LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN IN MEMORY OF STEWART S. HOWE JOURNALISM CLASS OF 1928 STEWART S. HOWE FOUNDATION 920.077361 P&38 cop. 2 The person charging this material is re- sponsible for its return to the library from which it was withdrawn on or before the Latest Date stamped below. Theft, mutilation, and underlining of books are reasons for disciplinary action and may result in dismissal from the University. UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN MAR < FEB25 APR 2 8 178 f LU JUL 9 JUN 7 IS JW 25 JUR 2 5 M SEP 1 1 $J (0211967 DE 1 4 1987 L161 O-1096 ' 'K? IT'- ^P^ks ^> ~^T> ^f> '^Tt-^i ALBUHj IYINGSTON COUNTY, ILL,, CONTAINING Full Page Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens of the County, TOGETHER WITH PORTRAITS AND BIOGRAPHIES OF ALL THE GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS, AND OF THE PRESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES. CHICAGO: CHAPMAN BEOTHEES. 1888. 1 E HAVE completed our labors in writing and compiling the PORTRAIT AND BIO- GRAPHICAL ALBUM of this county, and wish, in presenting it to our patrons, to speak briefly of the importance of local works of this nature. It is certainly the duty of the present to commemorate the past, to perpetuatethe names of the pioneers, to furnish a record of their early settlement, and to relate the story of their progress. The civilization of our day, the enlightenment of the age, and this solemn duty which men of the present time owe to their ancestors, to themselves and to their posterity. demai-.d t'r.at a record of their lives and deeds should be made. In local history is found a power to instruct man by precedent, to enliven the mental faculties, and to waft down the river of time a safe vessel in which the names and actions of the people who contributed to raise this region from its, primitive state may be preserved. Surely and rapidly the noble men, who in their vigor and prime came early to the county and claimed the virgin soil as their heritage, are passing to their graves. The number remaining who can relate the history of the first days of settlement is becoming small indeed, so that an actual necessity exists for the collection and preservation of his- torical matter without delay, before the settlers of the wilderness are cut down by time. Not only is it of the greatest importance to render history of pioneer times full and accurate, but it is also essen- tial that the history of the county, from its settlement to the present day, should be treated through its various phases, so that a record, complete and impartial, may be handed down to the future. The present the age of progress, is reviewed, standing out in bold relief over the quiet, unostentatious olden times; it is abriliiant record, which is destined to live in the future; the good works of men, their magnificent enterprises, theii lives, whether commercial or military, do not sink into oblivion, but, on the contrary, grow brighter with age, and contribute to build up a record which carries with it precedents and principles that will be advanced and observed when the acts of soulless men will be forgotten and their very names hidden in obscurity. In the preparation of the personal sketches contained in this volume, unusual care and pains were taken to have them accurate, even in the smallest detail. Indeed, nothing was passed lightly over or treated indifferently ; and we flatter ourselves that it is one of the most accurate works of its nature ever published. As one of the most interesting features of this work, we present the portraits of numerous represent- ative citizens. It has been our aim to have the prominent men of to-day, as well as the pioneers, represented in this department ; and we congratulate ourselves on the uniformly high character of the gentlemen whose portraits we present. They are in the strictest sense representative men, and are selected from all the call- ings and professions worthy to be given. There are others, it is true, who claim equal prominence with those given; but of course it was impossible for us to give portraits of all the leading men and pioneers of the county. We are under great obligation to many of the noble and generous people of this county for kindly and material assistance in the preparation of this ALBUM. CHICAGO, March, 1888. CHAPMAN BROS, T OF THE AND OF THE OF THE t FIRST PRESIDENT. ^i ,.'i . 'i . 'i . 'i . 'i . 'i , 'i . 'i . 'i . >, ,,', . ', . ', f , i; ;i ; ,i ; ,i ; ,i ; ,i ;:,i ; ,i ; ,i ,i ; ,, ; ,i ; ,i ; ,r ,, , ^' i' .' i' .' i' .' i 1 .' i 1 .' i 1 ,' i 1 ..'. i 1 .' i 1 ; i 1 ; i 1 ; i 1 ; i 1 ; \. :, . >, . *, . \ . 't ,.H''.-'t' HE Father of our Country was born in Westmorland Co., Va.., Feb. 22, 1732. His parents were Augustine and Mary | (Ball) Washington. The family to which he belonged has not been satisfactorily traced in England. His great-grand- father, John Washington, em- igrated to Virginia about 1657, and became a prosperous planter. He had two sons, Lawrence and John. The former married Mildred Warner and had three children, John, Augustine and Mildred. Augus- tine, the father of George, first married Jane Butler, who bore him four children, two of whom, Lawrence and Augustine, reached maturity. Of six children by his second marriage, George was the eldest, the others being Betty, Samuel, John Augustine, Charles and Mildred. Augustine Washington, the father of George, died in 1743, leaving a large landed property. To his eldest son, Lawrence, he bequeathed an estate on the Patomac, afterwards known as Mount Vernon, and to George he left the parental residence. George received only such education as the neighborhood schools afforded, save for a short time after he left school, when he received private instruction in mathematics. His spelling was rather defective. Remarkable stories are told of his great physical strength and development at an early age. He was an acknowledged leader among his companions, and was early noted for that nobleness of character, fair- ness and veracity which characterized his whole life. When George was 1 4 years old he had a desire to go to sea, and a midshipman's warrant was secured for him, but through the opposition of his mother the idea was abandoned. Two years later he was appointed surveyor to the immense estate of Lord Fairfax. In this business he spent three years in a rough frontier life, gaining experience which afterwards proved very essential to him. In 175 r, though only 19 years of age, he was appointed adjutant with the rank of major in the Virginia militia, then being trained for active service against the French and Indians. Soon after this he sailed to the West Indies with his brother Lawrence, who went there to restore his health. They soon returned, and in the summer of 1752 Lawrence died, leaving a large fortune to an infant daughter who did not long survive him. On her demise the estate of Mount Vernon was given to George. Upon the arrival of Robert Dinwiddie, as Lieuten- ant-Governor of Virginia, in 1752, the militia was reorganized, and the province divided into four mili- tary districts, of which the northern was assigned to Washington as adjutant general. Shortly after this a very perilous mission was assigned him and ac- cepted, which others had refused. This was to pro- ceed to the French post near Lake Erie in North- western Pennsylvania. The distance to be traversed was between 500 and 600 miles. Winter was at hand, and the journey was to be made without military escort, through a territory occupied by Indians. The GEORGE WASHINGTON. trip was a perilous one, and several limes he came near losing his life, yet he returned in safety and furnished u full and useful report of his expedition. A regiment of 300 men was raised in Virginia and put in com- mand of Col. Joshua Fry, and Major Washington was commissioned lieutenant-colonel. Active war was then begun against the French and Indians, in which Washington took a most important part. In the memorable event of July 9, 1755, known as Brad- dock's defeat, Washington was almost the only officer of distinction who escaped from the calamities of the day with life and honor. The other aids of Braddock were disabled early in the action, and Washington alone was left in that capacity on the field. In a letter to his brother he says : " I had four bullets through my coat, and two horses shot under me, yet I escaped unhurt, though death was levelin > my companions on every side." An Indian sharpshooter said he was not born to be killed by a bullet, for he had taken direct aim at him seventeen times, and failed to hit him. After having been five years in the military service, and vainly sought promotion in the royal army, he took advantage of the fall of Fort Duquesne and the expulsion of the French from the valley of the Ohio, to resign his commission. Soon after he entered the Legislature, where, although not a leader, he took an active and important part. January 17, 1759, he married Mrs. Martha (Dandridge) Custis, the wealthy widow of John Parke Custis. When the British Parliament had closed the port of Boston, the cry went up throughout the provinces that "The cause of Boston is the cause of us all." It was then, at the suggestion of Virginia, that a Con- gress of all the colonies was called to meet at Phila- delphia, Sept. 5, 1774, to secure their common liberties, peaceably if possible. To this Congress Col. Wash- ington was sent as a delegate. On May 10, 1775, the Congress re-assembled, when the hostile intentions of England were plainly apparent. The battles of Con- cord and Lexington had been fought. Among the first acts of this Congress was the election of a com- mander-in-chief of the colonial forces. This high and responsible office was conferred upon Washington, who was still a member of the Congress. He accepted it on June 19, but upon the express condition that he receive no salary. He would keep an exact account of expenses and expect Congress lo pay them and nothing more. It is not the object of this sketch to trace the military acts of Washington, to whom the fortunes and liberties of the people of this country were so long confided. The war was conducted by him under ever)' possible disadvantage, and while his forces often met with reverses, yet he overcame every obstacle, and after seven years of heroic devotion and matchless skill he gained liberty for the greatest nation of earth. On Dec. 23, 1783, Washington, in a parting address of surpassing beauty, resigned his commission as conunander-in-chief of the army to to the Continental Congress sitting at Annapolis. He retired immediately to Mount Vernon and resumed his occupation as a farmer and planter, shunning all connection with public life. In February, 1 789, Washington was unanimously elected President. In his presidential career he was subject to the peculiar trials incidental to a new government ; trials from lack of confidence on the part of other governments ; trials from want of harmony between the different sections of our own country; trials from the impoverished condition of the country, owing to the war and want of credit; trials from the beginnings of party strife. He was no partisan. His clear judgment could discern the golden mean ; and while perhaps this alone kept our government from sinking at the very outset, it left him exposed to attacks from both sides, which were often bitter and very annoying. At the expiration of his first term he was unani- mously re-elected. At the end of this term many were anxious that he be re-elected, but he absolutely refused a third nomination. On the fourth of March, 1797, at the expiraton of his second term as Presi- dent, he returned to his home, hoping to pass there his few remaining years free from the annoyances of public life. Later in the year, however, his repose seemed likely to be interrupted by war with France. At the prospect of such a war he was again urged to take command of the armies. He chose his sub- ordinate officers and left to them the charge of mat- ters in the field, which he superintended from his home. In accepting the command he made the reservation that he was not to be in the field until it wns necessary. In the midst of these preparations his life was suddenly cut off". December 12, he took a severe cold from a ride in the rain, which, settling in Irs throat, produced inflammation, and terminated fatally on the night of the fourteenth. On the eigh- teenth his body was borne wi'h military honors to its final resting place, and interred in the family vault at Mount Vernon. Of the character of Washington it is impossible to speak but in terms of the highest respect and ad- miration. The more we see of the operations of our government, and the more deeply we feel the difficulty of uniting all opinions in a common interest, the more highly we must estimate the force of his tal- ent and character, which have been able to challenge the reverence of all parties, and principles, and na- tions, and to win a fame as extended as the limits of the globe, and which we cannot but believe will be as lasting as the existence of man. The person of Washington was unusally tan, erect and well proportioned. His muscular strength was great. His features were of a beautiful symmetry. He commanded respect without any appearance of haughtiness, and ever serious without being dull. SECOND PRESIDENT. ^Aft-teaf i OHN ADAMS, the second President and the first Vice- President of the United States, was born in Braintree ( now Quincy),Mass., and about ten miles from Boston, Oct. 19, 1735. His great-grandfather, Henry Adams, emigrated from England about 1 640, with a family of eight , sons, and settled at Braintree. The parents of John were John and Susannah (Boylston) Adams. His father was a farmer of limited means, to which he added the bus- iness of shoemaking. He gave his eldest son, John, a classical educa- tion at Harvard College. John graduated in 1755, and at once took charge of the school in Worcester, Mass. This he found but a "school of affliction," from which he endeavored to gain relief by devoting himself, in addition, to the study of law. For this purpose he placed himself under the tuition of the only lawyer in the town. He had thought seriously of the clerical profession but seems to have been turned from this by what he termed " the frightful engines of ecclesiastical coun- cils, of diabolical malice, and Calvanistic good nature,'' of the operations of which he had been a witness in his native town. He was well fitted for the legal profession, possessing a clear, sonorous voice, being ready and fluent of speech, and having quick percep- tive powers. He gradually gained practice, and in 1764 married Abigail Smith, a daughter of a minister, and a lady of superior intelligence. Shortly after his marriage, (1765), the attempt of Parliamentary taxa- tion turned him from law to politics. He took initial steps toward holding a town meeting, and the resolu- tions he offered on the subject became very popular throughout the Province, and were adopted word for word by over forty different towns. He moved to Bos- ton in 1768, and became one of the most courageous and prominent advocates of the popular cause, and was chosen a member of the General Court (the Leg- lislature) in 1770. Mr. Adams was chosen one of the first delegates from Massachusetts to the first Continental Congress, which met in 1774. Here he distinguished himself by his capacity for business and for debate, and ad- vocated the movement for independence against the majority of the members. In May, 1776, he moved and carried a resolution in Congress that the Colonies should assume the duties of self-government. He was a prominent member of the committee of five appointed June n, to prepare a declaration of inde pendence. This article was drawn by Jefferson, bu) on Adams devolved the task of battling it througl Congress in a three days debate. On the day after the Declaration of Independence was passed, while his soul was yet warm with the glow of excited feeling, he wrote a letter to his wile, which, as we read it now, seems to have been dictated by the spirit of prophecy. "Yesterday," he says, "thf greatest question was decided that ever was debated in America; and greater, perhaps, never was or will be decided among men. A resolution \vas passed without one dissenting colony, ' that these United States are, and of right ought to be, free and inde- pendent states.' The day is passed. The fourth of July, 1776, will be a memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to" believe it will be celebrated by succeeding generations, as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance by solemn acts of devotion to Almighty God. It ought to be solemnized with pomp, showsj 24 JOHN ADAMS. games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations from one end of the continent to the other, from this time forward for ever. You will think me transported with enthusiasm, but I am not. I am well aware of the toil, and blood and treasure, that it will cost to maintain this declaration, and support and defend these States; yet, through all the gloom, I can see the rays of light and glory. I can see that the end is worth more than all the means; and that posterity will triumph, although you and I may rue, which I hope we shall not." In November, 1777, Mr. Adams was appointed a delegate to France, and to co-operate with Bemjamin Franklin and Arthur Lee, who were then in Paris, in the endeavor to obtain assistance in arms and money from the French Government. This was a severe trial to his patriotism, as it separated him from his home, compelled him to cross the ocean in winter, and ex- posed him to great peril of capture by the British cruis- ers, who were seeking him. He left France June 17, 1779. In September of the same year he was again chosen to go to Paris, and there hold himself in readi- ness to negotiate a treaty of peace and of commerce with Great Britian, as soon as the British Cabinet might be found willing to listen to such proposels. He sailed for France in November, from there he went to Holland, where he negotiated important loans and formed important commercial treaties. Finally a treaty of peace with England was signed Jan. 21, 1783. The re-action from the excitement, toil and anxiety through which Mr. Adams had passed threw him into a fever. After suffering from a con- tinued fever and becoming feeble and emaciated he was advised to goto England to drink the waters of Bath. While in England, still drooping and despond- ing, he received dispatches from his own government urging the necessity of his going to Amsterdam to negotiate another loan. It was winter, his health was delicate, yet he immediately set out, and through storm, on sea, on horseback and foot,he made the trip. February 24, 1785, Congress appointed Mr. Adams envoy to the Court of St. James. Here he met face to face the King of England, who had so long re- garded him as a traitor. As England did not condescend to appoint a minister to the United States, and as Mr. Adams felt that he was accom- plishing but little, he sought permission to return to his own country, where he arrived in June, 1788. When Washington was first chosen President, John Adams, rendered illustiious by his signal services at home and abroad, was chosen Vice President. Again at the second election of Washington as President, Adams was chosen Vice President. In 1796, Wash- ington retired from public life, and Mr. Adams was elected President,though not without much opposition. Serving in this office four years,he was succeeded by Mr. Jefferson, his opponent in politics. While Mr. Adams was Vice President the great French Revolution shook the continent of Europe, and it was upon this point which he was at issue with the majority of his countrymen led by Mr. Jefferson. Mr. Adams felt no sympathy with the French people in their struggle, for he had no confidence in their power of self-government, and he utterly abhored the class of atheist philosophers who he claimed caused it. On the other hand Jefferson's sympathies were strongly enlisted in behalf of the French people. Hence or- iginated the alienation between these distinguished men, and two powerful parties were thus soon organ- ized, Adams at the head of the one whose sympathies were with England and Jefferson led the other in sympathy with France. The world has seldom seen a spectacle of more moral beauty and grandeur, than was presented by the old age of Mr. Adams. The violence of party feeling had died away, and he had begun to receive that just appreciation which, to most men, is not accorded till after death. No one could look upon his venerable form, and think of what he had done and suffered, and how he had given up all the prime and strength of his life to the public good, without the deepest emotion of gratitude and respect. It was his peculiar good fortune to witness the complete success of the institution which he had been so active in creating and supporting. In 1824, his cup of happiness was filled to the brim, by seeing his son elevated to the highest station in the gift of the people. The fourth of July, 1826, which completed the half century