clarkson Beem; and Fred Clarkson, of Kansas City, 
 jMissouri. William O., the elder son of Mr. Beem, married Miss Bronson 
 and has three children, Fanny May, Belle and William. Mrs. Mary C. 
 Beem, who was a member of the Episcopal church, died in 1874. Three 
 years later Mr. Beem was united in marriage with Miss Vilda Prescott, whose 
 death occurred in 1880, one child, Vilda, being left to mourn her mother's 
 loss. The lady who now bears the name of our subject, to whom she was 
 married in 1882, was formerly Miss Annie M. Connell, of Columbus, Ohio.
 
 2/6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 The handsome residence of the Beem family is located at No. 609 
 Illinois avenue. Socially Mr. Beem stands high in the Masonic order, being 
 connected with Occidental Lodge. Xo. 40. In his political views he is an 
 uncompromising Republican, and at present is serving in the capacity of 
 alderman of Ottawa. 
 
 F. L. Fiske, the senior member of the firm of Fiske & Beem, has been 
 an honored citizen of Ottawa for the long period of forty-three years, and has 
 been prominently associated with its progress. He was born in Norwich, 
 Connecticut, in 1840, and thus has passed the best years of his life here. He 
 is independent in politics, using his ballot without regard to party, solely 
 \vith reference to the principal issues and nominees in question. He stands 
 well in various social orders of this place, and is justly accounted one of the 
 most popular of our pioneer citizens. 
 
 THOMAS F. NOON. 
 
 Thomas F. Noon was born in Peru. Illinois, ]\Iarch 7, 1857, and is a 
 •son of Michael and Winifred (Meathe) Noon, who were natives of county 
 Mayo, Ireland. The father was born in 1825. and the mother in 1829, and 
 after their marriage they sailed to the United States, in 1852. Coming to 
 Peru, they made a permanent settlement here, and were thenceforth num- 
 bered among the enterprising citizens of this place. The father died in 
 ■October. 1886, and the mother is still living in her Peru home. In 1861, 
 during the civil war, Mr. Noon's father enlisted as a private in Company H, 
 Fifty-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to the rank of 
 corporal. His term of enlistment expired February 7, 1865, and on the 21st 
 of the following month he veteranized, becoming a member of Company B. 
 Fifth United States Regulars, which was attached to the Third Army Corps, 
 and was under the command of General Hancock. He received an honor- 
 able discharge at the end of one year. ]\Iarch 21, 1866, and returned home. 
 Faithful and trustworthy in the performance of his duties, he won the praise 
 and commendation of his superiors and the respect of his comrades in the 
 ranks. 
 
 Thomas F. Noon is one of the five children born to his parents, the 
 • others being Ann, John E.. Eliza and William Harry. Mr. Noon was edu- 
 cated in the schools of Peru, and when fourteen years of age he entered upon 
 his business career. For ten years he was connected with the drug business, 
 : and in the meantime also served as assistant postmaster of Peru for nine 
 years, and meanwhile he also served as city and town clerk for five years. 
 In March. 1881. he entered the employ of the Illinois Zinc Company, as a
 
 1 
 
 I 
 I
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 277 
 
 clerk, and was gradually promoted from time to time. In May, 1898, upon 
 the death of Archibald Mears, the general manager of the company, Mr. 
 Noon was called to succeed him, and he has since held this position, render- 
 ing most acceptable service in the interests of the company. Prior to 
 becoming general manager, ■Mr. Noon had served in various capacities, 
 including clerk, pay-master and cashier, and had gained a general knowledge 
 of the business, and thus became well qualified to fill his present responsible 
 position. 
 
 The cause of education finds a sincere friend in Mr. Noon, who for 
 twelve years served as a member of the Peru school board, and is now acting 
 as its president. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally a member of 
 the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and other 
 societies. Following in the faith of his parents, he is a Catholic. In 1882, 
 he married Miss Mary H. Xelowski, and five children bless their union, 
 namely, Mary Henrietta, Genevieve Lucy, Helen Louise, Thomas Henry and 
 Thaddeus Roderick. 
 
 A. J. DAUGHERTY. 
 
 A. J. Daugherty, of Streator, is the proprietor of the Cloverdale Dairy 
 and a representative business man of this part of the state. He is widely 
 and favorably known throughout the surrounding country, having been born 
 in this county July 22, 1862, and is the eldest son of John and Sarah Ann 
 (Barnhart) Daugherty. His grandparents, Thomas and Mary Daugherty, 
 were both natives of the state of Kentucky and in that state his father also 
 opened his eyes to the light of day. John Daugherty moved to this state 
 and later to Missouri, in 1874, where he still lives. He was a stanch Demo- 
 crat and contributed his influence to the success of the party. He was the 
 father of eight children: A. J., the subject of this sketch; Harlan, a resident 
 of Texas county, Missouri; Amos, of Arkansas; Melvin, of Texas county, 
 Missouri; Wallace, of Streator, this state; Jacob, also of Streator; Thomas 
 and John, of Texas county, Missouri. 
 
 Mr. Daugherty lived in this, his native county, until he was eight years 
 old, when his parents removed to the state of Missouri, locating in Texas 
 county, where he remained until he was nineteen and where he received his 
 education. He then returned to the home of his early boyhood and located 
 on the farm now occupied by him, the Cloverdale Dair}-. This dairy was 
 established by George W. Graham many years previously and the farm 
 is one of the finest in this part of the state. It would be difficult to find a 
 farm better adapted to the purpose for which it is used than is this one, the 
 broad, rich meadow land being crossed by streams of the purest water.
 
 278 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 furnishing an abundant supply for the large herd of cattle who graze there. 
 The large, roomy barn is kept in scrupulous order, while a silo of three 
 hundred and seventy tons' capacity furnishes the necessary green food which 
 is one of the essential requirements to keep a herd in the best condition 
 through the winter months. Seventy-five head of fine Holstein cattle — cows 
 that would be a delight to the eyes of a lover of good stock, as they are a 
 source of pride and profit to their owner — furnish the milk that has made 
 this dairy one of the most successful and reputable in the county, Mr. 
 Daugherty takes a pardonable pride in his dairy and the quality of milk placed 
 on the market; and that his efforts in this direction are appreciated by the 
 public is shown by his constantly increasing trade, indeed it has been found 
 impossible to meet the demand made upon him. 
 
 February 25, 1896, he was united in the holy bonds of matrimony to 
 Miss Amelia Turner, a daughter of Mark and Rosanna (Robinson) Turner, 
 of Streator, this state. ]\Irs. Daugherty was born in Broadwood, Grundy 
 county, but moved to Streator with her parents at an early age and was there 
 educated and reared to a lovable womanhood. Two bright children have 
 been added to their home. — Hazel and Byron. Mr. Daugherty is a promi- 
 nent m.ember of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Masonic lodges 
 of Ottawa, and is a strong Republican, taking an active part in the workings 
 of his party, although he has never been an aspirant for political honors. 
 
 DR. E. H. KINGERY. 
 
 E. H. Kingerv, \'eterinarv surgeon, Mendota, Illinois, was born in 
 Center county, Pennsylvania, February 11, 1837, a son of Dr. Daniel and 
 Susanna (Hoover) Kingery, natives of that state, he being one of their 
 twelve children. Of that large family, nine sons and three daughters, nine 
 are still living, namely: John. Daniel, Samuel, Ephraim H., Susanna (widow 
 of David Goode), ]\Iary (wife of Abe Eshelman, of Arkansas), David, Andrew 
 and George. In early life the father was a farmer. Later he took up the 
 medical profession, came west to Illinois in 1847 and located in Ogle county, 
 and there practiced medicine for a period of thirty-five years. He died in 
 Ogle county, at the age of sixty-nine years. His widow died in 1895, at 
 the age of eighty-three years. Both were buried at Polo, this state. They 
 were originally identified with the Evangelical church, but after coming 
 west united with the United Brethren. 
 
 The Kingery family is of German origin and the name was formerly 
 Gingerich. John Kingery, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, 
 was a native of Pennsvlvania and a soldier in the Revolutionarv war. Both
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 279 
 
 he and his wife Hved to a ripe old age, he being eighty at the time of death, she 
 ninety-two. They were the parents of six sons and five daughters. The 
 Hoovers Hkewise were of German origin and were among the early settlers 
 of the Keystone state. Michael Hoover, our subject's maternal grandfather, 
 was a native of Pennsylvania, by occupation was a farmer, and his age at 
 death was the same as that of Grandfather Kingery, — eighty years. In 
 the Hoover family were ten children. 
 
 Dr. E. H. Kingery was ten years old when he came with his parents to 
 Illinois, and he was reared in Ogle county, receiving his early education in 
 its district schools. Later he was a student at Mount Morris Academy 
 and still later at the Western Iowa College. For ten or twelve years he fol- 
 lowed the milling business and was thus occupied at the time the civil war 
 broke out. In answer to a call for volunteers he left the mill and entered 
 the Union ranks, becoming a member of Company C, One Hundred and 
 Fifteenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, the fortunes of which he shared two 
 years, being first lieutenant and a part of the time commanding the com- 
 pany. He was in the battles of Richmond, Kentucky; Franklin, Tennessee; 
 Chickamauga; Franklin, again; Nashville, Tennessee; and Duck River, be- 
 sides many skirmishes. 
 
 At the close of the war Mr. Kingery gave his attention to the study of 
 veterinary surgery, under Professor Navin, of Cincinnati, and began prac- 
 ticing in Wabash county, Illinois, in 1867. Since then he has devoted the 
 whole of his time and attention to the practice of his profession. In the 
 fall of 1867 he returned to Ogle county, remained there till 1878, and then 
 located in Paw Paw. Illinois. Afterward he practiced in Arlington and 
 Lamoille, both in this state, and from the latter place moved in 1885 to his 
 present location in Mendota. 
 
 March 28, 1858, Dr. Kingery married Miss Mary E. Hammaker, daugh- 
 ter of Abraham and Elizabeth (Longenecker) Hammaker, their marriage 
 being consummated at Mount Carmel. Illinois. The fruits of their union 
 are nine children, five sons and four daughters, whose names in order of 
 birth are as follows: Levi, Elizabeth, Jennie, Samuel, Laura, Minnie, Frank, 
 Le Roy and Charles. Levi married Miss Ella VanLaw and they have one 
 child, VanLaw. They reside in Parker, South Dakota, where he has the 
 position of foreman in the Northwestern Elevator Company. Lizzie died 
 at the age of twenty-five years, the wife of Charles Sturdevant. Jennie mar- 
 ried Fremont Piedlow, of Rochelle. Illinois, and they have four children, — 
 Pearl, Wilbur, Minnie and Mabel. Samuel married Miss C. Pierson, of 
 Creston, Iowa, and they have one child. Hazel. Samuel is a graduate of the 
 Chicago Veterinary College, with the class of 1888, and is now assistant state 
 veterinary of Iowa. Laura married Daniel Gushing, of Prophetstown, Illi-
 
 28o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 nois, and they have three children. The other members of the family are at 
 home with their parents. Mrs. Kingery is a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church. 
 
 Fraternally Dr. Kingery is identified with ]\Iendota Lodge, No. 76, A. F. 
 & A. M.; Modern Woodmen of America, of which he is venerable counsel; 
 and Hill's Post, G. A. R.. of Lamoille. Politically he has always affiliated 
 with the Republican party, and has served in various local official capacities. 
 He was tax collector of Wysox township, Carroll county; deputy sheriff in 
 Wabash countv; and school trustee and school director several times. . 
 
 ALONZO F. WALBRIDGE. 
 
 For more than three-score years the Walbridge family has l^een repre- 
 sented in LaSalle county by honorable, industrious, patriotic citizens bearing 
 the name. Actively concerned in the founding of the county, true to all 
 the obligations of citizenship, and sincere and upright in all their dealings 
 with their fellow men, none is more worthy of a prominent place in the 
 annals of this region. 
 
 In 1685 three brothers — Henry, William and Stephen Walbridge — 
 left their old home in Dorsetshire, England, and came to America, casting 
 in their lot with the hardy pioneers of the New World. Henry Walbridge, 
 the ancestor of our subject, lived in Dedham, Massachusetts, and in Preston 
 and Norwich. Connecticut. On Christmas day, 1688. he married Miss Anna 
 Ames, and one of their descendants was Asa, the grandfather of our 
 subject. The parents of the latter were Alonzo and Mary (Keys) Walbridge, 
 the father born in St. Lawrence county. New York, March 9, 18 10, and 
 the mother born September 21, 1802, in Hiram township, Vermont. She 
 was a daughter of Parly Hughs and Esther, nee Ormsby, who were united in 
 marriage November 19, 1778, by the Rev. Mr. Russell. 
 
 When he was seventeen years of age our subject's father removed from 
 Bennington, Vermont, to St. Lawrence county, New York, and in 1835 
 came to Illinois. Two years later he became a permanent resident of LaSalle 
 county, the remainder of his life being spent upon his farm in Rutland town- 
 ship. There he located upon raw prairie land, which he broke and improved, 
 and by arduous labor converted into a fertile, productive homestead, one 
 of the best in that section. His first humble home was a very modest one, 
 but as time passed it was supplanted by a commodious dwelling, and other 
 substantial farm buildings were erected on the place. There being few 
 settlers on the prairie and no fences, cattle ranged at will over the broad 
 expanse, and Mr. Walbridge kept large herds at small expense or trouble.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 281 
 
 His busy and useful life was brought to a close February 26, 1875. His wife, 
 who died several years later, November 9, 1890, was the mother of seven 
 children, four of the number by her marriage to Mr. Keys. The others were 
 named respectively Alonzo F., Ora D., and Edward K., and the last men- 
 tioned is now a resident of Pittsburg, Kansas. 
 
 Alonzo F. Walbridge was born on the family homestead in Rutland 
 township, this county, February 26, 1839. He became thoroughly familiar 
 with the routine work of agriculture when a mere boy, and continued to 
 assist his father at home until his marriage in his twentieth year. Even 
 then he did not leave his birthplace, but as long as he was actively engaged 
 in farming he cultivated the same property. After his father's death, it 
 came into his possession by heritage and purchase, and for years it has 
 been considered one of the most desirable farms in the county. It com- 
 prises four hundred and fifty acres of arable, well improved land, and good 
 farm buildings stand on the premises. 
 
 In 1890 Mr. Walbridge removed with his family to Marseilles, where 
 he occupies a pleasant residence on West Blufif street. He was married on 
 the 7th of February, 1858, to Miss Delilah Mick, the second daughter of 
 Jesse and Martha (Williams) Mick, and for over forty years they have happily 
 pursued the journey of life together. Mrs. W^albridge was born in Lan- 
 caster county, Pennsylvania, and when quite young removed with her parents 
 to Jefferson county. New York, and subsequently came to this county in 
 1855. Two daughters bless the union of our subject and wife, namely: Relief 
 E., wife of Elihu Baxter, a farmer; and Adella D., who married William 
 H. Millikin, likewise a tiller of the soil. 
 
 Politically Mr. W^albridge is a stanch "sixteen-to-one" Democrat, l)ut 
 has never found time to interfere in public affairs, even had he desired to 
 do so. He has attended strictly to his own concerns and to the welfare of 
 his immediate community, and is deserving of the high esteem in which he is 
 held by all. 
 
 GEORGE W. GIBSON. 
 
 For three-score years George W. Gibson has made his home in LaSalle 
 county, having come here from Ohio with his parents in 1838, and he is 
 not only familiar with the history of the county, but has also contributed 
 his part toward its growth and development. 
 
 Mr. Gibson was born in Marysville, Kentucky, March 22, 1826, and 
 along the agnatic line traces his origin to Scotland. His grandfather, Robert 
 Yates Gibson, was a Scotch army officer, and when a young man emigrated 
 to this country and settled in Pennsylvania. In Cumberland, Pennsylvania,
 
 282 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 John Gibson, the father of George W., was born and reared. He was a 
 soldier in the war of 1812. He married EHzabeth C. Yates, Hke himself a 
 native of Pennsylvania and a descendant of Scotch ancestry. Some time 
 after their marriage they removed to Marysville, Kentucky, where they 
 remained for two years, going thence to Licking county, Ohio, and in 1838 
 coming to Illinois and establishing their home in LaSalle county, where the 
 father purchased a farm and where he and his good wife passed the rest of 
 their lives and died, her age at death being seventy-five years, while he 
 attained the venerable age of eighty-six. She was for many years, and up 
 to the time of her death, a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal 
 church. This worthy couple reared six children, as follows: Martha, wife 
 of C. McKinley, is deceased; Maria is the widow of James Trenary; William, 
 who died in Eldorado, Kansas, was a veteran of both the Mexican and civil 
 wars, being colonel of the Fourth Illinois Infantry; George W., whose name 
 graces this sketch, is also a veteran of the Mexican war; J. M. was likewise a 
 soldier in the Mexican war; and Theodore, also a veteran of the Mexican 
 and civil wars, was major of the Sixty-fourth Illinois Infantry, and has for 
 years been a resident of Ottawa, Illinois. 
 
 George W. Gibson was a lad of eleven years when his parents first 
 sought the Illinois prairies, and was reared in the vicinity of Ottawa, attend- 
 ing the Ottawa schools. In 1849, ^^"1 company with his brother Theodore, he 
 started westward to seek the gold fields of California; they made the trip 
 with ox-team and were six months on the way. En route they passed large 
 herds of buffalo and were often in terror on account of the bands of Indians 
 along the trail. For three years he remained in the west, engaged in mining, 
 returning to Chicago at the end of that time and thence to his home in 
 LaSalle county. The return trip was made by way of the Isthmus of 
 Panama and New York city. Aside from this western mining experience, 
 Mr. Gibson's life has been quietly devoted to agricultural pursuits. Although 
 now seventy-three years of age, he is still active and vigorous, both physically 
 and mentally. 
 
 Mr. Gibson was married first in 1856, to Miss Cynthia Robinson, and 
 to them were born two children, Lewis and Clara. Lewis married Miss Flora 
 Ditch, and they have two children, George P. and Mabel. Mrs. Cynthi^ 
 Gibson died in 1861, and for his second wife Mr. Gibson married Miss 
 Rachel Green. There were l^orn of this marriage two children — ^John and 
 Alta, who became the wife of William Miller, of Pennsylvania, and who has 
 one child, Gertie. Mrs. Rachel Gibson died in 1883, and in 1889 Mr. Gibson 
 was united in marriage to Mrs. Mary Ann Poole, his present companion. 
 She was the widow of Joseph Poole, who was a native of England, and 
 she is the mother of five children, three sons and two daughters.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 283 
 
 While he has never been a politician in any sense of the word, Mr. 
 Gibson has always in local affairs given his support to the men best suited 
 for office, while in national affairs he has voted the Democratic ticket. 
 
 DAVID M. VOSBURGH, M. D. 
 
 David Martin Vosburgh, M. D.. is among the oldest and widely known 
 citizens of Earlville, LaSalle county, and occupies a conspicuous place in the 
 county, having been a practicing physician here for nearly half a century. 
 He is a native of Evansburg, Crawford county, Pennsylvania, and was born 
 July 28, 1826, his parents being Dr. David J. and Mary (Richards) Vosburgh. 
 David Martin Vosburgh, the grandfather, was a descendant of the Hol- 
 lander emigrants who settled in New York, of which state he was a native. 
 The name .was of Holland-Dutch origin. David Martin and two of his 
 brothers were soldiers of the Revolution and participated in the battle of 
 Bunker Hill, where both brothers gave their lives in the cause of American 
 independence. 
 
 Dr. David J. Vosburgh was born in Washington county, New York, 
 August 4, 1792, and was one of seven sons, of whom five became practicing 
 physicians. He fought in the war of 1812, where he served as an assistant 
 surgeon under Chief Surgeon Payne, who was afterward given a place on 
 the staff of professors in the Albany (New York) Medical College, and 
 General Pitcher, the noted fighter. Later he was sent out with Colonel 
 (afterward General) Taylor to quell the Indians on the frontier. This expedi- 
 tion went by way of Fort Dearborn (Chicago) to Lake George, Wis- 
 consin. With this company was Captain Jefferson Davis, who afterward 
 was secretary of war and figured so prominently as the president of the 
 southern Confederacy. Previous to enlisting in this war he had graduated at 
 the University of New York city, and after returning he continued his 
 studies, soon afterward locating in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, where 
 he began the regular practice of medicine. Here it was that he became 
 acquainted with Miss Mary Richards, and the friendship soon ripened into 
 a love which culminated in their betrothal and marriage. They were the 
 happy parents of three sons: John Jay, a farmer of Iconium, Iowa; Hiram 
 Alonzo, a resident of Chicago; and David Martin, our subject. The mother 
 died about 1827, and the father was again bound in matrimony, his second 
 wife being Doris Wright, who bore him several children, five of whom 
 reached adult years, namely: Sabrena S., wife of Joseph P. Howe; Horatio 
 L. ; Doris, wife of George Howe; and Edward and Eliza, twins, the latter 
 becoming the wife of Amos Gilliland. Early in the '30s Dr. David J. Vos-
 
 284 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 burgh moved from Evansburg to Penn Line, Pennsylvania, where he was 
 a most skillful and successful practitioner until ill health compelled him to 
 retire from practice, when he was about fifty-five years of age. His wife was 
 called to her long rest in 1865, when in her sixty-eighth year, and soon 
 after, in 1868, he went west and made his home with his son, John Jay, in 
 Iowa. Here he quietly passed into his long, dreamless sleep on May 2, 
 1875, after a long life of usefulness and kindness. He was a Democrat in 
 his politics and while a resident of Penn Line was given the unanimous vote 
 of the convention as a nominee for congress. This was equivalent to an 
 election, but the honor was declined by the Doctor, who felt that his poor 
 health would not permit him to serve his constituents in the manner he 
 thought incumbent upon a congressman. He was honest and sincere in 
 all his actions and was respected and loved by all who knew him. 
 
 Dr. David M. Vosburgh lived the greater part of his early life in Penn 
 Line, Pennsylvania, and received his education in Kingsville Academy, 
 Ashtabula county, Ohio. His youthful ambition was to become a physician 
 and follow in the footsteps of his father, and his first step in this direction 
 was to enter his father's office to obtain the rudiments of the knowledge 
 necessary to a successful practice of that science. Later he entered the 
 office of Dr. C. E. Cleveland of Kingsville, Ohio, who had been a former 
 pupil of the elder Vosburgh. Here he studied three years, obtaining valu- 
 able experience during the third year in the hospital of Ashtabula county. 
 He then entered the University of Pennsylvania, at which he graduated in 
 1850. For two years he practiced at Custordville, Pennsylvania, and Febru- 
 ary 12, 1853, he came to Earlville, Illinois, where he has practiced continu- 
 ously since. When he located here but two other doctors, Wylie and 
 Badgly, were practicing here, and he is the only one of the trio remaining. 
 He has worked up a large and lucrative practice, having brought many of 
 his patrons into the world and attended them and their families in all their 
 sickness. He has attended over five thousand births, and three of these were 
 triplets. He is one of the most eminent and skillful physicians in the 
 county, and has the confidence and affection of a large circle, who appreciate 
 his sterling worth. 
 
 He was married June 21, 1853, to Mary AL Hubbell, who died No- 
 vember 2, 1854. He then chose as his helpmeet Miss Phoebe B. Breese, to 
 whom he was joined in wedlock October 14, 1855, and who died October 
 18, 1898. after suffering four years from paralysis, during which time she 
 was speechless and helpless. Her children were Mary E., wife of George 
 H. Haight, attorney: Clara A., wife of G. A. Cope, of Earlville, now a widow; 
 Martin B., who died June 30, 1861, at the age of fifteen months, the result 
 of a scald; and Charles B., who resides in Chicago and is in the railroad
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 285 
 
 business. Dr. Vosburgh has been connected with the drug business for a 
 period of fort}-t\vo years and has been a prominent worker for the advance- 
 ment of Earlville. He was a prime mover for the establishment of the 
 graded-school system in this village and as a member of the board of educa- 
 tion did all in his power to advance the cause of education. He was the 
 president of the \'illage board four or five years and three terms was mayor, — 
 1881-2 and 1893-7. It was during his administration that the water-works 
 was established here. He belongs to the county, state, and National Med- 
 ical Associations, is a Knight Templar, and has filled all the offices in the 
 Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he was a department grand 
 master. He was brought up in the Presbyterian church, to which his wife 
 was devoted and to which he is a liberal contributor, although not a mem- 
 ber. Any religious object is sure of his support and his generosity is never 
 appealed to in vain for a worthy cause. 
 
 MOSES W. GUNN. 
 
 Moses W. Gunn is probably one of the best known and most highly 
 respected residents of LaSalle county, where he has passed his entire life 
 and been prominent in religious work, and is a farmer of intelligence and 
 great executive ability. He was born in LaSalle. Illinois, March 31. 1839, 
 and is a son of Aaron and Nancy (Winters) Gunn, w^ho were closely identi- 
 fied with the growth and prosperity of this community and who will be 
 remembered for their many kindly deeds long after they have passed to 
 their reward. 
 
 M. W. Gunn grew to manhood in LaSalle, attended select schools 
 until seventeen years of age, then entered the public schools and supple- 
 mented this education with a year at Franklin College, at Franklin, Indiana. 
 His education has been broadened by extensive travel in different parts of 
 the United States. Mr. Gunn had a natural and inherited taste for farming 
 and was a valuable help to his father in running his farm. He served ten 
 months as a private in the Eleventh Illinois, Company K, enlisting in the in- 
 fantry during the year 1864 and being mustered out July 14 of the following 
 year, at Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He took part in the battle at Fort 
 Blakely, April 9, 1865, and was in the engagements that took place around 
 Mobile. As a farmer he has won an enviable reputation by reason of his 
 advanced views and modern methods employed by him in conducting his 
 work. He has lately patented a combined fence-wire stretcher, mender, 
 splicer and staple puller, which he is now having manufactured and will
 
 286 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 meet a ready sale as it will supply a need long felt by the builders of wire 
 fence. He is at present trustee of his father's estate. ^ 
 
 Mr. Gunn was united in matrimony May 14, 1889, to Miss Emma J. 
 Richards, of Bureau county, this state. She is a daughter of David and Mary 
 (Althouse) Richards, the former a native of Wales, whence he came to 
 America when a lad of fourteen, and the latter a native of Pennsylvania and 
 a descendant of Holland ancestry. Mr. and Mrs. Gunn are the parents of 
 four children: AVilmer, who died in March, 1893, at the age of three years; 
 Frances Ivy; Carrol; and Emory Loyd. In politics Mr. Gunn is a Prohi- 
 bitionist, and in religion a Baptist, having united with that church at an 
 early age and been reared in a home whose atmosphere was one of true 
 religion. He began preaching in the fall of 1872 as a lay preacher, and has 
 continued the work since, doing a great deal of missionary work among 
 the churches and accomplishing a vast amount of good. He is a speaker of 
 power and influence and is well and favorably known for his untiring devotion 
 to the cause. Personally he is genial and pleasant, an interesting converser, 
 devoted in his friendships, and liberal in his charities. 
 
 CHARLES P. TAYLOR. 
 
 One of the able, enterprising young business men and financiers of 
 LaSalle county is Charles P. Taylor, who is a director of the National City 
 Bank of Ottawa, and is the cashier of the State Bank of Seneca. He pos- 
 sesses qualities which have rapidly brought him to the front and gained for 
 him a reputation as a successful man of affairs, and his numerous friends 
 predict for him a brilliant future in the world of finance. 
 
 Born December 3, 1866, in Rock Island, Illinois, Mr. Taylor is a son 
 of Alfred H. and Sarah (Case )Taylor, who were natives of Vermont and 
 Rock Island, respectively. The mother is a daughter of Charles H. Case, 
 one of the sterling pioneers of the city mentioned, he having settled there 
 in 1827. Among his early friends in that locality was the famous Indian 
 chief. Black Hawk. The parents of Alfred H. Taylor were Rev. Philander 
 and Faithful (Manning) Taylor, the former a native of the Green Moun- 
 tain state, and both of English descent, and highly respected. After a busy, 
 useful life, spent chiefly in Rock Island and Ottawa, A. H. Taylor is now 
 retired, after eighteen years' service as the clerk of the supreme court, his 
 home being in the last mentioned place. 
 
 When he was a lad of about nine years Charles P. Taylor removed to 
 Ottawa with his parents, and there obtained his elementary education in 
 the public schools. After being graduated at the high school of Ottawa he
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 287 
 
 entered the Michigan State University at Ann Arbor, and, after complet- 
 ing the curriculum, was graduated, in 1889. He then went to California 
 with a party of friends on a pleasure trip, thus having the satisfaction of 
 seeing something of this wonderful country before settling down to business 
 life. Upon his return to Ottawa he accepted a position in the employ of 
 the firm of Fisk & Beem, as bookkeeper and cashier, and continued with 
 that house, one of the leading merchant tailoring establishments of the 
 place, for two or three years. When the State Bank at Seneca was or- 
 ganized in 1892 Mr. Taylor was honored by being chosen as its cashier, the 
 other officers being: Thomas D. Catlin, president, and A. P\ Schoch, vice- 
 president. A general banking business is transacted, and from the first 
 the bank has possessed the confidence of the public, largely on account of 
 the high standing and excellent business reputation of its officials, who are 
 gentlemen of unimpeached integrity of character, and for many years have 
 occupied distinguished places among the citizens of Ottawa. 
 
 Socially Mr. Taylor is exceedingly popular, and is connected with sev- 
 eral fraternal organizations. While a college student he was a member 
 of the Sigma Phi, a leading and influential Greek letter fraternity. He 
 now belongs to Occidental Lodge, No. 40, F. and A. M.; Shabbona Chapter, 
 No. 37, R. A. M.; and Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, K. T., in all of which 
 he is highly esteemed. 
 
 In 1894 the marriage of C. P. Taylor and Miss Josephine Porter was 
 solemnised in Ottajwa, and they have a little son and daughter now to 
 gladden their attractive home, the elder being named Sarah and the younger 
 Alfred H., Jr., for his paternal grandfather. Mrs. Taylor is a daughter of 
 J. E. Porter, the well-known manufacturer of agricultural implements at 
 Ottawa. She possesses a superior education and many graces of character 
 and manner^ which endear her to everyone she chances to become acquainted 
 with. 
 
 JOHN J. WITTE. 
 
 The German press of the United States is a power that must always be 
 considered by those who watch the trend of public sentiment. The Ger- 
 man press of Illinois has long been recognized as of first-class ability, and 
 the Central Illinois Wochenblatt, published by J. J. Witte & Son, at Ottawa, 
 long ago attained a standing as one of the strongest German papers in 
 the state, which position it is likely to maintain for many years. 
 
 John J. Witte, editor and publisher of the Central Illinois Wochen- 
 blatt, was born in Colmar, Prussia, August 20, 1845, and came to the United 
 States in 1865. He worked at his trade, that of printer, for four years in
 
 288 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 New York, Milwaukee, Chicago and Springfield, until March 4, 1869, when 
 he came to Ottawa and purchased an interest in the Wochenblatt. For 
 ten years the paper was published by Denhard & Witte, until the death of 
 Mr. Denhard in February, 1879, since which time it has been published 
 by John J. Witte and the firm of J. J. \Mtte & Son. Mr. Witte is a mem- 
 ber of the Masonic fraternity, and is widely known in German newspaper 
 circles throughout the country. 
 
 Edward R. Witte. junior member of the firm of J. J. Witte & Son, was 
 born at Ottawa, April 4, 1874, and attended the schools of that city. He 
 learned his trade in the Wochenblatt office, and was admitted to partnership 
 with his father a few years ago. 
 
 He enlisted in Company M, of the Sixth Infantry, Illinois National 
 Guard (now Company C, Third Infantry), March 29, 1891, and he is now 
 second sergeant of the company. On January 2 he was appointed corporal 
 in said company, and on Alay 3, 1897, he was promoted sergeant. On April 
 2"/ Edward R. Witte enlisted with Company C as quartermaster sergeant in 
 the volunteer army, U. S. A., serving in that capacity throughout the Span- 
 ish war, doing duty on the island of Porto Rico, and was discharged with 
 said company on January 19, 1899. Since then he has again enlisted in 
 Company C, Illinois National Guard, and ranks as quartermaster sergeant. 
 
 The Wochenblatt has been ably edited for nearly thirty-two years by 
 Mr. Witte, and is one of the most influential German papers in Illinois. For 
 twenty-five years it has been the official German paper of LaSalle county, and 
 is widely read throughout this part of Illinois. 
 
 CHARLES H. RATHBUN. 
 
 There is a class of representative American citizens who in the active 
 affairs of life have won continued advancement and gratifying success. No 
 land offers to its people such advantages as does this republic, and through- 
 out the nation are found men who have continually worked their way 
 upward to positions of prominence in military and civic circles and who in 
 the business world have gained positions of distinction where substantial 
 financial reward has awaited them. Such a one is C. H. Rathbun, of 
 Streator, who is now superintendent of the mines of the Star Coal Company 
 and is also the representative of various other important concerns. 
 
 Mr. Rathbun is a native of Steuben county, New York, born in 1846, 
 and is a son of Hubbard S. and Lucretia (Calkins) Rathbun. In tracing 
 the genealogy of the family we find that he is descended from a long line of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 289 
 
 sturdy, intelligent and honorable ancestors, and that in both the lineal and 
 collateral branches representatives have been prominent in the affairs which 
 form the history of the country. The first of the name in America, of whom 
 we have record, was Richard Rathbun, who was born in 1574. He married 
 Marion Whipple, sister of Captain John Whipple, and they had four chil- 
 dred, all sons. So far as we have been able to discover none of them have 
 left issue except John. He was born about the year 1610 and married 
 about 1633. His son John Rathbun (2) was born about 1634 and married 
 Margaret Dodge, a daughter of Tristram Dodge, and their children were 
 Thomas, John, Sarah, William Joseph and Samuel. The father of this family 
 was one of those who on the 17th of August, 1660, met at the house of John 
 Alcock, in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to confer concerning the purchase of 
 Block island. 
 
 John Rathbun (3) was born in Roxbury, Massachusetts, about 1658, 
 and married Ann Dodge, whose father settled on Block island in 1662. Just 
 before his marriage he received from his father a deed to sixty acres of land 
 on Block island, the consideration being "one barrel of pork." From some 
 old records we learn that Great James and his wife (Indians) bound their 
 daughter Betsey to John Rathbun and his wife Ann as an indentured 
 servant for the period of eighteen years, the consideration being "one gallon 
 of rum, one blanket in hand, and for five years afterward one gallon of rum. 
 If she remained five years the said Rathbun to pay four blankets and every 
 third year thereafter." The children of John and Ann Rathbun were Mercy, 
 Jonathan, John, Joshua, Benjamin, Anna, Nathaniel and Thomas. 
 
 Benjamin Rathbun, the fifth member of that family, was born on Block 
 island, February 11, 1701, and became a resident of Escoheag, Rhode 
 Island, but afterward removed to West Greenwich. He was admitted a free- 
 man there in 1737. He was married October 31, 1732, to Hannah Car- 
 penter, and their children were Benjamin, Joshua, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, 
 Hannah and Martha. 
 
 Benjamin Rathbun (2) was born about 1720, was married November 
 II. 1742, to Mary Cahoon. and their children were Daniel, Benjamin, Job 
 and Simeon. Of this family Job Rathbun was born at Colchester, Connecti- 
 cut, in 1748, and married Deborah Welch, who was born in Wales, England. 
 He removed to Howard. Steuben county, New York, in 1808, and there his 
 death occurred May i, 1838, when he had reached the age of ninety years. 
 His wife died at the advanced age of ninety-two. Their children were 
 Washington, Eunice, Russell, Deborah, Lydia, Betsy, Ami Riley, Hubbard 
 W., Alfred, Sarah Ann, Amariah, Dana and Clarissa. 
 
 Hubbard Welch Rathbun. the grandfather of him whose name heads this 
 record, was born about 1790, in New York, was married in 1 810 to Abbie
 
 290 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Saxton, and died in 1859. Their children were Hubbard, Saxton and 
 Abbie. 
 
 Hubbard Saxton Rathbun was born in the Empire state, May 11, 181 1, 
 and was married February 24, 1836, to Lucretia /Vnn Calkins, whose death 
 occurred February 6, 1856. On the 15th of September, 1858, he married 
 Julia Barton, and on the 20th of October, 1861, he was called to his final 
 rest. The children of the first marriage were Helen M., Margelia R., Charles 
 H. and Lucretia. 
 
 Charles H. Rathbun, whose name introduces this review, spent his 
 boyhood days in his native town, and there acquired his preliminary educa- 
 tion, which was supplemented by study in Rochester Seminary and Genesee 
 College, being graduated in the latter institution in the class of 1863. Three 
 years rolled away, at the end of which time the young man determined to 
 seek his fortune in the west. Accordingly he came to Illinois, where he 
 found employment with the Chicago & Iowa Railroad Company, after which 
 he was with the Chicago, Burlington & Northern Railroad Company for 
 several years. He diligently applied himself to the task assigned him, and 
 his marked business and executive ability won him promotion from time to 
 time until he was made auditor, at St. Paul, Minnesota, where he remained 
 for two years. On the expiration of that period he severed his connection 
 with the railroad and came to Streator in 1888 to superintend the mines 
 of the Star Coal Company of this place. In 1881 he had been made sec- 
 retary of the company, and in both capacities he has rendered invaluable 
 service to the corporation. They own and control six mines, some located 
 in other states, and most of these are kept under constant operation. The 
 output of the Streator mines is about two hundred thousand tons annually, 
 a ready sale being found for the product in this locality and in the neighbor- 
 ing metropolis. In addition to this business connection Mr. Rathbun is. 
 secretary of the Streator Mercantile Company, and is a director in the Union 
 National Bank of this place, besides having other investments. 
 
 Some years ago Mr. Rathbun and his family took up their residence in 
 one of the beautiful modern homes of Streator, located on one of the 
 leading avenues of the city. On the 2d of August, 1869, was celebrated 
 the marriage of Mr. Rathbun and Miss Mary M. Dawson, of Rochelle, Illi- 
 nois, who died a few years later, leaving a daughter, Winnifred L., now the 
 wife of William R. Hawkins. They have one son, Charles Rathbun Haw- 
 kins, born February 20, 1898. On the 25th of February, 1881, Mr. Rathbun 
 and Miss Sarah M. Landon were united in marriage, in Oregon, Illinois. 
 Her ancestry can be traced back through many generations to Ezekiel Lan- 
 don and his wife, of Connecticut. Their son Horace married Bethia Jennie, 
 of Connecticut, and one of their children was Horace Landon, Jr., who was
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 291 
 
 born at Collins, Erie county, New York, April 22,, 1820, and married Amelia 
 Agard, June 3, 1847. He died in the town of his nativity, June 6, 1855 and 
 his wife died in Oregon, Illinois, July 20, 1899. Their children were New- 
 ton and Sarah M. The ancestors of Amelia Agard were Joshua Agard, who 
 was born in 1756, married Ruth Needham and lived in Wilmington, Con- 
 necticut. He died January 24, 1830. His son, Joshua Agard, married Lucy 
 Sibley, and lived in Concord, Erie county. New York. Amelia Agard, 
 their daughter, was born in Erie county, New York, November 9, 1822. 
 Joshua Agard, Sr., was a private in Captain Waterman Clift's company, of 
 Plainfield, Connecticut, the Sixth Company of the Sixth Regiment, com- 
 manded by Colonel Samuel Holden Parsons. 
 
 In his political affiliation Mr. Rathbun is a staunch Republican. 
 Socially he is a prominent Mason, being an honored member of Horicon 
 Lodge, No. 244, F. & A. M.; Rochelle Chapter, No. 167, R. A. M., and 
 Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, K. T. That Mr. Rathbun has met success 
 in his business life is indicated by the prominent position which he now occu- 
 pies in commercial and financial circles. His career clearly illustrates the 
 possibilities that are open in this country to earnest, persevering young men 
 who have the courage of their convictions and are determined to be the 
 architects of their own fortunes. When judged by what he has accomplished 
 his right to a first place among the representative citizens of Streator cannot 
 be questioned. 
 
 WILSON CONARD. 
 