since the signing of the Declaration of Inde- pendence, arrived, and there were but three of the signers of that immortal instrument left upon the earth to hail its morning light. And, as it is well known, on that day two of these finished their earthly pilgrimage, a coincidence so remarkable as to seem miraculous. For a few days before Mr. Adams had been rapidly failing, and on the morning of the fourth he found himself too weak to rise from his bed. On being requested to name a toast for the customary celebration of the day, he exclaimed " IN- DEPENDENCE FOREVER." When the day was ushered in, by the ringing of bells and the firing of cannons, he was asked by one of his attendants if he knew what day it was? He replied, "O yes; it is the glor- ious fourth of July God bless it God bless you all." In the course of the day he said, " It is a great and glorious day." The last words he uttered were, "Jefferson survives." But he had, at one o'clock, re- signed his spirit into the hands of his God. The personal appearance and manners of Mr. Adams were not particularly prepossessing. His face, as his portrait manifests.was intellectual ard expres- sive, but his figure was low and ungraceful, and his manners were frequently abrupt and uncourteous. He had neither the lofty dignity of Washington, nor the engaging elegance and gracefulness which marked the manners and address of Jefferson. THIRD PRESIDENT. HOMAS JEFFERSON was born April 2, 1743, at Shad- well, Albermarle county, Va. His parents were Peter and Jane ( Randolph) Jefferson, the former a native of Wales, and the latter born in Lon- don. To them were born six daughters and two sons, of whom Thomas was the elder. When 14 years of age his father died. He received a most liberal education, hav- ing been kept diligently at school from the time he was five years of age. In 1760 he entered William and Mary College. Williamsburg was then the seat of the Colonial Court, and it was the obode of fashion and splendor. Young Jefferson, who was then 17 years old, lived somewhat expensively, keeping fine horses, and much caressed by gay society, yet he was earnestly devoted to his studies, and irreproacha- able in his morals. It is strange, however, under such influences, that he was not ruined. In the sec- ond year of his college course, moved by some un- explained inward impulse, he discarded his horses, society, and even his favorite violin, to which he had previously given much time. He often devoted fifteen hours a day to hard study, allowing himself for ex- ercise only a run in the evening twilight of a mile out of the city and back again. He thus attained very high intellectual culture, alike excellence in philoso- phy and the languages. The most difficult Latin and Greek authors he read with facility. A more finished scholar has seldom gone forth from college halls ; and there was not to be found, perhaps, in all Virginia, a more pureminded, upright, gentlemanly young man. Immediately upon leaving college he began the study of law. For the short time he continued in the practice of his profession he rose rapidly and distin- guished himself by his energy and accuteness as a lawyer. But the times called for greater action. The policy of England had awakened the spirit of resistance of the American Colonies, and the enlarged views which Jefferson had ever entertained, soon led him into active political life. In 1769 he was chosen a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses. In 1772 he married Mrs. Martha Skelton, a very beauti- ful, wealthy and highly accomplished young widow. Upon Mr. Jefferson's large estate at Shadwell, there was a majestic swell of land, called Monticello, which commanded a prospect of wonderful extent and beauty. This spot Mr. Jefferson selected for his new home; and here he reared a mansion of modest yet elegant architecture, which, next to Mount Vernon, became the most distinguished resort in our land. In 1775 he was sent to the Colonial Congress, where, though a silent member, his abilities as a writer and a reasoner soon become known, and he was placed upon a number of important committees, and was chairman of the one appointed for the draw- ing up of a declaration of independence. This com- mittee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston. Jefferson, as chairman, was appointed to draw up the paper. Franklin and Adams suggested a few verbal changes before it was submitted to Con- gress. On June 28, a few slight changes were made in it by Congress, and it was passed and signed July 4, 1776. What must have been the feelings of that f THOMAS JEFFERSON. man what the emotions that swelled his breast who was charged with the preparation of that Dec- laration, which, while it made known the wrongs of America, .vas also to publish her to the world, free, soverign and independent. It is one of the most re- markable papers ever written ; and did noother effort uf the mind of its author exist, that alone would be sufficient to stamp his name with immortality. In 1779 Mr. Jefferson was elected successor to Patrick Henry, as Governor of Virginia. At one time the British officer, Tarleton, sent a secret expedition to Monticello, to capture the Governor. Scarcely five minutes elapsed after the hurried escape of Mr. Jef- ferson and his family, ere his mansion was in posses- sion of the British troops. His wife's health, never very good, was much injured by this excitement, and in the summer of 1782 she died. Mr. Jefferson was elected to Congress in 1783. Two yeirs later he was appointed Minister Plenipo- tentiary to France. Returning to the United States in September, 1789, he became Secretary of State in Washington's cabinet. This position he resigned Jan. r, 1794. In 1797, he was chosen Vice Presi- dent, and four years later was elected President over Mr. Adams, with Aaron Burr as Vice President. In 1804 he was re-elected with wonderful unanimity, and George Clinton, Vice President. The early part of Mr. Jefferson's second adminstra- tion was disturbed by an event which threatened the tranquilily and peace of the Union ; this was the con- spiracy of Aaron Burr. Defeated in the late election to the Vice Presidency, and led on by an unprincipled ambition, this extraordinary man formed the plan of a military expedition into the Spanish territories on our southwestern frontier, for the purpose of forming there a new republic. This has been generally supposed was a mere pretext ; and although it has not been generally known what his real plans were, there is no doubt that they were of a far more dangerous character. In 1809, at the expiration of the second term for which Mr. Jefferson had been elected, he determined to retire from political life. For a period of nearly forty years, he had been continually before the pub- lic, and all that time had been employed in offices of the greatest trust and responsibility. Having thus de- voted the best part of his life to the service of his country, he now felt desirous of that rest which his declining years required, and upon the organization of the new administration, in March, 1809, he bid fare- well forever to public life, and retired to Monticello. Mr. Jefferson was profuse in his hospitality. Whole families came in their coaches with their hoises, fathers and mothers, boys and girls, babies and nurses, and remained three and even six months. Life at Monticello, for years, resembled that at a fashionable watering-place. The fourth of July, 1826, being the fiftieth anniver- i sary of the Declaration of American Independence, great preparations were made in every pait of tho Union for its celebration, as the nation's jubilee, and the citizens of Washington, to add to the solemnity of the occasion, invited Mr. Jefferson, as the framer. and one of the few surviving signers of the Declara- tion, to participate in their festivities. But an ill- ness, which had been of several weeks duration, and had been continually increasing, compelled him to decline the invitation. On the second of July, the disease under which he was laboring left him, but in such a reduced state that his medical attendants, entertained no hope of his recovery. From this time he was perfectly sensible that his last hour was at hand. On the next day, which was Monday, he asked of those around him, the day of the month, and on being told it was the third of July, he expressed the earnest wish that he might be permitted to breathe the airof the fiftieth anniversary. His prayer was heard that day, whose dawn was hailed with such rapture through our land, burst upon his eyes, and then they were closed for- ever. And what a noble consummation of a noble life ! To die on that day, the birthday of a nation,- - the day which his own name and his own act had rendered glorious; to die amidst the rejoicings and festivities of a whole nation, who looked up to him, as the author, under God, of their greatest blessings, was all that was wanting to fill up the record his life. Almost at the same hour of his death, the kin- dred spirit of the venerable Adams, as if to bear him company, left the scene of his earthly honors. Hand in hand they had stood forth, the champions of freedom; hand in hand, during the dark and desper- ate struggle of the Revolution, they had cheered and animated their desponding countrymen; for half a century they had labored together for the good of the country; and now hand in hand they depart. In their lives they had been united in the same great cause of liberty, and in their deaths they were not divided. In person Mr. Jefferson was tall and thin, rather above six feet in height, but well formed; his eyes were light, his hair originally red, in after life became white and silvery; his complexion was fair, his fore- head broad, and his whole countenance intelligent and thoughtful. He possessed great fortitude of mind as well as personal courage ; and his command of tem- per was such that his oldest and most intimate friends never recollected to have seen him in a passion. His manners, though dignified, were simple and un- affected, and his hospitality was so unbounded that all found at his house a ready welcome. In conver- sation he was fluent, eloquent and enthusiastic ; and his language was remarkably pure and correct. He was a finished classical scholar, and in his writings is discernable the care with which he formed his style upon the best models of antiquity. X FOURTH PRESIDENT. III AMES MADISON, "Father of the Constitution," and fourth President of the United States, was born March 16, 1757, and died at his home in Virginia, June 28, 1836. The name of James Madison is inseparably con- nected with most of the important events in that heroic period of our country during which" the founda- tions of this great republic were laid. He was the last of the founders of the Constitution of the United States to be called to his eternal reward. The Madison family were among the early emigrants to the New World, landing upon the shores of the Chesa- peake but 15 years after the settle- ment of Jamestown. The father of James Madison was an opulent planter, residing upon a very fine es- tate called "Montpelier," Orange Co., Va. The mansion was situated in the midst of scenery highly pictur- esque and romantic, on the west side of South-west Mountain, at the foot of Blue Ridge. It was but 25 miles from the home of Jefferson at Monticello. The closest personal and political attachment existed between these illustrious men, from their early youth until death. The early education of Mr. Madison was conducted mostly at home under a private tutor. At the age of 1 8 he was sent to Princeton College, in New Jersey. Here he applied himself to study with the most im- prudent zeal; allowing himself, for months, but three hours' sleep out of the 24. His health thus became so seriously impaired that he never recovered any vigor of constitution. He graduated in 1771, with a feeble body, with a character of utmost purity, and with a mind highly disciplined and richly stored with learning which embellished and gave proficiency to his subsf quent career. Returning to Virginia, he commenced the study of law and a course of extensive and systematic reading. This educational course, the spirit of the times in which he lived, and the society with which he asso- ciated, all combined to inspire him with a strong love of liberty, and to train him for his life-work of a statesman. Being naturally of a religious turn of mind, and his frail health leading him to think that his life was not to be long, he directed especial atten- tion to theological studies. Endowed with a mind singularly free from passion and prejudice, and with almost unequalled powers of reasoning, he weighed all the arguments for and against revealed religion, until his faith became so established as never to be shaken. In the spring of 1776, when 26 years of age, he was elected a member of the Virginia Convention, to frame the constitution of the State. The next year (1777), he was a candidate for the General Assembly. He refused to treat the whisky-lovir.g voters, and consequently lost his election ; but those who had witnessed the talent, energy and public spirit of the modest young man, enlisted themselves in his behalf, and he was appointed to the Executive Council. Both Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson were Governors of Virginia while Mr. Madison remained member of the Council ; and their appreciation of his JAMES MADISON. intellectual, social and moral worth, contributed not a little to his subsequent eminence. In the year 1780, he was elected a member of the Continental Congress. Here he met the most illustrious men in our land, and he was immediately assigned to one of the most conspicuous positions among them. For three years Mr. Madison continued in Con- gress, one of its most active and influential members. In the year 1784, his term having expired, he was elected a member of the Virginia Legislature. No man felt more deeply than Mr. Madison the utter inefficiency of the old confederacy, with no na- tional government, with no power to form treaties which would be binding, or to enforce law. There was not any State more prominent than Virginia in the declaration, that an efficient national government must be formed. In January, 1786, Mr. Madison carried a resolution through the General Assembly of Virginia, inviting the other States to appoint commis- sioners to meet in convention at Annapolis to discuss this subject. Five States only were represented. The convention, however, issued another call, drawn up by Mr. Madison, urging all the States to send their delegates to Philadelphia, in May, 1787, to draft a Constitution for the United States, to take the place of that Confederate League. The delegates met at the time appointed. Every State but Rhode Island was represented. George Washington was chosen president of the convention ; and the present Consti- tution of the United States was then and there formed. There was, perhaps, no mind and no pen more ac- tive in framing this immortal document than the mind and the pen of James Madison. The Constitution, adopted by a vote 81 to 79, was to be presented to the several States for acceptance. But grave solicitude was felt. Should it be rejected we should be left but a conglomeration of independent States, with but little power at home and little respect abroad. Mr. Madison was selected by the conven- tion to draw up an address to the people of the United States, expounding the principles of the Constitution, and urging its adoption. There was great opposition to it at first, but it at length triumphed over all, and went into effect in 1789. Mr. Madison was elected to the House of Repre- sentatives in the first Congress, and soon became the avowed leader of the Republican party. While in New York attending Congress, he met Mrs. Todd, a young widow of remarkable power of fascination, whom he married. She was in person and character queenly, and probably no lady has thus far occupied so prominent a position in the very peculiar society which has constituted our republican court as Mrs. Madison. Mr. Madison served as Secretary of State under Jefferson, and at the close of his administration was chosen President. At this time the encroach- ments of England had brought us to the verge of war. British orders in council destioyed our commerce, and our flag was exposed to constant insult. Mr. Madison was a man of peace. Scholarly in his taste, retiring in his disposition, war had no charms for him. But the meekest spirit can be roused. It makes one's blood boil, even now, to think of an American ship brought to, upon the ocean, by the guns of an English cruiser. A young lieutenant steps on board and orders the crew to be paraded before him. With great nonchal- ance he selects any number whom he may please to designate as British subjects ; orders them down the ship's side into his boat; and places them on the gun- deck of his man-of-war, to fight, by compulsion, the battles of England. This right of search and im- pressment, no efforts of our Government could induce the British cabinet to relinquish. On the 1 8th of June, 1812, President Madison gave his approval to an act of Congress declaring war against Great Britain. Notwithstanding the bitter hostility of the Federal party to the war, the country in general approved; and Mr. Madison, on the 4th of March, igtS) w as re-elected by a large majority, and entered upon his second term of office. This is not the place to describe the various adventures of this war on the land and on the water. Our infant navy then laid the foundations of its renown in grap- pling with the most formidable power which ever swept the seas. The contest commenced in earnest by the appearance of a British fleet, early in February, 1813, in Chesapeake Bay, declaring nearly the whole coast of the United States under blockade. The Emperor of Russia offered his services as me dilator. America accepted ; England refused. A Brit- ish force of five thousand men landed on the banks of the Patuxet River, near its entrance into Chesa- peake Bay, and marched rapidly, by way of Bladens- burg, upon Washington. The straggling little city of Washington was thrown into consternation. The cannon of the brief conflict at Bladensbnrg echoed through the streets of the metropolis. The whole population fled from the city. The President, leaving Mrs. Madison in the White House, with her carriage drawn up at the door to await his speedy return, hurried to meet the officers in a council of war. He met our troops utterly routed, and he could not go back without danger of being captured. But few hours elapsed ere the Presidential Mansion, the Capitol, and all the public buildings in Washington were in flames. The war closed after two years of fighting, and on Feb. r3, 1815, the treaty of peace was signed at Ghent. On the 4th of March, 1817, his second term of office expired, and he resigned the Presidential chair to his friend, James Monroe. He retired to his beau- tiful home at Montpelier, and there passed the re- mainder of his days. On June 28, 1836, then at the age of 85 years, he fell asleep in death. Mrs. Madi- son died July 12, 1849. I FIFTH PRESIDENT. i AMES MONROE, the fifth Presidentof The United States, was born in Westmoreland Co., Va., April 28, 1758. His early life was passed at the place of nativity. His ancestors had for many years resided in the prov- ince in which he was born. When, at 17 years of age, in the process of completing his education at William and Mary College, the Co- lonial Congress assembled at Phila- delphia to deliberate upon the un- just and manifold oppressions of Great Britian, declared the separa- tion of the Colonies, and promul- gated the Declaration of Indepen- dence. Had he been born ten years before it is highly probable that he would have been one of the signers of that celebrated instrument. At this time he left school and enlisted among the patriots. He joined the army when everything looked hope- less and gloomy. The number of deserters increased from day to day. The invading armies came pouring in ; and the tories not only favored the cause of the mother country, but disheartened the new recruits, who were sufficiently terrified at the prospect of con- tending with an enemy whom they had been taught to deem invincible. To such brave spirits as James Monroe, who went right onward, undismayed through difficulty and danger, the United States owe their political emancipation. The young cadet joined the ranks, and espoused the cause of his injured country, with a firm determination to live or die with her strife for liberty. Firmly yet sadly he shared in the mel- ancholy retreat from Harleam Heights and White Plains, and accompanied the dispirited army as it fled before its foes through New Jersey. In four months after the Declaration of Independence, the patriots had been beaten in seven battles. At the battle of Trenton he led the vanguard, and, in the act of charg- ing upon the enemy he received a wound in the left shoulder. As a reward for his bravery, Mr. Monroe was pro- moted a captain of infantry; and, having recovered from his wound, he rejoined the army. He, however, receded from the line of promotion, by becoming an officer in the staff of Lord Sterling. During the cam- paigns of 1777 and 1778, in the actions of Brandy wine, Germantown and Monmouth, he continued aid-de-camp; but becoming desirous to regain his position in the army, he exerted himself to collect a regiment for the Virginia line. This scheme failed owing to the exhausted condition of the State. Upon this failure he entered the office of Mr. Jefferson, at that period Governor, and pursued, with considerable ardor, the study of common law. He did not, however, entirely lay aside the knapsack for the green bag ; but on the invasions of the enemy, served as a volun- teer, during the two years of his legal pursuits. In 1782, he was elected from King George county, a member of the Leglislature of Virginia, and by that body he was elevated to a seat in the Executive Council. He was thus honored with the confidence of his fellow citizens at 23 years of age ; and having at this early period displayed some of that ability and aptitude for legislation, which were afterwards employed with unremitting energy for the public good, b JAMES MOivROE. he was in the succeeding year chosen a member of the Congress of the United States. Deeplyas Mr. Monroe felt the imperfections of the old ^Confederacy, he was opposed to the new Constitution, ihinking, with many others of the Republican party, that it gave too much power to the Central Government, and not enough to the individual States. Still he re- tained the esteem of his friends who were its warm supporters, and who, notwithstanding his opposition secured its adoption. In 1789, he became a member of the United States Senate ; which office he held for four years. Every month the line of distinction be- tween the two great parties which divided the nation, the Federal and the Republican, was growing more distinct. The two prominent ideas which now sep- arated them were, that the Republican party was in sympathy with France, and also in favor of such a strict construction of the Constitution as to give the Central Government as little power, and the State Governments as much power, as the Constitution would warrant. The Federalists sympathized with England, and were in favor of a liberal construction of the Con- stitution, which would give as much power to the Central Government as that document could possibly authorize. The leading Federalists and Republicans were alike noble men, consecrating all their energies to the good of the nation. Two more honest men or more pure patriots than John Adams the Federalist, and James Monroe the Republican, never breathed. In building up this majestic nation, which is destined to eclipse all Grecian and Assyrian greatness, the com- bination of their antagonism was needed to create the light equilibrium. And yet each in his day was de- nounced as almost a demon. Washington was then President. England had es- poused the cause of the Bourbons against the princi- ples of the French Revolution. All Europe was drawn into the conflict. We were feeble and far away. Washington issued a proclamation of neutrality be- tween these contending powers. France had helped us in the struggle for our liberties. All the despotisms of Europe were now combined to prevent the French from escaping from a tyranny a thousand-fold worse than that which we had endured Col. Monroe, more magnanimous than prudent, was anxious that, at whatever hazard, we should help our old allies in their extremity. It was the impulse of a generous and noble nature. He violently opposed the Pres- ident's proclamation as ungrateful and wanting in magnanimity. Washington, who could appreciate such a character, developed his calm, serene, almost divine greatness, by appointing that very James Monroe, who was de- nouncing the policy of the Government, as the minister of that Government to the Republic of France. Mr. Monroe was welcomed by the National Convention in France with the most enthusiastic demonstrations. Shortly after his return to this country, Mr. Mon- roe was elected Governor of Virginia, and held the office for three yeais. He was again sent to France to co-operate with Chancellor Livingston in obtaining the vast territory then known as the Province of Louisiana, which France had but shortly before ob- tained from Spain. Tlieir united efforts were suc- cessful. For the comparatively small sum of fifteen millions of dollars, the entire territory of Orleans and district of Louisiana were added to the United States. This was probably the largest transfer of real estate which was ever made in all the history of the world. From France Mr. Monroe went to England to ob- tain from that country some recognition of out- rights as neutrals, and to remonstrate against those odious impressments of our seamen. But Eng- land was unrelenting. He again returned to Eng- land on the same mission, but could receive no redress. He returned to his home and was again chosen Governor of Virginia. This he soon resigned to accept the position of Secretary of State under Madison. While in this office war with England was declared, the Secretary of War resigned, and during these trying times, the duties of the War Department were also put upon him. He was truly the armor- bearer of President Madison, and the most efficient business man in his cabinet. Upon the return oi peace he resigned the Department of War, but con- tinued in the office of Secretary of State until the ex- piration of Mr. Madison's adminstration. At the elec- tion held the previous autumn Mr. Monroe himself had been chosen President with but little opposition, and upon March 4, 1817, was inaugurated. Four years later he was elected for a second term. Among the important measures of his Presidency were the cession of Florida to the United States; the Missouri Compromise, and the " Monroe doctrine."' This famous doctrine, since known as the " Monroe doctrine," was enunciated by him in 1823. At that time the United States had recognized the independ- ence of the South American states, and did not \\ish to have European powers longer attempting to sub- due portions of the American Continent. The doctrine is as follows : " That we should consider any attempt on the part of European powers to extend their sys- tem to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety," and "that we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing or controlling American governments or provinces in any other light than as a manifestation by European powers of an unfriendly disposition toward the United States." This doctrine immediately affected the course of foreign governments, and has become the approved sentiment of the United States. At the end of his second term Mr. Monroe retired to his home in Virginia, where he lived until 1830, when he went to New York to live with his son-in- law. In that city he died,on the 4th of July, 1831. *l> J, SIXTH PRESIDENT. 39 Qmi)0 OHN QUINCY ADAMS, the sixth President of the United States, was born in the rural home of his honored father, John Adams, in Quincy, Mass., on the i ith cf July, 1767. His mother, a woman of exalted worth, watched over his childhood during the almost constant ab- sence of his father. When but eight years of age, he stood with his mother on an eminence, listen- ing to the booming of the great bat- tle on Bunker's Hill, and gazing on upon the smoke and flames billow- ing up from the conflagration of Charlestown. When but eleven years oW he took a tearful adieu of his mother, to sail with his fattier for Europe, through a fleet of hostile British cruisers. The bright, animated boy spent a year and a half in Paris, where his father was associated with Franklin and Lee as minister plenipotentiary. His intelligence attracted the notice of these distinguished men, and he received from them flattering marks of attention. Mr. John Adams had scarcely returned to this country, in 1779, ere he was again sent abroad. Again John Quincy accompanied his father. At Paris he applied himself with great diligence, for six months, to study; then accompained his father to Holland, where he entered, first a school in Amsterdam, then the University at Leyden. About a year from this time, in 1781, when the manly Loy was but fourteen years of age, he was selected by Mr. Dana, our min- ister to the Russian court, as his private secretary. Tn this school of incessant labor and of enobling culture he spent fourteen months, and then returned to Holland through Sweden, Denmark, Hamburg and Bremen. This long journey he took alone, in the winter, when in his sixteenth year. Again he resumed his studies, under a private tutor, at Hague. Thence, in the spring of 1782, he accompanied his father to Paris, traveling leisurely, and forming acquaintance with the most distinguished men on the Continent; examining architectural remains, galleries of paintings, and all renowned works of art. At Paris he again became associated with the most illustrious men of all lands in the contemplations of the loftiest temporal themes which can engross the human mind. After a short visit to England he returned to Paris, and consecrated all his energies to study until May, 1785, when he returned to America. To a brilliant young man of eighteen, who had seen much of the world, and who was familiar with the .etiquette of courts, a residence with his father in London, under such cir- cumstances, must have been extremely attractive; but with judgment very rare in one of his age, he pre- ferred to return to America to complete his education in an American college. He wished then to study law, that with an honorable profession, he might be able to obtain an independent support. Upon leaving Harvard College, at the age of twenty, he studied law for three years. In June, 1794, be- ing then but twenty-seven years of age, he was ap- pointed by Washington, resident minister at the Netherlands. Sailing from Boston in July, he reached London in October, where he was immediately admit- ted to the deliberations of Messrs. Jay and Pinckney, assisting them in negotiating a commercial treaty with Great Britian. After thus spending a fortnight in London, he proceeded to the Hague. In July, 1797, he left the Hague to go to Portugal as minister plenipotentiary. On his way to Portugal, upon arriving in London, he met with despatches directing him to the court of Berlin, but requesting him to remain in London until he should receive his instructions. While waiting he was married to an American lady to whom he had been previously en- gaged, Miss Louisa Catherine Johnson, daughter of Mr. Joshua Johnson, American consul in London ; a lady endownd with that beauty and those accom- plishment which eminently fitted her to move in the elevated sphere for which she was destined. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. i He reached Berlin with his wife in November, 1797 ; where he remained until July, 1799, when, having ful- filled all the purposes of his mission, he solicited his recall. . Soon after his return, in 1802, he was chosen to Ihe Senate of Massachusetts, from Boston, and then was elected Senator of the United States for six years, from the 4th of March, 1804. His reputation, his ability and his experience, placed him immediately among the most prominent and influential members of that body. Especially did he sustain the Govern- ment in its measures of resistance to the encroach- ments of England, destroying our commerce and in- sulting our flag. There was no man in America more familiar with the arrogance of the British court upon these points, and no one more resolved to present a firm resistance. In 1809, Madison succeeded Jefferson in the Pres- idential chair, and he immediately nominated John Qiiincy Adams minister to St. Petersburg. Resign- ing his professorship in Harvard College, he embarked at Boston, in August, 1809. While in Russia, Mr. Adams was an intense stu- dent. He devoted his attention to the language and history of Russia; to the Chinese trade; to the European system of weights, measures, and coins ; to the climate and astronomical observations ; while he sept up a familiar acquaintance with the Greek and Latin classics. In all the universities of Europe, a more accomplished scholar could scarcely be found. All through life the Bible constituted an important part of his studies. It was his rule to read five chapters every day. On the 4th of March, 1817, Mr. Monroe took the Presidential chair, and immediately appointed Mr. Adams Secretary of State. Taking leave of his num- erous friends in public and private life in Europe, he sailed in June, 1819, for the United States. On the 1 8th of August, he again crossed the threshold of his home in Quincy. During the eight years of Mr. Mon- roe's administration, Mr. Adams continued Secretary of State. Some time before the close of Mr. Monroe's second term of office, new candidates began to be presented for the Presidency. The friends of Mr. Adams brought forward his name. It was an exciting campaign. Party spirit was never more bitter. Two hundred and sixty electoral votes were cast. Andrew Jackson re- ceived ninety-nine; John Quincy Adams, eighty-four; William H. Crawford, forty -one ; Henry Clay, thirty- seven. As there was no choice by the people, the question went to the House of Representatives. Mr. Clay gave the vote of Kentucky to Mr. Adams, and he was elected. The friends of all the disappointed candidates now combined in a venomous and persistent assault upon Mr. Adams. There is nothing more disgraceful in the past history of our country than the abuse which was poured in one uninterrupted stream, upon this high-minded, upright, patriotic man. There never was an administration more pure in principles, more con- scientiously devoted to the best interests of the coun- try, than that of John Quincy Adams; and never, per- haps, was there an administration more unscrupu- lously and outrageously assailed. Mr. Adams was, to a very remarkable degree, ab- stemious and temperate in his habits; always rising early, and taking much exercise. When at his home in Quincy, he has been known to walk, before breakfast, seven miles to Boston. In Washington, it was said that he was the first man up in the city, lighting his own fire and applying himself to work in his library often long before dawn. On the 4th of March, 1829, Mr. Adams retired from the Presidency, and was succeeded by Andrew Jackson. John C. Calhoun was elected Vice Presi- dent. The slavery question now began to assume portentous magnitude. Mr. Adams returned to Quincy and to his studies, which he pursued with un- abated zeal. But he was not long permitted to re- main in retirement. In November, 1830, he was elected representative to Congress. For seventeen years, until his death, he occupied the post as repre- sentative, towering above all his peers, ever ready to do brave battle* for freedom, and winning the title of "the old man eloquent." Upon taking his seat in the House, he announced that he should hold him- self bound to no party. Probably there never was a member more devoted to his duties. He was usually the first in his place in the morning, and the last to leave his seat in the evening. Not a measure could be brought forward and escape his scrutiny. The battle which Mr. Adams fought, almost singly, against the proslavery party in the Government, was sublime in its moral daring and heroism. For persisting in presenting petitions for the abolition of slavery, he was threatened with indictment by the grand jury, with expulsion from the House, with assassination : but no threats could intimidate him, and his final triumph was complete. It has been said of President Adams, that when his body was bent and his hair silvered by the lapse of fourscore years, yielding to the simple faith of a little child, he was accustomed to repeat every night, before he slept, the prayer which his mother taught him in his infant years. On the 2istof February, 1848, he rose on the floor of Congress, with a paper in his hand, to address the speaker. Suddenly he fell, again stricken by paraly- sis, and was caught in the arms of those around him. For a time he was senseless, as he was conveyed to the sofa in the rotunda. With reviving conscious- ness, he opened his eyes, looked calmly around and said " This is the end of earth /'then after a moment's pause he added, "7 am content." These were the last words of the grand "Old Man Eloquent." SEVENTH PRESIDENT. * . , NDREW JACKSON, the seventh President of the United States, was born in Waxhaw settlement, N. C., March 15, 1767, a few days after his father's death. His parents were poor emigrants from Ireland, and took up their abode in Waxhaw set- tlement, where they lived in deepest poverty. Andrew, or Andy, as he was universally called, grew up a very rough, rude, turbulent boy. His features were coarse, his form un- gainly; and there was but very little in his character, made visible, which was at- tractive. When only thirteen years old he joined the volun- teers of Carolina against the British invasion. In 1781, he and his brother Robert were captured and imprisoned for a time at Camden. A British officer ordered him to brush his mud-spattered boots. " I am a prisoner of war, not your servant," was the reply of the dauntless boy. The brute drew his sword, and aimed a desperate blow at the head of the helpless young prisoner. Andrew raised his hand, and thus received two fear- ful gashes, one on the hand and the other upon the head. The officer then turned to his brother Robert with the same demand. He also refused, and re- ceived a blow from the keen-edged sabre, which quite diiabled him, and which probably soon after caused his death. They suffered much other ill-treatment, and were finally stricken with the small-pox. Their mother was successful in obtaining their exchange, and took her sick boys home. After a long illness Andrew recovered, and the death of his mother soon left him entirely friendless. Andrew supported himself in various ways, such as working at the saddler's trade, teaching school and clerking in a general store, until 1784, when he entered a law office at Salisbury, N. C. He, however, gave more attention to the wild amusements of the times than to his studies. In 1788, he was appointed solicitor for the western district of North Carolina, of which Tennessee was then a part. This involved many long and tedious journeys amid dangers of every kind, but Andrew Jackson never knew fear, and the Indians had no desire to repeat a skirmish with the Sharp Knife. In 1791, Mr. Jackson was married to a woman who supposed herself divorced from her former husband. Great was the surprise of both parties, two years later, to find that the conditions of the divorce had just been definitely settled by the first husband. The marriage ceremony was performed a second time, but the occur- rence was often used by his enemies to bring Mr. Jackson into disfavor. Daring these years he worked hard at his profes- sion, and frequently had one or more duels on hand, one of which, when he killed Dickenson, was espec- ially disgraceful. In January, 1796, the Territory of Tennessee then containing nearly eighty thousand inhabitants, the people met in convention at Knoxville to frame a con- stitution. Five were sent from each of the eleven counties. Andrew Jackson was one of the delegates. The new State was entitled to but one member in the National House of Representatives. Andrew Jack- son was chosen that member. Mounting his horse he rode to Philedelphia, where Congress then held its dL 44 ANDREW JACKSON. sessions, a distance of about eight hundred miles. Jackson was an earnest advocate of the Demo- cratic party. Jefferson was his idol. He admired Bonaparte, loved France and hated England. As Mr. Jackson took his seat, Gen. Washington, whose second term of office was then expiring, delivered his last speech to Congress. A committee drew up a complimentary address in reply. Andrew Jackson did not approve of the address, and was one of the twelve who voted against'it. He was not willing to say that Gen. Washington's adminstration had been !' wise, firm and patriotic." Mr. Jackson was elected to the United States Senate in 1797, but soon resigned and returned home. Soon after he was chosen Judge of the Supreme Court of his State, which position he held for six years. When the war of 1812 with Great Britian com- menced, Madison occupied the Presidential chair. Aaron Burr sent word to the President that there was ah unknown man in the West, Andrew Jackson, who would do credit to a commission if one were con- ferred upon him. Just at that time Gen. Jackson offered his services and those of twenty-five hundred volunteers. His offer was accepted, and the troops were assembled at Nashville. As the British were hourly expected to make an at- tack upon New Orleans, where Gen Wilkinson was in command, he was ordered to descend the river with fifteen hundred troops to aid Wilkinson. The expedition reached Natchez; and after a delay of sev- eral weeks there, without accomplishing anything, the men were ordered back to their homes. But the energy Gen. Jackson had displayed, and his entire devotion t'o the comrfort of his soldiers, won him golden opinions; and he became the most popular man in the State. It was in this expedition that his toughness gave him the nickname of "Old Hickory." Soon after this, while attempting to horsewhip Col. Thomas H. Benton, for a remark that gentleman made about his taking a part as second in a duel, in which a younger brother of Benton's was engaged, he received two severe pistol wounds. While he was "lingering \i\xm a bed of suffering news came that the Indians, who had combined under Tecumseh from Florida to the Lakes, to exterminate the white set- tlers, were committing the most awful ravages. De- cisive action became necessary. Gen. Jackson, with his fractured bone just beginning to heal, his arm in a sling, and unable to mount his horse without assis- tance, gave his amazing energies to the raising of an army to rendezvous at Fayettesville, Alabama. The Creek Indians had established a strong fort on one of the bends of the Tallaooosa River, near the cen- ter of Alabama, about fifty miles below Fort Strother. With an army of two thousand men, Gen. Jackson traversed the pathless wilderness in a march of eleven days. He reached their fort, called Tohopeka or Horse-shoe, on the 27th of March. 