 Occupying a leading" position among the prominent and influential 
 farmers of Rutland township, LaSalle county, Illinois, is the subject of this 
 sketch, Wilson Conard, Ottawa, being his post-office address. 
 
 Wilson Conard is a native of the county in which he lives. He was 
 born in Miller township, October 5, 1863, and is a son of the late David 
 W. Conard. The following reference to his father we clip from a local 
 newspaper: 
 
 "One more has been added to the list of pioneers who have passed 
 away. Mr. David W. Conard, who during the last three years has been a resi- 
 dent of Marseilles, died in Ottawa on Monday, April 24, 1899. David 
 Wilson Conard was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, April 7, 1825. At 
 the age of three he accompanied his parents to Licking county, Ohio, where 
 he grew to manhood. At the time this great Mississippi valley region was 
 being rapidly settled, believing he would find here larger opportunities, he 
 started across the country on horseback, and arrived in LaSalle county in
 
 292 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 May, 1844, and continued a resident of this county until his death. For 
 several years after coming here he taught school in winter and worked at the 
 carpenter trade in summer. In 1848 he bought one hundred acres of 
 prairie land north of Marseilles and thus entered upon the work of farming, 
 in which he was unusually successful. As he prospered he added to his 
 original holding of land, until he became the owner of many hundred acres 
 of real estate. He also became connected with banking interests in Mar- 
 seilles and other cities, both east and west. A conservative estimate places 
 his property interests at the time of his death at upward of two hundred 
 thousand dollars. He constantly practiced a rigid economy in matters of 
 personal expense. He was a man of untiring energy and possessed of an 
 almost iron constitution. Until within a few years before his death he did 
 not know what it was to have a day of sickness. His judgment in matters of 
 business was excellent. His investments always turned out well. Although 
 his chances for an education in early life were limited, he improved them 
 so well that he was al^le. as already noted, to do the work of a teacher. Al- 
 though so entirely occupied in the work of farming, he kept himself informed 
 upon the questions of the day. His political convictions were strong and 
 he was able to give to them very intelligent expression. His views were not 
 those of the mere partisan, but rather those of the patriot. It may be said to 
 his praise that he was honest in his business dealings. No part of his large 
 property was won by treachery or fraud. He was considerate toward those 
 who were under obligation to him, and he is kindly remembered and spoken 
 of in this regard by many of them. Mr. Conard was twice married. On 
 June 10, 1849, ^^^ married Barbara DeBolt, who died February 9. 185 1, leav- 
 ing one son. ^"irgil, who grew to manhood, but died in 1892. March 17, 
 1853, he married Elizabeth Grove, a cousin of his first wife, and she and 
 three of her six children remain, — ■Wilson, a farmer of Rutland township; 
 Grant, a lawyer of Ottawa; and Mrs. Samuel Montgomery of Marseilles, 
 Illinois." 
 
 Wilson Conard was reared and educated in his native township and 
 remained a member of the home circle until he reached his majority. Fol- 
 lowing in the footsteps of his father, he is devoting his energies to agricultural 
 pursuits. The first farm he owned he bought at twenty-five dollars per acre. 
 Subsequently selling it for sixty-five dollars an acre, he purchased his present 
 farm of two hundred and forty acres, from his father, D. ^^^ Conard. 
 
 Mr. Conard was married when twenty-three years of age to Miss Mary 
 Batchelor, daughter of George and Christina (Morrison) Batchelor, natives 
 of Scotland, where Mrs. Conard was born. They came to America when 
 Mrs. Conard was a child, and she was reared and educated in Iroquois 
 county, Illinois, being a student of Grand Prairie Seminary. Mr. and Mrs.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 293 
 
 Conard have three children: David Roy, born December 19, 1887; and 
 Laura E. and Anna C, twins, born October 16, 1889. 
 
 The Conard family attend worship at the Methodist Episcopal church. 
 Politically Mr. Conard is a Democrat. 
 
 JAMES CAHILL. 
 
 No more eloquent illustration can be given of the appreciation of the 
 benison bestowed upon its people by a republic than in the respect and 
 admiration given to its self-made men. The history of such an one is always 
 of interest, and the life record usually contains lessons which others may 
 profitably follow. Mr. Cahill sought not the alluring promises of the future, 
 but strove in the present to utilize the opportunities that surrounded him, 
 and thus he won a distinguished position in connection with the great 
 material industries of the state. His efforts were so discerningly directed 
 along well defined lines that he carried forward to successful completion 
 whatever he undertook. A man of distinct and forceful individuality, of 
 broad mentality and mature judgment, he left the impress of his individuality 
 upon the industrial interests of LaSalle county, and while promoting his 
 individual success also contributed materially to the general prosperity. 
 
 Mr. Cahill was a native of county Kerry, Ireland, and was one of a 
 family of five children. His parents died on the Emerald Isle. When a 
 young man he determined to seek a home in the New World, believing it 
 offered superior advantages to those whose advancement in life must depend 
 upon labor. In 1837 he arrived in Peru, Illinois, and with this city was 
 identified throughout the remainder of his life. He entered upon his business 
 career in the humble capacity of a wood chopper, but the work was honest 
 and he was industrious and soon better things offered. He began buying 
 and selling wood, and as his financial resources increased extended the field 
 of his labors, until eventually he became quite an extensive dealer in that 
 commodity. In 1853 he also opened a grocery and general mercantile 
 establishment, which he conducted with marked success to the time of his 
 death. For some time he was a director in the Peru National Bank, and 
 gradually, as opportunity for safe investment offered, he became the owner 
 of extensive realty holdings in LaSalle and in some of the southern counties 
 of Illinois. In 1879 ^'•^ began mining coal, owning the property known as 
 the Cahill coal fields. It was not long before he had built up a thriving 
 trade, and his business necessitated the employment of one hundred and 
 twenty-five men in the mines. He shipped coal in large quantities and at 
 the same time carried on a considerable retail business. Thus year by year
 
 ^94 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 his capital was augmented until he took rank among the wealthy men of 
 the county, and was regarded as one of the leading factors in business 
 circles in northern Illinois. 
 
 In his political views Mr. Cahill was a Dem.ocrat and served for several 
 years as a member of the school board of Peru, but never sought of^ce. 
 His membership in the Catholic Benevolent Society of America covered 
 a period of several years, but before joining the organization he exemplified 
 its spirit in his life. He married Miss Johanna Lee, also a native of Ireland, 
 as were her parents; but her father spent his last years in America. Both 
 Mr. and Mrs. Cahill were consistent members of St. Mary's Catholic church, 
 and were numbered among its first parishioners. By their marriage they 
 became the parents of five children, but two of the number have passed 
 away, those living being Catherine, Cornelius J. and John D. Death did not 
 long separate the parents, for Mrs. Cahill died October 21, 1887, and a month 
 later, on the 24th of November, ]\Ir. Cahill departed this life. 
 
 Cornelius J. Cahill, the elder son, occupies a leading position in con- 
 nection with the business interests of his native county. He was born in 
 Peru, July 18. 1854, and for forty-five years he has resided on one street. 
 He has long been familiar to the people of the town as one of its oldest, 
 most enterprising and public-spirited citizens, and he has carried forth with 
 ability the work which his father began. He was reared in his native town 
 and acquired his education in the public schools and in the parochial school 
 of the Christian Brothers of that town. During the months of vacation and 
 after leaving school he acted as clerk in his father's store until 1879, when 
 his father began his coal-mining operations, which were afterward developed 
 so extensively. In 1881 Cornelius Cahill assumed the superintendency of 
 the mines, and has since remained in charge, so that the success which 
 has attended this important industrial concern is largely attributable to his 
 management. The company now employs about two hundred men and 
 ships coal throughout Illinois and Iowa and quite extensively in other west- 
 ern states; also handles hard coal in large quantities. While the stockholders 
 in the company have gained a handsome competence from the mines, the 
 industry has also proved a very valuable one to the community, furnishing 
 employment to so large a force of workmen. 
 
 On the 5th of November, 1884. 'Sir. Cahill was united in marriage to 
 Miss Bridget Kirby, daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Berry) Kirby, and 
 they noW' have three children, — ]Mary, James and Gertrude. The family are 
 parishioners of St. Mary's Catholic church, of Peru, and in politics Air. 
 Cahill is a stanch Democrat, well informed on the issues of the day. He 
 is not an office-seeker, how-ever, and has persistently refused to accept several 
 important of^ces to which he might have been elected without opposition,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 295 
 
 so great is his personal popularity. His time is devoted to his business 
 interests, the superintendence of the mines, and the management of the 
 estate, being one of its trustees, in connection with his brother. 
 
 The birth of John D. Cahill occurred during the great civil war, June 
 23, 1863. He attended the public schools of Peru, his native town, and later 
 pursued his studies in what was then known as the Seminary of Our Lady 
 of Angels, but now called the Niagara University, on account of its location 
 on the bank of the Niagara river, near the suspension bridge, on the Amer- 
 ican side, ^^'ell equipped with a good education for the duties of life, Mr. 
 Cahill entered his father's store, where he served as a clerk until his father's 
 death, when he took charge of the financial affairs of the estate, the other 
 trustees beine" his brother Cornelius and Michael Flahertv. Thev continue 
 to operate the Cahill coal mines and to carry on the various business enter- 
 prises beg'un by the father, and the volume of business which they control 
 is an indication of the splendid success which is attending their efforts. 
 
 On the nth of October, 1887, was celebrated the marriage of John D. 
 Cahill and Miss Margaret A. Monks, daughter of Joseph Monks. They 
 have two children, James and Zita. The Cahill family is one of the most 
 prominent in Peru, and in social circles its representatives occupy leading 
 positions. Mr. and Mrs. John Cahill are members of St. Mary's Catholic 
 church and he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America and the Catholic 
 Order of Foresters. His political support is unwaveringly given the Democ- 
 racy. No name is better known in connection with the coal-mining interests 
 of Illinois than that of Cahill, and in the development of the "black diamond" 
 districts the owners have not only promoted their individual wealth, but have 
 also added to the general prosperity by advancing commercial activity. 
 
 JONAH HIBBS. 
 
 The subject of this sketch is one of the representative farmers of Grand 
 Rapids township, LaSalle county, Illinois, and has been identified with this 
 place since 1862. A brief review of his life is herewith given: 
 
 Jonah Hibbs was born in Red Stone township, Fayette county, Penn- 
 sylvania, February 15, 1844, and has in his veins a mixture of Scotch, Ger- 
 man and English blood. His father, Jonah Hibbs, Sr., was of Scotch and 
 German descent; his mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Jeffries, was 
 of English extraction — both being natives of Fayette county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, the latter born near Uniontown. In their family were six children, 
 namely: Ann Eliza Walters, of Nebraska; Mary Ann Moss, of New Salem, 
 Fayette county, Pennsylvania; Harriet Galligher, of Des Moines, Iowa;
 
 296 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Clarissa, wife of M. C. Near, died near Des Moines, Iowa; Jacob, who died 
 when young; Lacey, a resident of Grand Ridge, Illinois; and Jonah. The 
 father died in his native county, at the age of sixty-one years; the mother 
 at the time of death was eighty-two. Both were members of the Presby- 
 terian church. 
 
 Jonah Hibbs is the youngest of his father's family. His father being a 
 farmer, he was reared to farm life, his youthful days being passed like those 
 of other boys in the neighborhood, working in the field in summer and at- 
 tending the district school in winter. In 1862, at the age of eighteen, he 
 came to Illinois and engaged in farming with his brother Lacey, in LaSalle 
 county, and was associated with him for a period of ten years. His present 
 farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on section 16, Grand Rapids town- 
 ship, he purchased in 1883. This is one of the desirable farms of the town- 
 ship, is well improved with good buildings, fences, etc., and is under a high 
 state of cultivation, devoted to general farming and stock raising. 
 
 Mr. Hibbs was married January 24, 1884, to Miss Elsie Wakey, who 
 was born and reared in LaSalle county. Mrs. Hibbs' father, William 
 Wakey, who was a native of Germany, came to this country when a young 
 man and located first in Connecticut, coming later to Illinois and settling 
 in LaSalle county, near Ottawa. He was married in this county, Decem- 
 ber 14, 1844, to Miss Elizabeth Hopple, a native of Perry county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, whose parents, Solomon and Sarah (Cramer) Hopple, came to Illi- 
 nois with their family in 1842 and located on Covel creek, in Grand Rapids 
 township, LaSalle county. William Wakey died in 1886. His wife is still 
 living, a resident of Grand Rapids township. She is a Methodist, as also 
 was her husband. For years he was prominent and active in church work, 
 being a class leader and leader of the choir. In the Wakey family were 
 ten children. Mr. and Mrs. Hibbs have one child, a son, William I., born 
 August 22, 1887. Politically Mr. Hibbs gives his support to the Demo- 
 cratic party, and religiously he and his wife are Presbyterians. 
 
 SAMUEL R. LEWIS. 
 
 The career of the Hon. Samuel R. Lewis, of Fall River township, is 
 well worthy of emulation. Faithful and devoted to what he has believed to 
 be right and best, he has thereby won and continues to enjoy the friend- 
 ship and genuine regard of every one, as the direct outcome of his noble 
 life. Now, in the eveningtide of his days, he may look back with few re- 
 grets, for he has ever striven to do his whole duty. 
 
 The Lewis family originated in Wales, and in 1682 was founded in the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 297 
 
 United States by one Henry Lewis, who lived in a small town in Pembroke- 
 shire. After reaching America he lived in Chester county, Pennsylvania, 
 on the west bank of the Delaware river, and was a personal friend of William 
 Penn, who had emigrated to this country in 1681. The family of Henry 
 Lewis, at the time that he came to America, comprised his wife Margaret, 
 two sons and a daughter, and his aged father, Evan Lewis. The grand- 
 father of Mr. Lewis wedded a Miss Hogue, a member of the Society of 
 Friends. 
 
 The parents of S. R. Lewis were Jehu and Rachel (Mills) Lewis, the 
 former born in 1781, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, and the latter, 
 likewise a native of the Keystone state, was the daughter of Henry Mills, 
 a Quaker. For many years after their marriage Jehu Lewis and his wife re- 
 sided in Washington county, Pennsylvania, but in 1833 they removed with 
 their family to Putnam county, Illinois. They settled on what was then 
 called Clear creek, and in 1855 the father was summoned to the silent land. 
 The wife and mother survived many years, dying in April, 1874, when she 
 was laid to rest beside her husband in the Quaker cemetery at Clear Creek, 
 Putnam county. 
 
 Samuel R. Lewis was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, Jan- 
 uary 12, 1 818, and there spent his early years. A very important step in 
 his life was taken, January i, 1842, when he married Miss Ann Eliza Har- 
 ley, born June 13, 1820, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of 
 Rudolph Harley. About a year after his marriage Mr. Lewis removed to 
 the homestead on section 21, Fall River township, which has since been his 
 place of abode. His first purchase was a quarter section of canal land, 
 and, as it was wild prairie, it had to be broken with the plow. In 
 due time industry and persevering toil brought their reward, and Mr. Lewis 
 long ago was considered one of the rich and influential citizens of his town- 
 ship. He invested in more land, from time to time, until he owned six 
 hundred and forty acres. His homestead is finely equipped with substan- 
 tial buildings and all modern conveniences for farming, and on the north 
 side of the road which divides his land there is a splendid growth of timber, 
 and a spring of pure water, which flows freely at all seasons, unaft'ected by 
 the most severe droughts. 
 
 By the union of Samuel R. Lewis and his wife four sons were born, — 
 sons of whom they have just reason to be proud. William R., the eldest, 
 married Miss Ellen Eichelburger, and is a successful farmer and the present 
 supervisor of Grand Rapids township, LaSalle county; Edward C, the sec- 
 ond son, is an attorney at law of Chicago. He was born in LaSalle county, 
 October 5, 1845, and acquired his literary education at Lake Forest, Chi- 
 cago University and Wheaton College. Determining to enter the legal pro-
 
 298 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 fession, he was graduated in 1865 in the Cincinnati Law School. For five 
 years he practiced law, and for twenty years he was engaged in stock raising 
 and breeding thoroughbred cattle and horses. For twelve years he served 
 as a member of the board of supervisors of LaSalle county, and during one- 
 half of that period was chairman of the board. From 1882 until 1890 he 
 was a member of the state board of agriculture of Illinois, and for about 
 three years, from 1882 until 1885, was railway and warehouse commissioner 
 of this state. In 1869 he married Miss Nellie A. Armstrong, daughter of 
 Joel W, Armstrong, of Deer Park township, LaSalle county, and they 
 now have three children: Mrs. Mabel Lewis Kitchen, of Kansas City, 
 Missouri: Samuel R., also of Kansas City; and Julia Isabel, who is still with 
 her parents. Mr. Lewis is now associated with John H. Kitchen in a busi- 
 ness conducted under the name of the American Warming & Ventilating 
 Company, which deals in modern heating apparatus, having a large factory 
 and office in Chicago and a branch office in Kansas City, Missouri. Charles 
 Lewis, the third son of the family, is a graduate of Oberlin College, at Ober- 
 lin, Ohio. He studied law in the of^ce of the firm of Cook, Lawrence & 
 Campbell, of Chicago, and after being admitted to the bar removed to Fergus 
 Falls, Minnesota, where he practiced law for several years, and also served 
 for one term as county attorney. Removing to Duluth, Minnesota, he 
 was elected circuit judge of that district, and has recently been elected to 
 the supreme court of Minnesota. The duties of the ofifice he will assume on 
 the 1st of January, 1900. Samuel Morris Lewis, the youngest of the fam- 
 ily, now has the management of the home farm. He wedded Miss Mary 
 Thomas, daughter of Colonel John Thomas, of Belleville, Illinois, and they 
 have two children: John M. and Sherman, who are students in the Ottawa 
 high school. 
 
 The public services of S. R. Lewis have been marked, redounding great- 
 ly to his credit. In 1857 he was elected to the important position of treas- 
 urer of LaSalle county, in which capacity he served for four years, discharg- 
 ing his duties to the entire satisfaction of all concerned. In 1878 he was 
 elected to represent his county in the state senate, and served through two 
 regular and one extra session. During that time he was a member of 
 several important committees and was chairman of the committee on rail- 
 roads and canals. At various times he has acted as supervisor of his town- 
 ship and occupied the important position of chairman of the county board 
 for four years. To the principles of the Republican party he has been loyal 
 ever since its organization. His first presidential vote was cast in 1840 
 for James G. Birney, the Abolition candidate. He was a delegate to the 
 convention which organized the Republican party in Illinois, in 1854, and 
 has since taken a deep interest and active part in political affairs, but has
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 299 
 
 not stooped to the political chicanery which is, alas! too common at the 
 present day; on the contrary, he has not sought office, and made no slight 
 sacrifice of his personal wishes and inclinations when he assumed the duties 
 to which he was called by his friends and neighbors. Honorable in busi- 
 ness, reliable in positions of public trust, loyal in citizenship, faithful in 
 friendship, over the record of his life falls no shadow of wrong or suspicion 
 of evil. 
 
 FRANCIS M. FISHBURN. 
 
 Francis M. Fishburn, one of the respected citizens of LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, for nearly half a century, was born April 9, 1836, the son of Jacob 
 Fishburn and grandson of Deterich Fishburn, the latter a soldier in the 
 war of 181 2. Jacob Fishburn was a native of Middletown, Pennsylvania. 
 He married Miss Catherine Murray, daughter of Francis Murray, who was 
 of Scotch descent, and in 1840 Mr. and Mrs. Fishburn came west, making 
 the journey, as was the custom in those days, by team. In 1840 Mr. Fish- 
 burn settled in LaSalle county, and here passed the rest of his life and died, 
 his age at death being seventy years. By trade he was a cooper. His 
 good wife lived to the ripe age of seventy-five years. Both were members 
 of the Lutheran church. Of their seven children we record that four are 
 now living, namely: Francis M., whose name forms the heading of this 
 sketch; America, wife of G. W. Klive; Margaret, wife of James Smith; and 
 Benjamin, a resident of South Ottawa. Of those deceased one died in in- 
 fancy, and the other two, James and William, died at the ages of four and 
 two years, respectively. 
 
 Francis M. Fishburn, the direct subject of this review, was a child of 
 four years when brought west by his parents from Pennsylvania. His youth- 
 ful days were passed in assisting his father on the farm and in attending 
 during the winter months the public school. On reaching manhood he 
 engaged in farming on his own account and has devoted his energies to 
 agricultural pursuits ever since. He has a fine farm of two hundred and 
 forty acres, well stocked and improved with first-class buildings, the resi- 
 dence surrounded with shade trees. Everything about the premises, build- 
 ings, fences, etc., and well-cultivated fields, all go to stamp the owner as a 
 man of thrift and enterprise, up-to-date in his farming ideas. 
 
 Mr. Fishburn was married in 1861 to Miss Caroline Hogaboom, daugh- 
 ter of John and Abigail Hogaboom, early settlers of this country. She died 
 in 1873, leaving four children, namely: George H., a resident of Prairie 
 Center township, LaSalle county; Catherine, wife of P. Woods, of Prairie 
 Center township; Francis M., and Harry S., both of Prairie Center town- 
 
 I
 
 300 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 ship. By this marriage there were two other children, deceased: James 
 B. and Wilham, who died at the ages of thirteen and eight years respect- 
 ively. In 1882 Mr. Fishburn married for his second wife ]\Iiss Sarah E. 
 Kain, daughter of William and Catherine (Snyder) Kain. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Kain were natives of Pennsylvania. Air. Kain died in Pulaski county, 
 Illinois, at the age of seventy-two years, and Mrs. Kain is still living, her 
 home being in Ottawa, Illinois, and her age, at this writing, eighty-eight 
 years. In the Kain family were twelve children, six sons and six daughters, 
 nine of whom are now living, viz.: George, of this county; Jacob, who was 
 a soldier in the civil war, a member of the Twenty-sixth Illinois Infantry 
 Volunteers; Catherine, wife of Wallace Herdon, of Ottawa; Sarah, wife 
 of F. M. Fishburn; America, wife of J. A. Townsend, of Ottawa; Joseph, a 
 veteran of the civil war, and now a resident of Jefferson, Arkansas; Simon, 
 a resident of Ottawa; Florence, wife of George Lewis, of Ottawa; and Mar- 
 tin, also of Ottawa. The deceased members were Mary, wife of Andrew 
 Bach, of Ottawa; Eliza, wufe of Frank Frost; and William, a soldier in the 
 One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry in the civil war, who 
 was killed in the battle of Missionary Ridge. 
 
 Mr. Fishburn is politically a Democrat, and fraternahy a Mason. A 
 genial, cordial man, he has many friends throughout the county. 
 
 GEORGE D. LADD. 
 
 George Dana Ladd. one of Peru's most honored and distinguished citi- 
 zens, and for more than two score years connected with numerous local 
 industries and enterprises of this place, came from fine old Puritan stock, 
 and was the embodiment of many of the best traits of that hardy, brave, 
 God-fearing race who nobly withstood the hardships, dangers and privations 
 of bleak New England. 
 
 On the 24th of March, 1633, as the old records show, one Daniel Ladd 
 sailed for America from England; and in the archives of Ipswich may be seen 
 a deed executed to this worthy man entitling him to six acres of ground. 
 Later he was one of the founders of Salisbury and Haverhill, Massachusetts, 
 his death occurring in the town last mentioned. July 27, 1693. He had 
 eight children, of whom the sixth, Nathaniel, had seven children. The 
 eldest was Nathaniel, and his third son, Edward, married Catherine Thing. 
 That worthy couple had a son, Edward, and a son who received his mother's 
 maiden name. Thing. Thing Ladd was the father of fourteen children, of 
 whom Edward, the ninth, married Sophia Gookin. 
 
 George Dana Ladd, the fourth child of Edward and Sophia Ladd, was 
 born in Peacham, Caledonia county, Vermont, June 15, 1833. His father
 
 -t^,
 
 4 
 
 I
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 301 
 
 was a thrifty farmer, intiuential and highly respected in his community; and 
 the mother, whose educational advantages had been better than her hus- 
 band's, was a woman of exceptional ability. She died February 26, 1849, 
 and soon after that sad event our subject left home. Joining his brother 
 Leonard, in Cincinnati, Ohio, they both clerked in a book-store, but within 
 a month after he landed in that city George D. Ladd found that his services 
 as a nurse* were in requisition, as his brother was stricken with the cholera. 
 Though the young man survived, they concluded to return to the old Ver- 
 mont homestead, that his health might be fully restored. 
 
 Agriculture was not well suited to the rather delicate constitution of our 
 subject in his early manhood; indeed, it was commonly believed that he 
 would die with consumption sooner or later. Always a great student, he 
 learned many of his lessons while guiding the plow, and after leaving the 
 district schools he attended the academy, during the winter seasons, at 
 Danville Green, and was successfully engaged in teaching for several terms. 
 He then took up the study of law, was admitted to the bar in 1855, and at 
 once started west to found a home and embark upon his career. For a brief 
 time he resided in Racine, Wisconsin, and there formed the acquaintance of 
 Judge Blanchard, now of Ottawa, whose advice had great weight in induc- 
 ing him to locate in Peru. Coming here in 1856, he established an office and 
 soon had won favorable notice as a lawyer. Naturally he was not fond of 
 legal wars and litigation, and as the years passed his friends were not sur- 
 prised that he gradually dropped out of practice and more and more turned 
 his attention to his various financial investments and outside interests. He 
 was one of the prime movers in the incorporation of the Illinois Valley & 
 Northern Railroad, now a part of the Burlington system, and in its subse- 
 quent construction. His invaluable services in this matter have resulted to 
 the lasting benefit of Peru, and had he accomplished nothing else for the 
 welfare of this locality his name would deserve to live in the annals of the 
 county. 
 
 Space could not be reserved to enumerate in full the many enterprises 
 in which the genius of George D. Ladd found manifestation. During the 
 last years of his busy life he was prominently connected with the Peru Ele- 
 vator Stock Company, and previously he had been active in the organiza- 
 tions of the Peru Water Works and Electric Light Company, the Peru 
 Water & Gas Pipe Company and the Illinois & Wisconsin Live-stock Com- 
 pany, besides many others of lesser note. 
 
 In his political convictions. Mr. Ladd was broad minded, and, posting 
 Iiimself thoroughly upon all the great issues of the day, acted in accordance 
 with the verdict which his judgment returned. For the most part a Demo- 
 crat, he was still so lil)eral and unbiased by party ties that he voted for
 
 302 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Harrison and McKinley, as a matter of principle, believing that the good 
 of the country would be best subserved by their election. Never a seeker of 
 political preferment, upon his own account, he could not disregard the 
 wishes of his fellow citizens, when, in 1886, they honored him with the office 
 of mayor of Peru; but at the end of his two-years term he declined re-elec- 
 tion. He was a true friend of the workingmen, and many a deed of kindly 
 charity and unostentatious assistance did he perform. Quiet and reserved, 
 he found publicity especially distasteful; but his name and fame were such 
 that he was not always able to avoid being brought into prominence. 
 
 In early life he identified himself with the Masonic order and the 
 Presbyterian church. After coming to Peru he joined the Congregational 
 church, from which he afterward withdrew, owing to the fact that a political 
 sermon was delivered from the pulpit, — a thing that offended all of his 
 principles of good taste. In after years he expressed regret to his family 
 that he had severed his connection with the church, but his action in this 
 matter was but an expression of his strong individuality and his inherited 
 belief that church and state should be kept separate, each perfoming its 
 mission in its proper place. Deeply mourned by the whole community, Mr. 
 Ladd passed away at his home in this city, in 1898, at the age of sixty- 
 five years. 
 
 The wife of his youth was a Aliss Lorinda Laird, of Danville, Vermont, 
 and of the two daughters born to them Kate, the elder, now the wife of 
 Thomas F. Bitner, resides in Milwaukee; while the younger, Lora, died 
 when but six years old. Some time subsequent to the death of his first wife, 
 Mr. Ladd wedded Mrs. Louise Banks, who died without children. Li 1875 
 the marriage of Mr. Ladd and Miss Christina Murray was solemnized. 
 Mrs. Ladd, who survives her husband, is a native of Peru, where her father 
 w as a prominent merchant for years, and was one of the early settlers. Both 
 of the parents of Mrs. Ladd, Andrew and Bessie Belle (Buchanan) Murray^ 
 were natives of Scotland, and they are now residents of St. Louis. The 
 eldest son of our subject and wife, George Dana, is now employed in the 
 ore department of the Illinois Zinc Company and stationed at Joplin, Mis- 
 souri; Frank Fenton, the second son, is with the same company; and the 
 younger sons are Andrew Murray and Lester L. 
 
 MILTON B. PEDDICORD. 
 
 Milton B. Peddicord, an energetic and influential farmer of Rutland 
 townsliip, LaSalle county, Illinois, was born in this county, January 22, 
 1857, his parents being E. S. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Peddicord. His 
 father was a Virginian, having been ushered into existence in that state
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 303 
 
 July 9, 1829. He left his native state when a lad, traveling on foot to 
 Licking- county, Ohio, where he remained ten years, going thence to Dela- 
 ware county, that state, where he worked two years. In 1870 he came 
 west to Illinois, and during his life was known as one of the most success- 
 ful business men of LaSalle county. September 20, 1842, he was joined in 
 marriage with Miss Elizabeth Johnson, a native of Ohio. Nine children 
 were born to them, — six sons and three daughters, namely: William D., 
 of Dallas county, Iowa; Lewis E., of Chicago, Illinois; Willis P., who died 
 in boyhood; Charles J. of Miller township; Isabella, deceased; Milton B., of 
 this sketch; Edward P.; Jennie L., of Marseilles, Illinois; and Ami J., of Ne- 
 vada, low'a. 
 
 Milton B. Peddicord was educated in this county, where he grew to 
 manhood and adopted the vocation of farming. He is one of the progressive 
 farmers of the county and takes a pride in the appearance of his property. 
 He was married February 23, 1882, to Miss Clara E. Gibson, daughter of 
 George W. Gibson of this township, and took his bride at once to the 
 farm he now owns. This contains one hundred and sixty acres, and is 
 located one and three-quarters miles from Wedron station. The house in 
 which they formerly resided was replaced in 1896 by a new building of 
 modern architecture, one of the finest country residences to be found in the 
 county. They have two children, — a daughter and a son: Myrtle M., born 
 August 29, 1886, and George E., born May 12, 1890. 
 
 Mr. Peddicord takes an intelligent interest in politics, and is a strong 
 Democrat. He has been an able member of the school board for more 
 than sixteen years, and has lost no opportunity of furthering the cause of 
 education. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and has 
 the respect of the entire community. 
 
 HENRY GLOVER HALL. 
 
 Occupying a representative position among the leading farmers of 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, is the subject of this review, Henry G. Hall, whose 
 postoffice address is W>dron. 
 
 Mr. Hall was born in Ottawa, also in this county, November 29, 1853, 
 and was a son of the late Joseph Hall, of Dayton township, this county, 
 who was one of the pioneer settlers here. He was a native of Binghamton, 
 New York, and in 1836, when a young man of twenty, came west to Illi- 
 nois, niaking the journey by canal to Buffalo and thence by wagon to his 
 destination, Ottawa. He had learned the trade of blacksmith in his native 
 state, and on taking up his residence in Ottawa engaged in work here at
 
 304 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 his trade. Some years after his location here he acquired the property on 
 which the Ottawa postoffice building is now located, and at this point had 
 a shop and conducted a successful business for a number of years. In 
 1857 he purchased a farm in Dayton township, where his etTorts in the direc- 
 tion of cultivating and improving were characterized by that same push 
 and energy that had gained him success at the forge. Soon he became 
 one of the prominent farmers in the township, and such was his life that 
 he won the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. He was married 
 in 1 84 1 to Miss Sarah Bryant Gurley, in Ottawa. Mrs. Hall was born in 
 Hartford. Connecticut, May 23, 1823, and was a daughter of Jason Gur- 
 ley, a cousin of the author, William Cullen Bryant. She was a sister of ex- 
 Congressman John A. Gurley, a Universalist minister of Ohio, and gov- 
 ernor of the territory of Arizona under President Lincoln. Mrs. Hall died 
 in November, 1896, after a residence of over fifty-five years in LaSalle 
 county. Joseph Hall died in 1890, at the age of seventy-four years. Their 
 children are Harriet, wife o'f E. G. Keith, of Chicago; Charles A., engaged 
 in the fruit and insurance business at San Jose, California; Frank G., a 
 wholesale merchant of Chicago; Henry G., whose name heads this sketch; 
 John A., at Hinsdale, Illinois, is an agent for Mr. Phipps, of Phipps & 
 Carnegie; Jason G., at the homestead; Mary L., wife of L. W. Fuller, of 
 Chicago; and Clarence R., connected with the Metropolitan Bank of Chi- 
 cago. 
 
 Henry G. Hall was four years old at the time his father moved to the 
 farm, as above stated, in 1857, and here his youthful days were passed. 
 In 1875 he went to Chicago and became associated with his brother, C. A. 
 Hall, in the commission business. Later he went into the custom house, 
 where for eight years he filled a responsible position. In 1894 he returned to 
 the home of his childhood and resumed farming, taking in charge the home 
 farm, a tract of three hundred and eighty acres, and since that date he has 
 managed farming operations with as much skill and success as though he 
 had never known any other business. Politically he afifiliates with the Re- 
 publican party. He is unmarried. 
 
 JOHN C. AMES. 
 
 If those who claim that fortune favored certain individuals above others 
 will but investigate the cause of success and failure, it will be found tha.t 
 the former is largely due to the improvement of opportunity, the latter to 
 the neglect of it. Fortunate environments encompass nearly every man at 
 some stage of his career, but the strong man and the successful man is he
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 305 
 
 who realizes that the proper moment has come, that the present and not 
 the future holds his opportunity. The man who makes use of the Now and 
 not the To Be is the one who passes on the highway of life others who 
 started out ahead of him and reaches the goal of prosperity far in advance 
 of them. It is this quality in John C. Ames, of Streator, that has made 
 him a leader in the business world of his county and won him a name in 
 connection with commercial and political interests that is known through- 
 out tlie state. He is now occupying the responsible position of United 
 States marshal for the northern district of Illinois, and at the same time is 
 closely allied with the business affairs of Streator. 
 
 A native of LaSalle county, Mr. Ames was born on his father's farm 
 in Freedom township, July 17, 1852, his parents being Isaac and Arilla 
 (Mooar) Ames, natives of Maine and pioneer settlers of LaSalle county, 
 where they took up. their abode in 1848. In the usual manner of farmer 
 lads, among richly cultivated fields and verdant meadows, Mr. i\mes spent 
 his youth, assisting in the labors of the farm through the sunmier months, 
 while in the winter season he attended the district school of the neighbor- 
 hood. Subsequently his educational privileges were extended by a two- 
 vear course in the Illinois State Normal School, at Normal. On laying 
 aside his text-books in 1872, in order to learn the more difficult lessons in the 
 school of experience, he joined John Dickerman in the drug business in 
 Streator, under the firm name of Dickerman & Ames. The following year, 
 however, he sold his interest, and in 1873 engaged in the hardware business 
 in connection with his father, under the firm style of I. Ames & Son, 
 which connection was continued until 1875, '^vhen their store was destroyed 
 by fire. The subject of this sketch then resumed business alone and be- 
 came the proprietor of an extensive hardware store, which brought to him 
 a handsome income. He conducted it successfully until the ist of -July, 
 1885, when he disposed of his stock in order to give his attention more 
 entirely to the lumber business, in which he had embarked in 1878. In 
 that year he organized the J. C. Ames Lumber Company, of which he is 
 still president, and under his able direction the enterprise has been carried 
 forward, vielding a handsome return to the stockholders. 
 
 Mr. Ames has by no means limited his efforts to one line of undertak- 
 ing, but has been a promoter of many enterprises which have contributed 
 not only to his personal prosperity, but have also advanced the general 
 welfare through the promotion of commercial activity. He was one of the 
 incorporators of the Plumb Hotel Stock Company, and was made a member 
 of its board of directors. He was also a director and vice president of the 
 Streator Loan & Building Association, which was organized in 1874. In 
 1891 he organized the City National Bank of Streator, and remained its
 
 3o6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 presicknt until he resigned his position to take that of United States marshal, 
 to which he had been appointed by President McKinley. 
 
 With the growth of the city Mr. Ames grew' in influence, affluence and 
 in public esteem, and not only became a leader in commercial circles, but was 
 also called into prominence in political life and ably fulfilled many public 
 trusts reposed in him. He has filled many local offices, has been alderman 
 and county supervisor, and in April, 1885, was elected mayor of Streator, 
 which position he filled for two terms, when he declined a third nomination. 
 His administration was at once practical, progressive and beneficial, he 
 using his official prerogatives for the substantial improvement and advance- 
 ment of the city. Under Governor Fifer he served as one of the canal com- 
 missioners of Illinois for four years, and by President McKinley he was 
 appointed to his present position of United States marshal for the northern 
 district of Illinois. This w^as an honor well merited, for he has not only 
 been a recognized leader in the ranks of the Republican party in the state for 
 many years, but also in every official position which he has filled he has dis- 
 charged his duties in a manner which has won him the highest commenda- 
 tion bv reason of his fidelity to duty and his faithfulness to the trust reposed 
 in him. 
 
 On the 2d of March, 1875, Mr. Ames was united in marriage to Miss 
 Minnie Ross, a daughter of John and Elizabeth (Hunter) Ross, of Lacon, 
 Illinois. They have one child living, Isaac Carlos, now doing service for 
 his country in the Philippine islands. One daughter, Aurelia Elizabeth, died 
 at the age of fourteen months, and a son, Walter Cope, died December 
 28, 1895. at the age of eleven years. In Streator, where they have so long 
 made their home, Mr. and Mrs. Ames are held in the highest regard, and 
 their residence is the center of a cultured society circle. In his social relations 
 Mr. Ames is connected wath the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Streator 
 Lodge, No. 607, F. and A. M., to Streator Chapter, No. 147, R. A. M., and 
 to Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, Knight Templars. He is a man of fine 
 personal appearance, of courteous deportment and social disposition, and, 
 above all, of that sterling worth of character which wins recognition every- 
 where and commands respect in every land and every clime. 
 
 OLE ERICKSON. 
 
 Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, includes among its well- 
 known citizens the subject of this sketch, Ole Erickson, who has for three 
 years figured in the public capacity of road commissioner, and who during 
 this time has not only extended his accpiaintance throughout the township.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 307 
 
 but also has won the confidence and favor of those with whom he has come 
 in contact. 
 
 As his name suggests, Mr. Erickson is a Norwegian. He was born 
 in Norway, January 12, 1852, a son of George and Winnie (Clarkson) Erick- 
 son, who were the parents of seven children. Two of this number, Rjestine 
 and Maria, are deceased. Those living are Ole, the direct subject of this 
 review; Julia Jacobson, a resident of Lee county; and Bertha, Carrie and 
 Mina, in Norway. 
 
 On his emigration to this country Ole Erickson located first in Fillmore 
 comity, Minnesota, where he remained for five months, at the end of that 
 time coming to LaSalle county, Illinois, which has since been his home. In 
 1879 he purchased his present farm, one hundred and twenty acres, in Miller 
 township, which he has improved with a modern residence, other good build- 
 ings, etc., and has since that date devoted his energies to the cultivation of 
 his broad acres. 
 
 The same year he purchased his farm Mr. Erickson took to himself 
 a wife. Mrs. Erickson, formerly Miss Caroline Anderson, is a native of 
 Miller township, LaSalle county, and a daughter of Andrew Anderson, de- 
 ceased. They have five children: Celia, Florence, Olive, George and Alice. 
 Also they have three children deceased, all having died in infancy. Their 
 daughter. Miss Olive, is an accomplished musician, and Celia is a successful 
 teacher. 
 
 Mr. Erickson is a Democrat. Besides filling the ofifice of road com- 
 missioner, above referred to, he has for nine years been a member of the 
 school board. He is identified with the Lutheran church, while his wife be- 
 longs to the Church of Latter Day Saints. 
 
 D. H. WICKWIRE. 
 
 Since 1867 the subject of this sketch, D. H. Wickwire, has been a resi- 
 dent of LaSalle county, Illinois, and since that time has owned and occupied 
 his present farm near Ottawa, As one of the representative men of the 
 county, some personal mention of him is appropriate in this work. 
 
 D. H. Wickwire was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, January 
 3, 1844, the home of the distinguished Henry Ward Beecher, and his talented 
 sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, and comes of English ancestry, his grandsire, 
 Daniel Wickwire, having been one of the early settlers of Connecticut. 
 Chester Wickwire, the father of D. H., was born in Connecticut, May 27, 
 1810, and passed his life and died there, his death occurring in 1887, at the 
 age of seventy-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Miss Mary
 
 3o8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 A. Harrisson, was born October 2, 1816, and is still living. To them were 
 born seven children, six of whom reached adult age, namely: Jennie Smith, 
 of Cortland county, New York; D. H., whose name introduces this sketch; 
 Julia J.; L. C; Eugene, of Berkshire county, Massachusetts; and Gertrude 
 Hornbeck, of Falls Village, Connecticut. 
 
 D. H. in his boyhood attended the district and "select" schools of the 
 neighborhood in which he was reared, and, his father being a dairy farmer, 
 the boy found plenty of work to do at home when he was not in school. 
 In the fall of 1867 he came to Illinois, and settled in LaSalle county, and has 
 since been operating a dairy farm. 
 
 Mr. Wickwire was married in 1871 to ]\Iiss Isabella Grove. Her father, 
 David Grove, was a native of Ohio, and was for many years a prominent 
 citizen of LaSalle county, where he died in 1880. Mrs. Wickwire's mother, 
 before marriage Miss Amanda Houser, was a native of Licking county, 
 Ohio. She died in August, 1849, leaving seven children, six of whom are 
 living, as follows: Elizabeth, widow of D. W. Conard; Catherine Grove, 
 of LaSalle county; Samuel, also of this county; George, of Ottawa, Illinois; 
 Isabella; and Eliza, wife of William Chapman, of Freedom township, La- 
 Salle county. Mr. and Mrs. Wickwire have had two children: Gertrude, 
 born October 26, 1882, died in May, 1885; and Herbert G., born October 18, 
 1876, is at home with his parents. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Wickwire are identified with the Congregational church, 
 and politicall}^ he is a Republican. 
 
 URIAH T. SMITH. 
 
 Uriah T. Smith, proprietor of the livery, sale and feed stables located 
 at the corner of Washington and Rose streets, near the railroad station, 
 in Marseilles, Illinois, has been successfully engaged in business in this city 
 for a number of years. His livery barn is a spacious brick structure, sixty 
 by one hundred feet in dimensions, and is well stocked with a large number 
 of good horses and an assortment of carriages, cabs, etc. The business as 
 conducted by Mr. Smith is a successful one, and both as an enterprising 
 and up-to-date business man and as a public-spirited citizen does the pro- 
 prietor of this establishment merit mention in the present work. 
 
 Uriah T. Smith was born at Starruca, Wayne county, Pennsylvania, 
 November I, 1826, and was reared in his native state. His father, Uriah 
 Smith, was the son of a Revolutionary soldier and Vvas born on Long Island, 
 New York. He married Miss Sarah Wyant, a native of Orange county. 
 New York, and their union was blessed in the birth of ten children, five sons
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 309 
 
 and five daughters, four of whom are still living, namely: Michael, a resi- 
 dent of Waymont, Pennsylvania; Uriah T., whose name forms the heading 
 of this sketch; Wesley T., first lieutenant of the Sixteenth Kansas Infantry 
 during the civil war, and now a resident of Amboy, Illinois; and Sarah Cur- 
 tis, who resides in Sherman, Pennsylvania. The father of this family died in 
 Pennsylvania, on the old homestead, and the mother passed away at Mound 
 City, Linn county, Kansas. 
 
 In his young manhood Uriah T. Smith was employed in the lumber 
 trade, running rafts down the Delaware river. He remained in Pennsylvania 
 until 1857, when he came west and located in Missouri, where he resided at 
 the time of the civil war. He enlisted as a member of Company C, Sixth 
 Kansas Infantry, and served for eighteen months under Colonel Jamison. 
 
 In the meantime, June 14, 1853, before he left the east, which was in 
 1857. he was married, in Pennsylvania, to Miss Amanda C. Hale. She 
 died in 1869, leaving a family of seven children, namely: Sophronia, Allie, 
 Fanny, Emma, Luella, Wesley and Uriah W. Luella is now a resident 
 of Montana and Wesley lives in Boone, Iowa. October i, T871, Mr. Smith 
 was a second time married, Joicy Deem becoming- his wife. They have two 
 children, Gertrude and Forrest E. In politics Mr. Smith is a Republican. 
 
 JOHN RINKER. 
 
 Among the worthy citizens that Germany has furnished to the New 
 World is John Rinker, who resides near Marseilles. He is now numbered 
 among the early settlers of LaSalle county and at all times he has been 
 loyal to his adopted land, having faithfully served in the Union army during 
 the civil war, while in days of peace he displays the same fidelity to duty 
 which marked his career upon the battle-fields of the south. 
 
 Born in the Fatherland, Octol^er 17, 1840, he is a son of Christian and 
 Frederica Rinker. His mother died when he was only six years of age, 
 leaving five children, namely: Charles, who was a soldier in the war of 
 the Rebellion and is now living at Marseilles; Fred, who also followed the 
 Stars and Stripes during the period of civil strife, and is now a resident of 
 Hastings, Nebraska; John, of this review; Christian, who is living in LaSalle 
 county; and Frederica, deceased. After the death of his first wife the father 
 was again married, and by the second union also had five children: William, 
 who is living in Great Bend, Kansas; Henry, whose home is near Papillion, 
 Nebraska; Nancy, deceased; Mrs. Jane Shobert. of Nebraska; and Mrs. 
 Lizzie Seybold. who is living near Papillion, Nebraska. In 1853 Christian
 
 3IO BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Rinker left his native land and with his family sailed from Antwerp, Belgium. 
 After a voyage of sixty-seven days he landed at New York and at once 
 proceeded to Chicago, whence he made his way to Ottawa. He then pur- 
 chased forty acres of land on section 25, Grand Rapids township, seven 
 miles from Ransom, and there carried on agricultural pursuits until his 
 death, which occurred in 1898, when he had reached the advanced age of 
 eighty-eight years. 
 
 John Rinker has resided in LaSalle county since he was thirteen years 
 of age, and has long been a prominent representative of its agricultural 
 interests. Amid the fields and verdant meadows his youth was passed and he 
 was early trained to the practical work of the farm. When the country 
 became involved in civil war and President Lincoln issued his call for three 
 hundred thousand men, with a marked spirit of patriotism he offered his 
 services to the government, August 12, 1862, and was assigned to Company 
 D, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, under the command of 
 Captain Collins and Colonel Moore. During the battle at Hartsville, Ten- 
 nessee, he was taken prisoner, but was soon afterward exchanged and 
 participated in the battles of Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge. On the 
 20th of July, 1864, he was wounded by a bullet which lodged in his right 
 ankle, and was sent to the hospital at Nashville. In June, 1865, he was hon- 
 orably discharged and with a creditable military record he returned to 
 his home to resume the peaceful vocations of civil life. 
 
 In 1869 Mr. Rinker was united in marriage to Miss Minnie Sunder- 
 ifian, daughter of Simon Sunderman, a native of Germany. Fourteen chil- 
 dren were born of their union, seven sons and seven daughters, and thirteen 
 of tht rtumber are still living, as follows: John, Lizzie, Polly, Ernest. Ed- 
 win. Euirna. Paul, Bert. August, Minnie, Herman. Ida and Ralph. A little 
 daughter. Kitty, died at the age of two years and nine months. The mother 
 of this family *<'as called to her final rest May 3, 1893. and in 1896 Mr. 
 Rinker was agam married, his second union being with Mrs. Ellen S. 
 Wormley, widow ot John \\'ormley. She is a native of Pennsylvania, and a 
 daughter of B. Bolhouser. 
 
 Throughout his busin«fss career Mr. Rinker has carried on agricultural 
 pursuits, and is to-day the owner of a valuable farm of two hundred and 
 forty acres, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, and yields to 
 the owner a golden tribute in return for the care and labor he bestows upon 
 it. The place is improved with a good residence, two large barns and other 
 substantial outbuildings, and the latest improved machinery facilitates and 
 lightens the farm labor. Mr. Rinker gives his political support to the Repub- 
 lican party, and as every true American citizen should do keeps well informed 
 on the issues of the day. For many years he has held the of^ce of justice
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 311 
 
 of the peace, discharging his ditties in a most creditable manner. He and 
 his family attend the Methodist church and are people of the highest respecta- 
 bility, who enjoy and merit the confidence and regard of their friends and 
 neighbors. 
 
 JESSE GROVE. 
 
 Jesse Gro\-e, a well-known and influential citizen of Rutland township, 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, is a son of Joseph Grove, deceased, one of the early 
 settlers of that township. Joseph Grove was born in Licking county, Ohio, 
 December 28, 1806, a son of John and Barbara (Lineberger) Grove, the 
 former a native of Virginia. The Linebergers were of German origin. In 
 1829, when a young man of twenty-three years, with a spirit for adventure 
 and a desire to see something of the world, Joseph Grove made the journey 
 on horseback from Ohio to Fort Dearborn (Chicago) and also visited 
 other points in Illinois, and in 1835 he located on the farm in Rutland town- 
 ship where our subject now lives. Here, on the 28th of June, 1838, he 
 married Miss Elma N. Jackson, who was born January 23, 181 5, a native of 
 Pennsylvania and a daughter of Jesse Jackson, one of the pioneers of 
 LaSalle county, locating here in 1836. With the passing years sons and 
 daughters to the number of ten came to bless the home of Joseph and Elma 
 N. Grove. Of this number six are still living, as follows: Jesse, the direct 
 subject of this sketch; Lucien J., of Miller township, LaSalle county; 
 Elmira, wife of George Pitzer, of Rutland township, this county; Samantha, 
 wife of Wakefield Apling, of Wichita, Kansas; Mary, wife of H. L. Loring, 
 of Miller township; and Clara E., also of Miller township. The four children 
 deceased were: Minerva, who died in childhood; Jeremiah, a Union soldier, 
 who died during the civil war; David L., who died in South America; and 
 John, who died in Nevada, Boone county, Iowa, leaving a widow and two 
 children. Joseph Grove, the father, died December 28, 1858, at the age 
 of fifty-two years. In the very prime of life his health was broken by exposure 
 and the hardships incident to pioneering. The mother died January 21, 
 1873, at the age of fifty-eight years. She was a member of the Methodist 
 Episcopal church from her girlhood till the time of her death and her life 
 was of an exemplary Christian character. 
 
 Jesse Grove was born on his father's farm in LaSalle county, January 
 29. 1 84 1. His boyhood was passed in attending the district school and the 
 Ottawa high school, and his adult years have been devoted to agricultural 
 pursuits. The farm on which he resides is located near Wedron Station, 
 six miles northeast of Ottawa, and comprises a valuable tract of three hun-
 
 312 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 dred and sixty-eight acres, where he carries on general agriculture, consider- 
 able attention being given to a high grade of Durham and Holstein cattle. 
 
 February 15, 1877, Mr. Grove was married to Miss Louise Parr, a 
 native of Manlius township, LaSalle county. She was born May 6, 1850, a 
 daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Parr, early settlers of the county, both now 
 deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Grove were born two children: Joseph Roy, 
 born May 2y, 1878; and Everett, who died at the age of three months. 
 The wife and mother died April 20, 1880, at the age of thirty years. She 
 was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, was a most estimable 
 woman in every respect, and her early death was a source of sorrow not 
 only to her immediate family but also to a large circle of friends. 
 
 Politicallv y\\-. Grove is a Democrat. 
 
 DAVID H. SLAGLE. 
 
 An honored veteran of the civil war and a faithful employe in the mail 
 service of the nation, David Henry Slagle well deserves mention among the 
 representative citizens of Marseilles. He was born at Delta, Fulton county, 
 Ohio, March 23, 1843, the eldest son of Henry and Caroline Slagle, whose 
 family numbered five children, — three sons and two daughters. The father 
 was a native of Little York, Pennsylvania, and the mother, who bore the 
 maiden name of Caroline Hobart, was born at Pulteney, Steuben county, 
 New York. Their children were Mary, who died in infancy; Elizabeth E., 
 David H., Oscar and James. During the Mexican war Henry Slagle en- 
 listed in the country's service, becoming a member of Company A, Fifth 
 Regiment of Ohio Volunteers, commanded by Colonel Morgan. When 
 the war was ended and the regiment was on the way home, he was taken ill 
 and died in Cincinnati, Ohio, leaving a widow and four children. 
 
 David H. Slagle, the subject of this review, after his father's death, was 
 adopted by George Gallaher, a man of strict Presbyterian faith, living near 
 Delta, Ohio. Li May, 1851, with Mr. Gallaher he came to Illinois, locating 
 in the vicinity of Marseilles, in Manlius township.* He entered school in 1852, 
 pursuing his education in the old log school-house south of the Christian 
 church, on section 3, Manlius township. Among his fellow students at that 
 time was Dwight M. Sabin, afterward United States senator from Minnesota. 
 Mr. Slagle was eighteen years of age at the time of the inauguration of the 
 civil war, and was clerking in the store of William W. Richey, of Marseilles. 
 When the secessionists of the south attempted to drag the flag of the Union 
 in the dust and rend in twain the nation, and men came from work-shop, 
 factory, the counting-room and the offlce to do battle for the starry banner 
 and the cause it represented, Mr. Slagle also offered his service. \\'ith five
 
 iJavicil JK Sia£fle,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 313 
 
 or six of his friends, young men, he was the first from the vihage to enhst 
 in the three-months service, 1)ecoming a member of Captain Charles Hough- 
 taHng's battery of light artillery, which was organized at Ottawa, Illinois, 
 April 19, 1 86 1. His name was carried on the roll as Henry Slagle. 
 
 On the same day the battery left for the war, arriving at Cairo, Illinois, 
 April 22. This organization became Company F, Tenth Illinois Infantry, 
 and during its term of enlistment did service at Cairo. While Mr. Slagle 
 was in the three-months service, Hon. B. C. Cook, a representative in 
 congress, assured Captain Houghtaling that any young man of his company 
 that he would recommend from his battery would be named to the secretary 
 of war for appointment as a cadet at the West Point Military Academy. 
 Mr. Slagle was recommended and strongly urged to accept the appointment, 
 but declined, and a few weeks later, on the 27th of August, 1861, re-entered 
 the service as a member of Company K, Thirty-ninth Regiment, Yates 
 Phalanx, Illinois Volunteer Infantry. The company was recruited at Mar- 
 seilles to serve for three years or during the war and was under command 
 of Captain Joseph Woodruff. Mr. Slagle was promoted to the rank of 
 sergeant at Benton Barracks, Missouri, October 19, 1861, and served for 
 three vears, after which he re-enlisted at Hilton Head, South Carolina. His 
 W'-as no temporary loyalty, and throughout the entire struggle he remained 
 at the front, faithfully defending the cause he loved on the battlefields of the 
 south. 
 
 In 1862, while the regiment was at Harrison's Landing, Virginia, Mr, 
 Slagle was one of ten detailed from the regiment to return to IlHnois on 
 recruiting service. After performing that duty he rejoined his command 
 at New'bern. North Carolina, and soon entered upon the year's cam- 
 paign in South Carolina. He participated in the battles in front of 
 Charleston, and the regiment then returned to the front of Richmond, where 
 he took part in the many engagements that occurred in that vicinity in the 
 summer of 1864. On the 13th of October of that year the First Brigade, 
 First Division, Tenth Army Corps, made an advance on the works in front 
 of Richmond and executed a notable charge on a line of works at Darby- 
 town Cross Roads. In that charge, while climbing the abattis of the works. 
 Sergeant Slagle was wounded and taken prisoner, and in the same engage- 
 ment his brother James was wounded, but not captured. His regiment with 
 two hundred and fifty men in line lost seventy. While a prisoner our subject 
 was confined in Castle Thunder prison, just across the street from Libby 
 prison, but being wounded he was held only -for a few days, after which he 
 was paroled and sent down the James river to Annapolis, Maryland, to 
 the St. John's College Hospital. In January, 1865, with one hundred and 
 fifty other wounded soldiers, he was placed on board a steamer to be trans-
 
 314 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 ferred to the hospital at Baltimore. A steamer usually made the run up the 
 Chesapeake bay in two hours and consequently carried no provisions and 
 but few men to care for the wounded; but on this trip the boat became 
 lodged in the ice in the middle of the bay and was forced to remain there for 
 two days and two nights in the bitter cold of winter. The Eleventh Indiana 
 Infantry, at Baltimore, twenty-seven miles distant, volunteered to rescue the 
 imperiled men, and every soldier on skates and drawing a hand sled made 
 of board went to the steamer, whence they transferred the wounded, on 
 a terribly cold night, to the shore, four miles distant. From Baltimore our 
 subject was sent to Wilmington, Delaware, and on to Philadelphia, where 
 he was discharged from the United States service when orderly sergeant, on 
 account of a severe wound in the joint of the right ankle. This necessitated 
 his use of crutches for nearly a year after his return home, where he arrived 
 in June, 1865. 
 
 During the following fall Mr. Slagie attended Bryant & Stratton's Com- 
 mercial College, at Chicago. On the 6th of March, 1866, he was appointed 
 postmaster at Marseilles, Illinois, the salary being then twenty dollars per 
 month for service, office, fuel and lights. On the loth of December, 1872, 
 the office became presidential in the character of appointment, and Mr. 
 Slagie was commissioned postmaster by President Grant; January 21, 1878, 
 by President Hayes; and January 30, 1882, by President Arthur, serving 
 until April i, 1886, when E. Barber became his successor, by an appoint- 
 ment made by President Cleveland. For one year he served as deputy under 
 Mr. Barber, making a continuous service in the office of twenty-one years. 
 
 On his retirement he accepted the position of bookkeeper for the firm 
 of Bruce & Barron, bridge contractors, with whom he remained for two 
 years. In February. 1889, he took the United States civil service examina- 
 tion, and on the 5th of June, of that year, received an appointment as railway 
 postal clerk on the Chicago. Dunbar & Dubuque Railway post-office, run- 
 ning between Chicago and Dubuque, Iowa. In February, 1890, he was 
 transferred to the Chicago & West Liberty Railway post-office, running 
 between Chicago and West Liberty, Iowa. 
 
 Socially Mr. Slagie has long been a Mason, having become a member 
 of Marseilles Lodge, No. 417, F. & A. M., in 1868. He has been very promi- 
 nent in the work of the order and has served as treasurer, secretary, warden 
 and master of the lodge. On the 21st of February, 1873, he was exalted ta 
 the august degree of Royal Arch Mason in Shabbona Chapter, No. 37; 
 and on the 20th of November,. 1873, he received the orders of knighthood 
 in Ottawa Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar. He was again con- 
 nected with the military service of the state, when on the 30th of March,. 
 1876. he was commissioned by Governor John L. Beveridge second lieuten-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 315 
 
 ant in the Marseilles Light Guards, Third Regiment Illinois National 
 Guards, in which capacity he served until Septemher 21, 1877, when he 
 resigned. 
 
 At the organization of Joseph Woodruff Post, No. 281, G. A. R., on 
 the 13th of February, 1874, he was elected ofificer of the day; in 1887 was 
 elected adjutant; and on the 7th of April, 1895, was elected commander. 
 
 In politics he is a stanch Republican, and in June, 1874, he served as a 
 delegate from LaSalle county to the state convention at Springfield. On 
 the 13th of August, 1879, he ivas a delegate from LaSalle county to the con- 
 gressional convention at Morris, Illinois. In 1866 he was made clerk of the 
 corporation of the village of Marseilles, in 1867 was clerk of the town of 
 Manlius, and in all these different positions, social, civil, military and political^ 
 he has ever been most faithful to the trust and confidence reposed in him. 
 
 Mr. Slagle was married October 20, 1864, to Miss Hattie Juckett, of 
 Coldwater, Michigan, who died August 8, 1875, on which date their infant 
 son also passed away. On the 21st of December, 1876, Mr. Slagle was 
 joined in wedlock to Mrs. Lucy M. Fleming, of Marseilles. Their only 
 child, Bessie D., died November 21, 1880, at the age of three years, one 
 month and four days; and the mother's death occurred April 7, 1895. On 
 the 2 1st of April, 1897, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Slagle and Miss 
 Lillie L. Conkling, the wedding ceremony being performed by the Rev. A. H. 
 Laing, at Joliet, Illinois. The lady is a native of Delphos, Ohio, and a 
 daughter of Dr. Samuel F. Conkling. On the 7th of April, 1898, a son was 
 born to them, David Henry, Jr. 
 
 Such in l)rief is the life history of one of Marseilles' most prominent and 
 esteemed citizens. His life has been an honorable and upright one, and he 
 is to-day as true to his duties of citizenship as when he followed the starry 
 banner upon the battle-fields of the south. 
 
 EMANUEL DAVIS. 
 
 Numbered among the enterprising, public-spirited citizens of Streator 
 for many years, Mr. Davis has aided many industries w'hich have proved of 
 benefit to the place, and has upheld all movements of progress. Recognized 
 as a man of unusual ability and genius, he has been called upon to occupy 
 various official positions of responsibility and importance, and has ably 
 and conscientiously discharged the duties pertaining to these offices. 
 
 Born in the city of Birmingham, England, March 2, 1863, our subject 
 is a son of Joseph and Mary A. (Fellows) Davis, likewise natives of that 
 country, where they have always dwelt. When he was eigliteen years of
 
 c.i6 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 age, Emanuel Davis began making plans to come to the United States, and 
 took up the trade of mason. In 1882 he arrived in New York city, whence 
 he proceeded to Chicago, where he found plenty of employment. For about 
 one year he worked at the gas-tube foundry, and in 1883 came to Streator. 
 Here he has been busily engaged in contracting and building, undertaking 
 all kinds of brick work and plastering; and many of the dwellings, churches 
 and stores of this place stand as evidences of his skill and handiwork. For 
 several years he was associated with D. L. Thomas as a member of the firm 
 of Davis & Thomas, but this connection was dissolved by mutual consent, 
 and Mr. Davis has carried on the business alone. For six years he was a 
 director of the German Building & Loan Association, after which he was 
 elected president of the Ninth Branch of the Illinois Bureau of the Brick- 
 layers and Masons' International Union, and at present is serving as financial 
 secretary of the organization. 
 
 Zealous in the Republican party, Mr. Davis is a political factor of con- 
 siderable influence in Streator and vicinity, and has been elected twice to 
 the responsible post of alderman, representing the sixth ward in the city 
 council. Fraternally he is a member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, 
 Modern Woodmen and Foresters of America. In August, 1888, Mr. Davis 
 married Rosalia Aaron, a daughter of James Aaron, of Cornell, Illinois, and 
 two promising sons bless their union, namely: Lincoln Earl and Orville 
 Erwin. They have a pleasant home and many sincere friends here and 
 elsewhere. 
 
 JOHN A. HANNA. 
 
 A worthy representative of a sterling pioneer family of Grand Rapids 
 township, LaSalle county. John A. Hanna was born in Putnam county, this 
 state, January 16. 1856. His father. Joseph M. Hanna, long one of the 
 prominent citizens of this county, was a native of W'ashington county, 
 Pennsylvania, born in 1826. a son of Alexander Hanna, of the same state. 
 During the gold excitement in 1849 he, then an ambitious young man, 
 started on the long and dangerous journey across the plains to CaHfornia, 
 going by way of the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers to St. Joseph, 
 where the five-months trip overland was begun. Arriving at his destination, 
 he engaged in gold-mining for two years, with fair success, and then returned 
 home by way of the Isthmus of Panama. 
 
 An important step in the life of J. M. Hanna was his marriage to Miss 
 Permelia, daughter of John Thompson, of Pennsylvania. She was a devoted 
 helpmate, sharing his joys and sorrows, and now. the most arduous labors 
 of her life completed, she is passing her declining years at her pleasant home
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 317 
 
 in South Ottawa. Mr. and Mrs. Hanna removed to this state in 1853, and, 
 after living in Putnam county for a few years, permanently located in this 
 township. Here he improved a farm, developing wild land into a fertile, 
 well cultivated homestead, and at the time of his death he was the owner of 
 five hundred and sixty acres. He was the president of the Grand Rapids, 
 Brookfield & Fall River Home Insurance Company, a director of the First 
 National Bank of Marseilles, a member of the board of supervisors, and 
 township school treasurer for eighteen years. Industry, patience and in- 
 domitable energy were among his chief characteristics, and justice in word 
 and deed marked all of his transactions. He died November 4, 1890, in 
 Colorado, whither he had gone in the hope of benefiting his failing health, 
 and was buried in the cemetery at South Ottawa. His only daughter, Flor- 
 ence, wife of Elwood Peddicord, is deceased, and his second son, Elmer 
 Ellsworth, died in childhood. Irwin I., the youngest, is a successful attorney 
 at law in Ottaw'a. 
 
 In his early years John A. Hanna mastered the details of farming, and 
 was of great assistance to his father in the improvement of the old home- 
 stead. After finishing his district school education, he attended the National 
 Normal at Lebanon, Ohio, and then took up the study of law, being admitted 
 to the bar in 1887, at Ottawa, Kansas. For the next two or three years he 
 diligently pursued the practice of his chosen profession, but the death of his 
 father made it necessary for him to return and attend to the settling of the 
 estate and the subsequent management of the farm. He owns three hun- 
 dred and twenty acres of land here, eciuipped with excellent residence and 
 barns and all of the modern appliances used in carrying on a well ordered 
 farm. He also owns eight hundred and. sixty acres of improved land in 
 eastern Kansas. This land is well stocked with high-grade cattle. He is 
 intelligent and progressive in his ideas on agriculture, as in everything else, 
 and is making a success of his undertakings. 
 
 The marriage of J. A. Hanna and Miss Hattie A. Richards was cele- 
 brated in this county in 1885. She is a native of Berkshire, Massachusetts, 
 and is a daughter of Alexander and Sophronia A. (Dow) Richards, wdio came 
 to this county with their family in 1870. Mrs. Hanna was educated in 
 the Ottawa public schools and is a lady of many amiable qualities. Three 
 sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Hanna, but only one, Roland R., a lad of 
 ten years, survives. Warren R. died when in his second year, and E. Ells- 
 worth in babyhood. 
 
 Since he attained the right of franchise Mr. Hanna has given his 
 allegiance to the Republican party. He is an earnest member of the Meth- 
 odist Episcopal church, and all religious, educational and charitable enter- 
 prises receive his loyal support. His career has been marked by sincerity
 
 3i8 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 and uprightness, and his legal training has given him a keenness of mental 
 grasp and a power of dealing with difficulties wdiich cause him to be looked 
 to as an authority in his section of the county. 
 
 THEODORE ROCKENFELLER. 
 
 The keynote of success is pluck and persistence in a well-planned course 
 of action, and in reviewing the record of Theodore Rockenfeller, a repre- 
 sentative citizen of Streator, it is to be seen that this rule holds good. He 
 stands for progress, for good government, for the best possible educational 
 facilities for the young, for all that tends to uplift and benefit humanity, 
 and thus no eulogy is required in setting forth his history, but the mere 
 presentation of facts. 
 
 Though he is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred at Cob- 
 lentz on the Rhine, in 1852, our subject has no recollection of that land, as 
 he was but three years of age when he was brought to America by his par- 
 ents. That worthy couple, John M. and Catherine Rockenfeller, had 
 learned much in favor of this country, and wisely decided that they would 
 found a home here, where they might rear their children under the beneficent 
 institutions of the republic. The family landed in New York city after a 
 tedious voyage of seven weeks on a sailing vessel, and continued their west- 
 ward journey to Peoria. Illinois. At the end of a year they located near 
 Washington, Tazewell count}-, where their home was made until 1864, and 
 the following eleven years they were residents of Woodford county, Illinois. 
 In 1875 they came to Streator, and here the father is yet living, but the 
 mother died four years ago. They had four children, the older son being 
 "killed while employed by the Santa Fe Railroad Company, ten years ago; 
 Hannah is at home, and Elizabeth is the wife of Robert Genseke. 
 
 Theodore Rockenfeller received a liberal education in the common 
 and select schools of this state, and for four years was a student in the 
 Northwestern College at Naperville, Illinois. From 1876 to 1884 he was 
 successfully engaged in the mercantile business in Streator, and in the year 
 mentioned was appointed agent for the sale of railroad lands in southern 
 Minnesota along the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. 
 After he had disposed of a large amount of this property he was made the 
 general agent and manager for the company's lands in that section of the 
 ■country, succeeding in establishing thousands of families along the line of 
 that road. For ten years he was the immigrant agent for the x^tchison, 
 Topeka & Santa Fe railroad. In September, 1898, he was elected to the 
 position of vice-president of the Farmers' Colonization Company, of Chi- 
 cago, which controls many thousands of acres of desirable farm land in vari-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 319 
 
 ons parts of the west. During the fifteen years which Mr. Rockenfeller has 
 devoted to this line of enterprise he has been remarkably fortunate, as he has 
 disposed of o\er live hundred and seventy-five thousand acres of land, sit- 
 uated chiefly in Illinois, Iowa and southern Minnesota. The incalculable 
 good thus accomplished is not limited to the financial side of the question, 
 but, considered in a broader light, means the opening up of vast territories 
 and fields of usefulness and prosperity in the west, and the placing of thou- 
 sands of families, many from overcrowded cities of the east, in comfortable 
 homes, where their labor receives its due reward, and poverty and priva- 
 tion become things of the past. In addition to his other interests, Mr. 
 Rockenfeller has extensive investments in mining property. He is presi- 
 dent of the Streator & Cripple Creek Gold Mining Company, and the presi- 
 dent of the Security Mining & Milling Company, of Omaha, Nebraska. 
 
 In affairs affecting the welfare of this state and community our sub- 
 ject takes a patriotic interest. For a period of ten years he served as a 
 member of the Streator board of education, and assisted in the organization 
 of the local Young Men's Christian Association. He is a strong Repub- 
 lican, and socially is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America, 
 belonging to Camp No. 4. In 1891 he married Miss Louise Holbine, and 
 they have one son, Vernen W. They are members of the First Presbyterian 
 church, Mr. Rockenfeller being one of its trustees. 
 
 JOHN COOPER. 
 
 Like many other prominent and influential citizens of LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, John Cooper, of Otter Creek township, is a native of Ireland. His 
 parents were Edward and Jane (Coughlin) Cooper, and he was born April 
 9, 1 84 1, near Belfast. When he was a lad of eight years the family came 
 to America and settled first at Salmon Falls, New Hampshire, where they 
 lived for some time. The father died at the age of forty-five years, leaving 
 the mother with a family of eight children. She still survives him and is now 
 eighty-five years of age. Of their children, John, the subject of this sketch, 
 is the eldest; Mrs. Maria Roberts is a resident of Alden, Indiana; Mrs. 
 Sarah Berry is a resident of Rock Rapids, Iowa; William resides in Otter 
 Creek township, LaSalle county, Illinois; Richard was a soldier in the Fifty- 
 third Illinois Regiment during the civil war and died at Vicksburg. Missis- 
 sippi; Edward is a veteran of the civil war and lives in Streator, IlHnois; 
 Mrs. Jane Litts lives in Stuart, Iowa; and Mrs. Lizzie Jones is a resident of 
 Otter Creek township. 
 
 John Cooper was reared to farm life, attendin*^ the public schools in
 
 320 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 winter, his parents having moved to IlHnois during his boyhood, and at the 
 time the civil war broke out he was engaged in farm work in this state. In 
 1862 he enhsted under Captain James J. McKernan, in Company F, One 
 Hundred and Fourth IlHnois Volunteer Infantry, and with his command was 
 on active duty in the south. He participated in the engagements of Harts- 
 ville, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, ever acting the part of a brave 
 and patriotic soldier. During his army life he had the smallpox. In 1865 
 he was honorably discharged at Camp Douglas, and from Chicago returned 
 to his home in LaSalle county. He remained on the home farm until 1870, 
 when he married. For years he has been ranked with the prosperous farm- 
 ers of Otter Creek township, his location being near Kernan. 
 
 November 10, 1870, ]\Ir. Cooper married Miss Sarah Kirkpatrick, a 
 native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of James and Margaret 
 Kirkpatrick. ]\Ir. Kirkpatrick died in Philadelphia, at the age of thirty-five 
 years, leaving a widow and one child, the former having died in 1893, at 
 the age of seventy-two years, and the latter is Mrs. Coope*. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Cooper have had six children, viz.: John Edward, at home; Ida Florence, 
 wife of Arthur Harber, of Otter Creek township; R. Frank, of Ottawa, Illi- 
 nois; Elmer, at home; and Alyrtle and Clara, deceased, the former having 
 died at the age of seven years, and the latter at three. 
 
 Mr. Cooper is a Republican and a member of Post 68, G. A. R., at 
 Streator. 
 
 NATHAN TEAK. 
 
 Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, includes among its prosperous 
 farmers Nathan Teal, who has been identified with this county since his 
 early boyhood. He dates his nativity in Dutchess county. New York, Jan- 
 uary 25, 1848. His father, Edward Teal, a native of Columbia county, 
 New York, was born September 10, 1820; his mother, Susan, who was a 
 daughter of Jacob and Ellen Piester, was born in New York in 1819, and 
 was reared and educated in that state. Edward Teal was a Republican and 
 a man of local prominence. For a period of twenty years he served as 
 justice of the peace, and he also filled several other township ofifices. He died 
 in LaSalle county, Ihinois, January 22, 1896, at the advanced age of seventy- 
 six years. Of the five children born to him and his wife, record is made as 
 follows: Harriet, wife of Thomas Hougas, of Miller township, LaSalle 
 county; Mary J., wife of John Hougas, of Iowa; Anne, wife of Elias Hayer, 
 of this township; Nathan, whose name initiates this sketch; and Morgan 
 A., who resides on section 14. Miller township. 
 
 Nathan Teal was -a small boy when he was brought by his parents to
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 321 
 
 Illinois, and in LaSalle county he was reared and educated, his educational 
 advantages being limited to the public schools. Farming has been his life 
 occupation. He is located on a farm of eighty acres near the village of 
 Norway, this farm being a representative one as regards good buildings, 
 well cultivated fields, etc. 
 
 In April, 1885, Mr. Teal married Miss Sabina A. Godwin, who was 
 born and reared in Miller township, daughter of John Godwin. John God- 
 ^\•in was a native of Essex county, Ontario, born July 11, 1822, of English 
 descent. He was married in 1844, at Detroit, Michigan, to Anna M. Long, 
 a native of England, who survives him and is now seventy-eight years of 
 age. Mr. Godwin died February 15, 1896, at the age of seventy-four years. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Godwin came to Illinois and settled in Miller township, LaSalle 
 county, in 185 1, and here reared their family of ten children, all of whom are 
 still living, namely: Alwilda J., Josephine A.. Josiah J., Alvin G., Hattie E., 
 Ammi M., Dan. W., Sabina, Frank and Jessie A. Mr. and Mrs. Teal have 
 one daughter, Myrtle May, born September 29, 1886. 
 
 Politically, Mr. Teal is known as an ardent Republican. He has served 
 as justice of the peace for five years, as member of the school board nine 
 years, and as clerk of school elections several times. He and his wife are 
 members of the church of the Latter Day Saints. 
 
 DWIGHT LAWRENCE. 
 
 The ancestors of Dwight Lawrence, a well known citizen of Ottawa, on 
 both the paternal and maternal lines, were men of sturdy patriotism and 
 w^orthy of respect in every particular. His father's grandfather, Colonel 
 Bigelow Lawrence, was a hero of the Revolutionary war, and the maternal 
 great-grandfather of our subject, Amasa Farnham, was likewise a soldier in 
 that struggle with our mother country. 
 
 The parents of Dwight Lawrence were Jairus and Alice (Farnham) 
 Lawrence. The father was a native of Onondaga county, New York, and 
 held numerous local offices of honor and trust. In political creed he was 
 a Democrat. To himself and estimable wife six children were born, namely: 
 Dwight, Rachel. Lucretia, Jairus, Alice and Fred. The devoted husband 
 and father was summoned to the silent land in 1881, at the ripe age of 
 seventy-one years. 
 
 The birth of Dwight Lawrence occurred in Orleans county, New York,. 
 February 6, 1833. He grew to maturity and received his education in his 
 native state, learning meanwhile every detail of agriculture. In 1849 he 
 came to Illinois and went into the stock business, devoting much of his time
 
 322 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL- RECORD. 
 
 to the breeding and training of high-grade blooded horses. He owns a fine 
 homestead, known as the Lawrence Stock Farm, in Ophir township, LaSalle 
 county, thirteen and one-half miles from Ottawa. Everything about this 
 place calls forth the admiration and favorable comment of visitors. The 
 barns and feed stables are modern, substantial and well ec^uipped, there are 
 splendid pastures and productive grain and hay fields, an abundance of 
 clear, pure water, and a beautiful hedge over two miles long surrounds the 
 premises. Without question the place is one of the finest and most valuable 
 in the county, and from all parts of the state dealers and buyers come, as to 
 a new ]\Iecca. In connection with this farm the owner runs a livery, sale 
 and feed stable at No. 8ii Columbus street, Ottawa, under the firm name 
 of Dwight Lawrence & Son. In the score or more of years that our subject 
 has resided in this vicinity he has made an enviable record for business hon- 
 esty. and enterprise. He is a Democrat and is public-spirited, and actively 
 interested in the general welfare. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Lawrence took place in 1859, his bride being Miss 
 Harriet, daughter of Theron and Margaret, nee Belknap, of Orange county, 
 New York. She died in Ottawa, October 17, 1886, and left one son, Wilbur 
 H., who was born March i, 1865, and is now engaged in business with his 
 father. He and wife reside on the farm in Ophir township, where he was 
 born. He was married March 15, 1894, to Sadie Stockley, a daughter of 
 Charles Stockley, of Freedom township, LaSalle county, Illinois. Mr. 
 Stockley was a soldier in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion, 
 w'-is captured and suffered the horrors of Anderson ville prison. 
 
 GEORGE W. BOWERS. 
 
 George W. Bowers was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, February 9, 
 1853, and is of German descent, although several generations of the family 
 have been residents of this country. Christian Bowers, the father of George 
 W., was born in Merland, Virginia. He married Miss May Smetzer, a native 
 of Pennsylvania, and sons and daughters to the number of thirteen were 
 born to them. Of this family eleven are still living, namely: Catherine. 
 Elizabeth, George W., David, Charles, Emma, Edward, Lotta, John, Alice 
 and Dextor. The father was by trade a cooper, at which he worked previous 
 to the civil war, and since then he has lived on a farm. He is now nearing 
 his eightieth milepost marking the years of life, and his good wife is past 
 seventy. Both are consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
 \\ith which they have long been identified. 
 
 Georee W\ Bowers was reared in Fairfield countv. Ohio, and received
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 323 
 
 his education in the public schools. Industry and careful economy in youth 
 and early manhood, continued to the present, have brought him comfort and 
 plenty. In 1884 he purchased his present farm, eighty acres of land, near 
 Norway, in Miller township, LaSalle county, which is well improved and 
 under excellent cultivation. , 
 
 In March, 1883, Mr. Bowers married Miss Lorinda Knickerbocker, the 
 daughter of James B. Knickerbocker, a well known citizen of this county, 
 and his wife, Catherine (Lattimer) Knickerbocker. Mr. and Mrs. Bowers 
 have six children, — five sons and a daughter, namely: Lester C, Benjamin 
 H., Duncan G., Bessie Belle, Harald Dewey and James N. 
 
 Mr. Bowsers is a man well informed on all questions of the day, har- 
 monizes with the Republican party, and at this writing is a member of the 
 school board, on which he has served for some time. 
 
 RICHARD F. KNOTT. 
 
 At the head of one of the infant enterprises of Marseilles, Mr. R. F. 
 Knott has plainly demonstrated his executive and financial ability and his 
 right to be classed with the progressive business men of LaSalle county. 
 