1814. The bend 4* of the river enclosed nearly one hundred acres of tangled forest and wild ravine. Across the narrow neck the Indians had constructed a formidable breast- work of logs and brush. Here nine hundred warriors, with an ample suplyof arms were assembled. The fort was stormed. The fight was utterly des- perate. Not an Indian would accept of quarter. When bleeding and dying, they would fight those who en- deavored to spare their lives. From ten in the morn- ing until dark, the battle raged. The carnage was awful and revolting. Some threw themselves into the river; but the unerring bullet struck their heads as they swam. Nearly everyone of the nine hundred war- rios were killed A few probably, in the night, swam the river and escaped. This ended the war. The power of the Creeks was broken forever. This bold plunge into the wilderness, with itsterriffic slaughter, so appalled the savages, that the haggard remnants of the bands came to the camp, begging for peace. This closing of the Creek war enabled us to con- centrate all our militia upon the British, who were the allies of the Indians No man of less .resolute will than Gen. Jackson could have conducted this Indian campaign to so successful an issue Immediately he was appointed major-general. Late in August, with an army of two thousand men, on a rushing march, Gen. Jackson came to Mobile. A British fleet came from Pensacola, landed a force upon the beach, anchored near the little fort, and from both ship and shore commenced a furious assault The battle was long and doubtful. At length one of the ships was blown up and the rest retired. Garrisoning Mobile, where he had taken his little army, he moved his troops to New Orleans, And the battle of New Orleans which soon ensued, was in reality a very arduous campaign. This won for Gen. Jackson an imperishable name. Here his troops, which numbered about four thousand men, won a signal victory over the British army of about nine thousand. His loss was but thirteen, while the loss of the British was two thousand six hundred. The name of Gen. Jackson soon began to be men- tioned in connection with the Presidency, but, in 1824, he was defeated by Mr. Adams. He was, however, successful in the election of 1828, and was re-elected for a second term in 1832. In 1829, just before he assumed the reins of the government, he met with the most terrible affliction of his life in the death of his wife, whom he had loved with a devotion which has perhaps never been surpassed. From the shock of her death he never recovered. His administration was one of the most memorable in the annals of our country; applauded by one party, condemned by the other. No man had more bitter enemies or warmer friends. At the expiration of his two terms of office he retired to the Hermitage, where he died June 8, 1845. The last years of Mr. Jack- son's life were that of a devoted Christian man. : EIGHTH PRESIDENT. ARTIN VAN BUREN, the eighth President of the United States, was bom at Kinderhook, N. Y., Dec. 5, 1782. He died at the same place, July 24, 1862. His body rests in the cemetery at Kinderhook. Above it is a plain granite shaft fifteen feet high, bearing a simple inscription about half way up on one face. The lot is unfenced, unbordered or unbounded by shrub or flower. There is but little in the life of Martin Van Buren of romantic interest. He fought no battles, engaged in no wild adventures. Though his life was stormy in political and intellectual conflicts, and he gained many signal victories, his days passed uneventful in those incidents which give zest to biography. His an- cestors, as his name indicates, were of Dutch origin, and were among the earliest emigrants from Holland to the banks of the Hudson. His father was a farmer, residing in the old town of Kinderhook. His mother, also of Dutch lineage, was a woman of superior intel- ligence and exemplary piety. He was decidedly a precocious boy, developing un- usual activity, vigor and strength of mind. At the age of fourteen, he had finished his academic studies in his native village, and commenced the study of law. As he had not a collegiate education, seven years of study in a law-office were required of him before he could be admitted to the bar. Inspired with n lofty ambition, and conscious of his powers, he pur- sued his studies with indefatigable industry. After spending six years in an office in his native village, he went to the city of New York, and prosecuted his studies for the seventh year. In 1803, Mr. Van Buren, then twenty-one years of age, commenced the practice of law in his native vil- lage. The great conflict between the Federal and Republican party was then at its height. Mr. Van Buren was from the beginning a politician. He had, perhaps, imbibed that spirit while listening to the many discussions which had been carried on in his father's hotel. He was in cordial sympathy with Jefferson, and earnestly and eloquently espoused the cause of State Rights; though at that time the Fed- eral party held the supremacy both in his town and State. His success and increasing ruputation led him after six years of practice, to remove to Hudson, th<: county seat of his county. Here he spent seven years constantly gaining strength by contending in tin. courts with some of the ablest men who have adorned the bar of his State. Just before leaving Kinderhook for Hudson, Mi. Van Buren married a lady alike distinguished for beauty and accomplishments. After twelve short years she sank into the grave, the victim of consump- tion, leaving her husband and four sons to weep over her loss. For twenty-five years, Mr. Van Buren was an earnest, successful, assiduous lawyer. The record of those years is barren in items of public interest. In 1812, when thirty years of age, he was chosen to the State Senate, and cave his strenuous support to Mr. Madison's adminstration. In 1815, he was ap- pointed Attorney-General, and the next year moved to Albany, the capital of the State. While he was acknowledged as one of the most prominent leaders of the Democratic party, he had MARTIN VAN BUREN. the moral courage to avow that true democracy did not require that " universal suffrage" which admits the vile, the degraded, the ignorant, to the right of governing the State. In true consistency with his democratic principles, he contended that, while the path leading to the privilege of voting should be open to every man without distinction, no one should be invested with that sacred prerogative, unless he were in some degree qualified for it by intelligence, virtue and some property interests in the welfare of the State. In 1821 he was elected a member of the United States Senate; and in the same year, he took a seat in the convention to revise the constitution of his native State. His course in this convention secured the approval of men of all parties. No one could doubt the singleness of his endeavors to promote the interests of all classes in the community. In the Senate of the United States, he rose at once to a conspicuous position as an active and useful legislator. In 1827, John Quincy Adams being then in the Presidential chair, Mr. Van Buren was re-elected to the Senate. He had been from the beginning a de- termined opposer of the Administration, adopting the " State Rights " view in opposition to what was deemed the Federal proclivities of Mr. Adams. Soon after this, in 1828, he was chosen Governorof the State of New York, and accordingly resigned his seat in the Senate. Probably no one in the United States contributed so much towards ejecting John Q. Adams from the Presidential chair, and placing in it Andrew Jackson, as did Martin Van Buren. Whether entitled to the reputation or not, he certainly was re- garded throughout the United States as one of the most skillful, sagacious and cunning of politicians. It was supposed that no one knew so well as he how to touch the secret spiings of action; how to pull all the wires to put his machinery in motion; and how to organize a political army which would, secretly and stealthily accomplish the most gigantic results. By these powers it is said that he outwitted Mr. Adams, Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and secured results which few thought then could be accomplished. When Andrew Jackson was elected President he appointed Mr. Van Buren Secretary of State. This position he resigned in 1831, and was immediately appointed Minister to England, where he went the same autumn. The Senate, however, when it met, reused to ratify the nomination, and he returned home, apparently untroubled ; was nominated Vice President in the place of Calhoun, at the re-election of President Jackson ; and with smiles for all and frowns for none, he took his place at the head of that Senate which had refused to confirm his nomination as ambassador. His rejection by the Senate roused all the zeal of President Jackson in behalf of his repudiated favor- ite ; and this, probably more than any other cause, secured his elevation to the chair of the Chief Execu- tive. On the 2oth of May, 1836, Mr. Van Buren re- ceived the Democratic nomination to succeed Gen. Jackson as President of the United States. He was elected by a handsome majority, to the delight of the retiring President. " Leaving New York out of the canvass," says Mr. Parton, "the election of Mr. Van Buren to the Presidency was as much the act of Gen. Jackson as though the Constitution had conferred upon him the power to appoint a successor." His administration was filled with exciting events. The insurrection in Canada, which threatened to in volve this country in war with England, the agitation of the slavery question, and finally the great commer- cial panic which spread over the country, all were trials to his wisdom. The financial distress was at- tributed to the management of the Democratic party, and brought the President into such disfavor that he failed of re-election. With the exception of being nominated for the Presidency by the " Free Soil " Democrats, in 1 848, Mr. Van Buren lived quietly upon his estate until his death. He had ever been a prudent man, of frugal habits, and living within his income, had now fortunately a competence for his declining years. His unblemished character, his commanding abilities, his unquestioned patriotism, and the distinguished positions which he had occupied in the government of our country, se- cured to him not only the homage of his party, but the respect ot the whole community. It was on the 4th of March, 1841, that Mr. Van Buren retired from the presidency. From his fine estate at Lindenwald ) he still exerted a powerful influence upon the politics of the country. From this time until his death, on the 24th of July, 1862, at the age of eighty years, he resided at Lindenwald, a gentleman of leisure, of culture and of wealth; enjoying in a healthy old age, probably far more happiness than he had before experienced amid the stormy scenes of his active life. NINTH PRESIDENT. 1 r 1 ILLIAM HENRY HARRI- SON, the ninth President of the United States, was born at Berkeley, Va., Feb. 9, 1773. His father, Benjamin Harri- son, was in comparatively op- ulent circumstances, and was one of the most distinguished men of his day. He was an intimate friend of George Washington, was early elected a member of the Continental Congress, and was conspicuous among the patriots of Virginia in resisting the encroachments of the British crown. In the celebrated Congress of 1775, Benjamin Har- rison and John Hancock were both candidates for the office of speaker. Mr Harrison was subsequently chosen Governor of Virginia, and was twice re-elected. His son, I William Henry, of course enjoyed in childhood all the advantages which wealth and intellectual and cultivated society could give. Hav- ing received a thorough common-school education, he entered Hampden Sidney College, where he graduated with honor soon after the death of his father. He then repaired to Philadelphia to study medicine under the instructions of Dr. Rush and the guardianship of Robert Morris, both of whom were, with his father, signers of the Declaration of Independence. Upon the outbreak of the Indian troubles, and not- withstanding the remonstrances of his friends, he abandoned his medical studies and entered the army, having obtained a commission of Ensign from Presi- dent Washington. He was then but 19 years old. From that time he passed gradually upward in rank until he became aid to General Wayne, after whose death he resigned his commission. He was then ap- pointed Secretary of the North-western Territory. This Territory was then entitled to but one member in Congress and Capt. Harrison was chosen to fill that position. In the spring of 1800 the North-western Territory was divided by Congress into two portions. The eastern portion, comprising the region now embraced in the State of Ohio, was called '' The Territory north-west of the Ohio." The western portion, which included what is now called Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, was called the "Indiana Territory." Wil- liam Henry Harrison, then 27 years of age, was ap- pointed by John Adams, Governor of the Indiana Territory, and immediately after, also Governor of Upper Louisiana. He was thus ruler over almost as extensive a realm as any sovereign upon the globe. He was Superintendent of Indian Affairs, and was in- vested with powers nearly dictatorial over the now rapidly increasing white population. The ability and fidelity with which he discharged these responsible duties may be inferred from the fact that he was four times appointed to this office first by John Adams, twice by Thomas Jefferson and afterwards by Presi- dent Madison. When he began his adminstration there were but three white settlementsin that almost boundless region, now crowded with cities and resounding with all the tumult of wealth and traffic. One of these settlements was on the Ohio, nearly opposite Louisville; one at Vincennes, on the Wabash, and the third a French settlement. The vast .wilderness over which Gov. Harrison reigned was filled with many tribes of Indians. About I 5 2 WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON. the year 1806, two extraordinary men, twin brothers, of the Shawnese tribe, rose among them. One of these was called Tecumseh, or " The Crouching Panther;" the other, Olliwacheca, or " The Prophet." Tecumseh was not only an Indian warrior, but a man of great sagacity, far-reaching foresight and indomit- able perseverance in any enterprise in which he might engage. He was inspired with the highest enthusiasm, and had long regarded with dread and with hatred the encroachment of the whites upon the hunting- grounds of his fathers. His brother, the Prophet, was an orator, who could sway the feelings of the untutored Indian as the gale tossed the tree-tops beneath which they dwelt. But the Prophet was not merely an orator : he was, in the superstitious minds of the Indians, invested with the superhuman dignity of a medicine-man or a magician. With an enthusiasm unsurpassed by Peter the Hermit rousing Europe to the crusades, he went from tribe to tribe, assuming that he was specially sent by the Great Spirit. Gov. Harrison made many attempts to conciliate the Indians, but at last the war came, and at Tippe- canoe the Indians were routed with great slaughter. October 28, 1812, his army began its march. When near the Prophet's town three Indians of rank made their appearance and inquired why Gov. Harrison was approaching them in so hostile an attitude. - After a short conference, arrangements were made for a meet- ing the next day, to agree upon terms of peace. But Gov. Harrison was too well acquainted with the Indian character to be deceived by such protes- tations. Selecting a favorable spot for his night's en- campment, he took every precaution against surprise. His troops were posted in a hollow square, and slept upon their arms. The troops threw themselves upon the ground for rest; but every man had his accourtrements on, his loaded musket by his side, and his bayonet fixed. The wakeful Governor, between three and four o'clock in the morning, had risen, and was sitting in conversa- tion with his aids by the embers of a waning fire. It was a chill, cloudy morning with a drizzling rain. In the darkness, the Indians had crept as near as possi- ble, and just then, with a savage yell, rushed, with all the desperation which superstition and passion most highly inflamed could give, upon the left flank of the little army. The savages had been amply provided with guns and ammunition by the English. Their war-whoop was accompained by a shower of bullets. The camp-fires were instantly extinguished, as the light aided the Indians in their aim. With hide- DUS yells, the Indian bands rushed on, not doubting a speedy and an entire victory. But Gen. Harrison's troops stood as immovable as the rocks around them until day dawned : they then made a simultaneous charge with the bayonet, and swept every thing be- fore them, and completely routing the foe. Gov. Harrison now had all his energies tasked to the utmost. The British descending from the Can- adas, were of themselves a very formidable force ; but with their savage allies, rushing like wolves from the forest, searching out every remote farm-house, burn- ing, plundering, scalping, torturing, the wide frontier was plunged into a state of consternation which even the most vivid imagination can but faintly conceive. The war-whoop was resounding everywhere in the forest. The horizon was illuminated with the conflagra- tion of the cabins of the settlers. Gen Hull had made the ignominious surrender of his forces at Detroit. Under these despairing circumstances, Gov. Harrison was appointed by President Madison Commander-in- chief of the North-western army, with orders to retake Detroit, and to protect the frontiers. It would be difficult to place a man in a situation demanding more energy, sagacity and courage; but General Harrison was found equal to the position, and nobly and triumphantly did he meet all the re- sponsibilities. He won the love of his soldiers by always sharing with them their fatigue. His whole baggage, while pursuing the foe up the Thames, was carried in a valise; and his bedding consisted of a single blanket lashed over his saddle. Thirty-five British officers, his prisoners of war, supped with him after the battle. The only fare he could give them was beef roasted before the fire, without bread or salt. In 1816, Gen. Harrison was chosen a member of the National House of Representatives, to represent the District of Ohio. In Congress he proved an active member; and whenever he spoke, it was with force of reason and power of eloquence, which arrested the attention of all the members. In 1819, Harrison was elected to the Senate of Ohio; and in 1824, as one of the presidential electors of that State, he gave his vote for Henry Clay. The same year he was chosen to the United States Senate. In 1836, the friends of Gen. Harrison brought him forward as a candidate for the Presidency against Van Buren, but he was defeated. At the close of Mr. Van Buren 's term, he was re-nominated by his party, and Mr. Harrison was unanimously nominated by the Whigs, with John Tyler forthe Vice Presidency. The contest was very animated. Gen Jackson gave all his influence to prevent Harrison's election ; but his triumph was signal. The cabinet which he formed, with Daniel Webster at its head as Secretary of State, was one of the most brilliant with which any President had ever been surrounded. Never were the prospects of an admin- istration more flattering, or the hopes of the country more sanguine. In the midst of these bright and joyous prospects, Gen. Harrison was seized by a pleurisv-fever and after a few days of violent sick- ness, died on the 4th of April ; just one month after his inauguration as President of the United States. TENTH PRESIDENT. 