 Born about thirty-six years ago, in the city of Mobile, Alabama, Mr. 
 Knott represents two old and highly honored southern families. His father, 
 Richard F. Knott, who was a very successful cotton merchant, was stricken 
 with the dread yellow-fever scourge in 1873, and died when still in his prime. 
 He not only bore an enviable reputation as a business man but also ranked 
 high in the Masonic fraternity, having taken the thirty-third degree, and 
 having occupied the exalted office of first grand commander of the state of 
 Alabama. For his wife he chose Miss Charity Prince, a lady of superior edu- 
 cation and social attainments, and five children blessed their marriage. 
 
 ^^'ith his brothers and sisters, R. F. Knott was reared in the sunny south- 
 land and received a liberal education. He suffered an irreparable loss when 
 he was about ten years old in the death of his father, but the memory 
 of his judicious counsels and worthy example served as a guiding star 
 through his youth. In 1889 he married Miss Sallie Oliver, daughter of 
 Thomas Oliver, of Birmingham, Alabama, and they have one bright little 
 son, Richard F., Junior, now four years of age. 
 
 Coming to Marseilles, Mr. Knott assisted in the organization of the 
 Crescent Paper Company in May, 1896, and has since acted as president 
 of the concern, while J. H. Collough is the secretary and treasurer, and D. 
 Samuels is the superintendent. This company has succeeded in establishing 
 a large and lucrative trade within the past three vears, and now affords em-
 
 324 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GEXEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 ployment to a force of more than one hundred people. They manufacture 
 paper box-board, tgg cases and crates of various kinds, paper boxes, and 
 other receptacles for shippers' and merchants' supplies. The growing im- 
 portance of this industry to this town and vicinity is duly acknowledged by 
 its citizens, and it promises to be a sj;ill greater factor in the development 
 of com.mercial enterprises here. 
 
 In his political convictions, Mr. Knott is a loyal gold Democrat, and 
 takes great interest in the leading issues of the day. Fraternally he has 
 followed in the footsteps of his father, being identified with the Masonic 
 order, as a Knight Templar of the Ottawa Commandery, No. lo. Both he 
 and iiis estimable wife are members and regular attendants of the Episcopal 
 church. 
 
 \MLLIAM H. GOCHANOUR. 
 
 An esteemed and honored resident of Otter Creek township, LaSalle 
 county, Illinois, is W^illiam H. Gochanour, who was born in Licking county, 
 Ohio, December 20, 1840, the son of Jonathan C. and Lucy (Ritter) 
 Gochanour. The father is a native of A^irginia, but has been a resident of 
 LaSalle county since 1844 and is now one of the oldest residents of Otter 
 Creek township. He married Miss Lucy Ritter. the daughter of a southern 
 planter, and they became the parents of eleven children, nine of whom are 
 living, namely: William H., the immediate subject of this review; Mathias, 
 to whom individual reference is made elsewhere in this work; Amanda 
 Larry, a resident of Iowa; Angus, of Cass county, Iowa; James, of Otter 
 Creek township, this county; John, also of this township; Jane Marsh, of 
 Iowa; Ann Johnson, of Otter Creek township, and Edward, also of this 
 township. The mother of these children passed away in 1895, in her sixty- 
 third year. 
 
 William H. Gochanour received his educational discipline in the public 
 schools, after leaving which he turned his attention to the farming industry. 
 He is a shrewd business man and has been very successful, having about 
 twenty thousand dollars well invested in this county. He has an extensive 
 apiary, and has found the culture of bees to be not only profitable, but also 
 a pleasure as well. This work has received close attention from him and he 
 has studied to secure the best plans for handling the industrious little work- 
 ers, thus insuring the largest yield of honey; his methods have resulted in 
 a very successful enterprise in this line. 
 
 On the 19th of January, 1862, Mr. Gochanour was united in marriage 
 to Miss Orilla J. Brock, a daughter of Solomon Brock, of this township, 
 and five children have blessed their union, four of whom are living, namely:

 
 I
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 325 
 
 Willis Elliott, of this township; Ella Dell, wife of Henry Gebo, of Montana; 
 Orlando Rees, w-ho is married and resides on the home farm; and Elmer 
 Lee, who lives at home. In his political adherency Mr. Gochanour is a 
 Democrat, and he has served for three terms as assessor of his township. 
 This ofifice he accepted at the urgent solicitation of his friends; he has always 
 been averse to accepting any preferment in an official way. He is of genial, 
 social disposition, and is popular with his fellow citizens. 
 
 The father of Mrs. Gochanour was among the earliest settlers of Otter 
 Creek township, coming here in L831 and locating in the midst of the great 
 prairies of Illinois, his house at that time being nine miles distant from any 
 Other human habitation. The farm upon which he lived contained six hun- 
 dred and forty acres, and he was one of the first farmers in this part of the 
 state tc» do a profitable business in the raising of cattle. In politics he gave 
 his support to the Republican party and its principles. The maiden name 
 of his wife was Jane Moon, and she was a sister of A. B. Moon, an early 
 settler here. The children of Solomon and Jane (Moon) Brock were as fol- 
 lows: Eleanor; Evan, deceased; Rees, who w-as killed in the battle of Harts- 
 ville, in the war of the Rebellion; Philander; Sylvester; Calvin L., for four 
 years a soldier in the civil war; Mary M. Hopple, of Nebraska; Orilla J., wife 
 of the subject of this review; Angeline; and Lily D. Mr. Brock passed 
 away December 25, 1858, aged sixty-two years; and his wife died May 7, 
 1854, aged forty-four years. 
 
 LORENZO LELAND. 
 
 The first ancestor of the Leland family in America was Henry Leland, 
 who was born in England, in 1625, married Margaret Badcock, and in 1652 
 came to America, his death occurring in Sherborn, Massachusetts, April 4, 
 1680. His fourth child and eldest son, Ebenezer Leland, was born at Sher- 
 born, January 25, 1657, and died in 1742. James, the son of Ebenezer, 
 was born in 1687, married Hannah Learned and died in 1768, at the 
 advanced age of eighty-one years. His son Phineas was born in 1731 and 
 died in 1773. Eleazer Leland, son of Phineas, was born in 1755, and was 
 a soldier in the Revolutionary war, participating in the battles of Lexing- 
 ton and Bunker Hill. He married Elizabeth Sherman, and his death 
 occurred in Grafton, Massachusetts, in 1827. 
 
 Cyrus Leland, the next in direct line of descent, w-as born in Grafton, 
 Massachusetts, in 1785, and married Betsy Kimball, whose grandfather, 
 Aaron Kimball, was a soldier in the early French and Indian war. When 
 hostilities commenced that resulted in the establishment of the republic,
 
 326 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 he was commissioned captain of a company in the Sixth Massachusetts In- 
 fantry, his commission being dated April 5. 1776. His son, the father of 
 Betsy Kimball, \yas captain of a company in the regiment commanded by 
 Colonel Wheelock. Cyrus Leland died in Grafton, Massachusetts, in 1831. 
 
 Lorenzo Leland, second son of Cyrus, \yas born in Grafton, Massachu- 
 setts, September 14, 18 13. and married Martha Holbrook, who was also a 
 native cf Grafton. In 1834 he came west, locating in Peoria, Illinois, where 
 he remained for one year. In 1835 he came to Ottawa, being the second 
 lawyer 10 locate in this city. He was appointed clerk of the circuit court in 
 1842, by Tohn D. Caton, which position he held until 1848, when he was 
 elected clerk cf the supreme court of the northern district of Illinois. He 
 held that office until 1866, his service covering eighteen years, wdiile for six 
 additional years he was clerk of the circuit court. He gave his support to 
 the Democracy and was an active factor in politics, carrying his district at 
 times against great odds. He died in August, 1881, when almost sixty- 
 eight years of age, respected and honored by all. 
 
 Lorenzo Leland, whose name heads this sketch, w'as born in Ottawa, 
 Illinois, October 17, 1852. He attended the public schools of this city and 
 was graduated from the high school. He was studious by nature, and 
 determined to follow in the footsteps of his father in the choice of a pro- 
 fession. He graduated at Phillips Academy, at Andover, Massachusetts, 
 in 1870, and the same year entered Yale College, graduating there in 1874. 
 Returning to his native city he commenced the study of law-, and in 1876, 
 upon examination before the supreme court of Illinois, was admitted to the 
 bar. Immediately thereafter he went to El Dorado, Kansas, where, in com- 
 pany with his brother, Cyrus A., he practiced his profession until 1880. He 
 then returned to Ottawa and opened an office in this city, continuing in 
 active practice until a few years ago, when other business matters demanded 
 his entire attention. He has been intimately identified with the various 
 financial institutions of the city and has given much study to the subject 
 of finance. He is the attorney and treasurer of the Ottawa Buildin§|^ome- 
 stead & Savings Association, and that institution ow-es much of its pros- 
 perity to his care and attention. He was elected a director of the First 
 National Bank several years ago and in 1894 was chosen the president of 
 that institution and continues to hold that position. He is the secretary of 
 the Ottawa Hydraulic Company and a director of the Ottawa Railway Light 
 & Power Company, besides being extensively interested in real estate in and 
 around Ottawa. 
 
 On the 9th of October, 1878, Mr. Leland was united in marriage to 
 Miss Fannie C. Hamilton, a daughter of H. M. and Kate (White) Hamilton. 
 Her father was born in the north of Ireland and was of Scotch-Irish descent.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 327 
 
 In early life he came to America, locating in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where 
 he was married. In 1854 he came to Ottawa. He was a contractor and 
 builder, but later, in company with S. E. King, engaged in the hardware 
 business in this city. In 1866, as a partner of William Oilman and S. E. 
 King, he commenced manufacturing corn-shellers, and later extended their 
 held of labor by manufacturing other implements and machinery until their 
 factory became t)ne of the most important manufactories of Ottawa. Mr. 
 Hamilton served for a number of years as president of the First National 
 Bank of Ottawa. He has a beautiful home in Pasadena, California, where 
 he now resides. To Mr. and Mrs. Leland one child has been born, Hugh 
 H., whose birth occurred September 22, 1880, and who is now a student in 
 Lake Forest University. 
 
 Mr. Leland has always taken a lively interest in all athletic sports, and 
 when at Yale was a member of the base-ball nine. He is ever ready to 
 devote his time and means to promote the cause of education or any move- 
 ment which has for its object the welfare of the city or county in which he 
 lives. 
 
 JOEL W. ELLIS. 
 
 For almost thirty years Joel W. Ellis has been known as one of the most 
 public-spirited citizens of Seneca, LaSalle county, and unquestionably ranks 
 with th.e leading business men of this flourishing town. He is deservedly 
 popular with all classes, rich and poor, farmer, mechanic or business man, 
 and in the transaction of his affairs he maintains the utmost fairness and jus- 
 tice toward everyone. 
 
 His father, Joel C. Ellis, was a native of Vermont, born in 1814, and 
 at the time of his death he was in his prime, being but forty years of age. 
 His wife, our sul)ject's mother, a Miss Mary Hunt in her girlhood, was 
 born in Connecticut, a daughter of J. Hunt. She is still living, now in her 
 eighty-fifth year, and makes her home with her younger son, William H., of 
 Rathbun. Iowa. Her onl\- daughter, Ella, is married and is a resident of 
 Kansas City, Kansas. 
 
 The birth of Joel \\'. Ellis occurred in Waterford, Pennsylvania, January 
 19, 1844, and he was but ten years of age at the time of his father's death, 
 which event took place at Morris, Illinois, where the family had been living 
 for several years. But six months old when he was brought to this state, 
 Mr. Ellis has been thoroughly identified with its progress from his earliest 
 recollections, and is proud of the rapid strides it has made toward everything 
 which is desirable in a commonwealth, within the half-century just ending. 
 After he had left school he took a position as a clerk in the post-ofKice, his
 
 328 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 superior being George Fisher, and later he was employed in the post-office 
 at Morris, under Postmaster Edward Hanna. 
 
 In August, 1 86 1, when but seventeen and a half years old, J. W. Ellis 
 enlisted as a private in Company G, Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry, his captain 
 being I. W. Parkhurst, and his colonel N. Greusel. The regiment was at first 
 encamped at Aurora, and our subject was detailed as a mail messenger. 
 Soon ordered to the front, he participated in numerous eligagements and 
 battles with the Confederates, including Atlanta, Georgia; Columbus and 
 Nashville. Serving faithfully at his post of duty until the close of the war, 
 four years and two months from the date of his enlistment, he was mustered 
 out and honorably discharged, in October, 1865. 
 
 After having given to his country some of the best years of his early 
 manhood, Mr. Ellis took up the burden of life again on his own account. 
 In 1869 he removed to Hennepin, Illinois. In 1872 he came to Seneca, 
 and for sixteen years conducted a lumber business. Ten years after his 
 arrival here he bought a stock of hardware and farm machinery and imple- 
 ments, and his business in this line increased so rapidly and gratifyingly 
 that he disposed of his lumber yard in 1888, and since that time has given 
 liis entire attention to the other trade. He keeps a large and finely selected 
 •stock of goods, and controls the greater portion of the business in his line 
 in this locality. 
 
 In 1890 he was appointed as post-master of Seneca, to fill the vacancy 
 ■occasioned by the death of D. H. Underbill, and served for eighteen months; 
 and in November, 1897, President McKinley appointed him to the post- 
 mastership here. On New Year's day, 1898, he entered upon his new duties, 
 •and is still officiating with the promptness and fidelity and the unfailing 
 courtesy which have made many friends for him. He is a Republican, "true 
 blue," and fraternally belongs to Seneca Post, No. 324, G. A. R.; Manlius 
 Lodge, No. 491, I. O. O. F., and to Logan Camp, No. 1212, Modern 
 Woodmen of America. 
 
 In October, 1868, Mr. Ellis married Miss T, E. Strong, of Morris, Illi- 
 nois, and their union is blessed with five children, namely: Estelle, Edna 
 M., Elmer, Tracy W., and Hilda. Mrs. Ellis is a daughter of S. S. and 
 Temperance Strong, in their day well known citizens of Morris, Illinois. 
 
 G. L. HAYER. 
 
 G. L. Hayer, one of the prominent farmers of LaSalle county, has long 
 been a resident of Miller township, near Stavanger. He was born in the 
 state of Iowa, November 12, 1848, and is a son of Austin and Elizabeth 
 (Jacobs) Hayer and a grandson of Lars Hayer. His father was a native of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 329 
 
 Norway and was a member of the colony founded by the Norsemen in 
 Rock county, Wisconsin. From that state he moved into Iowa and settled 
 in Lee county. Here he met Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, who also was a native 
 of the Norseland, but had been reared and educated on this side of the 
 ocean. Their acquaintance ripened into love and culminated in their mar- 
 riage, but their wedded life was to be of short duration. Two children were 
 born to them, — G. L. and Lars A. The latter died in infancy and in 1850, 
 when our subject was but two years of age the mother was called to the 
 better land. The father took a second wife in the person of Miss Annie 
 Danielson and by her had six children, only three of whom are now living, 
 viz.: Elizabeth, wife of Jacob Oleson, of Grundy county. Illinois; Emma, 
 wife of Charles Wiley, of Polk county, Missouri; and Electa, wife of H. 
 Hoie, of Miller township. The father was an elder in the church of the 
 Latter Day Saints and also took an active interest in the Republican party. 
 His death occurred March 9, 1896. at the age of seventy years. 
 
 G. L. Hayer was educated in the public schools and helped his father 
 with such chores as a lad could do. As he grew older he took a more active 
 part in the work and became a good farmer and one who adopted the more 
 progressive method of work, and is now one of the substantial agriculturists 
 of LaSalle county. When twenty-one years of age he was married to Miss 
 Malina Hagland, who was born in Norway, a daughter of Thosten and 
 Bertha Hagland. Her parents came to the United States, settling in Fill- 
 more county, Minnesota, where she was educated and grew to }'oung 
 womanhood. Six children blessed their union, two of whom have been 
 taken to blossom in the garden of the blessed Redeemer, — little Minnie 
 Theresa, who lived but four short years, and an infant that died unnamed; 
 Albert Elias resides with his parents; Bertha is the wife of Oscar Johnson, 
 of this neighborhood; Zenas Milton and Walter T. Mr. and Mrs. Hayer 
 are members of the church of the Latter Day Saints and are worthy Chris- 
 tian people. He has always supported the Republican party, but devotes 
 little time to politics, as his time is fully occupied with looking after his 
 personal interests. 
 
 EDWIN T. READ. 
 
 For more than forty years Edwin T. Read has resided upon his present 
 farm in Grand Rapids township, LaSalle county, and is numbered among 
 the pioneer settlers of 1854. Great changes have occurred since his arrival 
 and the county has made wonderful progress and advancement along edu- 
 cational, commercial and agricultural lines. In the latter department Mr.
 
 330 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Read has been especially active and is a recognized factor in public affairs 
 in his localit}^ 
 
 A native of the Empire state, Mr. Read was born in Chautauqua county, 
 New York, near Jamestown, December 25, 1832. His father, Thomas Read, 
 was born in Washington county. New York, in 1801, and was a son of Rev. 
 M. Read, a Methodist minister. He was reared and educated in New York, 
 and there married Miss Eliza Ferguson, a native of western New York. 
 Their union was blessed with eleven children, nine sons and two daughters: 
 Edwin T.; Frank, who was a member of Company A, Fifty-third Illinois 
 Infantry and lost an arm and leg while fighting for his country at Jackson, 
 Mississippi, and died of the wounds; Henry, who was a member of the 
 Ninth New York Cavalry in the war of the Rebellion, died at Alexandria, 
 Virginia; Harriet, died in Ford county, Illinois; Helen, who resides also 
 in Ford county; Thomas, John B., William T., Charles M., and Arba D. 
 are all residents of that county; and Emmett died in LaSalle county, at the 
 age of eighteen years. The father died i-n western New York, in July, 1862, 
 leaving the mother with her eleven children to support. He had at one 
 time been a man of considerable means, but through the failure of a railroad 
 enterprise he lost greatly and his widow paid three thousand dollars' security 
 debts. By careful management and earnest toil, however, Mrs. Read man- 
 aged to keep her children together and provide a comfortable home for 
 them, ever fulfilling every obligation of a faithful mother. She taught them 
 to live upright, honorable lives, and early instilled into their minds habits of 
 industry and economy, thus preparing them for the practical duties of their 
 later years. She died October 19, 1878, at the home of our subject, when 
 sixty-six years of age, and was laid to rest in the Grand Ridge cemetery. 
 She held membership in the Methodist church, and hers was an earnest 
 Christian life. 
 
 Edwin T. Read was reared on the old family homestead in New York. 
 His educational privileges were somewhat limited, for he was the eldest son 
 and his services were needed on the farm. In the fall of 1854 he came to 
 the west and purchased eighty acres -of land in Grand Rapids township, the 
 purchase price being ten dollars per acre. Two years later he broke the 
 raw prairie and taking up his abode upon the place continued its develop- 
 ment and cultivation. Soon abundant harvests rewarded his labors and in 
 course of time he became the owner of one of the most desirable farms of 
 the locality. As a companion and helpmeet on life's journey he chose 
 Miss Helen E. Ebersol, the marriage being celebrated March 15, i860. The 
 lady was born in Grand Rapids township, LaSalle county, and is a daughter 
 of Joseph Ebersol, a pioneer settler who came to the county from Harris- 
 burg, Pennsylvania, in 1834. He died February 13, 1873, at the age of
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 331 
 
 eighty-two years, and his wife, who bore the maiden name of EHzabeth 
 Shuey, departed this hfe February 26, 1871, at the age of seventy-four years. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Ebersol were the parents of six children, three of whom are 
 now Mving: Mrs. George Rugg, of Ottawa, Ihinois; A. H., who was a 
 soldier in the civil war and is now residing in Englewood, Illinois; and Mrs. 
 Read. Those deceased are D. F., A. M. and Mrs. Catharine Budd. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Read began their domestic life in a small frame house, 
 which is now used by tenants. In 1885 their first home was replaced by 
 a commodious modern residence, in the rear of which stand large barns 
 and other necessary outbuildings, which provide good shelter for grain 
 and stock. Everything about the place is neat and thrifty in appearance, 
 giving evidence of the careful supervision of the owner, and the house 
 indicates the watchful care of Mrs. Read. This worthy couple have an 
 adopted son, Frank E., who married Bertha Katz, of Ransom, Illinois, by 
 whom he has a son, Edwin T., named in honor of our subject. 
 
 ]\lr. Read is a stanch advocate of Republican principles and is a recog- 
 nized leader in the party ranks, doing all in his power to promote its 
 growth and insure its success. For some years he has served as supervisor, 
 and has discharged his duties in a most commendable manner. Socially he is 
 a Mason, belonging to Marseilles Lodge, No. 417, A. F. & A. M., at 
 Marseilles; Shabbona Chapter, No. 37, R. A. M., and Ottawa Commandery, 
 No. 10, K. T. From his boyhood he has been accustomed to earnest toil 
 and to his own labors may be attributed his success. Energy and persever- 
 ance are the salient points in his career and have brought to him a com- 
 fortable competence. 
 
 GEORGE HAYWARD. 
 
 George Hayward was born in Ottawa, LaSalle county, Illinois, April 19, 
 1843, ^i''<^^ l^y close application and industry has accumulated a competency 
 which will enable him to pass the remainder of his life in comfort and afflu- 
 ence. He is a son of Charles and Julia Ann (Mason) Hayward, who came 
 to this coimty from the east early in this century. The family tree of the 
 Haywards was deep-rooted in Scotland, whence one Caleb Hayward emi- 
 grated to America, settling at Braintree, Massachusetts, and moving later 
 to Lebanon, Connecticut, where he passed the remainder of his life. The 
 paternal grandfather, John Henry Hayward, was born in Lebanon, Connecti- 
 cut, and on February 3, 1790, was married to Eunice Hutchison. They 
 reared a family of seven sons and four daughters, and September 11, 1826, 
 the grandfather entered his long sleep. One of the sons was Charles Hay- 
 ward, who was born in Lebanon, Connecticut, April 8, 1808, and there
 
 332 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 grew to manhood. October 8, 1838, he was joined in marriage with Miss 
 JuHa Ann Mason, who was born in Cortland county, New York, July 22, 
 1819. Her parents were Oliver and Sarah (Thayer) Mason, both natives of 
 Vermont, who came to Illinois in 1837 and settled in Kane county. Oliver 
 Mason fought in the war of 181 2. After their marriage Charles Hay ward 
 and wife moved to Ottawa, Illinois, where he built the Fox River House, 
 which he kept for a few years, being also interested in merchandising. He 
 sold his interests and moved to his farm in 1847. There his death occurred, 
 on the 20th of July, 1849. He carried on farming operations during this 
 entire period. Three children survived him: Estelle J.; George, our sub- 
 ject; and Emma, who married David Grove, a retired farmer residing in 
 Ottawa. After the death of her husband Mrs. Hayward was again married, 
 being united to Captain Henry J. Reed, a soldier in the Mexican war and 
 •captain of Company I during the civil war. They took up their residence 
 in Ottawa, where they resided during the remainder of their lives. One 
 .son was born to them, Charles H., who died in 1876 at the age of twenty- 
 two years. Mrs. Reed died April 3, 1890, and Mr. Reed passed away May 
 25, 1894. 
 
 George Hayward spent his boyhood upon his father's farm and attended 
 the district school in the towai of Ottawa. He remained with his parents 
 until the death of his father, when the management of the farm fell to him. 
 He continued to farm, adding gradually to his land, until his present posses- 
 sions amount to seven hundred acres in Dayton township, in addition to 
 which he owns some valuable city property. In 1870 he retired to Ottawa 
 .and has since busied himself in looking after his various business interests 
 and supervising the management of his farm. 
 
 He was married June 17, 1875, to Miss Nettie Stickland. a daughter of 
 Rial Stickland of this city. They have three children, Edith E., Mabel S., a 
 student in the high school, and Charles De Alton. Mr. Hayward is a 
 Republican and has served as township director. He is a pleasant, genial 
 gentleman whom it is a pleasure to meet, and is a man of strong personality 
 .and warm attachments. 
 
 GEORGE W. ROBERTS. 
 
 The subject of this review, who is now retired from active business 
 pursuits, is one of the substantial and influential men of LaSalle county, 
 Illinois, and for many years has been an honored and esteemed resident of 
 Ottawa. He was born January 27, 1829, in Luzerne (now Wyoming) 
 ■county, Pennsylvania, and is a son of Moris and Susan (Newman) Roberts. 
 Moris Roberts was born in the state of New York, but moved with his
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 335 
 
 parents to Pennsylvania, and there grew to manhood and engaged in agri- 
 culture. He was married to Miss Susan Newman, a native of Luzerne 
 county, Pennsylvania, and a daughter of Caleb and Emily (Reynolds) New- 
 man, whose forefathers were early settlers of the state of Rhode Island. 
 Eleven children were born of this marriage, ten of whom reached adult 
 years, and it is a remarkable fact that five of them served in the war of the 
 Rebellion. Those who attained maturity were as follows: Clarentine, 
 deceased; L. B., deceased; George W., our subject; Adaline, deceased; 
 Benjamin F., a member of the Eighteenth Illinois Infantry, was commis- 
 sioned lieutenant and died in Kansas, in 1895; Daniel, now of Ottawa, was a 
 member of the Twentieth Ohio; John L. was a member of the Eighteenth 
 Illinois, moved to Kansas, where he died, near Great Bend; Edward H., 
 the Ottawa baker, was also a member of the Twentieth Ohio; Giles H., a 
 partner in the bakery, was a member of Captain Kimball's company in the 
 Ninety-sixth Ohio; and Moris B., also a resident of Ottawa. The grand- 
 father, Samuel Roberts, was born in New York and married Sarah More- 
 house, but the origin of the Roberts family was in Wales, whence three 
 brothers emigrated to America, and from them have sprung the various 
 branches of the family in this country. 
 
 George W. Roberts went with his parents to Delaware county, Ohio, 
 when about ten years of age, living near Sunbury, where he attended district 
 schools, and later he entered Central College, in Franklin county, that state, 
 pursuing his studies there for some time. He then taught country schools 
 during the winter, farming in the summers, and in this way his time was 
 spent in an industrious and profitable manner until 1855, when he came to 
 LaSalle county and accepted a position as clerk in the store of G. L. Thomp- 
 son, the leading druggist of Ottawa. After remaining there for some months 
 he formed a partnership with Louis Hess, under the firm name of Roberts & 
 Hess, and conducted a bakery and confectionery store for six years. He 
 then sold out to Mr. Hess and remained out of business eight years. On 
 March i, 1877, he and his brother Daniel opened a bakery and confectionery, 
 and soon built up a profitable business. In connection with this they estab- 
 lished a lunch room, which was well patronized and proved a paying invest- 
 ment. This partnership was continued until 1898, when George sold his 
 interest in the firm to his brother Giles H., and it was continued under the 
 old name of Roberts Brothers, our subject retiring permanently from active 
 business life. 
 
 In 1858 Mr. Roberts led to the altar Martha E. Mcintosh, of this 
 county, whose parents, Daniel and Henrietta (Crouch) Mcintosh, at that 
 time resided near Crawfordsville, Indiana. She is a most excellent woman 
 and has been a constant inspiration and strength to her husband. Four
 
 334 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 children have been born to them, namely: Elma, who married H. A. 
 Stanard and died in February, 1888, leaving three children; Eliza E., who 
 resides at home; Alice; and Susan B., who has been employed for several 
 years as teacher in the Ottawa schools. The family are members of the 
 Congregational church and are held in high esteem. Fraternally Mr. Rob- 
 erts is a member of the Legion of Honor and the Ancient Order of United 
 Workmen. 
 
 JOHN M. THOMPSON. 
 
 John M. Thompson, of Rutland township, LaSalle county, Illinois, is 
 one of the prosperous, substantial farmers of the county and a lifelong 
 resident here. His parents are Thomas M. and Sarah C. (Mason) Thomp- 
 son. His father was a native of Bergen, Norway, having been born there 
 some sixty-nine years ago and there spent the earlier years of his life. At 
 the age of thirteen he came to America with his parents, who settled in 
 Mission township, this county, where they resided many years. On January 
 24, 1855, he was united in matrimony with Miss Sarah C. Mason. She was 
 a daughter of Jacob and Charlotte (Dart) Mason, the former of whom 
 reached his eightieth year, dying in 1889, the latter in 1898, in LaSalle 
 countv. Twelve children were born to Thomas Thompson and wife, — six 
 sons and six daughters, — ten of whom are now living, viz.: John M., our 
 subject; Mary Maria (Mrs. J. Tilden); Huldah Jane (Mrs. A. Richardson); 
 Edgar and Edward, twins; Charlotte (Mrs. John Benson); Tork W.; Etta 
 (Mrs. George DeBolt); Josie (Mrs. S. Solvin); and Ella, who resides at 
 home. Mr. Thompson now has some sixty-four living descendants and the 
 name is an honored one wherever known. He was an adherent of the De- 
 mocracy and a man of strict integrity. He departed this life May 29, 1895. 
 
 John M. Thompson was educated and reared to manhood in Mission 
 township. He had a natural aptitude for agricultural pursuits even in boy- 
 hood and has since made that calling his own, meeting with such success 
 as is attained only by the few. He has a beautiful home, the residence a fine 
 modern structure, built for convenience and symmetry, barns large and 
 commodious, spacious granaries, while an orchard of various kinds of fruit 
 furnishes an abundant yield of toothsome dainties that would tempt an epi- 
 cure. He has four hundred acres of land which is under high cultivation, the 
 broad fragrant meadows and well tended fields making a pleasing picture to 
 the eyes of the casual observer. He has reduced farming to a science and has 
 introduced many modern methods in his work that have proved of great 
 value to the farming element. 
 
 Mr. Thompson chose as his partner through life. Miss Ida M. Bruner, to
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 335 
 
 whom he was united September 10, 1885. Three children have blessed this 
 imion: Ora B.. who was born August 14, 1886; Lillian, born August 30, 
 1888; and Libbie Hazel, born December 8, 1893. Their home is a social 
 center and a cordial welcome is ever accorded the guest, while their popu- 
 laritv and the high esteem in which they are held is ecjualed only by their 
 genial manner and sterling worth. The parents of Mrs. Thompson were 
 Franklin and Elizabeth (Brumbach) Bruner, the former a native of Virginia. 
 Elizabeth Brumbach was the first white child born in Rutland township, 
 her birth occurring February 13, 1830. He was twice married, his first 
 wife ])eing Miss Ellen Conard, who died leaving him four children: John 
 Calvin; Nelson, of Buckley, Illinois; George Wesley; and Emma. He then 
 place at the head of his household Miss Elizabeth Brumbach, who bore him 
 but one child, who is the wife of Mr. Thompson. Mr. Bruner died in 1871, 
 in his fiftieth year, and was survived by his wife until October, 1896, when 
 she had attained her sixtv-sixth vear. 
 
 OSCAR H. JOHNSON. 
 
 Oscar H. Johnson, of Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, w^as 
 1;orn and reared in this county. He is a son of Henry and Ellen (Olsen) 
 Johnson, the former of whom was born in Norway in 1835, and, with his 
 brother Andrew, the father of Judge Johnson, of Ottawa, came to the United 
 States. He was married in Miller township, this county, to Miss Ellen 
 Olsen. Ffer parents were Austin and Caroline (Hayer) Oleson, and they 
 resided for many years in this county w-ith their family of five children. 
 These children are: Lewis, a resident of Missouri; Mary Weld, of Lamoni, 
 Iowa; Ole Oleson, of Lamoni; Ellen Johnson, and Anna Lew^s, of DeKalb 
 county, Missouri. Mr. Oleson died while yet a young man, and his widow 
 married for her second husband A. B. Anderson, by whom she had four 
 children: Austin; Martha, deceased; Erickson, of this township; and Ben- 
 jamin, of Ottawa. The marriage of Henry Johnson and Ellen Oleson was 
 honored in the birth of nine children, of whom six are deceased. Two died 
 in infancy; Elias had reached his thirtieth year ere death claimed him, and 
 three daughters, — Maggie, Bertha and Emma, — had known but twenty sum- 
 mers when they were called to the better land. Three children have been 
 spared them, viz.: Caroline, wife of Andrew Varland, of Rutland town- 
 ship; Hattie, wife of Andrew Lewis, of DeKalb county, Missouri; and Oscar, 
 our subject. The father died at the age of fifty-seven years. Politically he 
 acted with the Republican party. 
 
 Oscar H. Johnson was educated in this county, where he grew to man-
 
 336 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 hood, and has since made his home. He was married December i6, 1897, 
 to Miss Bertha Hayer, who was born in this township, and is a daughter 
 of Goodman and Mahna (Hagland) Haver. ]\Ir. Johnson has a vahiable 
 farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which is weh cuhivated and improved 
 with neat, substantial barns and a modern residence. He is a Repubhcan 
 in pohtics, and l^oth himself and wife are members of the Church of Latter 
 Dav Saints. 
 
 ISAAC GAGE. 
 
 When a sturdy band of pioneers were opening up LaSalle county to the 
 influences of civilization Isaac Gage came to the county and cast in his lot 
 with the early settlers. He faithfully bore his part in the work of progress 
 and development, aided in transforming the wild land into rich farms, assisted 
 in organizing the township and establishing civil authority, and in many 
 other ways left the impress of his individuality upon the growth and improve- 
 ment of this section of the state. He was ever a respected citizen, and his 
 record deserves a place on the pages of the history of his adopted county. 
 
 Mr. Gage was born in Orford. Grafton county. New Hampshire, No- 
 vember 7, 181 5, his parents being Isaac and Ruth (Stone) Gage. They were 
 born, reared and married in Massachusetts, and soon after their marriage 
 removed to Orford, where they spent their remaining days. Upon the home 
 farm Isaac Gage spent the days of his boyhood and when old enough he 
 began to assist his father, who was a stone-mason and took contracts for 
 building bridges, walls and other stone structures. He became a resident 
 of Illinois in 1837, in which year he accompanied his uncle, Aaron Gage, to 
 Chicago. On the loth of July of the same year he arrived in Ottawa and 
 soon obtained a situation with Levi Jennings. Jr., with whom he lived for 
 several years, when he established a home of his own. 
 
 On the 1st of January, 1845, Mr. Gage was united in marriage to Miss 
 Lucy Little, a native of Grafton county. New Hampshire, and a daughter 
 of James and Polly Little, who were early settlers of Eden township, LaSalle 
 county, dating their residence here from the fall of 1839. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gage began their domestic life upon the farm which has since been their 
 home, and four children came to bless their union: Louisa C, wife of S. T. 
 Osgood, of Marseilles; Harriet E., widow of Dr. R. N. Baughman; Ida A., 
 who became the wife of J. S. Batkin, and died December 23. 1884; and B. 
 Frank. 
 
 Throughout his active business career Mr. Gage carried on agricultural 
 pursuits, and was a most practical, progressive and enterprising farmer. His 
 thrift and industry were attended with success, and his prosperity enabled
 
 pM 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^/^
 
 i 
 
 \}i
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 337 
 
 him to replace the Httle house in which he first Hved by a spacious and 
 pleasant residence, and to extend the boundaries of his farm until it com- 
 prised four hundred and eighty acres of richly cultivated land. He also 
 owned an additional quarter section elsewhere in Brookfield township, La- 
 Salle county, and had some valuable real estate in Marseilles. His business 
 affairs were prosecuted with great energy and characterized by the strictest 
 honesty. 
 
 Mr. Gage cast his first presidential vote for William Henry Harrison 
 in 1840 and voted with the Whig party until its dissolution, when he joined 
 the ranks of the new Republican party and was one of its stalwart advo- 
 cates until his death. He assisted in the organization of Brookfield town- 
 ship, was its first assessor and held various other offices of trust and 
 responsibility, discharging his duties with marked faithfulness. His was an 
 honorable, upright and useful life, and in his death, which occurred February 
 1 1, 1886, the community lost one of its valued citizens and esteemed pioneers. 
 
 WILLIAM P. REES. 
 
 Situated upon the southern bank of the Illinois river, at Ottawa, is the 
 pleasant, modern home of William P. Rees, who is one of the esteemed 
 citizens of LaSalle county, his residence here dating from 1852. His beau- 
 tiful home commands a fine view of Ottawa and the surrounding country, 
 and he takes great pride in keeping everything about the house and grounds 
 in excellent condition. 
 
 The Rees family originated in Wales, our subject's great-grandfather 
 being a native of that country. The grandfather, Jonathan Rees, was born 
 in Ohio, whence he removed to Kentucky, and in that state Albert G., the 
 father of William P. Rees, was born, in 1801. He grew to manhood there 
 and a number of years after his marriage to Caroline Helm, a native of the 
 same state, he removed to Illinois. At first he dwelt in Ottawa township, 
 on a farm, later locating on a homestead, which he purchased, in Grand 
 Rapids township. This tract, comprising three hundred and twenty acres, 
 was wild prairie land at the time that he became its owner, and he was 
 obliged to l)reak the ground and expend much energy in placing it under 
 cultivation. In the course of time he had a splendid farm, on which were 
 substantial buildings, fences and other improvements. He took an active 
 part in the afi'airs of his community, and enjoyed the love and respect of 
 his neighbors and associates. He was summoned to the silent land in 1881, 
 having survived his wife only two years. Three of their children are living, 
 two sons and a daughter.
 
 338 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 William P. Rees, whose birth occurred upon a farm in Mason county, 
 Kentucky, January 21, 183 1, spent his youth in that state, and then gained a 
 common-school education. In November, 185 1, he came to Illinois, to inves- 
 tigate some of the possibilities and prospects of the state, and being pleased 
 with LaSalle county decided to make his future home here. His parents and 
 the rest of the family came here in the following spring, and he continued to 
 live with them until his marriage, ]\Iarch 26, 1856. After that event he settled 
 on a homestead in Grand Rapids township, and carried on general farming 
 and stock-raising. He remained on this farm for many years, and gradually 
 increased its value by care and cultivation. Th^ place, comprising two 
 hundred acres, is still owned by him, and he now rents it to responsible 
 tenants. In 1875 he retired from active life, and since that time has made 
 his home in Ottawa. 
 
 I\Ir. Rees has been twice married, his first wife having been Miss Sarah 
 Ann Robinson, a daughter of Ephraim and Christiann Robinson. This 
 marriage took place in 1856, and six children were born to them, five of whom 
 died in infancy. The one surviving is Minnie E., now the wife of William 
 I. Mohr, of Ottawa, and she is the mother of three interesting children, Mrs. 
 Rees passed to her reward November 6, 1893, and on the 17th of September, 
 1896, Mr. Rees married Miss Martha Ann Newburn, a daughter of William 
 and Leah (Harley) Newburn. They had one child, Ruth M., born May 17, 
 1899. 
 
 For a number of years Mr. Rees has been a member of the First 
 Presbyterian church of Ottawa, and at present he is serving in the capacity 
 of an elder in the congregation. In his political views he is a Democrat, and 
 takes an active interest in the welfare of the community, state and county 
 in which his lot is cast. 
 
 LORENZO HAYER. 
 
 Owning and occupying a nice farm and a pleasant rural home on section 
 16, Miller township, LaSalle county, Illinois, not far distant from the little 
 town of Danway, is found the subject of this review, Lorenzo Hayer. 
 
 Mr. Hayer was born and reared in the township in which he lives, the 
 date of his birth being July 14, 1853, and is a son of Norwegian parents. 
 Hans Hayer, his father, was born in Norway, July 28, 1822, and in his early 
 manhood came to America, settling first in Rock county, Wisconsin, in 
 1842. where he remained two years, until 1844. That year he came to 
 Illinois and took up his abode in LaSalle county. Here, in the year 1849, 
 he was married to IMiss Sarah Elefson, who was born January 13, 1831.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 339 
 
 They lived on a farm in LaSalle county until 1885, and reared their family 
 here. Since 1894 they have been residents of Iowa. They are the parents 
 of five children, four daughters and a son, viz.: Lorenzo; Julia, wife of 
 M. J. Danielson, of Lamoni, Iowa; Ellen; Sarah, wife of W. E. Hougas, of 
 Iowa; and Carrie. 
 