55 t \ 1 OHN TYLER, the tenth , Presidentof the United States. He was born in Charles-city Co., Va., March 29, 1790. He was the favored child of af- fluence and high social po- sition. At the early age of twelve, John entered William and Mary College and grad- uated with much honor when but seventeen years old. After graduating, he devoted him- self with great assiduity to the study of law, partly with his father and partly with Edmund Randolph, one of the most distin- guished lawyers of Virginia. At nineteen years of age, he commenced the practice of law. His success was rapid and aston- ishing. It is said that three months had not elapsed ere there was scarcely a case on the dock- I et of the court in which he was not retained. When but twenty-one years of age, he was almost unanimously elected to a seat in the State Legislature. He connected himself with the Demo- cratic party, and warmly advocated the measures of Tefferson and Madison. For five successive years he was elected to the Legislature, receiving nearly the unanimous vote or his county. When but twenty-six years of age, he was elected a member of Congress. Here he acted earnestly and ably with the Democratic party, opposing a national bank, internal improvements by the General Govern- ment, a protective tariff, and advocating a strict con- struction of the Constitution, and the most careful vigilance over State rights. His labors in Congress were so arduous that before the close of his second term he found it necessary to resign and retire to his estate in Charles-city Co., to recruit his health. He, however, soon after consented to take his seat in the State Legislature, where his influence was powerful in promoting public works of great utility. With a reputation thus canstantly increasing, he was chosen by a very large majority of votes, Governor of his native State. His administration was signally a suc- cessful one. His popularity secured his re-election. John Randolph, a brilliant, erratic, half-crazed man, then represented Virginia in the Senate of the United States. A portion of the Democratic party was displeased with Mr. Randolph's wayward course, and brought forward John Tyler as his opponent, considering him the only man in Virginia of sufficient popularity to succeed against the renowned orator of Roanoke. Mr. Tyler was the victor. In accordance with his professions, upon taking his seat in the Senate, he joined the ranks of the opposi- tion. He opposed the tariff; he spoke against and voted against the bank as unconstitutional ; he stren- uously opposed all restrictions upon slavery, resist- ing all projects of internal improvements by the Gen- eral Government, and avowed his sympathy with Mr. Calhoun's view of nullification ; he declared that Gen. Jackson, by his opposition to the nullifiers, had abandoned the principles of the Democratic party. Such was Mr. Tyler's record in Congress, a record in perfect accordance with the principles which he had always avowed. Returning to Virginia, he resumed the practice of his profession. There was a split in the Democratic JOHN TYLER. party. His friends still regarded him as a true Jef- fersonian, gave him a dinner, and showered compli- ments upon him. He had now attained the age of forty-six. His career had been very brilliant. In con- sequence of his devotion to public business, his pri- vate affairs had fallen into some disorder ; and it was not without satisfaction that he resumed the practice of law, and devoted himself to the culture of his plan- tation. Soon after this he remov ed to Williamsburg, for the better education of his children ; and he again took his seat in the Legislature of Virginia. By the Southern Whigs, he was sent to the national convention at Harrisburg to nominate a President in 1839. The majority of votes were given to Gen. Har- rison, a genuine Whig, much to the disappointment of the South, who wished for Henry Clay. To concili- ate the Southern Whigs and to secure their vote, the convention then nominated John Tyler for Vice Pres- ident. It was well known that he was not in sympa- thy with the Whig party in the Noith : but the Vice President has but very little power in the Govern- ment, his main and almost only duty being to pre- side over the meetings of the Senate. Thus it hap- pened that a Whig President, and, in reality, a Democratic Vice President were chosen. In 1841, Mr. Tyler was inaugurated Vice Presi- dent of the United States. In one short month from that time, President Harrison died, and Mr. Tyler thus found himself, to his own surprise and that of the whole Nation, an occupant of the Presidential chair. This was a new test of the stability of our institutions, as it was the first time in the history of our country that such an event had occured. Mr. Tyler was at home in Williamsburg when he received the unexpected tidings of the death of President Harri- son. He hastened to Washington, and on the 6th of April was inaugurated to the high and responsible office. He was placed in a position of exceeding delicacy and difficulty. All his long life he had been opposed to the main principles of the party which had brought him into power. He had ever been a con- sistent, honest man, with an unblemished record. Gen. Harrison had selected a Whig cabinet. Should he retain them, and thus surround himself with coun- sellors whose views were antagonistic to his own? or, on the other hand, should he turn against the party which had elected him and select a cabinet in har- mony with himself, and which would oppose all those views which the Whigs deemed essential to the pub- lic welfare? This was his fearful dilemma. He in- vited the cabinet which President Harrison had selected to retain their seats. He reccomnnjiided a day of fasting and prayer, that God would guide and bless us. The Whigs carried through Congress a bill for the incorporation of a fiscal bank of the United States. The President, after ten days' delay, returned it with his veto. He suggested, however, that he would approve of a bill drawn up upon such a plan as he proposed. Such a bill was accordingly prepared, and privately submitted to him. He gave it his approval. It was passed without alteration, and he sent it back with his veto. Here commenced the open rupture. It is said that Mr. Tyler was provoked to this meas- ure by a published letter from the Hon. John M. Botts, a distinguished Virginia Whig, who severely touched the pride of the President. The opposition now exultingly received the Presi- dent into their arms. The party which elected him denounced him bitterly. All the members of his cabinet, excepting Mr. Webster, resigned. The Whigs of Congress, both the Senate and the House, held a meeting and issued an address to the people of the United States, proclaiming that all political alliance between the Whigs and President Tyler were at an end. Still the President attempted to conciliate. He appointed a new cabinet of distinguished Whigs and Conservatives, carefully leaving out all strong party men. Mr. Webster soon found it necessary to resign, forced out by the pressure of his Whig friends. Thus the four years of Mr. Tyler's unfortunate administra- tion passed sadly away. No one was satisfied. The land was filled with murmurs and vituperation. Whigs and Democrats alike assailed him. More and more, however, he brought himself into sympathy with his old friends, the Democrats, until atthe close of his term, he gave his whole influence to the support of Mr. Polk, the Democratic candidate for his successor. On the 4th of March, 1845, he retired from the harassments of office, to the regret of neither party, and probably to his own unspeakable relief. His first wife, Miss Letitia Christian, died in Washington, in 1842; and in June, 1844, President Tyler was again married, at New York, to Miss Julia Gardiner, a young lady of many personal and intellectual accomplishments. The remainder of his days Mr. Tyler passed mainly in retirement at his beautiful home, Sherwood For- est, Charles -city Co., Va. A polished gentleman in his manners, richly furnished with information from books and experience in the world, and possessing brilliant powers of conversation, his family circle was the scene of unusual attractions. With sufficient means for the exercise of a generous hospitality, he might have enjoyed a serene old age with the few friends who gathered around him, were it not for the storms of civil war which his own principles and policy had helped to introduce. When the great Rebellion rose, which the State- rights and nullifying doctrines of Mr. John C. Cal- houn had inaugurated, President Tyler renounced his allegiance to the United States, and joined the Confed- erates. He was chosen a member of their Congress; and while engaged in active measures to deslroy, by force of arms, the Government over which he had once presided, he was taken sick and soon died. f ELEVENTH PRESIDENT. AMES K. POLK, the eleventh President of the United States, was born in Mecklenburg Co., N. C., Nov. 2, 1795. His par- ents were Samuel and Jane (Knox) Polk, the former a son of Col. Thomas Polk, who located at the above place, as one of the first pioneers, in 1735. In the year 1806, with his wife and children, and soon after fol- lowed by most of the members of the Polk farnly, Samuel Polk emi- grated some two or three hundred miles farther west, to the rich valley of the Duck River. Here in the midst of the wilderness, in a region which was subsequently called Mau- ry Co., they reared their log huts, and established their homes. In the hard toil of a new farm in the wil- derness, James K. Polk spent the early years of his childhood and youth. His father, adding the pur- suit of a surveyor to that of a farmer, gradually increased in wealth until he became one of the leading men of the region. His mother was a superior woman, of strong common sense and earnest piety. Very early in life, James developed a taste for reading and expressed the strongest desire to obtain a liberal education. His mother's training had made him methodical in his habits, had taught him punct- uality and industry, and had inspired him with lofty principles of morality. His health was frail ; and his father, fearing that he might not be able to endure a sedentary life, got a situation for him behind the counter, hoping to fit him for commercial pursuits. This was to James a bitter disappointment. He had no taste for these duties, and his daily tasks were irksome in the extreme. He remained in this uncongenial occupation but a few weeks, when at his earnest solicitation his father removed him, and made arrangements for him to prosecute his studies. Soon after he sent him to Murfreesboro Academy. With ardor which could scarcely be surpassed, he pressed forward in his studies, and in less than two and a half years, in the autumn of 1815, entered the sophomore class in the University of North Carolina, at Chapel Hill. Here he was one of the most exemplary of scholars, punctual in every exercise, never allowing himself to be absent from a recitation or a religious service. He graduated in 1818, with the highest honors, be- ing deemed the best scholar of his class, both in mathematics and the classics. He was then twenty- three years of age. Mr. Folk's health was at this time much impaired by the assiduity with which he had prosecuted his studies. After a short season of relaxation he went to Nashville, and entered the office of Felix Grundy, to study law. Here Mr. Polk renewed his acquaintance with Andrew Jackson, who resided on his plantation, the Hermitage, but a few miles from Nashville. They had probably been slightly acquainted before. Mr. Folk's father was a Jeffersonian Republican, and James K. Polk ever adhered to the same politi- cal faith. He was a popular public speaker, and was constantly called upon to address the meetings of his party friends. His skill as a speaker was such that he was popularly called the Napoleon of the stump. He was a man of unblemished morals, genial and f 4* 6o JAMES K. POLK. \ courteous in his bearing, and with that sympathetic nature in the joy s and griefs of others which ever gave him troops of friends. In 1823, Mr. Polk was elected to the Legislature of Tennessee. Here he gave his strong influence towards the election of his friend, Mr. Jackson, to the Presidency of the United States. In January, 1824, Mr. Polk married Miss Sarah Childress, of Rutherford Co., Tenn. His bride was altogether worthy of him, a lady of beauty and cul- ture. In the fall of 1825, Mr. Polk was chosen a member of Congress. The satisfaction which he gave to his constituents may be inferred from the fact, that for fourteen successive years, until 1 839, he was con- tinued in that office. He then voluntarily withdrew, only that he might accept the Gubernatorial chair of Tennessee. In Congress he was a laborious member, a frequent and a popular speaker. He was always in his seat, always courteous ; and whenever he spoke it was always to the point, and without any ambitious rhetorical display. During five sessions of Congress, Mr. Polk was Speaker of the House Strong passions were roused, and stormy scenes were witnessed ; but Mr. Polk per- formed his arduous duties to a very general satisfac- tion, and a unanimous vote of thanks to him was passed by the House as he withdrew on the 4th of March, 1839. In accordance with Southern usage, Mr. Polk, as a candidate for Governor, canvassed the State. He was elected by a large majority, and on the i4th of Octo- ber, 1839, took the oath of office at Nashville. In 1841, his term of office expired, and he was again the can- didate of the Democratic party, but was defeated. On the 4th of March, 1845, Mr. P^ was inaugur- ated President of the United States. The verdict of the country in favor of the annexation of Texas, exerted its influence upon Congress ; and the last act of the administration of President Tyler was to affix his sig- nature to a joint resolution of Congress, passed on the 3d of March, approving of the annexation of Texas to the American Union. As Mexico still claimed Texas as one of her provinces, the Mexican minister, Almonte, immediately demanded his passports and left the country, declaring the act of the annexation to be an act hostile to Mexico. In his first message, President Polk urged that Texas should immediately, by act of Congress, be re- ceived into the Union on the same footing with the other States. In the meantime, Gen. Taylor was sent with an army into Texas to hold the country. He was sent first to Nueces, which the Mexicans said was the western boundary of Texas. Then he was sent nearly two hundred miles further west, to the Rio Grande, where he erected batteries which commanded the Mexican city of Matamoras, which was situated on the western banks. The anticipated collision soon took place, and war was declared against Mexico by President Polk. The war was pushed forward by Mr. Polk's administration with great vigor. Gen. Taylor, whose army was first called one of "observation," then of "occupation," then of " invasion,"was sent forward to Monterey. The feeble Mexicans, in every encounter, were hopelessly and awfully slaughtered. The day of judgement alone can reveal the misery which this war caused. It was by the ingenuity of Mr. Polk's administration that the war was brought on. 'To the victors belong the spoils." Mexico was prostrate before us. Her capital was in our hands. We now consented to peace upon the condition that Mexico should surrender to us, in addition to Texas, all of New Mexico, and all of Upper and Lower Cal- ifornia. This new demand embraced, exclusive of Texas, eight hundred thousand square miles. This was an extent of territory equal to nine States of the size of New York. Thus slavery was securing eighteen majestic States to be added to the Union. There were some Americans who thought it all right : there were others who thought it all wrong. In the prosecution of this war, we expended twenty thousand lives and more than a hundred million of dollars. Of this money fifteen millions were paid to Mexico. On the 3d of March, 1849, Mr. Polk retired from office, having served one term. The next day was Sunday. On the 5th, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated as his successor. Mr. Polk rode to the Capitol in the same carriage with Gen. Taylor; and the same even- ing, with Mrs. Polk, he commenced his return to Tennessee. He was then but fifty-four years of age. He had ever been strictly temperate in all his habits, and his health was good. With an ample fortune, a choice library, a cultivated mind, and domestic ties of the dearest nature, it seemed as though long years of tranquility and happiness were before him. But the cholera that fearful scourge was then sweeping up the Valley of the Mississippi. This he contracted, and died on the 15th of June, 1849, in the fifty-fourth ^ year of his age, greatly mourned by his countrymen. TWELFTH PRESIDENT, ACHARY TAYLOR, twelfth President of the United States, was born on the 24th of Nov., 1784, in Orange Co., Va. His father, Colonel Taylor, was a Virginian of note, and a dis- tinguished patriot and soldier of the Revolution. When Zachary was an infant, his father with his wife and two children, emigrated to Kentucky, where he settled in the pathless wilderness, a few miles from Louisville. In this front- ier home, away from civilization and all its refinements, young Zachary could enjoy but few social and educational advan- tages. When six years of age he attended a common school, and was then regarded as a bright, active boy, rather remarkable for bluntness and decision of char- acter He was strong, fearless and self-reliant, and manifested a. strong desire to enter the army to fight the Indians who were ravaging the frontiers. There is little to be recorded of the uneventful years of his childhood on his father's large but lonely plantation. In 1808, his father succeeded in obtaining for him the commission of lieutenant in the United States army ; and he joined the troops which were stationed at New Orleans under Gen. Wilkinson. Soon after this he married Miss Margaret Smith, a young lady from one of the first families of Maryland. Immediately after the declaration of war with Eng- land, in 1812, Capt. Taylor (for he had then been promoted to that rank) was put in command of Fort Harrison, on the Wabash, about fifty miles above Vincennes. This fort had been built in the wilder- ness by Gen. Harrison,on his march to Tippecanoe. It was one of the first points of attack by the Indians, led by Tecumseh. Its garrison consisted of a broken company of infantry numbering fifty men, many of whom were sick. Early in the autumn of 1812, the Indians, stealthily, and in large numbers, moved upon the fort. Their approach was first indicated by the murder of two soldiers just outside of the stockade. Capt. Taylor made every possible preparation to meet the antici- pated assault. On the 4th of September, a band of forty painted and plumed savages came to the fort, waving a white flag, and informed Capt. Taylor that in the morning their chief would come to have a talk with him. It was evident that their object was merely to ascertain the state of things at the fort, and Capt. Taylor, well versed in the wiles of the savages, kept them at a distance. The sun went down ; the savages disappeared, the garrison slept upon their arms. One hour before midnight the war whoop burst from a thousand lips in the forest around, followed by the discharge of musketry, and the rush of the foe. Every man, sick and well, sprang to his post. Every man knew that defeat was not merely death, but in the case of cap- ture, death by the most agonizing and prolonged tor- ture. No pen can describe, no immagination can conceive the scenes which ensued. The savages suc- ceeded in setting fire to one of the block-houses- Until six o'clock in the morning, this awful conflict continued. The savages then, baffled at every point, and gnashing their teeth with rage, retired. Capt. Taylor, for this gallant defence, was promoted to the rank of major by brevet. Until the close of the war, Major Taylor was placed in such situations that he saw but little more of active service. He was sent far away into the depths of the wilderness, to Fort Crawford, on Fox River, which empties into Green Bay. Here there was but little to be done but to wear away the tedious hours as one best could. There were no books, no society, no in- ZACHARY TAYLOR. tellectual stimulus. Thus with him the uneventful years rolled on Gradually he rose to the rank of colonel. In the Black-Hawk war, which resulted in the capture of that renowned chieftain, Col Taylor took a subordinate but a brave and efficient part. For twenty -four years Col. Taylor was engaged in the defence of the frontiers, in scenes so remote, and in employments so obscure, that his name was unknown beyond the limits of his own immediate acquaintance. In the year 1836, he was sent to Florida to compel the Seminole Indians to vacate that region and re- tire beyond the Mississippi, as their chiefs by treaty, had promised they should do. The services rendered here secured for Col. Taylor the high appreciation of the Government; and as a reward, he was elevated to the rank of brigadier-general by brevet ; and soon after, in May, 1838, was appointed to the chief com- mand of the United States troops in Florida. After two years of such wearisome employment amidst the everglades of the peninsula, Gen. Taylor obtained, at his own request, a change of command, and was stationed over the Department of the South- west. This field embraced Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Establishing his headquarters at Fort Jessup, in Louisiana, he removed his family to a plantation which he purchased, near Baton Rogue. Here he remained for five years, buried, as it were, from the world, but faithfully discharging every duty imposed upon him. In 1846, Gen. Taylor was sent to guard the land between the Nueces and Rio Grande, the latter river being the boundary of Texas, which was then claimed by the United States. Soon the war with Mexico was brought on, and at Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma, Gen. Taylor won brilliant victories over the Mexicans. The rank of major-general by brevet was then conferred upon Gen. Taylor, and his name was received with enthusiasm almost everywhere in the Nation. Then came the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista in which he won signal victories over forces much larger than he commanded. His careless habits of dress and his unaffected simplicity, secured for Gen. Taylor among his troops, the sobriquet of " Old Rough and Ready." The tidings of the brilliant victory of Buena Vista spread the wildest enthusiasm over the country. The name of Gen. Taylor was on every one's lips. The Whig party decided to take advantage of this wonder- ful popularity in bringing forward the unpolished, un- lettered, honest soldier as their candidate for the Presidency. Gen. Taylor was astonished at the an- nouncement, and for a time would not listen toil; de- claring that he was not at all qualified for such an office. So little interest had he taken in politics that, for forty years, he had not cast a vote. It was not without chagrin that several distinguished statesmen who had been long years in the public service found their claims set aside in behalf of one whose name had never been heard of, save in connection with Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Monterey and Buena Vista. It Is said that Daniel Webster, in his haste re- marked, " It is a nomination not fit to be made." Gen. Taylor was not an eloquent speaker nor a fine writer. His friends took possession of him, and pre- pared such few communications as it was needful should be presented to the public. The popularity of the successful warrior swept the land. He was tri- umphantly elected over two opposing candidates, Gen. Cass and Ex-President Martin Van Buren. Though he selected an excellent cabinet, the good old man found himself in a very uncongenial position, and was, at times, sorely perplexed and harassed. His mental sufferings were very severe, and probably tended to hasten his death. The pro-slavery party was pushing its claims with tireless energy , expedi- tions were fitting out to capture Cuba ; California was pleading for admission to the Union, while slavery stood at the door to bar her out. Gen. Taylor found the political conflicts in Washington to be far more trying to the nerves than battles with Mexicans or Indians. In the midst of all these troubles, Gen. Taylor, after he had occupied the Presidential chair but little over a year, took cold, and after a brief sickness of but little over five days, died on the oth of July, 1850. His last words were, " I am not afraid to die. I am ready. I have endeavored to do my duty." He died universally respected and beloved. An honest, un- pretending man, he had been steadily growing in the affections of the people ; and the Nation bitterly la- mented his death. Gen. Scott, who was thoroughly acquainted with Gen. Taylor, gave the following graphic and truthful description of his character: " With a good store of common sense, Gen. Taylor's mind had not been en- larged and refreshed by reading, or much converse with the world. Rigidity of ideas was the conse- quence. The frontiers and small military posts had been his home. Hence he was quite ignorant for his rank, and quite bigoted in his ignorance. His sim- plicity was child-like, and with innumerable preju- dices, amusing and incorrigible, well suited to the tender age. Thus, if a man, however respectable, chanced to wear a coat of an unusual color, or his hat a little on one side of his head; or an officer to leave a corner of his handkerchief dangling from an out- side pocket, in any such case, this critic held the offender to be a coxcomb (perhaps something worse), whom he would not, to use his oft repeated phrase, ' touch with a pair of tongs.' "Any allusion to literature beyond good old Dil- worth's spelling-book, on the part of one wearing a sword, was evidence, with the same judge, of utter unfitness for heavy marchings and combats. In short, few men have ever had a more comfortable, labor- saving contempt for learning of every kind." 1 THIRTEENTH PRESIDENT. FILLMOHE, ILLARD FILLMORE, thir- teenth President of the United States, was born at Summer Hill, Cayuga Co., N. Y ., on the 7th of January, 1800. His father was a farmer, and ow- ing to misfortune, in humble cir- cumstances. Of his mother, the daughter of Dr. AbiatharMillard, of Pittsfield, Mass., it has been said that she possessed an intellect of very high order, united with much personal loveliness, sweetness of dis- position, graceful manners and ex- quisite sensibilities. She died in 1831 ; having lived to see her son a young man of distinguished prom- ise, though she was not permitted to witness the high dignity which he finally attained. In consequence of the secluded home and limited means of his father, Millard enjoyed but slender ad- vantages for education in his early years. The com- mon schools, which he occasionally attended were very imperfect institutions; and books were scarce and expensive. There was nothing then in his char- acter to indicate the brilliant career upon which he was about to enter. He was a plain farmer's boy ; intelligent, good-looking, kind-hearted. The sacred influences of home had taught him to revere the Bible, and had laid Ihe foundations of an upright character. When fourteen years of age, his father sent him some hundred miles from home, to the then wilds of Livingston County, to learn the trade of a clothier. Near the mill there was a small villiage, where some enterprising man had commenced the collection of a village library. This proved an inestimable blessing to young Fillmore. His evenings were spent in read- ing. Soon every leisure moment was occupied with books. His thirst for knowledge became insatiate; and the selections which he made were continually more elevating and instructive. He read history, biography, oratory, and thus gradually there was en- kindled in his heart a desire to be something more than a mere worker with his hands; and he was be- coming, almost unknown to himself, a well-informed, educated man. The young clothier had now attained the age of nineteen years, and was of fine personal appearance and of gentlemanly demeanor. It so happened that there was a gentleman in the neighborhood of ample pecuniary means and of benevolence, Judge Walter Wood, who was struck with the prepossessing ap- pearance of young Fillmore. He made his acquaint- ance, and was so much impressed with his ability and attainments that he advised him to abandon his trade and devote himself to the study of the law. The young man replied, that he had no means of his own, r.o friends to help him and that his previous educa- tion had been very imperfect. But Judge Wood had so much confidence in him that he kindly offered to take him into his own office, and to loan him such money as he needed. Most gratefully the generous offer was accepted. There is in many minds a strange delusion about a collegiate education. A young man is supposed to be liberally educated if he has graduated at some col- lege. But many a boy loiters through university halls ind then enters a law office, who is by no means as t 68 MILLARD FILLMORE. well prepared to prosecute his legal studies as was Millard Fillmore when he graduated at the clothing- mill at the end of four years of manual labor, during which every leisure moment had been devoted to in- tense mental culture. In 1823, when twenty-three years of age, he was admitted to the Court of Common Pleas. He then went to the village of Aurora, and commenced the practice of law. In this secluded, peaceful region, his practice of course was limited, and there was no opportunity for a sudden rise in fortune or in fame. Here, in the year 1826, he married a lady of great moral worth, and one capable of adorning any station she might be called to fill, Miss Abigail Powers. His elevation of character, his untiring industry, his legal acquirements, and his skill as an advocate, gradually attracted attention ; and he was invited to enter into partnership under highly advantageous circumstances, with an elder member of the bar in Buffalo. Just before removing to Buffalo, in 1829, he took his seat in the House of Assembly, of the State of New York, as a representative from Erie County. Though he had never taken a very active part in politics, his vote and his sympathies were with the Whig party. The State was then Democratic, and he found himself in a helpless minority in the Legislature , still the testimony comes from all parties, that his courtesy, ability and integrity, won, to a very unusual degree the respect of his associates. In the autumn of 1832, he was elected to a seat in the United States Congress He entered that troubled arena in some of the most tumultuous hours of our national history. The great conflict respecting the national bank and the removal of the deposits, was then raging. His term of two years closed ; and he returned to his profession, which he pursued with increasing rep- utation and success. After a lapse of two years he again became a candidate for Congress ; was re- elected, and took his seat in 1837. His past expe- rience as a representative gave him strength and confidence. The first term of service in Congress to any man can be but little more than an introduction. He was now prepared for active duty. All his ener- gies were brought to bear upon the public good. Every measure received his impress. Mr. Fillmore was now a man of wide repute, and his popularity filled the State, and in the year 1847, he wa5 elected Comptroller of the State. Mr. Fillmore had attained the age of forty-seven years. His labors at the bar, in the Legislature, in Congress and as Comptroller, had given him very con- siderable fame. The Whigs were casting about to find suitable candidates for President and Vice-Presi- dent at the approaching election. Far away, on the waters of the Rio Grande, there was a rough old soldier, who had fought one or two successful battles with the Mexicans, which had caused his name to be proclaimed in tiumpet-tones all over the land. But it was necessary to associate with him on the same ticket some man of re'putation as a statesman. Under the influence of these considerations, the names of Zachary Taylor and Millard Fillmore became the rallying-cry of the Whigs, as their candidates for President and Vice-Peesident. The Whig ticket was signally triumphant. On the 4th of March, 1849, Gen. Taylor was inaugurated President, and Millard Fillmore Vice-President, of the United States. On the gth of July, 1850, President Taylor, but about one year and four months after his inaugura- tion, was suddenly taken sick and died. By the Con- stitution, Vice-President Fillmore thus became Presi- dent. He appointed a very able cabinet, of which the illustrious Daniel Webster was Secretary of State. Mr. Fillniore had very serious difficulties to contend with, since the opposition had a majority in both Houses. He did everything in his power to conciliate the South ; but the pro-slavery party in the South felt the inadequacy of all measures of transient conciliation. The population of the free States was so rapidly in- creasing over that of the slave States that it was in- evitable that the power of the Government should soon pass into the hands of the free States. The famous compromise measures were adopted under Mr. Fillmcre's adminstration, and the Japan Expedition was sent out. On the 4th of March, 1853, Mr. Fill- more, having served one term, retired. In 1856, Mr. Fillmore was nominated for the Pres- idency by the " Know Nothing " party, but was beaten by Mr. Buchanan. After that Mr. Fillmore lived in retirement. During the terrible conflict of civil war, he was mostly silent. It was generally supposed that his sympathies were rather with those who were en- deavoring to overthrow our institutions. President Fillmore kept aloof from the conflict, without any cordial words of cheer to the one party or the other. He was thus forgotten by both. He lived to a ripe old age, and died in Buffalo. N. Y., March 8, 1874. FOURTEENTH PRESIDENT. -S=5- ^ **X*;p^|:*;psi:^ FIEHEE.^ t RANKLIN PIERCE, the fourteenth President of the United States, was born in Hillsborough, N. H., Nov. 23, 1804. His father was a Revolutionary soldier, who, with his own strong arm, hewed out a home in the wilderness. He was a man of inflexible integrity; of strong, though uncultivated mind, and an uncompromis- ing Democrat. The mother of Franklin Pierce was all that a son could desire, an intelligent, pru- dent, affectionate, Christian wom- an. Franklin was the sixth of eight children. Franklin was a very bright and handsome boy, gen- erous, warm-hearted and brave. He won alike the love of old and young. The boys on the play ground loved him. His teachers loved him. The neighbors looked upon him with pride and affection. He was by instinct a gentleman; always speaking kind words, doing kind deeds, with a peculiar unstudied tact which taught him what was agreeable. Without de- veloping any precocity of genius, or any unnatural devotion to books, he was a good scholar; in body, in mind, in affections, a finely-developed boy. When sixteen years of age, in the year 1820, he entered Bowdoin College, at Brunswick, Me He was one of the most popular young men in the college. The purity of his moral character, the unvarying courtesy of his demeanor, his rank as a scholar, and genial nature, rendered him a universal favorite. There was something very peculiarly winning in his address, and it was evidently not in the slightest de- gree studied : it was the simple outgushing of his own magnanimous and loving nature. Upon graduating, in the year 1824, Franklin Pierce commenced the study of law in the office of Judge Woodbury, one of the most distinguished lawyers of the State, and a man of great private worth. The eminent social qualities of the young lawyer, his father's prominence as a public man, and the brilliant political career into which Judge Woodbury was en- tering, all tended to entice Mr. Pierce into the faci- nating yet perilous path of political life. With all the ardor of his nature he espoused the cause of Gen. Jackson for the Presidency. He commenced the practice of law in Hillsborough, and was soon elected to represent the town in the State Legislature. Here he served for four yeais. The last two years he was chosen speaker of the house by a very large vote. In 1833, at the age of twenty-nine, he was elected a member of Congress. Without taking an active part in debates, he was faithful and laborious in duty, and ever rising in the estimation of those with whom he was associatad. In 1837, being then but thirty-three years of age, he was elected to the Senate of the United States; taking his seat just as Mr. Van Buren commenced his administration. He was the youngest member in the Senate. In the year 1834, he married Miss Jane Means Appleton, a lady of rare beauty and accom- plishments, and one admirably fitted to adorn every station with which her husband was honoied. Of the * FRANKLIN PIERCE. three sons who were born to them, all now sleep with their parents in the grave. In the year 1838, Mr. Pierce, with growing fame and increasing business as a lawyer, took up his residence in Concord, the capital of New Hampshire. President Polk, upon his accession to office, appointed Mr. Pierce attorney-general of the United States; but the offer was declined, in consequence of numerous professional engagements at home, and the precariuos state of Mrs. Pierce 's health. He also, about the same time declined the nomination for governor by the .Democratic party. The war with Mexico called Mr. Pierce in the army. Receiving the appointment of brigadier-general, he embarked, with a portion of his troops, at Newport, R. I., on the 271)1 of May, 1847. He took an important part in this war, proving him- self a brave and true soldier. When Gen. Pierce reached his home in his native State, he was received enthusiastically by the advo- cates of the Mexican war, and coldly by his oppo- nents. He resumed the practice of his profession, very frequently taking an active part in political ques- tions, giving his cordial support to the pro-slavery wing of the Democratic party. The compromise measures met cordially with his approval; and he strenuously advocated the enforcement of the infa- mous fugitive-slave law, which so shocked the religious sensibilities of the North. He thus became distin- guished as a " Northern man with Southern principles.'' The strong partisans of slavery in the South conse- quently regarded him as a man whom they could safely trust in office to carry out their plans. On the I2th of June, 1852, the Democratic conven- tion met in Baltimore to nominate a candidate for the Presidency. For four days they continued in session, and in thirty-five ballotings no one had obtained a two-thirds vote. Not a vote thus far had been thrown for Gen. Pierce. Then the Virginia delegation brought forward his name. There were fourteen more ballotings, during which Gen. Pierce constantly gained strength, until, at the forty-ninth ballot, he received two hundred and eighty-two votes, and all other candidates eleven. Gen. Winfield Scott was the Whig candidate. Gen. Pierce was chosen with great unanimity. Only four States Vermont, Mas- sachusetts, Kentucky and Tennessee cast their electoral votes against him Gen. Franklin Pierce was therefore inaugurated President of the United States on the 4th of March, 1853. His administration proved one of the most stormy our country had ever experienced. The controversy be- tween slavery and freedom was then approaching its culminating point. It became evident that there was an " irrepressible conflict" between them, and that this Nation could not long exist " half slave and half free." President Pierce, during the whole of his ad- ministration, did every thing he could to conciliate the South ; but it was all in vain. The conflict every year grew more violent, and threats of the dissolution of the Union were borne to the North on every South- ern breeze. Such was the condition of affairs when President Pierce approached the close of his four-years' term of office. The North had become thoroughly alien- ated from him. The anti-slavery sentiment, goaded by great outrages, had been rapidly increasing; all the intellectual ability and social worth of President Pierce were forgotten in deep reprehension of his ad- ministrative acts. The slaveholders of the South, also, unmindful of the fidelity with which he had advo- cated those measures of Government which they ap- proved, and perhaps, also, feeling that he had rendered himself so unpopular as no longer to be able acceptably to serve them, ungratefully dropped him, and nominated James Buchanan to succeed him. On the 4th of March, 1857, President Pierce re- tired to his home in Concord. Of three children, two had died, and his only surviving child had been killed before his eyes by a railroad accident ; and his wife, one of the most estimable and accomplished of ladies, was rapidly sinking in consumption. The hour of dreadful gloom soon came, and he was left alone in the world, without wife or child. When the terrible Rebellion burst forth, which di- vided our country into two parties, and two only, Mr. Pierce remained steadfast in the principles which he had always cherished, and gave his sympathies to that pro-slavery party with which he had ever been allied. He declined to do anything, either by voice or pen, to strengthen the hand of the National Gov- ernment. He continued to reside in Concord until the time of his death, which occurred in October, 1869. He was one of the most genial and social of men, an honored communicant of the Episcopal Church, and one of the kindest of neighbors. Gen- erous to a fault, he contributed liberally for the al- leviation of suffering and want, and many of his towns- people were often gladened by his material bounty. ^p - fIFTEENTH PRESIDENT. - 7S , '..'i '..'i '.<'i '..V. 'i '. V. '> ',.'i '. 'i '. ' ' 'i"..'i vvvx'".''!'..''!' ;v .''i' :v ."i 1 ,'V .' V .' i' .' i 1 .' i'..' i 1 .' i 1 .' i f^i 1 ."I'.'v y. i 1 y : y.. - y..'y.,.'y;.'y. : y ;v.:-jXi '.'/_".'> '..v..v.,v. '. '.,'. '. ' '..'> ". '> '. '< '. ' '. '>".