 Lorenzo Hayer was reared to farm life and has never been engaged in 
 any other business. His present farm on section 16, above referred to, com- 
 prises one hundred and forty acres. It has a good residence and other 
 farm buildings and is among the desirable farms of the locality. 
 
 Mr. Hayer was married March 17, 1881, to Miss Bertha Danielson, at 
 Earlville, this county. Mrs. Hayer is a daughter of Christopher and Ann 
 Danielson, early settlers of LaSalle county. Their family comprises nine 
 children, namely: M. J., D. C, Bertha, 6. M., Ida, E. A., D. N., Mary 
 Gaard and Joseph. Mr. and Mrs, Hayer have four children — Minnie E., 
 Lida, Andentia and Vernie. 
 
 Mr. Hayer is a Republican, and is now serving his district as school 
 trustee. He and his family are members of the church of Jesus Christ of 
 Latter Day Saints. 
 
 B. FRANK GAGE. 
 
 On the old family homestead of the Gage family the subject of this 
 sketch was born, March 30, 1858, his parents being Isaac and Lucy Gage. 
 His father was one of the honored pioneer settlers of the county and for 
 many years was numbered among the leading farmers of this section of 
 Illinois. He was born in Grafton county. New Hampshire, November 7, 
 1815, and in 1837. when twenty-two years of age, he determined to try his 
 fortune in the then far west. Accordingly he made his way to Illinois, casting 
 in his lot with the early settlers of LaSalle county during the formative period 
 of its development. Throughout his life he devoted his energies to agri- 
 cultural pursuits, and so capably managed his business interests that he 
 became one of the extensive land-owners of the community, his possessions 
 aggregating one thousand acres, partly in LaSalle county and partly in 
 northeastern Iowa. Here Mr. Gage was united in marriage to Miss Lucy 
 Little, a native of New Hampshire and a daughter of James Little, who 
 came to this county at an early day. The young couple began their domestic 
 life on the farm in Brookfield township, which is now the home of our subject, 
 and there they reared their family of four children, named as follows: Louisa 
 C, wife of S. T, Osgood, of Marseilles; Mrs. H. E. Baughman, of Mar- 
 seilles; Mrs. Ida Atkin, who is deceased; and B. Frank. The father 
 exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of
 
 340 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 the Republican party and for a number of years acceptably served his 
 township as supervisor. In addition to his agricultural pursuits, he was a 
 director in the National Bank at Marseilles, and his reputation was that of 
 a reliable and substantial business man. Both he and his wife were con- 
 sistent members of the Presbyterian church, and both died when seventy 
 years of age, 
 
 B. F, Gage spent his childhood and youth on the old home farm midst 
 play and work. He attended the public schools of Marseilles, acquiring a 
 good practical education, and was trained to habits of industry and perse- 
 verance in the fields. He is now living on the old family homestead, which 
 comprises four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land, under a high state 
 of cultivation. He has a high-grade stock farm and is known throughout 
 this section of Illinois for the excellence of his cattle. The improvements 
 on his place are many and modern, consisting of a pleasant and commodious 
 residence, substantial barns, good fences and the latest improved machinery. 
 
 In 1885 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Gage and Miss Cornelia 
 V. Carr. a nati\e of LaSalle county and a daughter of Xathan Carr, now^ 
 deceased. Her father was a prominent farmer in Brookfield township, where 
 ber mother still resides. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Gage has been blessed 
 with four children: Ida A., Carrie L., Lawrence and an infant son. Mr. 
 Gage is a Republican in his political faith and is deeply interested in the 
 growth and success of his party, but has never sought office. Like his 
 father, he is a director in the National Bank of Marseilles, and it is such 
 substantial stockholders that have made the institution one of the most 
 reliable financial concerns in the state. In manner he is cordial and courte- 
 ous, and has gained a large circle of friends, including many who have 
 known him since his boyhood days. 
 
 WILLIAM V, S. ANNIN. 
 
 A valued citizen of Marseilles is the gentleman of whom this sketch is 
 permed, his residence here dating back almost a score of years. In tracing 
 his lineage it is found that he comes from honored old New Jersey families, 
 and that in him are united two quite distinct nationalities, the Scotch and 
 the Holland-Dutch, both noted for integrity, industry and thrift, for a high 
 sense of honor and for patriotism and many other of the noblest qualities 
 which animate mankind, 
 
 John Annin. who was born in Scotland, was the founder of the Annin 
 family in New Jersey. One of his descendants was Jonathan Annin, of 
 Liberty Corner, Somerset county. New Jersey, and one of the latter's chil- 
 dren was Joseph S., the father of our subject. He was a soldier in the war
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGiCAL RECORD. 
 
 341 
 
 of 1812, and was a merchant 1)y occupation. He married Miss Ellen 
 Schenck. a daughter of Ferdinand Schenck, of Dutch ancestry. Mr. 
 Schenck was a successful agriculturist in New Jersey for many years. 
 
 William V. S. Annin was born in Millstone, Somerset county, New 
 Jersey, November 2S, 1827, and in his boyhood received a liberal education. 
 He remained under the parental roof until he reached his majority, and in 
 1849, (luring the great gold excitement on the Pacific coast, he sailed for 
 California, going around Cape Horn. He was not xtry favorably impressed 
 with the west nor the prospects of acquiring a fortune, and the following 
 year he returned to New York city. At New Brunswick, New Jersey, he 
 embarked in a mercantile business, wdiich occupied his time and attention 
 J/jx-tu-pntv ^•ears. In 1870 he concluded to come to Illinois, and, locating 
 
 TLANTA. GA. ^ . . 
 
 found employment with the Marseilles Manufacturing 
 
 ^_ rge of the store of supplies, bolts, screws, and similar 
 
 ^N|d to act in this position vear after vear, winning the 
 
 nt Ai aq ado. '...'. ' , . . 
 
 so'i o^ K.ix6 will of all associated in busmess with him, and only 
 
 ftu9a^^.ia' -^ ^""'' ^° abandon his post of duty, recently. 
 
 I -pa^aidmorick residence of the Annin family is located on West 
 
 i|_ff^L^'^ ;mable lady who presides over the well-being of the 
 
 ly Miss Harriet M. Plummer, her marriage to Mr. 
 
 D^n'xl in Brooklyn, New York, June 2, 1858. She was 
 
 ^^^ city, and is the only daughter of Roswell and Harriet 
 
 OTBjT, who were natives of Vermont, but who after their 
 
 ^g^°:lyn. Seven children blessed the union of our subject 
 
 a Roswell P. is now a resident of Los Angeles, Cali- 
 
 '^^"^e wife of Howard M. Weirick, of Phoenix, Arizona; 
 
 E. R. Spencer, of Marseilles; William S. is living in 
 
 i^°^v/[ary T. is the wife of Walter Hobart, of Marseilles; 
 
 e W. are at home. In all of the varied relations of 
 
 ;s, society or in the home, Mr. Annin has nobly 
 
 1 to his children he will leave a record of which they 
 
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 JULIUS L. LEIX. 
 
 lung business man of Ottawa, Julius L. Leix is of 
 
 »ossesses the sterling traits of the Teutonic race. 
 
 I . 
 
 ins, he is actively interested in whatever is of benefit 
 
 '■:\\ he dwells, and to that end he uses his ballot and 
 
 en children of Dionys and Victoria (Rapp) Leix, 

 
 340 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 the Republican party and for a number of years acceptably served his 
 township as supervisor. In addition to his agricultural pursuits, he was a 
 director in the National Bank at Marseilles, and his reputation was that of 
 a reliable and substantial business man. Both he and his wife were con- 
 sistent members of the Presbyterian church, and both died when seventy 
 years of age. 
 
 B. F. Gage spent his childhood and youth on the old home farm midst 
 play and work. He attended the public schools of Marseilles, acquiring a 
 good practical education, and was trained to habits of industry and perse- 
 verance in the fields. He is now living on the old family homestead, which 
 comprises four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land, under a high state 
 of cultivation. He has a high-grade stock farm and ;ut. ' "' '^ 
 
 this section of Illinois for the excellence of his cattle^ ^^^- ^.nd Mrs. Laughiin, of Sarg( 
 
 ... 11 • .■ r 1 .■' ^^^ visiting- with Mrs. M. 
 
 on his place are many and modern, consistmg ot a pleaN^ewport. 
 
 residence, substantial barns, good fences and the latest ,,^"^' ^'^^ool ^^o^^se is receiving a eoi 
 
 ° 3f coats of paint. 
 
 In 1885 was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Ga Mr. Burkhardt is giving bis st 
 
 V. Carr, a native of LaSalle countv and a daughter )^"4''^?^ ^."'^ *^"'®^^'°§"^o^s^i*sann 
 
 ° jCoat of paint. 
 
 deceased. Her father was a prominent farmer m Broo Mr. Evans' family of Pennsyivai 
 her mother still resides. The union of Mr. and Mrs. ,have arrived and are now domiei 
 
 T, v^-TT near the school house on the hill. 
 
 With four children: Ida A., Game L., I^awrence ar Communion services at the Cong 
 
 Gage is a Republican in his political faith and is d.^^^^°°^^ ^^^^^^^^ ^ext Sunday morni 
 
 , 1 r 1 ■ . 1 i. 1 CARD OF THAXKS 
 
 growth and success of his party, but has never so ^he undersigned desire to expr 
 
 father, he is a director in the National Bank of Mj our thanks to all who so kindly mii 
 
 substantial stockholders that have made the institf the^oss 0/ ou?\'"orand%To\hTr.''^' 
 reliable financial concerns in the state. In manner h T^[^^ especially to express our appr 
 
 ,,.,.,' lation of the sympathy and helpf uln 
 ous, and has gamed a large circle of friends, inclj as .shown by the teachers and pupils 
 
 the public school. 
 
 W.M. VOIGHT AXD FAMILY, 
 
 ^^^^^.^ Kangley, 111 
 
 Ransom. 
 Ray and Ethel Poi-ter are students 
 the High school, and will attend t 
 winter term. 
 
 Quite a lot of land seekers went w( 
 on the excursion Tuesday from tl 
 place. 
 
 Our community was greatly excit 
 last Fridaj' when the news came th 
 John Held had shot himself with t 
 intention of suicide. He left hoi 
 Thursday with his gun, and neighbc 
 searched all day for him and could n 
 find him. Friday he was found in j 
 old deserted house, in the cellar, "-i 
 a bullet hole in his forehead, bii 
 vras still conscious. He was taken 
 the hospital in Ottawa, and it is nc 
 believed he will recover. 
 
 The masons are laying the found 
 tion of the Hagi house. C. Shaefer h; 
 the carpenter work to do. 
 
 Mrs. William Whitmore and so 
 Charles, of Wilmington, are visitir 
 friends here this week. 
 
 known him since his bovhood davs. 
 
 WILLIAM V. S. ANNIN 
 
 A valued citizen of Marseilles is the gentlemar 
 penned, his residence here dating back almost a sec 
 his lineage it is found that he comes from honored 
 and that in him are united two quite distinct natic 
 the Holland-Dutch, both noted for integrity, Indus" 
 sense of honor and for patriotism and many othe? 
 which animate mankind. ^ 
 
 John Annin, who was born in Scotland,. was 
 family in New Jersey. One of his descendants 
 Liberty Corner, Somerset county. New Jersey, aUg 
 diren was Joseph S.. the father of our subject. Ha- 
 
 4, 
 
 Q- 
 16 
 
 m 
 
 E. Wormley is talking of havin,, 
 furnace put in his house. 
 
 Rev. Taylor now preaches at fl
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGiCAL RECORD. 341 
 
 of 18 12, and was a merchant by occupation. He married Miss Ellen 
 Schenck, a daughter of Ferdinand Schenck, of Dutch ancestry. Mr. 
 Schenck was a successful agriculturist in New Jersey for many years. 
 
 William V. S. Annin was born in Millstone, Somerset county, New 
 Jersey, November 28, 1827, and in his boyhood received a liberal education. 
 He remained under the parental roof until he reached his majority, and in 
 1849. (luring the great gold excitement on the Pacific coast, he sailed for 
 California, going around Cape Horn. He was not very favorably impressed 
 with the west nor the i)rospects of acquiring a fortune, and the following 
 year he returned to New York city. At New Brunswick, New Jersey, he 
 embarked in a mercantile business, which occupied his time and attention 
 for twenty years. In 1870 he concluded to come to Illinois, and, locating 
 in Marseilles, he soon found employment wath the Marseilles Manufacturing 
 Company, having charge of the store of supplies, bolts, screws, and similar 
 fittings. He continued to act in this position year after year, winning the 
 approbation and good will of all associated in business with him, and only 
 his severe illness caused him to abandon his post of duty, recently. 
 
 The substantial brick residence of the Annin familv is located on West 
 Bluff street. The estimable lady who presides over the well-being of the 
 household was formerly Miss Harriet M. Plummer, her marriage to Mr. 
 Annin being solemnized in Brooklyn, New York, June 2, 1858. She was 
 born and reared in that city, and is the only daughter of Roswell and Harriet 
 (Chamberlain) Plummer, who were natives of Vermont, but who after their 
 marriage lived in Brookhn. Seven children blessed the union of our subject 
 and wife, and of these Roswell P. is now a resident of Los Angeles, Cali- 
 fornia; Harriet M. is the wife of Howard M. Weirick, of Phoenix, Arizona; 
 Louise E. is the wife of E. R. Spencer, of Marseilles; William S. is living in 
 Council Bluffs, Iowa; Mary T. is the wife of Walter Hobart, of Marseilles; 
 and Joseph S. and Nellie W. are at home. In all of the varied relations of 
 life, whether in business, society or in the home, Mr. Annin has nobly 
 performed his duties, and to his children he will leave a record of which they 
 may justly be proud. 
 
 JULIUS L. LEIX. 
 
 A representative young business man of Ottawa, Julius L. Leix is of 
 German ancestry, and possesses the sterling traits of the Teutonic race. 
 Like all patriotic Americans, he is actively interested in whatever is of benefit 
 to the conmiunity in which he dwells, and to that end he uses his ballot and 
 influence. 
 
 He is one of the seven children of Dionys and Victoria (Rapp) Leix,
 
 342 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 who were natives of Germany. Mrs. Leix departed this life July 30, 1899. 
 His brothers and sisters are named as follows: John, Joseph, Frank, Kate, 
 Sophia, and Victoria. Kate became the wife of George Jobst, of Ottawa; 
 Sophia is the wife of L. S. Ball, of LaSalle county; and Victoria married 
 Robert Richardson. 
 
 The birth of Julius L. Leix took place in this town, October 17, 1870, 
 and with his brothers and sisters he acquired thorough knowledge of both 
 the English and German languages in his childhood. For several years he 
 has been engaged in the hotel business, for which he seems to have special 
 talent, and is widely known and popular among the traveling public and 
 his local patrons. His father was the manager of the Washington House 
 m this place for some time, but has retired. Julius L. is the proprietor of 
 the National Hotel, which is centrally situated, at No. 303 Main street. 
 The building, which is a commodious, modern brick structure, sixty by 
 seventy feet in dimensions, and three stories in height, was erected just ten 
 years ago. It is furnished with fire escapes, is heated by steam and is fitted 
 out in every way in a neat, attractive manner. There are forty-five rooms 
 in the hotel, thus affording guests abundant opportunity of choice and 
 location. 
 
 In 1897 Mr. Leix married Miss Carrie Kummer, of Ottawa, and one 
 child, Andrew, has blessed the union of the young couple. Fraternally Mr. 
 Leix belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the German Benevolent Society. 
 Politically he is independent, using his franchise for the men and principles 
 instead of party.' 
 
 CHARLES C. STRONG. 
 
 What may be accomplished by a young man possessing brains, energy 
 and good principles is exemplified in the life of Charles C. Strong, one of the 
 prominent and highly respected citizens of Grand Ridge, LaSalle county, and 
 we are glad to be able to present to his numerous friends in business and 
 social circles, here and elsewhere, the following synopsis of his career and 
 history. 
 
 His father, Alfred W. Strong, was one of the honored early farmer 
 settlers of DuPage county, Illinois, while his mother, who bore the maiden 
 name of Orilla J. Crawford, was a native of Hudson, Ohio, and died when 
 Charles C. was but two years of age. He was the second eldest of four 
 children, the others being Emma, now the wife of Dr. M. Bullesfeld, of 
 Troy Grove, Illinois; Caroline, who is unmarried and resides in Waterbury, 
 Conn.; and Emmett, who died in New Mexico, about six years ago. The 
 lather, who was a man of liberal education and attainments, was killed by
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 343 
 
 the cars while attending a Knights Templar conclave in St. Louis, Missouri, 
 ten years ago, and was mourned by all who had known him. 
 
 The birth of Charles C. Strong took place four miles south of the town 
 of Naperville, DuPage county, in 1862, and when he arrived at a suitable age 
 he commenced attending the schools of his native place. Later he entered 
 the local college and made good progress in his studies. Upon embarking 
 in the world of business he obtained employment with the Chicago, Burling- 
 ton & Ouincy Railroad Company, and was telegraph operator and station 
 and ticket agent and served in other capacities during the fourteen or fifteen 
 years of his connection with that corporation. In 1894 he came to Grand 
 Ridge, where he has invested considerable money, and where he intends to 
 make his permanent home. Five years ago he established the now thriving 
 Bank of Grand Ridge, and was one of the original stockholders in the First 
 National Bank at Earlville, Illinois. He owns valuable real estate in various 
 parts of this county, and brick business houses in Grand Ridge, heated with 
 hot water throughout, with large plate-glass windows and finished in oak, 
 this representing, in part, what he has achieved unaided. In his political 
 views he favors the platform of the Republican party, and votes accordingly, 
 and is usually in attendance at their political conventions. Socially he is a 
 member of the Masonic fraternity, being identified with the blue lodge, 
 chapter and commandery of Knights Templars. Mr. Strong is a member 
 of the village council and has under his supervision the construction of a 
 sewer for draining Grand Ridge and various other local improvements for 
 the upbuilding of Grand Ridge. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Strong and Miss Abbie L. Aldrich took place 
 at the home of the bride's mother, Mrs. Laura Aldrich, December 23, 1883. 
 at Mendota, Illinois. Three sons and a little daughter bless the home of 
 our subject and wife, their names in order of birth being as follows: Willis 
 v., Robert, Orilla and Charles Howard. The family reside in an attractive 
 home and within its hospitable walls their numerous friends are frequently 
 entertained. Mr. and ^[rs. Strong are members of the Presbyterian church 
 at Grand Ridge. 
 
 JOSEPH E. BOND. 
 
 The native sons of Illinois are noted the country over for exceptional 
 business ability, and those who have been so fortunate as to serve an 
 apprenticeship in Chicago, the city of marvelous enterprise, must of neces- 
 sity have become imbued with the spirit which prevails there. One of the 
 young and progressive business men of Marseilles, J. E. Bond, was born in
 
 344 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 Champaign county, Illinois, in November, 1865, and consequently is in his 
 early prime, full of ambition and promise. 
 
 The- father of our subject was David Bond, a native of England and for 
 years one of the representative citizens of Champaign county. The mother 
 of J. E. Bond bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Edwards. With his two 
 brothers and six sisters he passed his early years in his native town, attend- 
 ing the public schools, and when he had completed his high-school course he 
 entered the state university. Having spent as much time in preparation for 
 the more serious duties of life as he felt justified in doing, Mr. Bond went to 
 Chicago, where he obtained a position with the well known packing tirm of 
 Swift & Company, with whom he remained for eighteen months. Thus 
 thoroughly initiated into the systematic methods of an extensive concern,, 
 he resigned his place in order to accept a better one with Baird & Company, 
 and later was employed by the Link Belt Company. In November, 1895, 
 he came to Marseilles and is now the superintendent of the Western Egg 
 Case Company, and vice-president of the Bule Gas-Engine Company. He 
 has worked untiringly for the prosperity of these two companies, and to his 
 efforts are due much of their present success and high standing. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Bond and Miss Margaret Moore, a daughter of 
 the Rev. J. !>kIoore, of Kewanee, Illinois, was solemnized at Lake Forest, 
 Illinois, in September, 1894. They have two sons, Joseph E., Jr., and 
 Roger M. Mr. and Mrs. Bond are members of the Congregational church, 
 and are valued workers in the Sunday-school. They have many sincere 
 friends here and elsewhere, and are justly esteemed by all who enjoy their 
 acquaintance. 
 
 ISAAC H. BENNETT. 
 
 This gentleman is one of the progressive farmers and leading and public- 
 spirited citizens of Deer Park township, LaSalle county, and as such his 
 biography is of more than passing interest in this work. 
 
 Isaac Heman Bennett was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, June 
 30, 1835, a son of William Bennett and a grandson of Stephen Bennett. 
 The Bennetts are descended from English and Scotch ancestors who were 
 among the early settlers of Connecticut. Stephen Bennett passed his life in 
 that state. His father grew up on the Connecticut frontier, around Great 
 Barrington, among the red men of the forest and was necessarily one of 
 the hardy pioneers of our colonial period. For the most part the Bennetts 
 have been engaged in agricultural pursuits, and wherever they have lived 
 have been among the leading and highly respected citizens of their respective 
 localities. William Bennett, the father of Isaac H., brought his family to
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 345 
 
 the west by the lake route to Chicago and by canal to Ottawa, Illinois, in 
 1852. He chose Deer Park township as his place of settlement and bought 
 a tract of land, mostly wild and with scarcely an evidence of the white man's 
 presence, and upon this tract he spent the rest of his life and died. His 
 wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Brunson, survived him a number of 
 years, her death occurring in 1899, at the age of eighty-six years. Their 
 children are: Diana, the wife of Rev. A. S. Calkins, of Normal, IlHnois; 
 Isaac H.; George A., of Utica township; Henry F., of Deer Park township; 
 Charles Franklin, of California; Edgar, of Mendota, Illinois; Edwin, of 
 Iowa; Nelson G., of Livingston county, Illinois; and Emma, who died aged 
 four years. 
 
 Isaac H. Bennett was seventeen years old when he first saw the prairies 
 of LaSalle county. He remained a member of his father's household until 
 his marriage, after which he was for a few years a renter. Then, in the 
 early '60s, he bought a portion of his father's farm, and this he has improved 
 and enlarged in area, and has made it his home. One of the first lessons he 
 learned was that of industry. All his life he has practiced industr}^ and a 
 wise economy, and in consecjuence has reached a position of financial inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 Mr. Bennett was married in January, 1856, to Miss Anna Reed, a 
 daughter of Jonathan Reed, and the fruits of their union are three sons — 
 William is a resident of his native township; Arthur E. is in California; 
 and Milton G. is a minister of the Christian church in Iowa. 
 
 Politically Mr. Bennett has no public record. He has found it to his 
 interest to support the Republican party in all elections affecting the state 
 and nation, but has never been ambitious to possess any place of public 
 trust. 
 
 A. CLEMENT. 
 
 The enterprise of New England and the progressive methods of doing 
 business in the western states find exemplification in the daily life of Mr. 
 Clement, proprietor of the Windsor Hotel, of Ottawa, for he has spent 
 years in both parts of the Union and has thoroughly entered into the spirit of 
 the communities in which he has dwelt. 
 
 In reviewing the history of our subject it is found that he comes from 
 one of the old and honored families of Vermont. His paternal grandfather 
 was captain of a sea-going vessel, the Neptune. The parents of Mr. 
 Clement, Chauncey and Sarah (Brown) Clement, natives of Vermont, had 
 six children, five sons and one daughter, most of whom are still living. 
 
 Mr. Clement was born in Franklin, Vermont, in 1830. When thirty
 
 346 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 years of age he went to California, and for some time was engaged in 
 business in San Francisco. He then returned to his native state and for 
 a number of years was very successfully occupied in the hotel business in 
 the town of Richford. Later he went to Wisconsin, where he managed 
 hotels at Sheboygan, Stevens' Point and Beloit, being located at the last 
 named place for three years. In 1897 he came to Ottawa and took charge 
 of the Windsor Hotel, which he rented and has since carried on with grati- 
 fying success. This fine hotel, one of the best in the northern part of Illinois, 
 wa"s erected at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. It is a modern three- 
 storv building, heated by steam, furnished throughout with hot and cold 
 water, and all of the appliances considered necessary in a first-class hotel. 
 Large, attractive dining and billiard rooms and parlors, and light, clean and 
 comfortably furnished rooms for guests are among the features noted here, 
 and the cuisine is excellent. The long, practical experience of the proprietor, 
 who has devoted almost his entire mature life to this line of business, makes 
 him thoroughly conversant with the wishes and needs of the public. He is 
 frank, generous and of a happy, genial disposition, and is a great favorite 
 with his patrons and numerous friends of this locality. In political standing 
 he is a Democrat, taking an intelligent view of the national issues of the day. 
 On the 25th of January, 1881, Mr. Clement and Miss Mary Shell, of 
 Wisconsin, were united in marriage. Mrs. Clement is an able coadjutor in 
 the multitudinous duties and cares which rest upon her husband, and in 
 many ways she makes her presence felt for good in the direction and super- 
 vision of the various departments of work always inseparable from the 
 proper management of a hotel of these proportions. 
 
 ERNST GLEIAL 
 
 This well known citizen of Ottawa is a native of Germany, his birth 
 having occurred in the village of Asmushausen, Hesse-Cassel, October 26, 
 1835. He is a son of George and Anna B. Gleim, who were of the agri- 
 cultural class, honest and respected, and whose entire lives were spent in the 
 Fatherland. 
 
 Having completed the regulation period of time in the government 
 schools, Ernst Gleim was well qualified in general to enter upon the more 
 serious responsibilities of life, and in 1851 he made one of the most important 
 steps in his career. He determined to come to the L'nited States, and bidding 
 farewell to the friends and associations of his childhood he embarked on 
 a sailing vessel at the port of Bremen. At the end of a tedious voyage of 
 some six weeks' duration, he arrived at New York city, in which metropolis
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 347 
 
 he passed seven years. In the meantime he had learned the barber's trade, 
 serving a two years' apprenticeship, and after working as a journeyman for 
 some time he concluded to go to Chicago, where better wages were paid. 
 Not long after he reached that city he came to Ottawa, where he opened a 
 barber shop in 1858. For forty-one years he has conducted this business 
 here, and without doul)t he is one of the most popular and well patronized 
 barbers of LaSalle county. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Gleim married Miss Fredericka Wolf in New York city. 
 She is a native of Germany, and is a daughter of John E. Wolf. Ten chil- 
 dren were born to this marriage, and the family circle is still unbroken by 
 the hand of death. In order of birth the children are named as follows: 
 Henry, Adam, Katherine. Louisa, Minnie, Ernest, Jr., George, Fred, Will 
 and Frank. 
 
 A man well informed upon the general topics of the day, Mr. Gleim is 
 a patriotic son of his adopted country, with intelligent views upon all 
 public questions of moment. Until 1887 he had upheld the Republican 
 party, but since that time he has been independent in politics. Socially he 
 belongs to Lessing Lodge, No. 326, I. O. O. F. He owns a comfortable 
 dwelling and has a competence for his declining years, as a result of his 
 industry and application to business. 
 
 JUDSON SPAULDING. 
 
 Judson Spaulding, son of the well known citizen, George H. Spaulding, 
 of Waltham township, LaSalle county, was born in ^^^altham township, Oc- 
 tober 13, 1853. He was reared on his father's farm and was educated in 
 the district schools, and on reaching his majority engaged in farming on his 
 own account. Since 1875 ^^^ ^^s been identified with Ophir township. 
 
 Mr. Spaulding was married March 10. 1881, to Annie M. Bibbins, who 
 came to the state of Illinois from New York. The children of this marriage 
 are three, — Arthur J., Walter S., and William G. Mr. Spaulding's father, 
 George H. Spaulding, was born in New York state, August 13, 1827, a son 
 of William Spaulding, a sailor. In 185 1 George H. Spaulding, then a poor 
 man. took up his residence in Waltham township. He did many a hard day's 
 work for the wages it brought and needed it for the support of life in his 
 home, and in his case honest and earnest effort brought just reward. He 
 engaged in farming and met with that success that enabled him to buy a 
 piece of land from time to time, and as the years rolled by prosperity attended 
 him until now he is reckoned one of the substantial and well-to-do men of 
 this town. He married Miss Polly Bibbins, a daughter of Jeremiah Bibbins,
 
 348 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 and their children are: Annie, the wife of Patrick Donahue, of the town 
 of Wakham; Judson; Juha, the wife of WilHam Scott, of Waltham; Mary, 
 the wife of Niel Peterson, of Calamus, Iowa; Naomi, the wife of John Bain, 
 of Gushing-, Iowa; Nellie, the widow of Lee Spaulding, living at home; 
 Cora, the wife of George Spaulding. Gushing. Iowa; and Belle, the wife 
 of William Hunter, also of Gushing, Iowa. 
 
 DANIEL C. MILLS. 
 
 Daniel C. Mills, a retired farmer of Ottawa, LaSalle county, Illinois, 
 was born in Staffordshire. England. July 3, 1832. He is a son of Daniel and 
 Sarah (Smith) Mills, both natives of England who emigrated to the United 
 States in 1833, arriving in New York city. He became interested in the 
 Veneer Mills, of Cohoes, New York, remaining there until 1839. He sold 
 his mills at Cohoes and returned to Tipton, Staffordshire, England, where he 
 engaged in business, remaining there until 1843. when he started from 
 Tipton by boat to Liverpool; thence he went by sailing vessel to New 
 York, by boat to Albany, by the Erie canal to Buffalo, and by steamer to 
 Chicago, making the entire distance from his old home in England ta 
 Chicago by water. 
 
 At Chicago he purchased a wagon and team, with which he came to 
 Ottawa. Here he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres of 
 Thomas Basnett, and at once entered upon its improvement. He was also 
 interested in the mills here and continued to identify himself with the pros- 
 perity of the place until his death, which occurred September 23, 1880, at 
 the advanced age of seventy-six years. He was a Republican and took an 
 active interest in all local affairs, acting as supervisor and assessor of the 
 town of South Ottawa, and treasurer of the school district, also as enrolling 
 ofHcer during the war. His wife reached her seventy-eighth year, dying 
 June 30, 1 89 1. They were the parents of four children, namely: Daniel C, 
 our subject; Edward G.. who died in 1870; Sarah J., wife of Thomas J. 
 Stumph; and George A., of this city. 
 
 Daniel C. Mills was a lad of twelve years when his parents left their 
 native country, and his education was well advanced. After reaching Ottawa 
 he attended school in what was known as the old Mechanics' Hall. He con- 
 tinued to assist his father about the farm work until he was twenty-one, and 
 at the age of twenty-three purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres 
 in Farm Ridge, where he began farming for himself. He placed this land in 
 first-class condition, putting up a good dwelling, barn, sheds and other 
 required improvements, and adding greatly to its convenience and appear-
 
 ^.^.^^
 
 I
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 349 
 
 ance. He was among the first to introduce the famous Norman and EngHsh 
 Shire horses in this locahty, receiving fabulous prices for some of them. One 
 team brought him the splendid sum of seven hundred and fifty dollars, and 
 all commanded good prices. He continued to add to his original purchase 
 until he had accumulated four hundred and sixty acres of choice farm land, 
 upon which he lived until 1887, when he moved to East Ottawa. 
 
 Mr. Mills was married November 3, 1855, to Miss Eliza Hogoboom, a 
 native of this city and a daughter of Richard and Phoebe (Farnsworth) 
 Hogoboom. Mr. Hogoboom came from New York to LaSalle county in 
 1829, and in partnership with Russel Kimbal built the first dam across the 
 Illinois river, at Marseilles, in 1830. Mrs. Hogoboom departed this life in 
 May, 1877, while Mr. Hogoboom lived until May 9, 1899, passing away in 
 his ninety-second year. 
 
 Five sons and four daughters have blessed the home of Mr. Alills. viz.: 
 Charles C, an attorney at law, of Rensselaer, Indiana; Albert F., a farmer; 
 Horace, also a farmer; Abbie, deceased; Alice; Phoebe; Eliza; Richard, a 
 student; and William A. The family are all members of the Episcopal 
 church and liberal contributors of both time and money to the cause of that 
 ecclesiastical body. Mr. JMills is a member of Occidental Lodge, No. 40, 
 F. & A. M.; Ottawa Chapter, No. 37, Royal Arch Masons; and Ottawa 
 Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar. A Republican, he has held a num- 
 ber of minor offices in the gift of the people and is highly respected for his 
 honor and integrity of character. 
 
 WILLIAM FREAD. 
 
 William Fread. of Serena township, LaSalle county, is entitled to rank 
 with that class of citizens known as pioneers, he having taken up his abode 
 on Fox river in this county in 1857. His father, also named William Fread, 
 came to LaSalle county in 1856 and died here in the fall of that year. He was 
 a Kentuckian who had at a very early day gone up into Indiana and settled 
 at a frontier home in Franklin county, where he married and reared his 
 children. His wife, a New Jersey lady, was before marriage Miss Abigail 
 Rockefeller. Their graves are side by side in Mission township, LaSalle 
 county, across the river from the old Fread homestead. Of their family we 
 record that John, who had married Ruth Clark in Indiana, went to Texas, 
 and died there some fifty years ago; Samuel and Henry, the next two, died 
 young; the fourth born was William, whose name introduces this sketch; 
 and James married a Miss Scott and died in Livingston county, Illinois, 
 leaving a number of children.
 
 350 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 William Fread was born in Franklin county, March 7, 181 6, and was 
 there reared and married. Since coming to Illinois he has devoted his 
 energies to farm work, his efforts have been rewarded with success, and he is 
 now the owner of two hundred and sixteen acres of choice land, well im- 
 proved and highly cultivated, ranking with the best farms to be found on 
 Fox river. 
 
 Mr. Fread was married, in 1841, to Miss Elizabeth Spradling, who 
 died about ten years ago. She bore him the following named children: 
 Martha, wife of Henry Miller, of Kansas; Henry R., of Sheridan, Illinois, 
 who married a Miss Pooler; Leonidas, who married a Miss Hoag, resides 
 in Iowa; Sarah J.; Louise, wife of Henry Plauger; and Nancy E., wife of 
 Daniel Bagwell, of South Dakota. 
 
 Mr. Fread cast his first vote for Martin Van Buren for president of 
 the United States. He then deserted the Democracy and has since affiHated 
 with the Republican party. He has never sought nor filled ofifice, his own 
 private affairs having occupied the whole of his time and attention. 
 
 SAMUEL H. MONTGOMERY. 
 
 Samuel H. Montgomery was born July 6, 1857, near the village of 
 Richmond, Jefferson county, Ohio. His parents were Dr. James Mont- 
 gomer}^ and Rebecca Swickard Montgomery, natives of Ohio. Dr. James 
 Montgomery, our subject's father, was reared on a farm until seventeen 
 years of age, his father, Hugh Montgomery, being a farmer by occupation. 
 Dr. Montgomery received his primary education in the district schools and 
 afterward spent about two years at the Richmond College. He began the 
 study of medicine in the office of Dr. George D. Hamilton, of Knoxville, 
 Ohio, and later attended the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati. He 
 commenced the practice of medicine at Knoxville, Ohio, and in November, 
 1863. came to Illinois, locating at Smithville, Peoria county, where he 
 remained until 1867. In 1867 he settled in Marseilles, where for nearly a 
 quarter of a century he was actively engaged in the practice of his profession. 
 As a physician he was widely known, popular and highly successful, dis- 
 pensing medical aid and comfort to the sick and dying, often without hope 
 of reward or remuneration, other than that of ministering to the needs and 
 welfare of his fellow beings. As a citizen he was respected and honored 
 with the presidency of the city council, and as a man he was generous and 
 just, genial and cheerful. He died in Marseilles, March 11, 1896. His 
 widow survives him and resides at the old home with Miss Mary, a daughter, 
 one of the most popular and successful teachers in the city schools.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 351 
 
 Samuel H. Montgomery, the subject of this sketch, accompanied his 
 parents to Marseilles, where he grew to manhood. In 1885 he went to 
 Beatrice, Nebraska, where he remained seven years, the greater part of that 
 time being in the employ of The Beatrice Electric Light & Gas Company. 
 In November, 1892, he returned to Marseilles. November 6, 1895, Mr. 
 Montgomery was married to Laura Conard, a daughter of David Conard and 
 Elizabeth Grove Conard. She was born on the old homestead in Miller 
 township, LaSalle county, Illinois, November 15, i860. After receiving 
 her primary education in the Loring district school she spent some time at 
 the Morris Normal School, this state. As Miss Laura Conard she was 
 known as one of the most efficient and popular teachers in the county, and 
 many of her pupils carry pleasant memories of profitable days that were 
 passed under her instructions. To Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery have been 
 born two children: Wilson C, who died in infancy; and \\'inifred, a bright 
 little daughter who now blesses their home. 
 
 ALBERT SCHAEFER. 
 
 A life-long resident of Ottawa, LaSalle county, Albert Schaefer, the 
 owner and manager of the Ottawa Opera-House, is well known here, and 
 no one stands higher in the esteem of the general public. As his name gives 
 evidence, he is of German extraction, and in fact his father, A. Schaefer, 
 was a native of the great empire now ruled by Emperor William. He came 
 to the United States more than half a century ago, however, and fought 
 for. his adopted country in the Mexican and civil wars, thus doubly entitling 
 himself to be enrolled in the Grand Army of the Republic, with which organ- 
 ization he was connected. He married Miss Christine Miller, of Lanark, 
 Illinois, and of the eleven children born to this worthy couple seven are 
 still living. Four daughters reside in Ottawa; John makes his home in 
 California, and George is now in Tennessee. Their honored father, who 
 died in 1874, was the victim of a most distressing railroad accident. 
 
 The birth of Mr. Schaefer occurred in 1863, at his parental home in 
 Ottawa, and when he had arrived at suitable years he commenced attending 
 the public schools of this place. One of the most important steps taken by 
 him in his early manhood was his marriage, in February, 1888, to Miss 
 Mary Sophia Schmidt, who is a native of Germany, and for some time has 
 lived in this country. Two daughters bless this union, namely: Sylvia and 
 Esther. 
 
 As the crowning act of a long and prosperous business career, Mr. 
 Schaefer erected the handsome and substantial brick opera-house of Ottawa,
 
 352 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 three years ago. This modern structure, two stories in height, one hun- 
 dred and twenty-six feet long and thirty-six feet wide, has a seating capacity 
 of one thousand persons, and is extensively used for public meetings, and 
 for the various local lodges and associations of the town. It is centrally 
 situated, being at the corner of Chestnut and Jefferson streets. Politically 
 Mr. Schaefer is a stanch Republican, and fraternally he is a Knight of Pythias, 
 a member of the German Benevolent Society; the I. O. O. F., and the O. 
 M. P. 
 
 AMOS C. BALDWIN 
 
 Amos C. Baldwin, of Deer Park township, LaSalle county, was born at 
 the place where he now lives, August 7, 1848; was educated at Jennings 
 Seminary at Aurora, and at Mount Carroll, Illinois, and at the age of twenty- 
 three engaged in teaching, a profession he followed for four years. At the 
 end of that time he decided to return to the labors of the farm and accord- 
 ingly established himself at the old home, where he has given the best years 
 of his life to the successful and intelligent cultivation of the soil and the 
 raising of live stock. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin is a son of Edgar Baldwin, who was born in Litchfield 
 county, Connecticut, in the year 1814, and who spent the early years of his 
 life in his native state and learned the carriage-maker's trade there. In 1843 
 he came west to Illinois, a journeyman carriage-maker, and located at 
 Ottawa, where he engaged in the carriage business with William Palmer, 
 with whom he was associated for some time. When he left the factory he 
 bought a farm in Deer Park township, where he resided until his death in 
 1895. In politics he was originally a Whig, but in later life affiliated with 
 the Democratic party. His wife, whose maiden name was Helen Calkins, 
 was a daughter of John W. Calkins, wdio came from Connecticut to Illinois 
 in 1838, and was one of the first settlers of Deer Park township. Their 
 children are as follows: Amos C, the direct subject of this sketch; Mrs. 
 I. N. Reed, of Urbana, Illinois; Mrs. J. M. Massey, of Virginia, Illinois; and 
 Mrs. Lucy Williams, deceased. 
 
 Amos C. Baldwin married, January 17, 1878, Miss Elizabeth Reynolds, 
 a daughter of Joseph M. Reynolds. The Reynolds family was the first to 
 settle in Deer Park township, Martin Reynolds, Mrs. Baldwin's grandfather, 
 being the first settler. He came from the state of Ohio and his place of 
 location here was on Vermilion river near Deer Park. Mr. and Mrs. Bald- 
 win's children are Agnes R., Jessie, Louise, Marion and Margaret. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin is one of the prominent political factors in his township. 
 In politics he has always been a Republican and is at the present time a
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 353 
 
 member of the Republican county central committee. He was elected the 
 supervisor in 1892, having previously been the township clerk and com- 
 missioner of highways. He was a member of the county board seven con- 
 secutive years, three of the seven years being the chairman of the board, 
 and rendered valuable service to his town and country. He served as the 
 chairman of the committee on paupers and statistics, was on the road and 
 bridge committee and on the special committee of that name. He was on 
 the special committee to erect the county insane asylum. The matter of the 
 reduction of pauper expenses gave him much concern and he labored to 
 bring about such a reform in the administration of the county pauper affairs 
 that would achieve that end. The present plan in vogue was adopted in 
 conformity with a resolution of his own and is expected to produce beneficial 
 results. 
 
 Mr. Baldwin takes an active interest in church and Sunday-school afTairs. 
 He has been the superintendent of the Sunday-school of his community 
 twenty-five years. 
 
 FREDERICK P. HARTSHORN. 
 
 Mr. Hartshorn, named above, is a progressive farmer who adds skill 
 and science to agricultural art, and is not slow to forsake old methods 
 when they are improved by modern appliances. He has one of the finest 
 and best improved farms in LaSalle county, due to his intelligent and 
 judicious management. He is a son of Alfred I. and Amelia (Dean) Harts- 
 horn, and was born in Waltham township, LaSalle county, August 17, i860. 
 His father, a native of New York, and his mother, of Connecticut, came to 
 this county in 1837, their location being chosen probably because his aunt, 
 Mrs. Hannah B. Burnham, had preceded them and made her home in 
 Waltham township, this county. They purchased a farm in that township, 
 and there Frederick P. Hartshorn grew to manhood, attending the district 
 schools and later entering the high school in LaSalle. He had a natural 
 ability for farming and assisted his father in the care of his land. In 1882 
 the family moved to LaSalle township, and about seven years ago he took 
 charge of his father's large farm of four hundred and fifty acres. He carries 
 on general farming, raises horses and hogs, and conducts a dairy. His 
 dairy herd consists of about sixty cows, whose feed and comfort are care- 
 fully looked after, and the returns he receives from them clearly demonstrate 
 the success of his methods. 
 
 Mr. Hartshorn was married, September 8. 1885, to Miss Juliet Bush- 
 nell, daughter of Washington and Phoebe (Charles) Bushnell, of Ottawa. 
 One child, Alfred Burnham, has blessed this union. They are communicants
 
 354 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of the Episcopal church, and Mr. Hartshorn is a prominent member of 
 Wakham Lodge, No. 384, A. F. & A. M., and the Peru Chapter, R. A. M. 
 He is also a member of St. Elmo Lodge. No. 70, K. of P., of Ottawa; 
 and of the Modern Woodmen of America, Home Forum, Royal Neighbors 
 and the Court of Honor. 
 
 CHARLES A. CARY. 
 
 In followinsf the history of successful men in the business world how 
 often does the truth of the saying of the great poet come to us that "there 
 is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune." 
 Happy is the man who is prepared, by nature and education, to grasp 
 the opportunity at the instant that it presents itself, and then, with all the 
 powers of his mind, molds and adapts himself to the opportunity, and it, in 
 turn, to his own uses. 
 
 Charles A. Cary, a prominent citizen of Utica, is an example of the 
 keen, energetic business man of to-day, one who, even in his early manhood, 
 evinced marked talents, and by the time that he had seen thirty summers 
 was fully launched upon the flood tide which is bearing him on to fortune. 
 One of LaSalle county's native sons, he was born in the city of that name, 
 December 4, 1857, a son of Charles A. and Mary J. (Blakeslee) Cary. When 
 he was eleven years old he removed w-ith the family to Chicago, which was 
 his home for several years. His elementary education w-as acquired in the 
 public schools of LaSalle and Chicago. He then attended University of 
 Notre Dame, at South Bend, Indiana, after which he attended the Highland 
 Military Academy at Worcester, Massachtisetts. Returning to Chicago, 
 he then pursued a course in telegraphy, and in 1877 was appointed as an 
 operator at Ottawa, and in the following April was transferred to Utica,. 
 where for nine years he was in charge of the Rock Island Railway office. 
 At the end of that period, in 1887, he entered into partnership with W. C. 
 and E. J. Reynolds, under the firm name of E. J. Reynolds & Company, 
 and engaged in the shipping of w-ashed sand from the celebrated sand hills 
 near this place. The company controls a large area of this sand, which is of 
 an extremely fine quality, possessing the features especially desirable in the 
 manufacture of glass, its chief use. Thousands of car-loads are annually 
 shipped to glass factories in Chicago and points in Illinois and Indiana, the 
 output of this plant finding a market within a comparatively limited area 
 of the country. Mr. Cary is a stockholder in the Utica Hydraulic Cement 
 Company, and is now acting in the capacity of vice-president of that flourish- 
 
 mg concern.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 355 
 
 On the 4th of Deceml^er, 1883. the marriage of Mr. Gary and Miss 
 JuHa M. Peckham, of Pontiac, Illinois, was solemnized. She is a daughter 
 of Professor John B. and Charlotte (Clark) Peckham. Two sons and three 
 daughters bless the home of our subject and wife, namely: Howard Clark; 
 Alta Beulah; Viola Belle; Charles Arthur and Marjorie M. 
 
 Socially Mr. Cary is a member of Acacia Lodge, No. 6^, A. F. & 
 A. M., of LaSalle, and of Peru Chapter, No. 60, R. A. M.; Peru Council, 
 No. 12, R. & S. M.; and St. John's Commandery, No. 26, K. T. In 
 political matters he adheres to the platform of the Republican party, and is 
 an earnest supporter of its nominees. In local affairs he takes an intelli- 
 gent interest, his ballot and influence being always used for the improvement 
 of the town. 
 
 KIMBALL WHITE LELAND. M. D. 
 
 The blood of sturdy, patriotic New Englanders flows in the veins of the 
 subject of this sketch, a leading physician of Utica, LaSalle county. His 
 great-great-grandfather, Aaron Kimball, was a hero of the French and 
 Indian war of 1757, and at the commencement of the notable struggle of the 
 British colonies of this country against the parental government he was 
 commissioned a captain, on account of his past experience and valuable 
 services about a score of years previously. His commission, dated April 5, 
 1776, placing him in charge of a company of the Sixth Massachusetts 
 Infantry, was the direct outcome, however, of the prominent part which 
 he had taken on the 19th of April, 1775, at Lexington. His son, the great- 
 grandfather of the Doctor, was a member of the company commanded by 
 Captain Aaron Kimball, at Lexington, participated in the battles of Benning- 
 ton, Vermont, and Bunker Hill, and eventually became a captain in the 
 regiment commanded by Colonel Wheelock. On the Leland side of the 
 family the Doctor is a great-grandson of Eleazer Leland, who served ia 
 the war for independence, and took an active part in the battles of Lexington 
 and Bunker Hill, and grandson of Colonel Cyrus Leland, a prominent citizen 
 of Grafton. Massachusetts. 
 
 Born in Ottawa. Illinois, November 4. 1857. Dr. K. W. Leland is a 
 son of Judge Pardo'n Kimball and Elizabeth Margaret (White) Leland. He 
 received excellent educational advantages in the schools of that locality, and, 
 after completing his studies in the Ottawa high school, took up medical 
 work under the preceptorship of Dr. A. E. Gibbs and Professor Olin. ol 
 Ottawa, in 1876. For the three winters following he attended the Bennett 
 Medical College, in Chicago, and was graduated in that institution, March 
 27, 1879. The same year he came to Utica, where, for just a score of years
 
 356 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 he has been very successfully engaged in the practice of his profession. A 
 thorough believer in progress in all lines, he endeavors to keep posted in all 
 discoveries relating to disease and the treatment of the same, and in the 
 winter of 1879 he pursued a special course in the Chicago College of 
 Ophthalmology and Otology. He also graduated at Rush Medical College, 
 in March, 1892. In 1892 the honorary degree of Bachelor of Science was 
 bestowed upon him by the Northwestern Norman School, of Geneseo. Illi- 
 nois. At present he is serving the LaSalle Medical Society as its president, 
 and has long been one of its most esteemed and valued members. From 
 1879 to 1885 he was the city physician of Utica, and from 1879 to 1887 he 
 served this township in a similar capacity. As a surgeon he has won special 
 attention, as he has performed many exceedingly difficult and delicate 
 operations. In connection with his regular practice he made a special study 
 of the subject of drugs and their uses, and holds a diploma as a registered 
 pharmacist. 
 
 Socially the Doctor is very popular. He belongs to the Masonic order, 
 in which he has attained the Knight Templar degree, and he also is affiliated 
 with the Odd Fellows. His marriage to Miss Mary Louisa Crosair was 
 solemnized October 24, 1883. She departed this life on the 17th of June, 
 1 89 1, and left one child. Pardon Kimball, Jr. Dr. Leland is a member of 
 the Utica Baptist church, and is a deacon in the congregation. 
 
 GEORGE HUM. 
 
 The subject of this sketch, George Hum, is ranked with the prosperous 
 and enterprising farmers of Mission township, LaSalle county, Illinois. Al- 
 though a native of Pennsylvania, he has never known any other home than 
 Illinois, whither he was brought in his infancy by his parents, Henr)- and 
 Anna (Keck) Hum. 
 
 Henry Hum was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, Jul}- 4, 
 181 1, of German parentage. In his youth he received a good education 
 in both German and English, and for some time taught a German school. 
 Farming, however, was his life occupation. He was married in Pennsylvania 
 to Miss Anna Keck, who, like himself, was a native of that state and of 
 German extraction. In 1851 they came west to Illinois, settlmg first in 
 Northville township, LaSalle county, and later moving to Adams township. 
 He carried on farming in this county for a number of years; lived to a ripe old 
 age, and died in 1893. His wife passed away in 1888. They were the 
 parents of thirteen children, six of whom are now living. 
 
 George Hum was born in Mercer county, Pennsylvania, December 27,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 357 
 
 1849, ^"d at the time his parents emigrated to Ilhnois was two years old. 
 He was reared on his father's farm, receiving his education in the common 
 schools, and remaining a member of the home circle until he was twenty- 
 seven years of ag'e, when he married. For four years after his marriage 
 he was engaged in farming in Earl township. Then he farmed three years 
 in Serena township, four years in Adams township, and from the latter place 
 came to his present farm in Mission township, where he owns one hundred 
 and thirty-three acres of fine land and is carrying on general farming. Also 
 he has for a period of thirty-four years been operating a threshing machine, 
 in season, doing a successful business. In the fall of 1899, Mr. Hum pur- 
 chased a hardware store in Sheridan, to which place he then removed. 
 
 Mr. Hum was married in 1878 to Miss Olive A. Beardsley, a daughter 
 of Edwin and Margaret (Tovvnsend) Beardsley. Mr. Beardsley was born 
 in Williamstown, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, February 24, 1824, and 
 came to IlHnois about 1834. He was married in LaSalle county, this state, 
 in 1844, to Miss Townsend, a native of Sullivan county, New York, born 
 August 19, 1826, who came to Illinois about the time of his arrival here. 
 In 1849 they made the journey across the plains to California, but some 
 time later returned to Illinois, and are now living in Sheridan, LaSalle 
 county. Mr. and Mrs. Hum have one son, Laurin V., and an adopted 
 daughter, Leona. 
 
 Politically Mr. Hum is a Republican; and while he has never sought 
 official honors for himself he has always taken a commendable interest in 
 the success of his party. 
 
 ALBERT J. FOWLER. 
 
 This gentleman owns and occupies a valuable farm in Mission town- 
 ship, LaSalle county, comprising one hundred and ninety-five acres of land, 
 and is a practical and progressive agriculturist, whose business methods 
 are bringing to him creditable success. 
 
 Mr. Fowler can trace his ancestry back through many generations 
 to Richard Eastman, who was born in Wales, in 161 1, and came to this 
 country in 1640, settling in Salisbury, Massachusetts. In the year 1747 
 three of his sons — Thomas, Enoch and Benjamin Eastman — removed to 
 Hopkinton, New Hampshire, and there Thomas married Eunice Chase, of 
 that town. They had three sons — Thomas, John, and Samuel, who was 
 sometimes called Bonus — and a daughter, Hannah, and perhaps other 
 daughters. Hannah married Deacon Jonathan Fowler, of Hopkinton, in 
 1784, and their children were Mary, Thomas (who was born November 13,
 
 358 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 11786), Nicholas, Timothy, Ruth, Joanna G., Jeremiah, Eunice, Betsey, 
 Martha and Chase. Mr. Fowler died September 7, 1840, at the age of 
 seventy-six years, and his wife passed away May 19, 1858, at the age of 
 ninety-one years. 
 
 Of their children Thomas Fowler married Olive Hale, of Hopkinton, 
 a daughter of Captain John Hale, who commanded a company in the battle 
 of Bunker Hill under General Stark. Thomas and Olive Fowler became 
 the parents of the following children: Olive B., who was born in Hopkinton, 
 New Hampshire, July 23, 1812, and died April 22, 1832; Thomas Milton, 
 was born in Hopkinton, August 7, 1814, and died March 21, 1899; Jonathan, 
 who was born at Warner, New Hampshire, Januar}- 27, 181 7, and died in 
 Newark, Illinois, November 20, 1850. The father of these children died 
 in Newark, March 16, 1872, and his wife departed this life at the same 
 place, on the 19th of April, 1850. 
 
 Thomas Milton Fowler, their elder son, was married November 8, 1849, 
 to Hannah F. Phillips, who was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, March 
 22, 1 82 1. Their children were all natives of Newark, and in order of birth 
 were as follows: Calvin, born April 9, 185 1; Sylvanus, born February 10, 
 ij8-52; Olive and Orville, twins, born February 11, 1854; Annie, who was 
 born January 11, 1856, and died at Cambridge, Massachusetts, November 
 4, 1874; Emma, born December 28. 1857; William, bom August 2, i860; 
 Matilda, who was born July 11, 1862, and died in Newark, Illinois, March 
 3, 1876; and Adell, born February i, 1864. Of these children Calvin, the 
 eldest, married Sophronia Parker, January 11, 1882, and their children 
 are: Grace Maude, born in Wisconsin, January 13, 1883; Flossey Pearl, 
 who was born at White Lake, South Dakota, June 3, 1884, and died on the 
 13th of' September of the same year; and L. D., who was born in Ottawa, 
 UHnois, February 6, 1890. Sylvanus was married January 13, 1875, to 
 Ida R. Phillips. Orville was married November 6, 1878, to Amelia A. Jones, 
 and their children are: Claude E., who was born in Newark, June 16, 1880; 
 and R. B., in Newark, July 11, 1885. Olive became the wife of Charles S. 
 Johnson, January 5, 1881, and their children are: Irving E., who was born at 
 Fox, Illinois, September 18, 1885; and Jay F., at Piano, Illinois, June 11, 
 1888., Emma married Edgar E. Edgerton, January 5, 1881. and their chil- 
 dren, born in Newark, are: Glenn V., born August 7, 1883; and Dean, 
 May 26, 1889. 
 
 Jonathan Fowler, the father of our subject, was born at Warner, New 
 Hampshire, December 27, 18 17, and became one of the pioneer settlers of 
 LaSalle county. With his brother, Milton Fowler, he came to the west 
 about the year 1847, locating in JNIission township, LaSalle county, where 
 he Srpeat his remaining days. He was here united in marriage, June 9. 1842,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 359 
 
 to Miss Sarah Phillips, who was horn in Henniker, New Hamp- 
 shire. Septemher 24, 1817. jNIr. Fowler died in 185 1, but the mother long 
 survived him and passed away in Newark, Illinois, November 4, 1896. 
 Their children were all born in Newark. John Hale, born March 23, 1845, 
 is now an attorney at law of Ottawa, Illinois. He married Clara Wright, 
 on the 9th of October, 1872, and their children are: Edward Wright, who 
 was born in Newark, June 27, 1884; and Rex Hale, who was born in Ottawa, 
 August 27, 1893. Chase, who was born August 15, 1846, is a member of the 
 legal profession of Ottawa. He was married November 21, 1879, to Mrs. 
 JMary E. Waterman, who died March 22, 1892, leaving two children, Eva 
 and Chase, who were born in Ottawa, the former September 21, 1880, the 
 latter February 15, 1883. For his second wife Chase Fowler wedded Angle 
 Fread, on the 24th of September, 1895, and they have a son, Lyle N., who 
 was born in Ottawa, Illinois, June 24, 1896. Albert J., who was born 
 August 10, 1848, is the subject of this review. Jonathan and Thomas, twins, 
 complete the list of children, and were born July 2, 1850; but Thomas died 
 the following year. Jonathan, who is now a lawyer at the bar of Aurora, 
 Illinois, was married March 24, 1 891, to Mary E. Barnard, and they have one 
 daughter, Marian Edna, who was born in Illinois, January 9, 1899. 
 
 Albert J. Fowler was reared on a farm and lessons of industry and 
 economy were early impressed upon his mind and have had marked bearing 
 upon his later life, causing him to be a practical, energetic and success- 
 ful man of business. He was educated in the schools near his home, and 
 has spent his entire life in Mission township. His diligence has been 
 unabating, his perseverance continuous, and these qualities, combined with 
 his honorable dealings, have secured to him a fine property, so that he is now 
 the owner of one of the valuable farms of the county. 
 
 Mr. Fowler has been twice married. On the nth of March, 1873, 
 he led to the marriage altar Miss Frances Lewis, who died August 27, 1881. 
 They had two children — Charles Milton, who w^as born in Newark, March 
 17, 1874, and died November 12, 1874; and Edith Marsellis, who was born 
 June 26, 1876, in Newark, and was married January 23, 1895, to Stanton 
 Sinclair, a native of Kansas, and they have one child, born November 27, 
 1898. and named Frances May. On the 14th of December, 1882, Mr. 
 Fowler was again married, his second union being with Permelia Jane 
 Mason, and four children have come to bless their union, all natives of New- 
 ark, namely: Emery Stipp, born March 11, 1884; Milton Ross, born No- 
 vember 8, 1885; Anna Arvillia, born July 3, 1888: and Alpha Armedia, 
 born January 21, 1895. 
 
 Mr, Fowler exercises his right of franchise in support of the men 
 and measures of the Democracy, believing that its principles contain the
 
 36o BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 best elements of good government. He is a man worthy of the esteem of 
 his fellow men, and in LaSalle county, where his entire life has been passed, 
 he is widely and favorably known. 
 
 CHARLES R. BROWN. 
 
 In memory Charles R. Brown can live again the experiences of the 
 pioneer life in LaSalle county and recall the scenes and environments of 
 those days on the frontier when the work of settlement was just beginning 
 and marked progress and advancement were still in the future. His long 
 residence in LaSalle county has made him widely known and his upright 
 life has gained for him the high regard of all with whom he has come in 
 contact. 
 
 A native of Vermont, he was born in the town of Brandon, September 
 28. 181 7. His parents were Micah and Phoebe (Merriam) Brown. The 
 father was born at Ashford, Connecticut, in 1876, and was descended from 
 Welsh ancestry. The mother was a native of Walpole, New Hampshire, and 
 was a representative of an old New England family, to one of the collateral 
 branches of which belonged Ethan Allen, the famous general of the Revo- 
 lution. Charles R. Brown was the eighth in order of birth, of a family of 
 eleven children, namely: James C, Evaline, Caroline, William Violet, 
 Phoebe T., Cyrus M., Mary, Charles R., Albert, Anna D., and Laura Eva- 
 line. The father of these children resided in Brandon, Vermont, where his 
 death occurred in 1863, when he had attained to the advanced age of eighty- 
 seven years. He served with distinction in the war of 181 2, rising to the 
 rank ol major. 
 
 Charles R. Brown spent his boyhood days upon a farm, and in the 
 common schools acquired his education. When a youth of fourteen years 
 he accompanied his eldest brother, the late Dr. James C. Brown, to Ohio, 
 where he was reared to manhood. For a time he engaged in clerking in 
 mercantile establishments in that locality, but devoted the greater part of his 
 energies to agricultural pursuits. In 1842 he was married and began his 
 domestic life upon a farm. He wedded Miss Malinda T. Dakin, who was 
 bom in Oakland, Ohio, and died in LaSalle, Illinois, in 1893, ^t the age of 
 sixty-nine years, leaving an only child, now Mrs. Clara Parrish. In 1852 
 Mr. Brown and his wife came to LaSalle, but soon afterward he purchased 
 a farm near Princeton, in Bureau county, Illinois, where he made his home 
 for several years. On selling that property, he bought land in LaSalle 
 county, and for many years thereafter was numbered among the most suc- 
 cessful and extensive farmers and stock-raisers of the county. He entered
 
 I
 
 f y
 
 ^Mo<C^,/^. f.j^^ 
 
 \
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 361 
 
 upon his business career with no capital save determined purpose and will- 
 ingness to work. Gradually, as the result of his enterprise and economy, his 
 financial resources increased and he became one of the wealthiest farmers 
 of LaSalle county. He was never a spendthrift, but made good use of his 
 money and acquired it as the result of industry and careful management. 
 He has spent the last few years in retirement from active labor, making his 
 home in LaSalle. He, however, yet retains the ownership of a number of 
 farms, his landed possessions being quite extensive. 
 
 Mr. Brown has a wide acquaintance in this county and is uniformly re- 
 spected by those who know him. He has never sought political office, 
 preferring to devote his energies and time to his business. He has, how- 
 ever, kept well informed on the issues of the day and has thus been able to 
 give an intelligent support to the party of his choice. He cast his first 
 presidential vote for William Henry Harrison, and when the RepubHcan 
 party was formed he joined its ranks and has since followed its banners. One 
 of his old-time acquaintances said to the writer, "You can find no better 
 man in LaSalle county than Charles R. Brown." He has been a successful 
 farmer, a splendid citizen, an honest and upright man and a faithful friend. 
 
 CHARLES G. WERNER. 
 
 Possessing the love and talent for music which seems to be the special 
 heritage of the German people, Professor Werner, of Ottawa, has devoted 
 much of his time to the art and figures conspicuously in all local events of 
 a musical nature. He is looked up to and consulted in matters pertaining to 
 music, his opinions being considered authority on the subject. 
 
 John George Werner, the father of our subject, was a native of Spangen- 
 berg, near Cassel, Germany, who for several years served in the standing 
 army of that government, holding during his term of service several mili- 
 tary positions of high honor. He was with the famous Hussars and saw six 
 years of active service, during which the battle of Schleswig-Holstein against 
 Denmark took place, in 1848. He often related reminiscences of his military 
 experiences, in which he took great pride. He settled in this county in 
 1856, and departed this life in 1895, when in his seventy-first year. For his 
 wife he married Anna Eliza Kerste, who is a devoted Christian and earnest 
 co-worker with the German Lutheran congregation of Ottawa, her parents 
 having been very religious and brought her up in their faith. Professor 
 Werner's parents both often spoke of the eight weeks' voyage on the 
 sailing vessel on which they crossed the Atlantic ocean to the New World. 
 When they arrived here in LaSalle county the Indians were still numerous
 
 362 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in the vicinity. Mrs. Werner is still living, being now sixty-seven years of 
 age. These parents had twelve children, of whom four have passed to the 
 silent land. The survivors are: Charles G., the subject proper of this 
 sketch; Christine; Henry G., successfully engaged in business in Ottawa 
 as a boot and shoe merchant; Mrs. Minnie Poltrock, of Ottawa; Herman, 
 a grocerj^man in Aurora, this state; Mrs. Martha Gasser, of Ottawa; Con- 
 rad, who is clerking in his elder brother's shoe store; also George. 
 
 The birth of Mr. \\'erner took place on the Atlantic ocean, ]\Iay 26, 
 1856, and he passed his boyhood in Ottawa, receiving his education in the 
 excellent public schools of the place. His musical ability was noted at an 
 early period, and he received a thorough training from competent teachers. 
 In 1884 he entered into business relations with C. A. Genold, a well known 
 manufacturer of pianos in Chicago and has represented the firm as an 
 agent here ever since, selling various musical instruments and enjoying an 
 extensive patronage as a piano-tuner, in which line he is proficient, having 
 made a special study of the difficult art. His diligent attention to the needs 
 and wishes of his customers, his fair and courteous treatment of them and his 
 thorough knowledge and experience in his chosen field of enterprise, have 
 resulted in financial success; and whereas he was a poor man a few years 
 ago he now enjoys a remunerative trade, etc. 
 
 The modern, beautiful residence of Professor Werner is situated at No. 
 1002 Ottawa avenue, — elegant in all its appointments, — and was erected in 
 1892, at a cost of twelve thousand dollars. Mrs. Werner, who presides 
 over this attractive home, bore the maiden name of Eva L. Pope; and her 
 marriage to Mr. Werner took place in 1881, at the home of her stepfather, 
 John Brundage, of Miller township, this county. The youngest daughter 
 of Mr. Werner and wife, Clara L., who died at the age of ten years, was a 
 bright, promising girl, and her loss seems specially severe. Adaline L., 
 another daughter, now eighteen years of age, is attending Ferry Hall 
 Seminary at Lake Forest, being naturally a talented musician and a skilled 
 artist as a pianist. 
 
 Politically Professor Werner is a Republican, and socially is identified 
 with several of the Masonic bodies, in which he is deservedly popular. 
 
 THOMAS WRIGHT ESMOND. 
 
 The Esmonds have performed their full share toward the develop- 
 ment of LaSalle county, and no more loyal citizens have ever dwelt within 
 its boundaries from the time when it lay on the frontier of western civiliza- 
 tion until the present day, when it ranks among the finest and most fertile 
 and resourceful counties of the great prairie state.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 363 
 
 Cornelius W. Esmond, the father of the subject of this memoir, was one 
 of the first settlers of Utica township and in time became noted as one of 
 its most prosperous agriculturists. For a wife he chose Miss Anna Brown, 
 and they became the parents of seven children. 
 
 Thomas Wright Esmond, the second son of the worthy couple men- 
 tioned, was born in Utica township, June 4, 1858. His judicious father 
 trained him well in every department of work pertaining to the cultivation 
 and care of a farm, and by the time he had arrived at his majority he was 
 thoroughly competent to undertake the management of a large home- 
 stead. He obtained a practical knowledge in the essential branches of an 
 English education in the schools of his home district, and with this as a foun- 
 dation he has become familiar with wider fields of research and affairs of 
 moment to the world in general. Since his marriage, some fifteen years 
 ago, he has conducted the farm which he now owns. The place is located 
 on both sides of the road, one hundred and sixty acres being- situated on 
 section 12, Utica township, and the remainder, ninety-seven acres, in Ottawa 
 township. Large barns afford ample accommodation for the quantities 
 of grain raised each year on the place. A high grade of Norman horses and 
 fine cattle are kept by the progressive proprietor. 
 
 In 1884 Thomas W. Esmond and Miss Anna Moore were united in 
 marriage. They have had four children, namely: Oakley W., Roy M., 
 Dale B., and a little daughter, Elva E., who died at the age of five years. 
 Mrs. Esmond's parents, David and Elizabeth (McClure) Moore, were na- 
 tives of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, and came to this county in 1855, 
 locating in Waltham township. 
 
 Mr. Esmond has never sought nor held public office, his preference 
 being for a quiet, domestic life and his time given to his houshold and 
 private affairs. For greater freedom and liberty of action he has remained 
 unidentified with political party organizations, using his vote independently, 
 and in the late presidential campaign he declared for free silver. He pos- 
 sesses the high regard of all who are acquainted with him, and his word 
 is considered to be as good as his bond. 
 
 JOHN D. VETTE. 
 
 Though now nearing the eighty-second anniversary of his birth, John 
 D. Vette, an honored old citizen of Ottawa, is remarkably well preserved 
 and has the use of all his faculties. He and his estimable wife celebrated 
 their golden wedding day on the 2d of September, 1896, and the pleasant 
 occasion will be long remembered by the participants, children, grand- 
 children, other relatives and family friends who were present, and who
 
 364 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 brought to the venerable couple substantial tokens of love and a multitude 
 of kind wishes for their continued health and happiness. 
 
 A son of Charles and Angeline (Brindensek) Vette, both of whom were 
 natives of Germany, the subject of this sketch was born July 2, 1817, in 
 the province of Hesse-Schaumburg. Following in his father's calling, John 
 D. served an apprenticeship of three years at the blacksmith's trade. Dur- 
 ing this period he was given his board but received no wages and had 
 to furnish his own clothing. For some time he then worked as a journey- 
 man, and the last place' where he was thus employed was at Hanover. On 
 the 15th of March, 1843, he embarked on a sailing vessel at Bremen and 
 eight weeks later he landed at New York. Thence he proceeded by steamer 
 to Albany, by the canal to Buffalo and by a sailing boat to Chicago, and 
 was, altogether, six weeks in making the journey which can now be made 
 in less than eighteen hours. He arrived in Chicago, June 29, 1843, ^^^^ 
 found the place but a scattering town, with Httle promise of the great future 
 in store for her. In 1847 the parents of our subject came to this country 
 and located on a farm in Cook county, not far from Chicago, at a place 
 called Schaumburg, where many other families from the same neighbor- 
 hood in Germany had settled. There the parents resided until their death. 
 After coming to Chicago John D. spent about six weeks on farms in the 
 vicinity, during the harvesting season, after which he worked at his trade 
 as a blacksmith, in company with a man named S. Bainard. 
 
 It was in 1845 that Mr. Vette came to Ottawa, and for three years 
 he was in the employ of the same man with whom he had been associated 
 in Chicago. Our subject then started a shop of his own on a small scale, 
 on Columbus street, near the Palmer w'agon factory, and for several years 
 his trade consisted chiefly of shoeing the horses used on the canal. As time 
 passed he prospered, as he deserved to do, and in 1857 he erected a large 
 two-story-and-basement brick building on Superior street, the cost thereof 
 being six thousand dollars. The main wing was eighty by forty-five feet 
 in dimensions. As soon as the building was completed the owner com- 
 menced to manufacture wagons and continued in this business for almost 
 half a century. The workmanship, material used and everything connected 
 with the Vette wagons was of the best, and all through this region 
 and the surrounding counties the products of the factory managed by our 
 subject came into great demand. Mr. Vette employed from ten to fifteen 
 men steadily and was as faithful in the payment of their wages and in the 
 recognition of their rights as he always was in meeting his larger bills and 
 responsibilities. In 1896 he retired, having amassed a competence for old 
 age, and having long since conquered the difficulties which he had at first 
 experienced as a stranger in a strange land.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 365 
 
 When he received his right of franchise Mr. Vette voted for James 
 K. Polk, and sided with the Democratic party, but after the organization 
 of the RepiibHcans he identified himself with their political body, and has 
 voted for its nominees down to and including McKinley. 
 
 Mr. Vette married Miss Wilhelmina C. Ghiske, a native of Germany, 
 born August 16, 1825, the ceremony which united their destinies being 
 solemnized in Cook county, September 2, 1846. Five children blessed 
 their union, namely: Charlotte, wife of August Engel; John F.; Sophronia 
 J., who married E. Engel; Amelia and Julia C. John F., the only son, a 
 practical and skilled business man and mechanic, has been connected with 
 the famous Peter Schuttler wagon factory in Chicago, in the capacity of 
 foreman, for the past twenty years. 
 
 REV. N. J. LOCKREM. 
 
 Rev. N. J. Lockrem is a well known resident of Norway, LaSalle 
 county, and although still a young man has laid the foundation for a life 
 of usefulness that will cause his name to be remembered with gratitude by the 
 many who have come under his administration. He is one of the able 
 ministers of the Lutheran church and has charge of three organizations of 
 that denomination in this county, and his services in connection therewith 
 have been attended with marked success. His field of usefulness is also 
 extended to educational lines and he is the founder of a Lutheran college in 
 Ottawa. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Lockrem was born in Norway, mentioned above, on the 27th 
 of November, 1863, and is a son of Jorgen Lockrem, a farmer of that 
 locality. He acquired his primary education in the schools of Norway and 
 when quite young emigrated to the United States, where he worked on a 
 farm and engaged in teaching in order to earn the means to continue his 
 studies. He subsequently added to his knowledge by studying in Chicago 
 and at theological seminaries in Minnesota and Chicago, and after being 
 prepared for his chosen life work, was ordained for the ministry in Fox 
 River church, in Illinois, on July 12, 1893. He has shown himself to be a 
 speaker of force and ability and of marked oratorical power. His discourses 
 are eloquent, but he also made his audiences through logical, well ex- 
 pressed thoughts which won for him sympathetic attention. Gradually the 
 thought of the need of Christian education took possession of him and 
 resulted in the establishment of the Lutheran College at Ottawa and was 
 the first one to propose the establishment of a school of this nature in this 
 district. He also had an extensive acquaintance with schools of a higher 
 
 I
 
 366 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 instruction and is well qualified for leadership in this work. Speaking of 
 the matter to a friend who asked him what circumstances led to the estab- 
 lishment of the school, he said: 
 
 "I noticed that the people in this district were enjoying considerable 
 material prosperity; that in the diligent effort of our people to build up their 
 economic fortunes there was danger of negligence to provide for the mental 
 and spiritual fortunes of the rising generations. This negligence did not 
 grow out of carelessness entirely, but arose largely from the force of cir- 
 cumstances. Although our people rapidly became Americanized, yet they 
 are conservative in matters of religious faith and anxious to have their 
 children retain the elements of faith in the form held b)'' the fathers. They 
 are therefore very careful in their selection of schools to which to send 
 their children. This characteristic I consider as one of the best among our 
 people. It is a fact taught by the history of the church that only those 
 who had clearly defined principles and adhered faithfully to them ever did 
 much positive work in building up the walls of Zion and furthering the 
 best elements of civilization and progress. I knew there was a vast amount 
 of pent-up energy in the minds of the multitudes of our young generation 
 that only required emancipation in order to become a large force in advanc- 
 ing their own best interests and those of humanity at large. To accomplish 
 this desirable end the most effective means would be the establishment of a 
 school in some good center of intelligence and culture in our district. I 
 noticed that communities of our people in other states had tried the same 
 experiment and had been very successful. I accordingly made up my 
 mind to make an attempt in this direction. In the latter half of 1892 I com- 
 municated my thoughts to some of my friends privately. I will mention 
 among these particularly, the Rev. INIr. Ellestad, who was a pastor formerly 
 in my present charge, and who was at that time superintendent of missions 
 in the United Norwegian Lutheran church of America. Traveling from 
 the Atlantic to the Pacific coast in the performance of his duties, he had 
 excellent opportunities of observation upon the enterprises and successes of 
 our people everywhere, as well as of knowing their needs. He was well 
 acquainted in this district and expressed the opinion that a school of this 
 nature was strongly in demand. He encouraged me to go forward in 
 my plan. Other friends gave similar encouragement. In Stevens' Grove, 
 on the 4th of July, 1893, I made the first expression of my thoughts to a 
 public audience. Some of the leading men present afterward expressed 
 to me their hearty approval of the thought and encouraged a prosecution 
 of the plan. Later in the fall of the same year, at our semi-annual district 
 meeting, the Rev. Mr. Aarrestad, in introducing the question of the proper 
 education and culture of our young people, took occasion to propound
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 367 
 
 quite fully the idea of estal)lishing such a school in our midst. At that 
 meeting was appointed the first committee to investigate the matter and 
 take such preliminary movement as its wisdom might dictate." 
 
 Thus the idea of the college took root. It has required earnest, arduous 
 and continuous labor to place it upon a firm foundation, but with unremitting 
 zeal Rev. Mr. Lockrem undertook the task and carried it forward to success- 
 ful completion. To-day it stands as a monument to his Christian zeal, his 
 enterprise and devotion to the needs of the community. The school is 
 now well organized in its various departments and is under the guidance 
 of careful instructors, who give attention not only to the mental develop- 
 ment of the pupils but also to their spiritual growth and welfare. 
 
 On the 19th of May, 1893, Rev. Mr. Lockrem led to the marriage altar 
 Miss Caroline Bergslie, who was born in Norway and was educated in 
 Ch.icago. She is a most estimable lady and an invaluable aid to her husband 
 in his work. Two children, a daughter and a son, have been born to 
 them: Gertie Lydia, born January i, 1896; and Noble Gerhard, born Sep- 
 tember 19, 1897. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Lockrem has few idle moments, but is never so busy but that 
 he finds time to give willing aid to any who come to him for counsel and 
 guidance. He is a man of broad views and is deservedly a favorite with all 
 who have come in contact with him, his strong personality exerting a 
 powerful influence for good. 
 
 JAMES M. GATCHELL. 
 
 Forty-two years have passed since James M. Gatchell came to LaSalle 
 county, and he has therefore been a witness of the greater part of its devel- 
 opment and upbuilding. He has seen its wild lands transformed into beauti- 
 ful homes and farms, its hamlets grow into thriving towns and cities, and 
 has witnessed the introduction of many and varied business enterprises, 
 including the railroad, the telegraph and the telephone. As an agriculturist 
 he has assisted in reclaiming the wild land for purposes of civilization and 
 is to-day numbered among the leading agriculturists of Brookfield town- 
 ship. 
 
 Mr. Gatchell was born in the township of Wales, county of Lincoln, 
 near Bowdoinham, Maine, February 9, 1839, ^"d. is a representative of 
 an old family of English origin. His father, Aaron Gatchell, was born 
 March 11, 1800, and was reared in Maine. He married Miss Adah Witterell, 
 of Lincoln county, Maine, and in order to support his family engaged 
 in farming, although he was a sawyer by trade. Nine children were born
 
 368 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of the marriage: Betsy, who is living at Clear Lake, Iowa; Martha, who 
 lives in Richmond, Maine; Isaac, who was a veteran of the civil war and 
 a member of the Grand Army Post at Pontiac, Illinois, and died in Odell, 
 this state; Sewell B., a merchant of Freeport, Illinois; Charles, who is living 
 on the old homestead in Maine; Miss Vesta, who lives in Lynn, Massachu- 
 setts; Mellen M., who died in Story, Illinois; Lettice, who died at the age 
 of thirteen years; and James M., who is the subject of this biographical 
 notice. In his political views the father of these children was a Jackson 
 Democrat until Abraham Lincoln became a candidate for the presidency, 
 when he joined the ranks of the Republican party. In his religious views he 
 was a Baptist. He died June 2, 1878, at the age of seventy-eight years, and 
 his wife passed away March 16, 1889, at the age of eighty-one years. 
 
 Upon the old homestead farm in Maine James M. Gatchell spent the 
 days of his boyhood and youth, and in the common schools of the neigh- 
 borhood he acquired his education. When eighteen years of age he bade 
 adieu to home and friends, and leaving the Pine Tree state came to Illinois, 
 locating in LaSalle county, where he has since made his home. On the 
 14th of August, 1862, however, he put aside all personal considerations to aid 
 his country in her efforts to preserve the Union and became a member of 
 Company F, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry, under command of 
 Captain J. J. McHernan, Colonel Moore and Lieutenant Hapeman, of Ot- 
 tawa. He participated in twenty-one engagements with the enemy, includ- 
 ing the battle of Harville, Tennessee, where on the 7th of December, 1862, 
 he was taken prisoner. The following month, however, he was exchanged, 
 and later he took part in the battles of Chickamauga, Lookout Mountain 
 and Missionary Ridge. In the last named he was slightly wounded, and 
 at the battle of Peach Tree Creek, Georgia, July 21, 1864, he was seriously 
 wounded, which forced him to remain in the hospital for nine months. 
 He was honorably discharged March 4, 1865, and returned to his home in 
 LaSalle county, carrying with him a bullet wound six by eight inches. 
 He had been a soldier loyal and true, and his name deserves a place upon 
 the honored roll of the Union's defenders. 
 