-' AMES BUCHANAN, the fif- teenth President of the United States, was born in a small frontier town, at the foot of the eastern ridge of the Allegha- nies, in Franklin Co., Penn.,on the 23d of April, 1791. The place where the humble cabin of his father stood was called Stony Batter. It was a wild and ro- mantic spot in a gorge of the moun- tains, with towering summits rising grandly all around. His father was a native of the north of Ireland ; a poor man, who had emigrated in 1783, with little property save his Five years afterwards he married Elizabeth Spear, the daughter of a respectable farmer, and, with his young bride, plunged into the wilder- ness, staked his claim, reared his log-hut, opened a clearing with his axe, and settled down there to per- form his obscure part in the drama of life. In this se- cluded home, where James was born, he remained for eight years, enjoying but few social or intellectual advantages. When James was eight yeaisof age, his father removed to the village of Mercersburg, where his son was placed at school, and commenced a course of study in English, Latin and Greek. His progress was rapid, and at the age of fourteen, he entered Dickinson College, at Carlisle. Here he de- veloped remarkable talent, and took his stand among the first scholars in the institution. His application to study was intense, and yet his native powers en- own strong arms. abled him to master the most abstruse subjects with facility. In the year 1809, he graduated with the highest honors of his class. He was then eighteen years of age; tall and graceful, vigorous in health, fond of athletic sport, an unerring shot, and enlivened with an exuberant flow of animal spirits. He immediately commenced the study of law in the city of Lancaster, and was admitted to the bar in 1812, when he was but twenty-one years of age. Very rapidly he rose in his profession, and at once took undisputed stand with the ablest lawyers of the State. When but twenty-six years of age, unaided by counsel, he suc- cessfully defended before the State Senate ore of the judges of the State, who was tried upon articles of impeachment. At the age of thirty it was generally admitted that he stood at the head of the bar; and there was no lawyer in the State who had a more lu- crative practice. In 1820, he reluctantly consented to run as a candidate for Congress. He was elected, and for ten years he remained a member of the Lower House, During the vacations of Congress, he occasionally tried some important case. In 1831, he retired altogether from the toils of his profession, having ac- quired an ample fortune. Gen. Jackson, upon his elevation to the Presidency, appointed Mr. Buchanan minister to Russia. The duties of his mission he performed with ability, which gave satisfaction to all parties. Upon his return, in 1833, he was elected to a seat in the United States Senate. He there met, as his associates, Webster, Clay, Wright and Calhoun. He advocated the meas- ures proposed by President Jackson, of making repri- JAMES BUCHANAN. sals against France, to enforce the payment of our claims against that country ; and defended the course of the President in his unprecedented and wholesale removal from office of those who were not the sup- porters of his administration. Upon this question he was brought into direct collision with Henry Clay. He also, with voice and vote, advocated expunging from the journal of the Senate the vote of censure against Gen. Jackson for removing the deposits. Earnestly he opposed the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, and urged the prohibition of the circulation of anti-slavery documents by the United States mails. As to petitions on the subject of slavery, he advo- cated that they should be respectfully received ; and that the reply should be returned, that Congress had no power to legislate upon the subject. " Congress," said he, " might as well undertake to interfere with slavery under a foreign government as in any of the States where it now exists." Upon Mr. Folk's accession to the Presidency, Mr. Buchanan became Secretary of State, and as such, took his share of the responsibility in the conduct of the Mexican War. Mr. Polk assumed that crossing the Nueces by the American troops into the disputed territory was not wrong, but for the Mexicans to cross the Rio Grande into that territory was a declaration of war. No candid man can read with pleasure the account of the course our Government pursued in that movement. Mr. Buchanan identified himself thoroughly with the party devoted to the pfirpetuation and extension of slavery, and brought all the energies of his mind to bear against the Wilmot Proviso. He gave his cordial approval to the compromise measures of 1850, which included the fugitive-slave law. Mr. Pierce, upon his election to the Presidency, honored Mr. Buchanan with the mission to England. In the year 1856, a national Democratic conven- tion nominated Mr. Buchanan for the Presidency. The political conflict was one of the most severe in which our country has ever engaged. All the friends of slavery were on one side; all the advocates of its re- striction and final abolition, on the other. Mr. Fre- mont, the candidate of the enemies of slavery, re- ceived 1 14 electoral votes. Mr. Buchanan received 174, and was elected. The popular vote stood 1,340,618, for Fremont, 1,224,750 for Buchanan. On March 4th, 1857, Mr. Buchanan was inaugurated. Mr. Buchanan was far advanced in life. Only four years were wanting to fill up his threescore years and ten. His own friends, those with whom he had been allied in political principles and action for years, were seeking the destruction of the Government, that they might rear upon the ruins of our free institutions a nation whose corner-stone should be human slavery. In this emergency, Mr. Buchanan was hopelessly be- wildered He could not, with his long-avowed prin- ciples, consistently oppose the State-rights party in their assumptions. As President of the United States, bound by his oath faithfully to administer the laws, he could not, without perjury of the grossest kind, unite with those endeavoring to overthrow the repub- lic. He therefore did nothing. The opponents of Mr. Buchanan's administration nominal ed Abraham Lincoln as their standard bearer in the next Presidential canvass. The pro-slavery party declared, that if he were elected, and the con- trol of the Government were thus taken from their hands, they would secede from the Union, taking with them, as they retired, the National Capitol at Washington, and the lion's share of the territory of the United States. Mr. Buchanan's sympathy with the pro-slaver)' party was such, that he had been willing to offer them far more than they had ventured to claim. All the South had professed to ask of the North was non- intervention upon the subject of slavery. Mr. Bu- chanan had been ready to offer them the active co- operation of the Government to defend and extend the institution. As the storm increased in violence, the slaveholders claiming the right to secede, and Mr. Buchanan avow- ing that Congress had no power to prevent it, one of the most pitiable exhibitions of governmental im- becility was exhibited the world has ever seen. He declared that Congress had no power to enforce its laws in any State which had withdrawn, or which was attempting to withdraw from the Union. This was not the doctrine of Andrew Jackson, when, with his hand upon his sword-hilt, he exclaimed, "The Union must and shall be preserved!" South Carolina seceded in December, 1860; nearly three months before the inauguration of President Lincoln. Mr. Buchanan looked on in listless despair. The rebel flag was raised in Charleston : Fort Sumpter was besieged; our forts, navy-yards and arsenals were seized ; our depots of military stores were plun- dered ; and our custom-houses and post-offices were appropriated by the rebels. The energy of the rebels, and the imbecility of our Executive, were alike marvelous. The Nation looked on in agony, waiting for the slow weeks to glide away, and close the administration, so terrible in its weak- ness At length the long-looked-for hour of deliver- ance came, when Abraham Lincoln was to receive the scepter. The administration of President Buchanan was certainly the most calamitous our country has ex- perienced. His best friends canr.ot recall it with pleasure. And still more deplorable it is for his fame, that in that dreadful conflict which rolled its billows of flame and blood over our whole land, no word came from his lips to indicate his wish that our country's banner should triumph over the flag of the rebellion. He died at his Wheatland retreat, June i, 1868. ' t. SIXTEENTH PRESIDENT. LINCOLN. > I BRAHAM LINCOLN, the sixteenth President of the United States, was born in Hardin Co., Ky., Feb. 12, 1809. About the year 1780, a man by the name of Abraham Lincoln left Virginia with his s family and moved into the then wilds of Kentucky. Only two yeaYs after this emigration, still a young man, while working one day in a field, was stealthily approached by an Indian and shot dead. His widow was left in extreme poverty with five little children, three boys and two girls. Thomas, the youngest of the boys, was four years of age at his father's death. This Thomas was the father of Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States whose name must henceforth fo r ever be enrolled with the most prominent in the annals of our world. Of course no record has been kept of the life of one so lowly as Thomas Lincoln. He was among the poorest of the poor. His home was a wretched log-cabin; his food the coarsest and the meanest. Education he had none; he could never either read or write. As soon as he was able to do anything for himself, he was compelled to leave the cabin of his starving mother, and push out into the world, a friend- less, wandering boy, seeking work. He hired him- self out, and thus spent the whole of his youth as a laborer in the fields of others. When twenty-eight years of age he built a log- cabin of his own, and married Nancy Hanks, the daughter of another family of poor Kentucky emi- grants, who had also come from Virginia. Their second child was Abraham Lincoln, the subject of this sketch. The mother of Abraham was a noble woman, gentle, loving, pensive, created to adorn a palace, doomed to toil and pine, and die in a hovel. " All that I am, or hope to be," exclaims the grate- ful son " I owe to my angel-mother. " When he was eight years of age, his father sold his cabin and small farm, and moved to Indiana. Where two years later his mother died. Abraham soon became the scribe of the uneducated community around him. He could not have had a better school than this to teach him to put thoughts into words. He also became an eager reader. The books he could obtain were few ; but these he read and re-read until they were almost committed to memory. As the years rolled on, the lot of this lowly family was the usual lot of humanity. There were joys and griefs, weddings and funerals. Abraham's sister Sarah, to whom he was tenderly attached, was mar- ried when a child of but fourteen years of age, and soon died. The family was gradually scattered. Mr. Thomas Lincoln sold out his squatter's claim in 1830, and emigrated to Macon Co., 111. Abraham Lincoln was then twenty-one years of age. With vigorous hands he aided his father in rearing another log-cabin. Abraham worked diligently at this until he saw the family comfortably settled, and their small lot of enclosed prairie planted with corn, when he announced to his father his intention to leave home, and to go out into the world and seek his for- tune. Little did he or his friends imagine how bril- liant that fortune was to be.' He saw the value of education and was intensely earnest to improve his mind to the utmost of his power. He saw the ruin which ardent spirits were causing, and became strictly temperate; refusing to allow a drop of intoxi- cating liquor to pass his lips. And he had read in God's word, "Thou shah r.ot take the name of the Lord thy God in vain ;" and a profane expression he was never heard to utter. Religion he revered. His morals were pure, and he was uncontaminated by a single vice. Young Abraham worked for a time as a hired laborer among the farmers. Then he went to Springfield, where he was employed in building a large flat-boat. In this he took a herd of swine, floated them down the Sangamon to the Illinois, and thence by the Mis- sissippi to New Orleans. Whatever Abraham Lin- coln undertook, he performed so faithfully as to give great satisfaction to his employers. In this adven- i 8o ABRAHAM LINCOLN. ture his employers were so well pleased, that upon his return they placed a store and mill under his care. ' In 1832, at the outbreak of the Black Hawk war, he enlisted and was chosen captain of a company. He returned to Sangambn County, and although only 23 years of age, was a candidate for the Legislature, but was defeated. He soon after received from Andrew Jackson the appointment of Postmaster of New Salem, His only post-office was his hat. All the letters he received he carried there ready to deliver to those he chanced to meet. He studied surveying, and soon made this his business. In 1834 he again became a candidate for the Legislature, and was elected. Mr. ijtuart, of Springfield, advised him to study law. He walked from New Salem to Springfield, borrowed of Mr. Stuart a load of books, carried them back and began his legal studies. When the Legislature as- sembled he trudged on foot with his pack on his back one hundred miles to Vandalia, then the capital. In 1836 he was re-elected to the Legislature. Here it was he first met Stephen A. Douglas. In 1839 he re- moved to Springfield and began the practice of law. His success with the jury was so great that he was soon engaged in almost every noted case in the circuit. In 1854 the great discussion began between Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Douglas, on the slavery question. In the organization of the Republican party in Illinois, in 1856, he took an active part, and at once became one of the leaders in that party. Mr. Lincoln's speeches in opposition to Senator Douglas in the con- test in 1858 for a seat in the Senate, form a most notable part of his history. The issue was on the slavery question, and he took the broad ground of ;he Declaration of Independence, that all men are created equal. Mr. Lincoln was defeated in this con- test, but won a far higher prize. The great Republican Convention met at Chicago on the :6th of June, 1860. The delegates and strangers who crowded the city amounted to twenty- five thousand. An immense building called " The Wigwam," was reared to accommodate the Conven- tion. There were eleven candidates for whom votes were thrown. William H. Seward, a man whose fame as a statesman had long filled the land, was the most urominent. It was generally supposed he would be the nominee. Abraham Lincoln, however, received the nomination on the third ballot. Little did he then dream of the weary years of toil and care, and the bloody death, to which that nomination doomed him : and as little did he dream that he was to vender services to his country, which would fix upon him the eyes of the whole civilized world, and which would give him a place in the affections of his countrymen, second only, if second, to that of Washington. Election day came and Mr. Lincoln received 180 electoral votes out of 203 cast, and was, therefore, constitutionally elected President of the United States. The tirade of abuse that was poured upon this good and merciful man, especially by the slaveholders, was greater than upon any other man ever elected to this high position. In February, 1861, Mr. Lincoln started for Washington, stopping in all the large cities on his way making speeches. The whole journey was fraught with much danger. Many of the Southern States had already seceded, and several attempts at assassination were afterwards brought to light. A gang in Balti- more had arranged, upon his arrival to "get up a row," and in the confusion to make sure of his death with revolvers and hand-grenades. A detective unravelled the plot. A secret and special train was provided to take him from Harrisburg, through Baltimore, at an unexpected hour of the night. The train started at half-past ten ; and to prevent any possible communi- cation on the part ot the Secessionists with their Con- federate gang in Baltimore, as soon as the train had started the telegraph-wires were cut. Mr. Lincoln reached Washington in safety and was inaugurated, although great anxiety was felt by all loyal people. In the selection of his cabinet Mr. Lincoln gave to Mr. Seward the Department of State, and to other prominent opponents before the convention he gave important positions. During no other administration have the duties devolving upon the President been so manifold, and the responsibilities so great, as those which fell to the lot of President Lincoln. Knowing this, and feeling his own weakness and inability to meet, and in his own strength to cope with, the difficulties, he learned early to seek Divine wisdom and guidance in determining his plans, and Divine comfort in all his trials, bo'h personal and national Contrary to his own estimate of himself, Mr. Lincoln was one of the most courageous of men. He went directly into the rebel capital just as the retreating foe was leaving, with no guard but a few sailors. From the time he had left Springfield, in 1861, however, plans had been made for his assassination, and he at last fell a victim to one of them. April 14, 1865, he, with Gn. Grant, was urgently invited to attend Fords' Theater. It was announced that they would Le present. Gen. Grant, however, left the city. President Lincoln, feel- ing, with his characteristic kindliness of heart, that it would be a disappointment if he should fail them, very reluctantly consented to go. While listening to the play an actor by the name of John Wilkes Booth entered the box where the President and family were seated, and fired a bullet into his brains. He died the next morning at seven o'clock. Never before, in the history of the world was a nation plunged into such deep grief by the death of its ruler Strong men met in the streets and wept in speechless anguish. It is not too much to say that a nation was in tears. His was a life which will fitly become a model. His name as the savior of his country will live with that of Washington's, its father; his country- men being unable to decide which is the greater. SEVENTEENTH PRESIDENT. 