 When he had sufficiently recovered his health Mr. Gatchell began farm- 
 ing. In 1866 he located upon a seventy-acre tract of land in Brookfield 
 township, and in 1878 he purchased his present farm of one hundred and 
 forty acres, succeeding James J. McCully in its ownership. This farm is now 
 under a high state of cultivation, being divided into good fields and pasture 
 lands. The house is a modern residence and the farm buildings are in 
 good condition, indicating the careful supervision of a progressive owner. 
 
 On the 27th of October, 1867, Mr. Gatchell was united in marriage to 
 Miss Catherine Rose, a representative of a family of high respectability.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 369 
 
 She \vas born in New York and is a daughter of Washington and Maria 
 (Balsh) Rose, both of whom were natives of the Empire state and early 
 settlers of LaSalle county. They had eight children: William Henry, of 
 Brookfield township, LaSalle county; Mrs. Gatchell; Albert D. (ist), de- 
 ceased; Albert D. (2d), who is living in Brookfield township; Truman D., 
 of Boulder, Colorado; Ellen, who died at the age of ten years; George, who 
 died at the age of thirty-nine years, leaving a widow and five children; 
 and Emma, who died at the age of twenty-seven years. The father's death 
 occurred when he was seventy-three years of age. By occupation he was 
 a farmer, following that pursuit throughout his life. In his political views 
 he was a Republican and in religious faith both he and his wife were 
 Methodists. Mrs. Rose is still living, at the advanced age of seventy-eight 
 years. Mr. and Mrs. Gatchell are the parents of six children, three no>v 
 living, — Cora Delia, Charles Albert and Chester Edward. Those deceased 
 are William Edward and William James, who died in infancy; and Adah 
 Maria, who died at the age of eighteen months. 
 
 Mr. Gatchell has been a stanch Republican since casting his first presi- 
 dential vote for Abraham Lincoln. He has served in several township offices 
 and is now school director. He belongs to Joseph Woodworth Post, No. 
 281, G. A. R., of Marseilles, and his wife and daughter are members of the 
 Presbyterian church. The family hold a high position in social circles and 
 have the warm regard of all who know them. 
 
 JULIUS H. WHEELER. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler controls one of the leading industrial concerns of Mar- 
 seilles, LaSalle county, having been engaged for a number of years in the 
 manufacture of brick and tile at that place. His close application and strong 
 determination, so necessary to a successful business career, have proved 
 potent elements in securing to him a comfortable competence. He came 
 to Illinois from New England, his birth having occurred in Hydeville, 
 Rutland county, Vermont, on the 30th of June, 1853. He is a son of 
 Nicholas and Nancy Ann (Thatcher) Wheeler, the former a native of 
 Rutland county and the latter of Ticonderoga, New York. In their family 
 were two sons and three daughters, namely: Mrs. Nancy Coleman, Julius 
 H., Mrs. Harriet Powell, Mrs. Jennie Bull and Fred H. In 1864 the father 
 removed to^ Illinois, and his last days were spent in Livingston county, 
 this state, where his death occurred in 1866. 
 
 Julius H. Wheeler acquired his education in the public schools of that 
 county, to which place he accompanied his parents when about nine years of
 
 370 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 a;g€. There he grew to man's estate and in 1895 he took charge of the 
 brick and tile factory in which he has since carried on an extensive business, 
 his patronage steadily increasing. He finds a ready market for his products, 
 awing to their excellent quality, and the output of the factory is now very 
 large. The plant was established some twenty years ago, by Mr. Layman, 
 and is now the best equipped factory in this part of Illinois. The annual 
 returns are two thousand dollars each season, and the superior quality of the 
 brick sold insures a continuous demand. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler entered the matrimonial state on the 22d of December, 
 1874, his bride being Miss Ida, daughter of S. M. Rodgers. Seven children 
 have blessed their union, namely: Fred E.. born December 3, 1875; Elmer 
 A., February i, 1877; Ernest R., March 7, 1881; Lucy A., July 19, 1883; 
 Ida May. who was born August 8, 1886, and died at the age of one year, 
 eight months and nine days; Harry E., born April 23, 1893; and Elma E., 
 born September 22, 1895. 
 
 Mr. Wheeler is a prominent member of Shabbona Camp, No. 258, 
 Modern Woodmen of America. In his political adherency he is a Repub- 
 lican. He is one of the most enterprising business men of the county, and 
 is public-spirited and liberal, contributing in many ways to the growth and 
 upbuilding of the community. 
 
 JOHN BOWEN. 
 
 John Bowen, a son of the pioneer, Hiram Bowen, will form the subject 
 pftliis memoir. He was born in Kane county, Illinois, February 8, 1839, 
 reared and educated a farmer boy and now owns and manages the old family 
 h-omestead. In his youth he attended school and improved his every oppor- 
 tunity to acquire knowledge. His first impressions were that school was a 
 good place for a boy and that study was one process of mind development 
 and culture. His favorite study was mathematics, and he was not only a 
 master of this branch himself while in school, but he also had time to aid the 
 larger pupils and frequently the teacher, as well. At twenty years of age 
 Mr. Bowen was obliged to quit school and take a permanent and continuous 
 interest in farming. As time went on and his financial position became 
 more independent he turned his attention to cattle-feeding and still later to 
 toying and shipping live stock, and he remained in this lucrative business 
 for many years. 
 
 Mr. Bowen remained a single man until December. 1898, when he 
 married Susan Edwinson, the daughter of a Norwegian school teacher. 
 Mrs. Bowen is fortv-two vears of asfe and is a native of the United States.'
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 371 
 
 Our subject's identity with political matters has been confined to voting. 
 He has" never cared to hold public office, — in fact is not constructed in the 
 lines necessary for a public servant. He is one of the well posted men, 
 historically, of the town, and while he may have no particular pride on that 
 account it is certainly a source of great satisfaction to him to be able to 
 recall, with accuracy, the important events that have entered into the history 
 of our country and speak of them as if they were of the living present. He 
 has strong convictions on political questions, which his own experience and 
 study warrant him in defending. His first presidential vote was cast for 
 the martvred Lincoln, and his last for William McKinlev, who he believes 
 ranks with the first president of the Republican party in statesmanship 
 and patriotism. He believes in the policy of expansion practiced by the 
 present administration and forced upon it by existing circumstances con- 
 nected with the late Spanish war. Defensive expansion, in the interests 
 of humanity, is a national virtue that is entirely novel, and one in which the 
 United States has the distinction of being the pioneer, thinks Mr. Bowen. 
 These conclusions are not arrived at by mere speculation and fanciful 
 theories, but by a good knowledge of the history of all nations and the light 
 of an advanced Christian civilization. 
 
 FRIDTHGOF G. ARNTZEN. 
 
 Fridthgof George Arntzen, a retired merchant of Serena, was born in 
 the parish of Flagstad in the northern part of Norway, December 19, 1847. 
 His father, Andrew Arntzen, was a merchant, and our subject was reared 
 and trained in that line of business. At the age of nineteen years he left 
 school and became a bookkeeper in the office of a merchant at Bergen, 
 Norway. Upon finishing his engagement there, in 1869, he joined a com- 
 pany of young people who were emigrating to the United States. He 
 embarked from Bergen on the sailing vessel Valkyren, bound for Quebec, 
 and after five long weeks of water journey he landed, on the i6th of June. 
 He continued his journey by rail to Chicago, went to Wisconsin and found 
 work on a farm that fall and winter. He had heard so many roseate accounts 
 of the south that he went to Mississippi, where he secured work on a planta- 
 tion. This was too far south for a man born in sight of an iceberg and 
 reared in the pure air of pine-and-hemlock-perfumed Norway; so, by the 
 middle of the following December, he made his way back to Chicago. In 
 the spring of 1871 he came to LaSalle county, Illinois, and clerked for a 
 time in the village of Norway. He came to Serena, March 13 of that year, 
 and then began clerking for Mason & Schlenbusch, and later for Mr. Mason.
 
 372 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 In 1882 Mr. Arntzen succeeded Mr. Mason, by purchase, and conducted a 
 general merchandise business just ten years, retiring in 1892. 
 
 The date of Mr. Arntzen's marriage was June 27, 1882. He chose for 
 his companion Henrietta, a daughter of John D. Hoxsey. The latter was 
 born in Williamstown, Massachusetts, August 3, 1812, and came to Illinois 
 about 1840, settling in Serena, and became one of her prosperous and pro- 
 gressive citizens. He was a fine business man and became, in general stand- 
 ing, one of the first men in the place. He died February 23, 1881. His 
 wife was by maiden name Elizabeth Beem. Their children were: Henry, 
 who died in the army during the civil war period; Frances E., deceased; 
 Henrietta, born April 10, 1849; Fremont; Lincoln; Fannie E., the wife of 
 Ed. S. Jacobs. Mrs. Hoxsey died October 27, 1886. Mr. and Mrs. Arntzen 
 are the parents of John Decatur, born 1883; Mary E., born in 1884; and 
 Richard, born in 1891. 
 
 In national matters Mr. Arntzen has identified himself with the Repub- 
 lican party. By his strict attention to business, as well as by his deahngs 
 with his neighbors and friends, he has shown himself to be a gentleman of the 
 first order and one worthy of the confidence of the public. He adopted 
 American ways and habits and early became as thorough an American as 
 if born in this country. He has never sought nor favored publicity for 
 himself, preferring to remain a quiet and modest man of afifairs. Unlike 
 many other foreign-born people, the Scandinavians come gracefully under 
 the flag of this nation and prefer to become as one among us. They are 
 a portion of the best of our adopted brotherhood. 
 
 HON. JOHN McLAUCHLAN. 
 
 "Honest John McLauchlan," as he is familiarly called by his numerous 
 friends and admirers, is now acting as a representative in the state legislature 
 from the twenty-seventh senatorial district of Illinois. He is a man who 
 comes from the ranks of toil and whose proudest boast is that he is of and 
 for the working men. By his own exertions and indefatigable energy he has 
 educated himself, becoming well informed upon the great questions of the 
 day, and by his intimate acquaintance with the problems and needs of the 
 toilers and masses is enabled to speak with authority in their behalf. 
 
 The ancestors of our subject, upon both the paternal and maternal lines, 
 were purely Celtic in origin. His parents, Daniel and Elizabeth (McCrae) 
 McLauchlan, were natives of Scotland, the former coming from the agri- 
 cultural class and the latter's relatives being more given to mechanics and 
 trades. The paternal great-grandfather of our subject operated the second
 
 £■■■ 
 
 .^^f
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 373 
 
 blasting engine ever used in Scotland in the smelting of iron. In his early 
 manhood Daniel McLauchlan was engaged in agriculture, but later he turned 
 his attention to iron-mining and devoted himself to that line of business for 
 over a quarter of a century. Both he and his wife died in their native land, 
 where they had led worthy, upright lives. 
 
 John ^klcLauchlan, whose birth occurred January 27, 1840, is one of 
 seven children who attained maturity, and is the only representative of the 
 family in America. He attended school until he was ten years of age only, 
 and was then obliged to begin learning how to mine iron ore. He worked 
 industriously at this calling in Scotland until 1869. when he came to the 
 United States, hoping to better his condition and to enjoy the blessings of a 
 free country. At first he made his home in Pennsylvania, whence he came 
 to Illinois early in the '70s, and since the Centennial year he has dwelt in 
 LaSalle. with the interests of which community he is actively identified. 
 For five years after coming here he was, as formerly, occupied in mining. 
 In the spring of 1881 he was elected a supervisor of LaSalle township, and 
 has served in that capacity ever since. He is strongly in favor of the prin- 
 ciples of the Democratic party and is a believer in free silver. In 1894 he 
 was elected to the legislature, and upon the expiration of his term was 
 honored by re-election in 1896, and again in 1898. As may be surmised, 
 he is particularly active in labor organizations and in all movements which 
 he believes will benefit the laboring class. 
 
 Before leaving his native land, Mr. McLauchlan married Miss Sibelle 
 McBeth,"who died in Pennsylvania in 1871. The only child of this union, 
 Daniel McLauchlan, is now living in Indian Territory. In 1873 our subject 
 was married, in Illinois, to Miss Mary Arbuckle, who was a native of Glas- 
 gow, Scotland, and whose death occurred in 1891. She left three sons and 
 a daughter to mourn her loss, namely: Robert, James, Andrew, and Katie. 
 In 1893 Mr. McLauchlan married Elizabeth Fleming, who was born in 
 England and came to the United States with her parents when two years of 
 age. Her father, William Fleming, was an early settler and a successful 
 farmer of Dimmick township. 
 
 HENRY K. PARR. 
 
 This widely known and popular retired agriculturist of Serena belongs 
 to one of the earliest families, who made up the vanguard in the settlement 
 of LaSalle county. He was born in Rutland township, this county, Decem- 
 ber 22, 1830. His father, William Parr, was born in Licking county, Ohio, 
 reared there and brought up to do farm labor. He came to LaSalle county
 
 374 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 in October, 1830, and at once began to subdue the new prairie country by 
 the improvement of his farm. Being the offspring of a sturdy foreigner, 
 he inherited an industrious disposition. His father was an Irishman, of the 
 working class, just the station from which to select material for good citizen- 
 ship in a free land. 
 
 William Parr married Sally Trumbo, whose people were numbered 
 among LaSalle county's settlers before the Indian tribes had yet forsaken 
 the territory. They were Alsatian people, speaking probably the French 
 tongue, and their descendants are numerous and prominent in the county 
 to-day. William Parr passed from the scenes of earth in 1859, and his good 
 wife in 1896. Their children were: Henry K.; Isabel, deceased, who 
 married Orson Potter; Samuel Parr, of Ottawa; Mary, the wife of Samuel 
 Groves, of Utica; and John, deceased. 
 
 Henry K. Parr's childhood was at a time when playmates were scarce, 
 and therefore he became intimate with the little Indian boys, while his school 
 days were passed in the old-time log cabin, where he underwent about as 
 great development from the pure air and hickory gad as he did from the 
 open text-book before him on the primitive slab desk. When it is remem- 
 bered that there was but one other white family on the north side of the 
 Illinois river between Ottawa and Chicago, one can form some idea how 
 much nature had to do with the early training of our subject. 
 
 Mr. Parr began life for himself in Rutland townshij:) of this county, 
 where, September 8, 1853, he married Elsie, a daughter of J. S. Armstrong, 
 being the first native-born LaSalle county people to be married here. His 
 beginning in life was very modest. A log cabin, a stove and the plainest 
 of home-made furniture, being the only ornaments his farm home possessed. 
 He came to Serena in the excessively cold and snowy month of January, 
 1855, ^i""^^ located on what is now known as one of the ideal farms of the 
 township. He owns a half-section farm, from which he retired in 1890. 
 
 Mrs. Parr died February 9, 1889. Her children were: Florence May, 
 the wife of Walter D. Strawn, of Ottawa, Illinois; Ida D., the wife of 
 James W. Hupp, of McCook, Nebraska; Cora D., the wife of W. B. Miller, 
 of Chicago; Estella, the wife of Dr. Logan, of Aurora, Illinois; and John S., 
 deceased, who married Laura Leonard. Our subject's second wife was 
 Mrs. Mary Maar, a sister of John Louis Marshall, of Serena. They were 
 married in 1891. Mrs. Parr's first husband was John Maar, who died leaving 
 three daughters, viz., Mary, Rosie and Lizzie. 
 
 Be it said to his credit, Mr. Parr has ever done his share toward the 
 public service of his town. He has filled the offices of town clerk, assessor, 
 justice of the peace and commissioner. Politically he is a "naturally born'' 
 Democrat and as he remarked to one interviewing him, 'T was chopped
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 375 
 
 out of a basswood log and fed on Democratic nourishment and breathed 
 the Democratic air." Indeed it is as natural for him to be a Democrat as it is 
 for a duck to take to water. He is outspoken and plain; everybody knows 
 his views, and where he stands, and he expresses himself in the vernacular — 
 adjective, expletives and all — common to the time of his bringing up. 
 
 George Gallow^ay, born in 1827; H. K. Parr, born in 1830, and H. H. 
 Holdridge. born in 1831, were the first three white male children born in 
 LaSalle county. They remained in it to be fifty years of age and had their 
 pictures taken to^^ther in 1883! 
 
 HENRY BOWEN. 
 
 Henry Bowen, the supervisor of the town of Serena and one of the 
 most thrifty and prominent tillers of LaSalle county soil, was born in Kane 
 county, Illinois, December 16, 1834. His father was one of the truly pioneer 
 band in this state, coming to its broad and fertile domain in 1833. He hailed 
 from Washington county. New York, reaching Illinois before the govern- 
 ment had yet sectionized the land. He took a claim and resided on the 
 same until the year 1845, wiien he came to LaSalle county and settled on 
 a farm in Mission township. He possessed moderate means when he left 
 his native state and was considered a well-to-do man in Illinois. He devoted 
 his time and tact to farming, and no political or other movement attracted 
 him in the least. The nominees of the Whig party constituted his ticket, 
 but he never suffered his name to be up for local office. 
 
 The Bowen family originally came from Wales. Samuel Bowen. our 
 subject's grandfather, was born in the state of New; York, of Welsh 
 parentage. The exact advent to America is not known, but it is nearly cer- 
 tain that it was prior to our Revolutionary conflict. Hiram Bowen, the 
 father of our subject, was forty-nine years of age at the time of his death, in 
 1854. He married Olive Niles, of Bennington, Vermont, and she departed 
 this life in 1883. Her children were Henry, John and Thomas. The last 
 named served as a member of the Thirty-sixth Illinois Infantry in the army 
 of the Tennessee, during the civil war. He participated in the heavy engage- 
 ments at Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, etc., ex- 
 posure during which injured his health so that he died early in life's careen, 
 
 Mr. Bowen spent his youthful days upon his father's farm, and besides 
 obtaining a good practical knowledge of the successful management of the 
 same he acquired, at the common district school, a somewhat limited knowl- 
 edge of the common branches of learning. As he briefly puts it, "Experience 
 has been my best teacher." He located on his present fine farm about
 
 376 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 1850, and in its wild state began the long years of ceaseless toil, by which he 
 has made it one of the best equipped farms in the town. He owns a four- 
 hundred-acre tract here and a six-hundred-acre tract near Hastings, 
 Nebraska. 
 
 Every true American citizen has his political party choice, and in the 
 case of our subject he affiliates with the Republican party. About 1883 he 
 was elected the supervisor of his town and has served ever since. He was 
 a member of the board of supervisors during the time the county buildings 
 were being constructed, — the court house, jail, and county asylum, — and 
 his suggestions were then and are now a valuable aid in the proper conduct 
 of the business of the public. He is the capable secretary of the Farmers' 
 Insurance Company, capitalized at one million dollars, and it is doing a 
 good business in LaSalle county. 
 
 The death angel visited the home of our subject in 1871, claiming Mrs. 
 Bowen, to whom he was united in marriage in 1869. Mrs. Martha Bowen 
 was the daughter of Jesse Davidson, who came to Illinois from Ohio. By 
 her death she left a daughter, Harriet, now the wife of Thomas Duffy, of 
 Serena. 
 
 CHARLES H. HOAG. 
 
 Charles H. Hoag, of Serena, was born in Delaware county. New York, 
 May 18, 1821, was reared and obtained his education in his native state 
 and learned to farm from his father. His father, Amos Hoag, was born 
 on Quaker Hill, on the line between Connecticut and New York. He mar- 
 ried Elizabeth Haynes. In his politics he was originally a Whig but later 
 a Republican; and he died in 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Amos Hoag' were the 
 parents of the following children: Albert, who died in LaSalle county, in 
 185 1 ; George, wdio died in Serena, in 1869; Mark, who died in 1884; 
 Charles H.; Henry, who died in 1856; Cynthia, deceased: Cyrus, of Dela- 
 ware county. New York; and Jane, deceased. Our subject's paternal grand- 
 father, Timothy Hoag, was a farmer, of the good old Quaker faith, and died 
 in Columbia county. New York. His wife was a Miss Weed, and one of 
 their children, Gilbert, came west and died in LaSalle county, Illinois. 
 
 Charles H. Hoag came to Illinois when twenty-eight years of age, 
 hoping to find a broader field with better opportunities for gaining a compe- 
 tency than the overcrowded east then afforded. Illinois was already known 
 as the "garden spot of the west." But before permanently locating he spent 
 four years in Michigan, going to that state in 1845, stopping in St. Joseph 
 county, where he was married, in 1847, to Hellen Robinson; and they came 
 to LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1849, by wagon, and settled on a rented farm
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 377 
 
 in Dayton townshi]) and began life in earnest. After four years of steady 
 toil be purchased tbe farm be still owns, adjoining the town plat of Serena. 
 Here forty-six years of bis life bave been spent. Being public-spirited he 
 has ever done bis share toward tbe upbuilding of his home town. In politics 
 he of whom we write was first a Whig and later entered tbe Republican ranks. 
 He has held many local offices of trust, including town and school offices. 
 
 Mr. Hoag's first wife died in 1856, being tbe mother of three children — 
 Mary, wife of Leonidas Fread; Clara, who married Albert Fread, deceased; 
 and William, deceased. Mr. Hoag's second wife was Mary Wells, who died 
 in 1891. Their children were: Lincoln, of Boston, Massachusetts; George, 
 who died in Texas; Lillie, tbe wife of Walter Carter, of Serena; Cyrus, who 
 died in Kansas, in 1889; Franklin, of Serena; Alvin, of Serena; Adam, 
 who married Josephine Beckwith and lives in Serena; and Maud, the wife 
 of C. B. Stockholm, also of Serena. 
 
 In tbe settlement of every new country there are a large number of 
 the early pioneers who do not remain long, but move on in search of greener 
 pastures and not unfrequently make the mistake of their lives. Not so with 
 Mr. Hoag; for he has remained through the long years until almost a half 
 century has slipped by. He has been afiflicted by tbe cruel band of death, 
 bereaving him of many of his loved ones, yet he has taken tbe manly view of 
 life's realities and is now enjoying the fruit of his long years of toil and frugal 
 management. It is such men as Mr. Hoag who contribute much toward 
 the advancement of this great west to its present high state of development. 
 
 JOHN S. CLAYTON. 
 
 The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this article is a repre- 
 sentative of one of tbe oldest and best known families in Deer Park town- 
 ship, LaSalle county, Illinois, and was born on tbe farm on which he now 
 resides, June 18, 1837. His father being a well-to-do farmer, John S. in his 
 youth was given good educational advantages. He has all his life given his 
 attention to agricultural pursuits. Now he is carrying on both general 
 farming and a live-stock business, buying, feeding, and shipping stock to 
 the Chicago market. 
 
 Mr. Clayton has in his veins a mixture of English and German blood 
 and counts among his ancestors men of sterling worth. His father, William 
 Clayton, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1806, of English parents, 
 and spent the early years of bis life in Brooke county, Virginia, now West 
 Virginia, coming from there in 1834 to Illinois. Here he bought several 
 hundred acres of land, including tbe famous "Deer Park," and although
 
 378 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 he owned much other land he made this his home until his death, in 1885. 
 When the town was organized he was made its first supervisor. He owned 
 a large tract of land in Iroquois county, Illinois, and in his later life he built 
 a town upon it and called it Claytonville. He retired from business at an 
 advanced age and during the closing years of his life made his home with 
 his son John S. In early life he was a Free-soil Democrat, but became a 
 Republican when that party was organized. He was a strong Abolitionist 
 at the time when that question was a vital one. In stature he was about 
 five feet and eight inches; his weight, one hundred and sixty pounds. His 
 wife, nee Elizabeth Puntney, died in 1873. She was of German and English 
 descent, and lived a life of good deeds. Like her husband, she inclined 
 toward Universalism, but really never got very far away from true 
 Methodism. Her children were: James W., who was robbed and murdered 
 near Denver in 1874; Sarah E., deceased, who was the wife of David Dick; 
 Unity A., deceased; Carrie, now Mrs. J. C. Reynolds; William R.; John 
 S.; George W., who was murdered near Fredericksburg", Texas, in 1871; 
 Ellen C., the wife of Captain S: A. Lodge, of Monticello, Illinois; and 
 Manning U., deceased. 
 
 In Decemljer, 1861, John S. Clayton was married to Julia A. Surdam, 
 a daughter of Mr. and ]\Irs. L. L. Surdam. who came to Illinois from Con- 
 necticut. Mr. and Mrs. Clayton's three children are Grant F., D. O., a 
 graduate of the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri; 
 he is now successfully practicing his profession in Chadron, Nebraska; 
 Charles S., now a student in the Pacific School of Osteopathy and Infirmary 
 at Los Angeles, California; and Glennie A., who married Charles G. Piercy, 
 and both are living with her parents in Deer Park township. 
 
 Mr. Clayton has affiliated with the Republican party since attaining 
 his majority, and has been one of the promoters of its interest and welfare 
 as a private citizen. 
 
 MRS. JANE S. LIBBEY. 
 
 Mrs. Jane S. Libbey, one of the pioneers of LaSalle county and well 
 known in Ottawa and vicinity, is the widow of Francis Libbey, who during 
 his last years was numbered among the most progressive agriculturists of 
 this section. He was born near Portland, Maine, in 181 5, and in his early 
 manhood came to the west, where he believed that greater opportunities 
 for advancement awaited him. 
 
 After residing for some time in Alton, Illinois, Mr. Libbey came to 
 Ottawa, and here his destiny was united with that of Miss Jane S. Brown, 
 their marriage taking place in 1849. Mrs. Libbey is a daughter of the Hon.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 379 
 
 Charles Brown, wlio was one of the eariiest settlers of this county. He 
 located on a claim just south of Ottawa in 1830, and during the Black Hawk 
 war serv^ed in a company of home guards. The old homestead, now^ owned 
 and managed by Mrs. Libbey, comprises four hundred and sixty-six acres 
 of the most valuable and productive land around Ottaw^a. 
 
 To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Libbey five children were born, — three 
 daughters and two sons. Elnora married William C. Griffith, who died in 
 Indianapolis, Indiana, and their four children are Frank, Harry, Howard 
 and William. Lucy, the second daughter, became the wife of W. C. Riale, 
 an Ottawa business man, and they have one child, named Florence. Joseph- 
 ine is the wife of Frank A. Kendall, of Cherokee, Iowa, and has five chil- 
 dren, — Fanny, Grace, Edith, Josephine and Burton. Wallace, whose home 
 is at Farm Ridge, LaSalle county, chose Miss Ida Watts, of i\lton, Illinois, 
 for his wife, and their children are Bessie J., Esther and Ellen. Howard 
 married Miss Florence Smith, of Fall River, LaSalle county, their home is 
 at LaPlata, Missouri, and their two sons are Harrold and Donald. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Libbey gave their children good educational advantages, and 
 equipped them for the battle of life as far as was in their power. Mr. Libbey 
 used his franchise in favor of the Democratic party, but was not a politician 
 in any sense of the word. Death called him from his labors when he was 
 still in his prime, being but forty-nine years of age. He left an honored 
 name, and a record of which his children and posterity may justly be proud. 
 
 WILLL\M D. GRUBER. 
 
 There is a saying that "a prophet is not without honor except in his 
 own country." Soldiers, however, as such always have honor in their ow-n 
 country; and everywhere in this country the man who risked his life in 
 defense of the Union is held in honor, and when a veteran dies the whole 
 community is moved by one common feeling of sorrow^ LaSalle county 
 has its proportion of these old heroes, who have fought for their country as 
 young men and have given the best years of their subsequent lives to its 
 development, and none of them is more highly regarded than William D. 
 Gruber, who is not only a veteran of our civil war, but also an early settler 
 and prominent citizen of Farm Ridge tow-nship. 
 
 Mr. Gruber was born in Preble county, Ohio, March 21, 1837, a son 
 of Rev. Jacol) Gruber, who was for forty years, until his death, one of the 
 most influential and most highly respected citizens of Farm Ridge township, 
 LaSalle county. Mr. Gruber's ancestors came from France to Pennsylvania 
 in 1670, on account of the cruel persecutions to which the Huguenot Chris-
 
 380 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 tians were subjected after the revocation of the Edict of Nantes. Christian 
 Griiber, father of Rev. Jacob Gruber, was born in Berks county, Pennsyl- 
 vania, August 3, 1767. He married Catharine Metzsger, a native of Union 
 county, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of fifteen children, — eight 
 boys and seven girls: John, born March 8, 1800; Jacob, November 10, 
 1801; Henry. December 22. 1803; Philip, June 5, 1806; Elizabeth, May 
 26, 1808; Mary, June 23, 1810; Joseph, December 31, 1812; Catharine, 
 April 29, 1815; George, September 17, 1817; Susanna, March 9, 1819; 
 Sarah, October 27, 1820; Christena, October 25, 1822; Christian, December 
 29, 1824; Daniel, April 12, 1827; and Samuel, April 12, 1829. George, 
 Samuel and Daniel were soldiers in the Mexican war, George being killed at 
 the storming of the city of Mexico. Samuel was wounded in the same 
 battle, and died before he reached home. Daniel is the only survivor. 
 
 In 1804 Mr. and Mrs. Gruber removed to Pickaway county, Ohio. 
 (He served in the war of 18 12.) Jacob Gruber having been born in Berks 
 county, Pennsylvania, November 10. 1801, was at that time three years 
 old. He lived in Pickaway county, Ohio, until 1856, when he came to 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, and settled on a farm of two hundred and sixty- 
 two acres, much of which he improved and placed under profitable cultiva- 
 tion: and that he retains most of it will be apparent when it is considered 
 that this same farm is the one upon which he spent his declining years, 
 containing two hundred and ten acres of land. He married Susan Emrick, 
 a native of Montgomery county, Ohio, March 4, 1830. Mrs. Gruber died 
 April 17, 1878, leaving- seven children: Amanda M., Melusena E., William 
 D., Sarah Victoria, Milton L., Joseph L., and Samuel H. Mr. Gruber was 
 married a second time July 15, 1879, to Elizabeth Runbarger, who was 
 born in Montgomery county, Ohio, January 9, 1826. He was ordained a 
 minister of the Evangelical Lutheran church in 1828. He was a Democrat 
 and a Freemason and a man of much public spirit. His death occurred in 
 Grand Ridge, January 19, 1895. 
 
 William D. Gruber. the eldest son of the Rev. Jacob and Susan (Emrick) 
 Gruber, received a good education and has been a student and a diligent 
 reader all his life, as well as a close observer of men and events. He has 
 much artistic and mechanical talent and acquired knowledge of, and for some 
 years devoted himself to, the marble-cutter's trade. In 1862 he enlisted 
 in the Eighty-eighth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for senace 
 against the south in the civil war, and participated in the battles of Perry- 
 ville and Stone River and in other engagements and skirmishes of less note 
 and in the siege of Vicksburg. He lost the sense of sight in one eye and the 
 sense of hearing in one ear and for a time was detailed to duty as a clerk at 
 headquarters, for which his education and experiences fitted him. When,
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 381 
 
 September 7, 1864, he was mustered out of the service, he had taken part 
 in twenty-six engagements, some of them among the most notable of the war, 
 and had an excellent record as a soldier. 
 
 Mr. Gruber interested himself in education, and was for some time one 
 of the most popular teachers in his part of the country. Since he left the 
 school-room his interest in public education has not diminished, and he has 
 been a life-long advocate of and worker for improvements in the schools 
 of his township and county. His home is one of the most inviting in its 
 vicinity and he and his family have always dispensed a most generous hos- 
 pitality. His farm abounds in fruits and vegetables in great variety, includ- 
 ing many varieties of strawberries. The lawn surrounding his large resi- 
 dence is shaded by many ornamental trees and beautified with shrubs and 
 flowering plants of various kinds, including forty kinds of roses alone. 
 
 Mr. Gruber was married in 1867 to Miss Caroline A. Von Forell, who 
 was born at Buffalo, New York, October 26, 1848, a daughter of Captain 
 Adolph Von Forell, a German military officer and a member of one of the 
 noblest families of Desseldorf, who married Augusta Schmeiding, a lady 
 of good family and thorough education, and soon afterward came to Amer- 
 ica and took up his residence in Buffalo. Later he removed with his family 
 to Illinois and still later to Nebraska, where he died aged sixty-nine. His 
 wife, now seventy-three, lives in Thayer county, Nebraska. They were life- 
 long members of the Lutheran church. Of their nine children eight are 
 living: Adolph, Fredrick, Henry, Ernest, Mrs. Gruber, August, Charles 
 and Julius. Bertha is dead. Mr. and Mrs. William D. Gruber have nine 
 children: Oscar, who married Miss Louisa Schurer (now deceased), lives 
 near Fort Dodge, Iowa; Augusta, wife of C. I. Woodward, a well known 
 farmer of Farm Ridge township; Charles, who lives at Iowa Falls, Iowa; 
 Milton, not married, who is living in Farm Ridge township; Florence, of 
 Grand Ridge; Arthur, at home; and Susan, Sarah and Mary, at their 
 parental home. • 
 
 ISAAC F. MASON. 
 
 Among the representative farmers of LaSalle county, Illinois, certainly 
 one of the most progressive and popular is the gentleman whose history it is 
 our privilege and pleasure to present on this page. He was born May 9, 1857, 
 on the old Mason homestead in this county, and has grown to man's estate 
 among the friends who have known and loved him from boyhood. His 
 father, Joseph Mason, was born in the state of Ohio, and there remained 
 until he had reached mature years, when he came to Illinois and here was 
 married to Mrs. Rosanna Pickens, a sister of Captain J. J. McKernan, who
 
 382 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 was a well known resident and an early settler of this locality. She had 
 first married Henry Pickens and become the mother of two children, — 
 Maranda, now deceased, and Celestia Jane. Mr. Pickens died six years 
 previous to the marriage of his widow to Mr. Mason. By the latter mar- 
 riage there were five children, namely: Isaac F.. our subject, and James, 
 twins; Justice, who died in childhood; Luella, also deceased; and Joseph 
 F. When Isaac was about seven years of age his father died, and his 
 widow took for her third husband Mr. Henry Slater. 
 
 Isaac F. Mason received his educational training in the public schools 
 and early learned habits of industry and thrift which have been character- 
 istic of his entire life. His attention has been given to farming and his farm 
 of four hundred acres is so well improved and cared for that it is sure of 
 attracting attention, even from the most casual observer. The residence is 
 a large, pleasant one, and the barn, the main part of which is thirty-two by 
 thirty-two, has an L of almost equal size, thirty-two by thirty, furnishing 
 ample room for stock and grain. Another feature, seldom found on private 
 grounds, but none the less desirable, is a large reservoir, which is well stocked 
 with fish, from which a mess of the finny tribe can be transferred to the 
 owner's table on short notice. 
 
 He was married September 4, 1879, to Miss Jennie Fair, a native of 
 Pennsylvania and a daughter of John Fair. Her father died in his fifty- 
 -eighth year and her mother when one year younger. Mrs. Mason was one 
 of nine children, eight of whom are living, viz.: Samuel C, Wesley, Mary 
 Robinson. Ella Williamson, Jennie Mason, W^illiam, Emma, and Cora. Mr. 
 and Mrs. Mason are the parents of five children, namely: Arthur F., a 
 young man of nineteen; Bessie J., a school-girl of fourteen; Isaac R., who 
 is in his eighth year; Zelma, a child of two summers; and Letha, an infant 
 that died at the age of eleven months. Mr. Mason is a Republican in his 
 political proclivities. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, 
 and one of the most highly esteemed residents of this county. 
 
 A. H. SMITH. 
 
 A. H. Smith, editor of the leader. Earlville, Illinois, dates his birth in 
 the town in which he now lives, December 9, 1868, and is a son of Charles 
 M. and Mary C. Smith. Charles M. Smith was a man well known through- 
 out this locality and was recognized as an authority on horses. He was a 
 breeder of trotting horses, took great delight in the turf, and acted as judge 
 at many a race. 
 
 A. H. Smith was early taught the value of a dollar and that it required
 
 . BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 383 
 
 work to get it, and when a mere boy he began saving a part of his earnings. 
 The small amount thus saved and put out at interest later gave him a start 
 in business. He received a common-school education in Earlville, which he 
 followed with a commercial course in the Gem City Business College at 
 Quincy, Illinois. In 1886 he entered the employ of the Earlville Leader, 
 with which he was connected ai that time for two years. He then went to 
 Chicago and secured a position as job printer in a large concern, wdiere 
 he obtained a valued experience in all kinds of job printing and where he 
 remained two years. Returning to Earlville at the end of that time, he and 
 his brother, Charles M. Smith, Jr., purchased the Earlville Leader, which 
 they successfully conducted together until 1893, when the subject of this 
 sketch bought out his brother's interest in the paper. Since that date he 
 has been the sole proprietor. The Leader has ahvays been conducted on 
 independent principles, and under the etTicient management of Mr. Smith 
 has prospered and largely increased in circulation. 
 
 While in Chicago, December 18, 1889, Mr. Smith married Miss Fannie 
 Dumond, of Earlville, and they have two children, Marjoi-y and Bryce. 
 
 CHRISTIAN STEINMAYER. 
 
 The German character is in all communities influential for good upon 
 business prosperity because its conspicuous qualities are thrift, industry, per- 
 severance and integrity, the four corner-stones of all stable financial and 
 industrial structures. LaSalle, Illinois, has its German contingent and is 
 duly appreciative of it and of what it has done for the town, and there are 
 few, if any, of this worthy class of citizens who are more highly regarded in 
 business and social circles than the man whose name forms the caption of 
 this article. 
 
 Christian Steinmayer was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, January 6, 
 1854, a son of Christopher and Lena (Horwarth) Steinmayer, and is the 
 last of his father's family, his only sister having died in Germany. In his 
 native land he gained an education equivalent to a high-school education 
 in America and learned the machinist's trade and worked at it there until 
 1874. when, at the age of twenty, he came to the United States and after 
 living one year in Chicago, located at LaSalle, where he was employed as 
 a machinist by Matthiessen & Hegeler Zinc Company until 1878, in which 
 year he was made foreman of this concern's machine shop. This position 
 Mr. Steinmayer held until 1887. 
 
 In April of the year last mentioned Mr. Steinmayer, with others, organ- 
 ized the LaSalle Pressed Brick Company, wdiich engaged in the manufacture
 
 384 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. • 
 
 of pressed brick from clay found in LaSalle township. Success has attended 
 the enterprise, and the factory has been increased until it is now three times 
 its original size. The busiiiess has witnessed a steady increase, until the 
 products of the factory have reached an annual output of over four millions 
 of brick. The company manufacture plain, moulded and ornamental 
 pressed brick, standard and Roman sizes, in red, buff, brown, pink, and other 
 colors and find ready sale for the output, shipping to many points in the 
 northwest, including Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Paul and Duluth, and to more 
 distant points in the Dakotas and other western states. Mr. Steinmayer, 
 the president of the company, has been in charge of its interests from the 
 day of its beginning, and the success it has achieved under his management 
 reflects the greatest credit on his ability to organize and build up a big 
 enterprise. 
 
 In 1876 Mr. Steinmayer married Catharine Feurer, who likewise was 
 born in Wurtemberg, Germany, and who has borne him seven children, six 
 of whom are living. He regards his success in life modestly, and does much 
 quiet and effective work for the public good. He takes no active interest 
 in politics, but has decided views on all public questions, and performs his 
 duty as a citizen, unfailingly and conscientiously. 
 
 WILLIAM ROE. 
 
 This is the age of the young man, and young men have come to the 
 front in these last years of the nineteenth century who will give an impetus 
 to commerce, to science, to education, to professional success and to moral, 
 literary and religious progress which will make the twentieth century a land- 
 mark in the world's history. In our mixed blood is the concentrated spirit 
 of pioneers wdio loved liberty and were willing to risk their lives for the 
 right and for the opportunity to earn comfort for their wives and their 
 children, and the Scotch strain promises as much for the moral and intellec- 
 tual future of our country as any other. 
 
 William Roe, attorney-at-law, LaSalle, Illinois, was born in Ayrshire, 
 Scotland, August 13, 1868, a son of Thomas and Mary (Jamieson) Roe. 
 His father was of Scotch, his mother of Irish nativity, but Mrs. Roe's father 
 had some Scotch blood in his constitution and had a Scotch name. They 
 came to the United States in November, 1884, and immediately thereafter 
 settled at Oglesby, LaSalle county, Illinois, wdiere Thomas Roe died, in 
 November, 1891, at the age of fifty-eight. His widow is living at LaSalle, 
 now in her sixty-fourth year. Mr. Roe was a coal-miner of many years
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 385 
 
 experience, a man of reading and intelligence and a patriotic citizen who 
 adapted himself to the American ways and did honor to American citizenship. 
 AMien the family came to this county William Roe was sixteen years 
 old. He had left school, in his native land, at the early age of thirteen and 
 began to work in the coal mines. After his arrival at Oglesby he resumed 
 mining in the mines of that vicinity. He spent one year at Spring Valley, 
 where the family lived for that time. In 1891, before he was twenty-three, 
 he began the study of law, reading evenings and working in the mines during 
 the long days. But while he worked he also studied and reasoned and 
 acquired a habit of mind which has since been of much service to him. He 
 was admitted to the bar in December, 1894, and entered upon the practice 
 of his profession at LaSalle early in the succeeding year. His fellow-towns- 
 men know that he has been successful, and they know, too, that he has won 
 by methods honorable and legitimate, with due regard for the law, for the 
 courts and for himself. He is an active citizen, who looks at public questions 
 from the Republican point of view, and takes a helpful interest in every 
 movement for the general good. He is identified with the First Congre- 
 gational church of LaSalle, and is helpfully interested in all its work, and is 
 a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Much of his spare time 
 he has devoted to literature, and he is the author of numerous poems of 
 more than ordinary merit. One of these, William Roe's Farewell Address 
 to his Sunday-school Class of the Oglesby Union Church, has had an exten- 
 sive local circulation and is much admired. 
 
 ALBERT H. HATTON, M. D. 
 
 For eighteen years this well known physician and surgeon of Peru has 
 been a resident of LaSalle county, actively identified with western interests. 
 Among his professional brethren he ranks high and his ability has gained him 
 prestige, and his devotion to his profession has given him a leading place 
 in the ranks of the representatives of the medical fraternity. In tracing 
 the genealogy of our subject we find that he is descended from a long line of 
 sturdy, intelligent and honorable ancestors, and that in both the lineal and 
 collateral branches the representatives have been prominent in the history of 
 the nation in connection with civil and military affairs of the country. 
 
 The first of the name to seek a home in America was Thomas Hatton, 
 who was born in England in 1600 and died in Maryland in 1655. He was 
 descended from Sir Christopher Hatton, a lord chancellor in Queen Eliza- 
 beth's reign. In 1648 he bade adieu to the land of his birth and sailed from 
 London for the colonial possessions of England in America. He was the
 
 386 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 trusted friend of Lord Baltimore and shortly after his arrival was appointed 
 secretary of the province and privy council. He was closely identified with 
 the interests of Lord Baltimore in Maryland and died in battle during the 
 engagement at the Severn. His descendants are still found in Maryland, 
 Virginia, Ohio and other western states, and have filled many positions of 
 public trust, including a cabinet office and places of high military rank, a 
 representative of the family having been a brigadier general of volunteers. 
 
 Forsyth Hatton, the paternal grandfather of the Doctor, was a native 
 of Virginia and by trade was a blacksmith. In 1836 he came to Illinois and 
 fortv years later died at his home in Marshall county, at the age of seventy- 
 •six years. One of his brothers was a soldier in the war of 1812, and was in 
 •action at the battle of New Orleans, and another served in the Mexican war, 
 ■enlisting in 1847. The grandfather of Forsyth Hatton was a captain in 
 the British army and was serving under General Wolfe when he fell at the 
 TDattle of Quebec. The father of the Doctor was Andrew Hatton, a native 
 •of Rockbridge county, Virginia. He married Artemisia Moulton, who was 
 born in Tazewell county, Illinois, and a daughter of Levi Moulton, who was 
 a native of Kentucky and representative pioneer of Tazewell county. Levi 
 Moulton married Mary Burns, a daughter of Garrett Burns, who was born 
 at Rising Sun, Kentucky, in 1801. Her father was born near Edinburg, 
 Scotland, and was an own cousin of Robert Burns, the well known Scot- 
 tish bard. In 1786 Garrett Burns came to the United States with his 
 parents, the family locating in eastern Maryland. He, however, started for 
 the western frontier and crossing the Alleghany mountains he cast in his 
 lot with the pioneer settlers in Kentucky, making his home on the Ohio 
 river near Cincinnati. Those were dangerous and troublous times on the 
 frontier and the pioneers were almost constantly warring with the Indians 
 of the territory. During the fall that he arrived on the "dark and bloody 
 ground" Mr. Burns joined the army and through the succeeding seven years 
 was in almost constant service, taking part in many of the hardest-fought en- 
 gagements with the Indians in the successive campaigns under Generals 
 Harmar, St. Clair and Anthony Wayne. In a hand-to-hand fight with an 
 Indian warrior at the time of St. Clair's defeat, his thumb was cut off by a 
 tomahawk stroke which was aimed at his head, but which he parried with 
 his rifle. Making good his escape he started with two wounded companions 
 through the wild forests for the nearest pioneer settlements. They had no 
 arms except hunting knives, no blankets and no means of making a fire. For 
 three weeks they subsisted on acorns, black cherries and slippery-elm bark 
 and traveled day after day through forests infested by wild animals and still 
 wilder men till they safely arrived at a settlement on the Ohio river. In 
 1794 Mr. Burns was again under the command of General Wayne in battle
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 387 
 
 near the Maumee river against the Indians under their famous war chief 
 Little Turtle. This ended in the crushing defeat of the red men and delivered 
 the territory from further depredations by the hostile tribes of Indians. Mr. 
 Burns died in Tazewell county, Illinois, in 1859, at the advanced age of 
 ninety years. Levi Moulton, the maternal grandfather of our subject, 
 came to Tazewell county in 1824, at a time when that section of the 
 state was little better than a veritable wilderness, infested by wolves and 
 Indians. He was a farmer and a prominent man in his settlement and for 
 many years served as justice of the peace. He burned the first brick laid 
 at Fort Clark, now Peoria. Illinois. Being an Abolitionist, politically, he 
 was active in the underground-railway scheme and did all in his power to 
 promote anti-slavery principles. He had a personal acquaintance with Abra- 
 ham Lincoln when he was an embryo attorney and unknown to fame, and 
 with other prominent men of that day, and was himself regarded as one of the 
 leading citizens in his section of the state. He reared a family of nine chil- 
 dren and all four of his sons were soldiers in the Union army during the 
 war of the Rebellion. 
 
 Andrew Hatton, the father of the Doctor, came to Illinois in 1836 and 
 died here in 1852, when he was but twenty-five years of age, his death being 
 the result of an accident. In 1849 he purchased a farm in Belle Plain town- 
 ship, Marshall county, of a man who had pre-empted the property from the 
 government. Mrs. Hatton survived her husband some twenty-four years, 
 her death occurring in the year 1876, aged forty-six years. They had but one 
 son and one daughter: the latter, Mary Elizabeth, is now the wife of C. A, 
 Reed, of Davenport, Iowa. The parents were consistent members of the 
 Christian church and possessed the love and high regard of all who knew 
 them. 
 
 Born on the old farm in Marshall county, June 4, 1851, Albert Henry 
 Hatton was by death bereft of a father's guidance; but his mother did 
 much to direct the footsteps of the boy as he grew up. His youth was spent 
 on the homestead and his time was divided between the farm work and 
 chores and attendance at the country district schools. In the latter he soon 
 developed an aptitude for study and a great fondness for books. Subse- 
 quently he was a student in the Shattuck grammar school at Faribault, 
 Minnesota, and later at Eureka College, at Eureka, Illinois. When he was 
 just past seventeen he commenced teaching, and the following five years 
 found him teaching and going to school alternately, at the end of which time 
 he gave up pedagogy and took up medicine as a profession. After attending 
 a course of lectures at the Eclectic Medical Institute in Cincinnati he returned 
 to Marshall county and practiced at La Rose for about two years. Then 
 he repaired to St. Louis, IMissouri, for a final course of lectures, and on
 
 388 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 January 27, 1877, was graduated at the American Medical College, as vale- 
 dictorian of his class. After graduation he resumed practice at La Rose. 
 
 A year later he removed to Peru, where he practiced for two years, and 
 then moved to Henry county, this state, where he remained a year. Then 
 he accepted a call to the professorship of anatomy and physiology at his 
 alma mater in St. Louis, and filled the place with credit to himself and satis- 
 faction of the faculty; but at the end of a year he resigned the chair and in 
 August, 1882, returned to Peru and soon had a large business, which he 
 has held to the present time. 
 
 After he had been practicing the traditional, empirical method of dealing 
 with disease for about a decade he became convinced that homeopathy was- 
 by far the most reasonable system in the field, and he gradually drifted into 
 the same. Li 1893 he was graduated at the Chicago Homeopathic Medical 
 College, and has since engaged in practice as a homeopathist. He is now 
 a member of the Fox River Institute of Homeopathy, the Illinois State 
 Homeopathic Association and of the American Institute of Homeopathy. 
 His accurate knowledge, his comprehensive reading and his close application 
 to his duties have secured him a leading place among his professional breth- 
 ren and gained him a reputation which is justly enviable. 
 
 On the 4th of March, 1874, Mr. Hatton married Miss Jennie Bangs, the 
 3'oungest daughter of Samuel L. and Margaret (Howard) Bangs. Samuel 
 L. Bangs was born in Massachusetts and is a lineal descendant of the 
 Puritan Pilgrim Edward Bangs, who came to the Plymouth colony on the 
 ship Anne in 1624. His father and his grandfather were soldiers in the war 
 of the Revolution, on the colonial side. His wife Margret, nee Howard, was- 
 born in England and is of the family of Howards so noted in the history 
 of England. Miss Jennie Bangs was born at Lamoille, Bureau county, 
 Illinois, in July, 185 1, and at the time of her marriage was a "school-ma'rm"^ 
 of rare ability and a growing reputation. The Doctor and his wife have four 
 children, named Edward Howard, Fred Hammond, Harry Loomis and 
 Arthur Wilson. 
 
 Having taken all the degrees of the York rite, Dr. Hatton has advanced 
 to a high station in Freemasonry. He was made a Mason in Varna Lodge, 
 No. 720, at Varna, Illinois, on February 22, 1878. He is now a past master 
 of St. John's Lodge, No. 13, A. F. & A. ]M.. at Peru; a past eminent com- 
 mander of St. John's Commandery, No. 26, K. T., stationed also at Peru; 
 is also a member of Marshall Lodge, No. 63, I. O. O. F., at Henry, this 
 state, and of De Soto Lodge, No. 53, K. of P., at LaSalle. 
 
 In his political attitude the Doctor is an uncompromising Republican; 
 and in religion he is a member of the Christian church. However, as there 
 is no organization of this body at Peru he has always attended the Con-
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 389 
 
 gregational church, of which his wife is a member. Both himself and wife 
 have many friends in the community where they reside. He is a man of 
 high intellectuaHty, broad human sympathies and tolerance, and imbued 
 with fine sensibilities and clearly defined principles. Honor and integrity 
 are synonymous with his name, and he deserves the respect, confidence and 
 high regard of the community. 
 
 WILLIAM B. DAVISON. 
 
 An energetic, capable business man of Utica is the gentleman of whom 
 this sketch is penned. Public-spirited and deeply interested in whatever 
 affects the general welfare, he is an ideal citizen, prompt in the performance 
 of his duties as such and setting an example worthy of emulation. 
 
 The father of our subject, Thomas Davison, was a native of England, 
 where he was reared to manhood. Soon after his marriage to Margaret 
 Blyth he came to the United States and took up his abode in Bradford 
 county, Pennsylvania. In 1857 he removed to LaSalle, Illinois, wdiere for 
 thirty years he was numbered among its representative citizens. In 1887 
 he went to Chicago to live, but death soon claimed him. His widow is 
 still a resident of that city. 
 
 The birth of William B. Davison occurred August 30, 1853, in Canton, 
 Bradford county, Pennsylvania, but nearly all of his life has been passed in 
 this county. In the excellent public schools of LaSalle he acquired a good 
 education, and soon after arriving at his majority he turned his attention 
 to the same line of business which has occupied his time until the present 
 day. Having mastered the details of brick-manufacturing, he carried on a 
 plant- of his own for several years in LaSalle. In 1882 he sold out and 
 coming to Utica entered the employ of the Utica Fire Brick Company, with 
 which concern he is yet connected. Gradually he worked his way upward in 
 the business until he was made superintendent of the company's works, large 
 responsibilities resting upon his shoulders. In 1893 the factory was de- 
 stroyed by fire, but was rebuilt in a better style than formerly and reopened 
 in June, 1899, and with increased accommodations and facilities a finer 
 grade of brick is turned out than ever before. The works were established 
 by A. T. GrifTfin, in 1882, and for years this has been regarded as one of 
 the important local industries, employment being afforded to a number of 
 men. 
 
 On the 2d of February, 1881, Mr. Davison married Miss Ella F. 
 Griffin, the eldest daughter of A. T. Griffin and wife, Mary H., whose 
 parents were Edward and Eva Holland. The children blessing the union
 
 390 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of our subject and wife are Blanche, Mary, Blythe and William T. Mrs. 
 Davison died September 3, 1899. 
 
 The cause of education is one near to the heart of Mr. Davison, as it 
 should be to every patriotic American. He has served as the president of 
 the Utica school board for two terms and at present occupies this responsible 
 position. Politically he is an ardent Republican, and fraternally he is a 
 member of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the Mystic Workers. 
 He has served one term as the mayor of Utica and two terms as an alderman. 
 
 FRANK J. BLISS, D. V. S. 
 
 For more than a score of years Dr. Frank J. Bliss has been successfully 
 engaged in practice as a veterinary surgeon, and since 1872 has been a resi- 
 dent of Earlville, LaSalle county, where he is well and favorably known. He 
 possesses an excellent education and is thoroughly experienced in his chosen 
 field of labor, 
 
 John Bliss, the paternal grandfather of the Doctor, was a farmer and 
 noted for the fine horses which he raised. He was in the service during the 
 second war with England, and died at Royalton, Vermont, when over ninety 
 years of age. He was the father of twelve children, to each of whom he gave 
 good advantages for that period. His father, John Bliss, Sr., was a native 
 of England, and was a pioneer farmer in Vermont. During the struggle of 
 the colonies with the mother country he joined the army of Washington, 
 and aided in establishing the independence of the United States. He married 
 Rebecca Hutchinson and lived to extreme old age, dying when in his ninety- 
 ninth year. He was the father of seventeen sons and daughters, and from 
 him are descended many bearing the name of Bliss. The maternal grand- 
 father of our subject, David Nichols, married Abigail Winslow, of the 
 celebrated family who were passengers on the Mayflower, and eleven chil- 
 dren were born of their union. David Nichols was a soldier in the war of 
 1812, and his brother William was an aide on the staff of General Gates at 
 the time of Burgoyne's surrender. By occupation David Nichols was a 
 farmer, and at the time of his death he had reached the venerable age of 
 ninety-one years, while his wife was in her eighty-ninth year when she was 
 called to the silent land. His father, Abraham Nichols, also lived to extreme 
 old age, dying when almost a centenarian. His home was in Rehoboth, 
 Rhode Island, and his numerous sons and daughters and their posterity 
 went to various localities in this country. A worthy example was set by him 
 as a patriot and citizen, and his loyal services in the war of the Revolution 
 are gratefully remembered.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 391 
 
 The parents of the Doctor were Carlton P. and Maria (Nichols) Bliss, 
 both natives of Vermont. The father, a gentleman of superior education 
 and attainments, was a graduate of the Middlebury (Vermont) College, and 
 was an expert civil engineer. In his early manhood he went to the south 
 and for a number of years divided his time between Savannah, Georgia; St. 
 Augustine, Florida, and a place called Double Branches, in Georgia, his 
 winters being passed at the two first mentioned points. Later he was in 
 the employ of the government as a superintendent of harbor and drainage 
 construction and improvements. His last years were passed in his native 
 state, where he carried on a farm in the vicinity of Randolph, Orange county. 
 There he died, in 1883. when in his seventy-ninth year, and his devoted wife 
 did not long survive him, as she was laid tO' rest in the quiet cemetery within 
 a month after his death, she being sixty-three years of age. Both were 
 consistent members of the Congregational church, and for many years he 
 acted in the office of deacon. In his home township he was called upon to 
 hold nearly all of the local offices, and for a score of years he was a selectman, 
 transacting- the general business of the district. For a period he occupied 
 the chair of mathematics in Dartmouth College, and the cause of education 
 was ever dear to his heart. Thus it may be seen that he was a leader both 
 by nature and training, a power for good in his community. To himself 
 and wife three children were born, Frank J. being the only son. Mary J. is 
 the widow of Mason J. Rowland, and is now a resident of Box Butte, 
 Nebraska, as is also the younger sister, Emma Adelia, wife of Henry Gilberts. 
 
 The birth of Dr. F. J. Bliss occurred in Savannah, Georgia, October i, 
 1852, and until his tenth year he lived in the south. His elementary educa- 
 tion was obtained of a private tutor, an old Presbyterian minister, and after 
 he returned with his parents to New England he received excellent training 
 in the public schools, and in 1874 was graduated in the Vermont State 
 University. Desiring to enter the medical profession, the young man then 
 pursued a course of study in the Burlington Medical College, and afterward 
 attended a series of lectures in the old New York Veterinary' College. Being 
 convinced that the west is a better field for a young practitioner, he located 
 in Milwaukee, where for two years he was engaged in veterinary work. 
 In 1872 he removed to Earlville, where he soon built up an excellent practice, 
 and has remained. He belongs to the State Veterinary Society of Illinois, 
 and keeps thoroughly abreast of all progress in his particular line of work. 
 He has made good investments in real estate, and at the present time is 
 the owner of an entire block of Earlville property and three paying farms, — 
 one in Nebraska, one in Missouri, and one in Kansas, aggregating seven 
 hundred and sixty acres. Politically he is a Republican, and fraternally an 
 Odd Fellow.
 
 392 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 The marriage of Dr. Bliss and Miss Isabel Rubdew was celebrated June 
 28, 1876. She is a daughter of Alexander and Julia (Pelca) Rubdew, who 
 were early settlers of Earl township, LaSalle county, coming here from their 
 former home in Vermont. The Doctor and wife have one child, named 
 Qjertrude Frances. 
 
 J. J. CARTER. 
 
 J. J. Carter, a successful farmer of Farm Ridge township, LaSalle 
 county, was born in Wayne county, New York, February 10, 184 1. He is of 
 Scotch descent, his first ancestor in this country having been one of four 
 luimarried brothers who came to America about 1650, one locating in Vir- 
 ginia, one in Philadelphia, and two in the Empire state. Some of their 
 descendants were soldiers in the war for independence, while others bearing 
 the name were actively engaged in the war of 18 12. 
 
 Asa, father of J. J. Carter, was born in New York state, the son of a 
 hero of the second war with England. He married Hannah Braymer, of 
 the same state, daughter of a thrifty Pennsylvania German. In 1844 they 
 removed to Will county, Illinois, and four years later came to this township, 
 where the parents continued to dwell until called to their reward, the father 
 dying at the age of sixty-five years, and the mother at sixty-seven years. 
 Both were devoted members of the ]\Iethodist Episcopal church. They had 
 s-even children, of whom one daughter, Fannie, is deceased. The others are: 
 Edwin, of Iowa; Charles, of this township; J. J.; Mrs. Almira Gillespie, of 
 Nebraska; Mrs. Janet Singer, of Ottawa; and Allen, of Nebraska. 
 
 From his earliest recollections, J. J. Carter has been famihar with farm- 
 ing, in its various branches. His energetic efforts to acquire a competence 
 met with due reward, and for many years he has been one of the well-to-do 
 farmers of this township. He owns a quarter section of finely improved land, 
 part of the old homestead. This place is a very desirable one, as it has good 
 barns, a comfortable residence, orchard, fine pastures and fertile fields, all 
 in excellent condition. In addition to this farm he owns another, at Red 
 Lake, Minnesota. 
 
 In 1862 Mr. Carter married ]\Iiss Mary Ann Reese, daughter of A. G. 
 and Caroline (Helm) Reese, both of whom are deceased. The eldest born 
 child of Mr. and Mrs. Carter is IMelvin, of Fort Dodge, Iowa. He married a 
 Miss Rambler, and has three children. Ora, eldest daughter of Mr. Carter, 
 is the wife of George Scherrer, of Alexis, Illinois. Carrie is a successful 
 teacher of music; and Edna and Nellie are still at home. Ellen died at 
 the age of eighteen months, Josephine at twelve years, and Laura at the age 
 of sixteen years.
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 393 
 
 Politically Mr. Carter is a Democrat, and has served in a number of 
 township offices, with credit. His means and influence are liberally used 
 in the support of schools and churches, the temperance cause and other 
 movements calculated to uplift and benefit humanity. He and his estimable 
 wife are devoted members and active workers in the Methodist Episcopal 
 church, he having acted as one of the officials of the congregation. Integrity 
 and justice characterize all of his dealings with his fellow men and all unite 
 in praise of his honorable, upright life. 
 
 VINCENT SCHWEICKERT. 
 
 An honored citizen of Peru is he of whom this sketch is penned. For 
 forty-two years he has been a resident of this flourishing town, which bore 
 little resemblance to its present proud pre-eminence when he first beheld it, 
 a straggling hamlet. He may justly feel that he has borne his share in the 
 making of the place, for many of the substantial public and private buildings 
 here stand as monuments to his skill and excellent workmanship, and Peru is 
 proud to acknowledge the debt she owes him. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject was George Adam Schweickert, 
 a farmer of Baden, Germany, where he resided until his death, at the age of 
 seventy-six years. He had five daughters and two sons, and one of the sons 
 was Jacob, the father of Vincent Schweickert. He was born in the last 
 year of the eighteenth century, and plied his trade as a bleacher of cloth 
 for some years, later engaging in agriculture and giving a part of his time 
 to the raising of silk-worms. He died in 1871, and was survived but two 
 years by his devoted wife, Philopena, who was seventy-three at the time 
 of her death. She was one of the four children of August Lindenmeyer, 
 who lived in the village of Kerrlach, Baden, and who fought in one of the 
 wars of Germany with Austria. He was eighty-four years old at the 
 time of his demise, in 1835. ^^'^^ three of the ten children of Jacob and 
 Philopena Schweickert are living. Regina is the wife of Emanuel Scher- 
 motty, of Wiesenthal Baden, Germany, and Francis Xavier resides in the 
 same town. 
 
 A native of the German village just mentioned, Vincent Schweickert 
 was born August 24, 1831. After completing his common-school education 
 he worked in a sugar refinery until 1850, when he turned his attention to 
 mastering the brick and stone mason's trade. In 1853 he sailed for the 
 United States, the land of promise, and for the next three years he made 
 his home in Reading, Pennsylvania. Since then he has dwelt in Peru, and 
 until he was obliged to retire on account of advancing years and the rheu-
 
 394 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 matism, he kept busily employed as a builder and contractor. Perfect 
 confidence was placed in his integrity and capability, and his customers in- 
 variably recommended his work. 
 
 On the 15th of May, 1855, Mr. Schweickert married Mary Wellner,who 
 was born in Bavaria, Germany. Her parents were Michael and Barbara 
 (Busch) Wellner. She and her first husband came to America and settled in 
 Pennsylvania. Here our subject and wife were married and in 1856 came 
 to Peru, where they have lived for thirty years in their comfortable home, 
 which was erected by him in 1869. They are members of the Catholic 
 church, and in his political faith Mr. Schweickert is independent. 
 
 Seven sons and two daughters blessed the marriage of this worthy 
 couple, and of this number two, Jacob and Edward, are deceased. Charles 
 A. married Theresa Domas, who died, leaving four children — Charles, Mary, 
 Lizzie and Anton. Subsequently he married Theresa Beckmann, by whom 
 he had six children, but only one survives. Mary, who became the wife of 
 Peter Weyand, had six children — Bernard, Peter, Vincent, Charles, Francis 
 Xavier, and one who is deceased. Henry E. wedded Lizzie Ellerbrock, and 
 their children are Vincent, Peter Philip Muria, Henry Charles Anton 
 Alexander, Mary Francisca, Hildegard and Mary Beatrice. Jacob married 
 Helena Morschauser and their surviving children are named Helena, Ber- 
 tram, Frank and Margaret. Lizzie became the wife of Frank Ellerbrock, and 
 their three children are Lizzie, William and Peter. Bertram and wife, whose 
 maiden name was Mary Brinkmann, have two sons, Ewald Vincent Frank 
 and Lawrence Henry Thomas. Francis Xavier married Mary Weyand, and 
 their only child is called Martha. Thus it may be seen that many children 
 and grandchildren of our subject and wife are left to cheer their declining 
 days, and on numerous festal occasions they assemble to spend a happy day 
 or evening together. 
 
 CHARLES A. SCHWEICKERT. 
 
 Charles Anthony Schweickert is one of the enterprising business men of 
 Peru, prominent in commercial, fraternal and political circles and highly 
 esteemed for his sterhng qualities and public spirit. A son of our well-known 
 citizens, Vincent and Maria Schweickert. he was born in this town two-score 
 years ago, the date of his birth being February 17, 1859. 
 
 Growing to manhood in Peru, our subject was a pupil in the parochial 
 schools and completed his education in Saint Patrick's Academy, at LaSalle. 
 He was a boy of twelve or thirteen years when he did his first work as a stone 
 and brick mason, under his father's instruction, and from that time until the 
 present he has devoted much of his attention to this Hne of business. In 1895
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 395 
 
 he purchased the Peru Steam Laundry, which he operated until December, 
 1898, then selling out. Returning to his old trade, in which his father and 
 brothers as well as himself are expert, it is now his intention to follow no 
 other occupation henceforth. He is a partner in the firm of Schweickert 
 Brothers & Company, which comprises the five brothers, Charles A., Henry, 
 Jacob, Bertram and Francis, and their brother-in-law, Frank Ellerbrock. 
 Much of the heavy masonry of Peru has been done by them, and their work 
 has not been exclusively local, for monuments of their skill may be seen in 
 many other towns of this county, and they execute contracts for foundations 
 for bridges and similar public works. Reliability, promptness and thorough- 
 ness in all work entrusted to them may be confidently expected, as they bear 
 an enviable reputation and endeavor to please their patrons in every respect. 
 
 The commodious, substantial two-story brick house which Charles A. 
 Schweickert owns and occupies was erected by him in 1885. He was married 
 September 6, 1883, to Miss Theresa Domas, a daughter of Joseph and Mary 
 Magdalena Domas. She died November 12, 1892. when in her twenty-ninth 
 year, and left four children to mourn her loss, namely: Charles Henry, Mary 
 Theresa, Elizabeth Margaret and Vincent Anthony. On the 4th of April, 
 1893, Mr. Schweickert and Miss Theresa Beckmann were united in marriage. 
 She is a daughter of Bernhard and Theresa (Imoor) Beckmann, and by her 
 union with our subject has six children, only one of whom, Leonore, is living. 
 The parents are members of the Catholic church. He is connected with St. 
 Joseph's Catholic Benevolent Society and is a member of the Twin City 
 Band. In his political opinions he is a Democrat. 
 
 PERRY FARNHAM. 
 
 The gentleman whose name appears above was one of the oldest and 
 best known citizens in LaSalle county, Illinois, where he resided after 1856, 
 
 Mr. Farnham was born in Marseilles, Onondaga county, New York, 
 September 7, 181 5, a son of Amasa and Rachel (Perry) Farnham. Amasa 
 Farnham was a native of Massachusetts, a son of Reuben Farnham, who was 
 a Revolutionary soldier. The latter moved from Massachusetts to Vermont 
 and subsequently to New York. The family were poor and the father of our 
 subject when a boy was "bound out," and at the age of fifteen went as a 
 bound boy to New York state, where he grew to manhood and married. His 
 first wife died when their son Perry was two years old, and, besides him, left 
 four other children — Hiram, John, Alice and Sophia. The father was after- 
 ward married again, and in New York spent the rest of his life and died. 
 
 His father a farmer, the subject of our sketch was reared to agricultural
 
 396 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. ^ ^^ ] 
 
 pursuits, remaining a member of the home circle until he was twenty-two 
 years old. He then hired out as a farm hand, and not long afterward went to 
 Ridgeway, New York, and secured a position as a clerk in a store, in which 
 capacity he served four years. After his marriage, which event occurred in 
 the spring of 1842, he engaged in farming in Cayuga county, New York, and 
 .gave his attention to agricultural pursuits there for twelve years. On coming 
 to LaSalle county, Illinois, in 1856, he first settled in Ophir township, where 
 lie soon ranked with its successful farmers and where he lived until 1888, 
 when he moved to Earlville, and here lived retired till his death occurred. 
 He disposed of his home farm, but owned eighty acres in Iowa at the time of 
 liis death, 
 
 Mr. Farnham was married in April, 1842, to Miss Mary Ann Bishop, 
 who died in i860, leaving two children: Don B., still at home, and Dorr B., 
 engaged in farming in Iowa. July 27, 1863, Mr, Farnham married Miss 
 Nancy McGregor, a native of Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, born February i, 
 1823, a daughter of James McGregor. Her father and brother Joseph 
 ■came to Illinois and settled in LaSalle county in 1852, and she joined them 
 here in 1857. 
 
 Mr. Farnham was a hard worker all his life, and it was to his energy and 
 liis good management that his success in life was due. Politically he was a 
 Republican. July 23, 1899, he passed to the great beyond, leaving a widow 
 and two sons to mourn his loss; and numerous friends hold him in affection- 
 ate memory. 
 
 GEORGE W. McCOMBS. 
 
 A popular citizen of Farm Ridge township is he of whom this sketch is 
 penned. He is a native of German township, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, 
 liis birth having occurred June 9, 1846, His parents, John and Mary J. 
 (Gallagher) McCombs, were members of the agricultural class, and were 
 noted for their sterling honesty, integrity and good citizenship generally. 
 They likewise were natives of Fayette county, where they resided during 
 their entire lives, respected and loved by those who knew them best. The 
 iather, who was born in 1809, died at the age of seventy-four years, in 1883, 
 and the mother, born in 1818, departed this life in 1851. He was a Repub- 
 lican in his political creed, but was not an aspirant for public office, preferring 
 to devote his whole attention to his business affairs and his little home circle. 
 He set a worthy example to his children and his sons were thoroughly and 
 systematically trained in correct business principles and in love of their 
 country and their fellow men. Of his eleven children, two died when young
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 397 
 
 and the others were named as follows: Margaret, Hannah, EHzaheth, Anne, 
 George W., Mary, William, John A. and James Clark. 
 
 George \V. McCombs was reared on the old homestead in the Keystone 
 state, and was educated in the public schools of the vicinity. Believing that 
 the west afforded greater opportunities to a young man desirous of success,, 
 he came to LaSalle county in 1866. For one year he lived upon the Finley 
 farm. September 11, 1866, he bought the S. P. Crouch farm, in Grand 
 Rapids township, where he resided until 1876, when he purchased the John 
 McCormick farm. This place, which has since been his home, comprises 
 one hundred and sixty acres of rich, productive land, excellent pastures, 
 rivaling the celebrated blue-grass meadows of Kentucky, and a substantial 
 house and barns, windmill, fences, fine shade-trees and orchard are among 
 the features which render this a model country home. The thrifty owner 
 pays special attention to the raising of high-g"rade live stock, and on his farm 
 there may always be found fine Jersey cattle, Poland-China swine and Per- 
 cheron and various standard horses. In all of his farming methods Mr. Mc- 
 Combs is progressive and practical, and the success which he has wrought 
 out is well deserved. 
 
 Physically he is large and well proportioned, as, though he is six feet 
 and two inches in height, he weighs two hundred and thirty pounds. In 
 manner he is cheerful and optimistic, making the best of Hfe and persistently 
 looking upon the bright side of things. In several of the local offices he has 
 served the people in an acceptable manner, and in his political creed he is a 
 Republican. The family belongs to the Presbyterian church. 
 
 In 1870 the marriage of Mr. McCombs and Miss Martha J. Woodw^ard 
 was solemnized. She was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, a daughter 
 of Joseph Woodward, and has been a faithful helpmate, ably seconding the 
 plans made by her husband. They became the parents of six children,, 
 namely: Louvica A., John T., Nellie B., Maud H., Mabel, and Edward, 
 who died when about two years of age. John T. married Anna K. Lehr, 
 and is a well-to-do citizen of Grand Rapids township, this county. 
 
 JAMES A. POWELL. 
 
 One of the native sons of Illinois and for years an esteemed citizen of 
 LaSalle county has ever been ready and willing to do his share as a patriot, 
 whether in time of peace or in war. He stands deservedly high as a business 
 man, neighbor and friend, and is very popular with all classes. 
 
 The paternal grandfather of our subject was Howell F. Powell, a native
 
 398 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 of Wales. He crossed the broad Atlantic about 1816 and made his home in 
 or near Boston. He had mastered the gardener's business, and after settling 
 in New England gave his attention for some years to supplying a summer 
 resort. He lived to attain an advanced age. He was the father of four 
 daughters and two sons, one of whom was William H., the father of our sub- 
 ject. He was likewise a native of Wales and in his early manhood he learned 
 the trade of wood-carving and upholstering. In 1837 he came to Illinois 
 and bought a tract of land from the government. He reared his children on 
 that place and it was not until 1896 that he retired and located in Mendota, 
 where he is now passing in quietude the remainder of his days. For thirty 
 years he served in the capacity of justice of the peace, and for three-score 
 years he occupied an influential place in his own community. His first wife, 
 who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Warner and was a native of Massa- 
 chusetts, died in 1865. Her father, George Warner, was born in England, 
 and upon his arrival in America took up his abode in the Bay state, where 
 he worked at his trade as a weaver until he came to Illinois, some sixty years 
 ago. He located near Northville, LaSalle county, and engaged in farming 
 there for many years. Later he returned to Massachusetts, where he died at 
 the age of eighty-iive years. Three sons and a daughter were born to Wil- 
 liam H. and Elizabeth Powell: James A., the subject of this sketch; Mar- 
 shall F., now deceased; ]\Iary, wife of H. C. Ballou; and William H., Jr. 
 The second wife of William H. Powell was Sophronia McNett, and their two 
 children were Frank B. and ]\Iabel. 
 
 James A. Powell was born in Xorthville, LaSalle county, August 29, 
 1844, and passed his boyhood in the usual pursuits of farmers' lads, a portion 
 of his time being devoted to the acquisition of an education in the district 
 schools, after which he taught school several years during the winter seasons. 
 When the civil war broke out he was too young to be enlisted in the ranks, 
 but he was a stanch patriot and at length was permitted to enter the army, 
 where he was ever found at his post of duty. He was a member of Company 
 C, One Hundred and Forty-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, for one year, 
 and made an excellent record as a soldier. After the war he returned to 
 Illinois and began farming in Kankakee county for the ensuing five years. 
 Then, going to Harmon, Lee county, Illinois, he purchased a farm, which 
 he carried on at that place successfully for a period of eleven years. A favor- 
 able opportunity for disposing of the farm then presenting itself, Mr. Powell 
 sold the farm and returning to this, his native county, invested in an eighty- 
 acre farm situated conveniently near Mendota, only half a mile east of the 
 town. This farm he sold at the end of five years, and, going to Nebraska, 
 bought a larger farm, but did not locate there. Two years later he sold his 
 western propertv at a good profit and invested some of his capital in the
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 399 
 
 dairy business, which he has carried on with growing success for the past 
 decade. His fertile farm, well adapted for pasturage, comprises eighty-six 
 and a half acres, located in Mendota township, adjoining the city of Men- 
 dota, and is one of the pleasantest and most attractive locations in the vicin- 
 ity of that city. 
 
 The marriage of Mr. Powell and Miss Eliza McNett took place on the 
 22d of July. 1870. She is a daughter of Daniel and Mary McNett, and by 
 her marriage has two promising sons, — Charles D. and Claude A. Charles 
 is engaged in the mercantile business, w'hile Claude is helping to conduct the 
 dairy business. 
 
 Fraternally Mr. Powell is connected with the Odd Fellows and the 
 Court of Honor, and in politics he is a true-blue Republican. For nine years 
 he served as a highway commissioner, w-as clerk of the town for two years 
 and for one year served as a collector. Mrs. Powell is a member of the 
 Methodist church, and they are both liberal contributors to all worthy local 
 charities. 
 
 WILLIAM R. BENNETT. 
 
 Deer Park township, LaSalle county, Illinois, has its full share of 
 enterprising, up-to-date farmers, and among them none are more worthy 
 of special mention in a work of this character than is William Ralph Ben- 
 nett. 
 
 Mr. Bennett was born in the township in which he now lives, October 
 31, 1856, the eldest of the three sons of Isaac H. Bennett. The second son, 
 Arthur E., is now a resident of Los Angeles, California, and the youngest. 
 Rev. Milton G., resides at Clarion. Iowa. William R. was reared in his 
 native township, on his father's farm, and with the exception of one year 
 spent in Iowa, where he moved with his parents in the early '70s, he has never 
 resided outside of Deer Park township. He remained with his father, assist- 
 ing in the work of the farm and contributing to the common purse, until 
 he reached his majority. At the age of twenty-four he married and settled 
 on the farm which he now^ owns and occupies and which, under his manage- 
 ment, is being successfully conducted and shows evidence of thrift and 
 prosperity. 
 
 Mrs. Bennett was formerly Miss Belle Follett, and was born in 1859, in 
 LaSalle county, Illinois, her father, James Follett, a well known farmer of 
 this county, having come here in 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have four 
 children: Walter Ray, Florence, Louise and Follett F. 
 
 Mr. Bennett's traits of character are well known to the citizens of 
 Deer Park township. He has been their collector of taxes and has given
 
 400 BIOGRAPHICAL AND GENEALOGICAL RECORD. 
 
 them faithful service. His opinions and counsels are respected on matters 
 afifecting the welfare of his town and his standing as a business man is 
 above question or suspicion. He has the same regard for right in doing 
 things politically that he has in the every-day afifairs of life. 
 
 FRANK J. PATTERSON, L. D. S. 
 
 ]\lendota, Illinois, has its quota of professional men, and prominent 
 among them is the subject of this sketch, Frank J. Patterson, who has 
 been engaged in the practice of dentistry here for the past six years. 
 
 Dr. Patterson is a Canadian by birth and education. He was born in 
 Glasgow, Canada, March 12, i860, a son of Dr. Elijah and Martha (Pear- 
 son) Patterson, both natives of Canada. The Pattersons have long been 
 residents of Canada, to which place, it is supposed, they went from Vermont. 
 The Pearsons are of English origin, the first representatives of the family 
 having come from England to America in 1833 and settled in Upper 
 Canada. Dr. Elijah Patterson has for a number of years been engaged in 
 the practice of dentistry at Toronto, Canada. 
 
 Following in the footsteps of his father, Frank J. chose the dental 
 profession. He was reared in Port Perry, to which place his parents moved 
 when he was a child, and where he completed a high-school course and 
 graduated in 1875. That same year he matriculated in the Royal College 
 of Dental Surgeons, Toronto, and pursued his studies there for a time, 
 following which he operated in his father's office until 1879. He then re- 
 entered the same college, and is a graduate with its class of 1882. From 
 the time of his graduation until 1893 he was engaged in practice in Toronto, 
 and since January of the latter year he has been identified with the interests 
 of Mendota, Illinois, and engaged in a successful practice here, having suc- 
 ceeded Dr. J. D. Moody. 
 
 Dr. Patterson was married in 1880 to Miss Roby N. Kelley, of Oshawa, 
 Ontario, and their happy union has been blessed in the birth of two children, 
 the older one dying in infancy, and the younger, Greta N., is living. 
 
 Fraternally Dr. Patterson has a membership in the I. O. O. F. and 
 Foresters.
 
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