8.1 NDREW JOHNSON, seven- teenth President of the United States. The early life of Andrew Johnson contains but the record of poverty, destitu- tion and friendlessness. He was born December 29, 1808, in Raleigh, N. C. His parents, belonging to the class of the "poor whites " of the South, were in such circumstances, that they could not confer even the slight- est advantages of education upon their child. When Andrew was five years of age, his father accidentally lost his life while herorically endeavoring to save a friend from drowning. Until ten years of age, Andrew was a ragged boy about the streets, supported by the labor of his mother, who obtained her living with her own hands. He then, having never attended a school one day, and being unable either to read or write, was ap- prenticed to a tailor in his native town. A gentleman was in the habit of going to the tailor's shop occasion- ally, and reading to the boys at work there. He often read from the speeches of distinguished British states- men. Andrew, who was endowed with a mind of more than ordinary native ability, became much interested in these speeches ; his ambition was roused, and he was inspired with a strong desire to learn to read. He accordingly applied himself to the alphabet, and with the assistance of some of his fellow-workmen, learned his letters. He then called upon the gentle- man to borrow the book of speeches. The owner, pleased with his zeal, not only gave him the book, but assisted him in learning to combine the letters into words. Under such difficulties he pressed on- ward laboriously, spending usually ten or twelve hours at work in the shop, and then robbing himself of rest and recreation to devote such time as he could to reading. He went to Tennessee in 1826, and located at Greenville, where he married a young lady who pos- sessed some education. Under her instructions he learned to write and cipher. He became prominent in the village debating society, and a favorite with the students of Greenville College. In 1828, he or- ganized a working man's party, which elected him alderman, and in 1830 elected him mayor, which position he held three years. He now began to take a lively interest in political affairs; identifying himself with the working-classes, to which he belonged. In 1835, he was elected a member of the House of Representatives of Tennes- see. He was then just twenty-seven years of age. He became a very active member of the legislature, gave his adhesion to the Democratic party, and in 1840 "stumped the State," advocating Martin Van Buren's claims to the Presidency, in opposition to those of Gen. Harrison. In this campaign he acquired much readiness as a speaker, and extended and increased his reputation. In 1841, he was elected State Senator; in 1843, he was elected a member of Congress, and by successive elections, held that important post for ten years. In 1853, he was elected Governor of Tennessee, and was re-elected in 1855. In all these res]>onsible posi- tions, he discharged his duties with distinguished abil- ANDRE W JOHNSON. ity, and proved himself the warm friend of the work- ing classes. In 1857, Mr. Johnson was elected United States Senator. Years before, in 1845, he had warmly advocated the annexation of Texas, stating however, as his reason, that he thought this annexation would prob- ably prove " to be the gateway out of which the sable sons of Africa are to pass from bondage to freedom, and become merged in a population congenial to themselves." In 1850, he also supported the com- promise measures, the two essential features of which were, that the white people of the Territories should be permitted to decide for themselves whether they would enslave the colored people or not, and that the free States of the North should return to the South persons who attempted to escape from slavery. Mr. Johnson was never ashamed of his lowly origin: on the contrary, he often took pride in avowing that he owed his distinction to his own exertions. "Sir," said he on the floor of the Senate, " I do not forget that I am a mechanic ; neither do I forget that Adam was a tailor and sewed fig-leaves, and that our Sav- ior was the son of a carpenter." In the Charleston-Baltimore convention of 1860, he was the choice of the Tennessee Democrats for the Presidency. In 1861, when the purpose of the South- ern Democracy became apparent, he took a decided stand in favor of the Union, and held that " slavery must be held subordinate to the Union at whatever cost." He returned to Tennessee, and repeatedly imperiled his own life to protect the Unionists of Tennesee. Tennessee having seceded from the Union, President Lincoln, on March 4th, 1862, ap- pointed him Military Governor of the State, and he established the most stringent military rule. His numerous proclamations attracted wide attention. In 1864, he was elected Vice-President of the United States, and upon the death of Mr. Lincoln, April 15, 1865, became President. In a speech two days later he said, " The American people must be taught, if they do not already feel, that treason is a crime and must be punished ; that the Government will not always bear with its enemies ; that it is strong not only to protect, but to punish. * * The people must understand that it (treason) is the blackest of crimes, and will surely be punished." Yet his whole administration, the history of which is so well known, was in utter inconsistency with, and the mpst violent opposition to, the principles laid down in that speech. In his loose policy of reconstruction and general amnesty, he was opposed by Congress ; and he char- acterized Congress as a new rebellion, and lawlessly defied it, in everything possible, to the utmost. In the beginning of 1868, on account of "high crimes and misdemeanors," the principal of which was the removal of Secretary Stanton, in violation of the Ten- ure of Office Act, articles of impeachment were pre- ferred against him, and the trial began March 23. It was very tedious, continuing for nearly three months. A test article of the impeachment was at length submitted to the court for its action. It was certain that as the court voted upon that article so would it vote upon all. Thirty-four voices pronounced the President guilty. As a two-thirds vote was neces- sary to his condemnation, he was pronounced ac- quitted, notwithstanding the great majority against him. The change of one vote from the not guilty side would have sustained the impeachment. The President, for the remainder of his term, was but little regarded. He continued, though impotently, his conflict with Congress. His own party did not think it expedient to renominate him for the Presi- dency. The Nation rallied, with enthusiasm unpar- alleled since the days of Washington, around the name of Gen. Grant. Andrew Johnson was forgotten. The bullet of the assassin introduced him to the President's chair. Notwithstanding this, never was there presented to a man a better opportunity to im- mortalize his name, and to win the gratitude of a nation. He failed utterly. He retired to his home in Greenville, Tenn., taking no very active part in politics until 1875. On Jan. 26, after an exciting struggle, he was chosen by the Legislature of Ten- nessee, United States Senator in the forty-fourth Con- gress, and took his seat in that body, at the special session convened by President Grant, on the 5th of March. On the 27th of July, 1875, the ex-President made a visit to his daughter's home, near Carter Station, Tenn. When he started on his journey, he was apparently in his usual vigorous health, but on reach- ing the residence of his child the following day, was stricken with paralysis, rendering him unconscious. He rallied occasionally, but finally passed away at 2 A.M., July 31, aged sixty-seven years. His fun- eral was attended at Geenville, on the 3d of August, with every demonstration of respect. EIGHTEENTH PRESIDENT. I LYSSES S. GRANT, the eighteenth President of the United States, was born on the 29th of April, 1822, of Christian parents, in a humble home, at Point Pleasant, on the banks of the Ohio. Shortly after his father moved to George- town, Brown Co., O. In this re- mote frontier hamlet, Ulysses received a common-school edu- cation. At the age of seven- teen, in the year 1839, he entered the Military Academy at West Point. Here he was regarded as a solid, sensible young man of fair abilities, and of sturdy, honest character. He took respectable rank as a scholar. In June, 1843, h'e graduated, about the middle in his class, and was sent as lieutenant of in- fantry to one of the distant military posts in the Mis- souri Territory. Two years he past in these dreary solitudes, watching the vagabond and exasperating Indians. The war with Mexico came. Lieut. Grant was sent with his regiment to Corpus Christi. His first battle was at Palo Alto. There was no chance here for the exhibition of either skill or heroism, nor at Resaca de la Palma, his second battle. At the battle of Monterey, his third engagement, it is said that he performed a signal service of daring and skillful horsemanship. His brigade had exhausted its am- munition. A messenger must be sent for more, along a route exposed to the bullets of the foe. Lieut. Grant, adopting an expedient learned of the Indians, grasped the mane of his horse, and hanging upon one side of the anirofl.1, ran the gauntlet in entire safety. From Monterey he was sent, with the fourth infantry, to aid Gen. Scott, at the siege of Vera Cruz. In preparation for the march to the city of Mexico, he was appointed quartermaster of his regiment. At the battle of Molino del Rey, he was promoted to a first lieutenancy, and was brevetted captain at Cha- pultepec. At the close of the Mexican War, Capt. Grant re- turned with his regiment to New York, and was again sent to one of the military posts on the frontier. The discovery of gold in California causing an immense tide of emigration to flow to the Pacific shores, Capt. Grant was sent with a battalion to Fort Dallas, in Oregon, for the protection of the interests of the im- migrants. Life was wearisome in those wilds. Capt. Grant resigned his commission and returned to the States ; and having married, entered upon the cultiva- tion of a small farm near St. Louis, Mo. He had but little skill as a farmer. Finding his toil not re- munerative, he turned to mercantile life, entering into the leather business, with a younger brother, at Ga- lena, 111. This was in the year 1860. As the tidings of the rebels firing on Fort Sumpter reached the ears of Capt. Grant in his counting-room, he said, "Uncle Sam has educated me for the army; though I have served him through one war, I do not feel that I have yet repaid the debt. I am still ready to discharge my obligations. I shall therefore buckle on my sword and see Uncle Sam through this war too." He went into the streets, raised a company of vol- unteers, and led them as their captain to Springfield, the capital of the State, where their services were offered to Gov. Yates. The Governor, impressed by the zeal and straightforward executive ability of Capt. Grant, gave him a desk in his office, to assist in the volunteer organization that was being formed in the State in behalf of the Government. On the 1 5th of I 88 ULYSSES S. GRANT. June, 1861, Capt. Grant received a commission as Colonel of the Twenty-first Regiment of Illinois Vol- unteers. His merits as a West Point graduate, who had served for 15 years in the regular army, were such that he was soon promoted to the rank of Brigadier- General and was placed in command at Cairo. The rebels raised their banner at Paducah, near the mouth of the Tennessee River. Scarcely had its folds ap- peared in the breeze ere Gen. Grant was there. The rebels fled. Their banner fell, and the star and stripes were unfurled in its stead. He entered the service with great determination and immediately began active duty. This was the be- ginning, and until the surrender of Lee at Richmond he was ever pushing the enemy with great vigor and effectiveness. At Belmont, a few days later, he sur- prised and routed the rebels, then at Fort Henry won another victory. Then came the brilliant fight at Fort Donelson. The nation was electrified by the victory, and the brave leader of the boys in blue was immediately made a Major-General, and the military Jistrict of Tennessee was assigned to him. Like all great captains, Gen. Grant knew well how to secure the results of victory. He immediately pushed on to the enemies' lines. Then came the terrible battles of Pittsburg Landing, Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg, where Gen. Pemberton made an unconditional surrender of the city with over thirty thousand men and one-hundred and seventy-two can- non. The fall of Vicksburg was by far the most severe blow which the rebels had thus far encountered, and opened up the Mississippi from Cairo to the Gulf. Gen. Grant was next ordered to co-operate with Gen. Banks in a movement upon Texas, and pro- ceeded to New Orleans, where he was thrown from his horse, and received severe injuries, from which he was laid up for months. He then rushed to the aid of Gens. Rosecrans and Thomas at Chattanooga, and by a wonderful series of strategic and technical meas- ures put the Union Army in fighting condition. Then followed the bloody battles at Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge, in which the rebels were routed with great loss. This won for him un- bounded praise in the North. On the 4th of Febru- ary, 1864, Congress revived the grade of lieutenant- general, and the rank was conferred'on Gen. Grant. He repaired to Washington to receive his credentials and enter upon the duties of his new office, Gen. Grant decided as soon as he took charge of the army to concentrate the widely-dispersed National troops for an attack upon Richmond, the nominal capital of the Rebellion, and endeavor there to de- stroy the rebel armies which would be promptly as- sembled from all quarters for its defence. The whole continent seemed to tremble under the tramp of these majestic armies, rushing to the decisive battle field. Steamers were crowded with troops. Railway trains were burdened with closely packed thousands. His plans were comprehensive and involved a series of campaigns, which were executed with remarkable en- ergy and ability, and were consummated at the sur- render of Lee, April 9, 1865. The war was ended. The Union was saved. The almost unanimous voice of the Nation declared Gen. Grant to be the most prominent instrument in its sal- vation. The eminent services he had thus rendered the country brought him conspicuously forward as the Republican candidate for the Presidential chair. At the Republican Convention held at Chicago, May 21, 1868, he was unanimously nominated for the Presidency, and at the autumn election received a majority of the popular vote, and 214 out of 294 electoral votes. The National Convention of the Republican party which met at Philadelphia on the 5th of June, 1872, placed Gen. Grant in nomination for a second term by a unanimous vote. The selection was emphati- cally indorsed by the. people five months later, 292 electoral votes being cast for him. Soon after the close of his second tenn, Gen. Grant started upon his famous trip around the world. He visited almost every country of the civilized world, and was everywhere received with such ovations and demonstrations of respect and honor, private as well as public and official, as were never before bestowed upon any citizen of the United States. He was the most prominent candidate before the Republican National Convention in 1880 for a re- nomination for President. He went to New York and embarked in the brokerage business under the firm nameof Grant & Ward. The latter proved a villain, wrecked Grant's fortune, and for larceny was sent to the penitentiary. The General was attacked with cancer in the throat, but suffered in his stoic-like manner, never complaining. He was re-instated as General of the Army and retired by Congress. The cancer soon finished its deadly work, and July 23, 1885, the nation went in mourning over the death of , the illustrious General. T NINETEENTH PRESIDENT. 9' UTHERFORD B. HAYES, the nineteenth President of the United States, was born in Delaware, O., Oct. 4, 1822, al- most three months after the death of his father, Rutherford Hayes. His ancestry on both the paternal and maternal sides, was of the most honorable char- acter. It can be traced, it is said, as far back as 1280, when Hayes and Rutherford were two Scottish chief- tains, fighting side by side with Baliol, William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Both families belonged to the nobility, owned extensive estates, and had a large following. Misfor- tune overtaking the family, George Hayes left Scot- land in 1680, and settled in Windsor, Conn. His son George was born in Windsor, and remained there during his life. Daniel Hayes, son of the latter, mar- ried Sarah Lee, and lived from the time of his mar- riage until his death in Simsbury, Conn. Ezekiel, son of Daniel, was born in 1724, and was a manufac- turer of scythes at Bradford, Conn. Rutherford Hayes, son of Ezekiel and grandfather of President Hayes, was born inNewHaven, in August, 1756. He was a farmer, blacksmith and tavern-keeper. He emigrated to Vermont at an unknown date, settling in Brattleboro, where he established a hotel. Here his son Ruth- erford Hayes the father of President Hayes, was born. He was married, in September, 1813, to Sophia Birchard, of Wilmington, Vt., whose ancestors emi- grated thither from Connecticut, they having been among the wealthiest and best famlies of Norwich. Her ancestry on the male side are traced back to 1635, to John Birchard, one of the principal founders of Norwich. Both of her grandfathers were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. The father of President Hayes was an industrious, frugal and opened-hearted man. He was of a me- chanical turn, and could mend a plow, knit a stock- ing, or do almost anything else that he choose to undertake. He was a member of the Church, active in all the benevolent enterprises of the town, and con- ducted his business on Christian principles. After the close of the war of 1812, for reasons inexplicable to his neighbors, he resolved to emigrate to Ohio. The journey from Vermont to Ohio in that day, when there were no canals, steamers, nor railways, was a very serious affair. A tour of inspection was first made, occupying four months. Mr. Hayes deter- mined to move to Delaware, where the family arrived in 1817. He died July 22, 1822, a victim of malarial fever, less than three months before the birth of the son,of whom we now write. Mrs. Hayes, in her sore be- reavement, found the support she so much needed in her brother Sardis, who had been a member of the household from the day of its departure from Ver- mont, and in an orphan girl whom .she had adopted some time before as an act of charity. Mrs. Hayes at this period was very weak, and the f 92 RUTHERFORD B. HAYES. ' subject of this sketch was so feeble at birth that he was not expected to live beyond a month or two at most. As the months went by he grew weaker and weaker, so that the neighbors were in the habit of in- quiring from time to time " if Mrs. Hayes' baby died last night." On one occasion a neighbor, who was on familiar terms with the family, after alluding to the boy's big head, and the mother's assiduous care of him, said in a bantering way, " That's right ! Stick to him. You have got him along so far, and I shouldn't wonder if he would really come to something yet." " You need not laugh," said Mrs. Hayes. " You wait and se. You can't tell but I shall make him President of the United States yet." The boy lived, in spite of the universal predictions of his speedy death; and when, in 1825, his older brother was drowned, he became, if possible, still dearer to his mother. The boy was seven years old before he went to school. His education, however, was not neglected. He probably learned as much from his mother and sister as he would have done at school. His sports were almost wholly within doors, his playmates being his sister and her associates. These circumstances tended, no doubt, to foster that gentleness of dispo- sition, and that delicate consideration for the feelings of others, which are marked traits of his character. His uncle Sardis Birchard took the deepest interest in his education ; and as the boy's health had im- proved, and he was making good progress in his studies, he proposed to send him to college. His pre- paration commenced with a tutor at home; but he was afterwards sent for one year to a professor in the Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn. He en- tered Kenyon College in 1838,3! the age of sixteen, and was graduated at the head of his class in 1842. Immediately after his graduation he began the study of law in the office of Thomas Sparrow, Esq., in Columbus. Finding his opportunities for study in Columbus somewhat limited, he determined to enter the Law School at Cambridge, Mass., where he re- mained two years. In 1 845 , after graduating at the Law School, he was admitted to the bar at Marietta, Ohio, and shortly afterward went into practice as an attorney-at-law with Ralph P. Buckland, of Fremont. Here he re- mained three years, acquiring but a limited practice, and apparently unambitious of distinction in his pro- fession. In 1849 he moved to Cincinnati, where his ambi- tion found a new stimulus. For several years, how- ever, his progress was slow. Two events, occurring at this period, had a powerful influence upon his subse- quent life. One of these was his marrage with Miss Lucy Ware Webb, daughter of Dr. James Webb, of Chilicothe; the other was his introduction to the Cin- cinnati Literary Club, a body embracing among its members such men as^hief Justice Salmon P. Chase, Gen. John Pope, Gov. Edward F. Noyes, and many others hardly less distinguished in after life. The marriage was a fortunate one in every respect, as everybody knows. Not one of all the wives of our Presidents was more universally admired, reverenced and beloved than was Mrs. Hayes, and no one did more than she to reflect honor upon American woman- hood. The Literary Cluu brought Mr. Hayes into constant association with young men of high char- acter and noble aims, and lured him to display the qualities so long hidden by his bashfulness and modesty. In 1856 he was nominated to the office of Judge of the Court of Common Pleas; but he declined to ac- cept the nomination. Two years later, the office of city solicitor becoming vacant, the City Council elected him for the unexpired term. In 1861, when the Rebellion broke out, he was at the zenith of his professional life. His rank at the bar was among the the first. But the news of the attack on Fort Sumpter found him eager to take up arms for the defense of his country. His military record was bright and illustrious. In October, 1861, he was made Lieutenant-Colonel, and in August, 1862, promoted Colonel of the 7gth Ohio regiment, but he refused to leave his old comrades and go among strangers. Subsequently, however, he was made Colonel of his old regiment. At the battle of South Mountain he received a wound, and while faint and bleeding displayed courage and fortitude that won admiration from all. Col. Hayes was detached from his regiment, after his recovery, to act as Brigadier-General, and placed in command of the celebrated Kanawha division, and for gallant and meritorious services in the battles of Winchester, Fisher's Hill and Cedar Creek, he was promoted Brigadier-General. He was also brevetted Major-General, "for gallant and distinguished services during the campaigns of 1864, in West Virginia." In the course of his arduous services, four horses were shot from under him, and he was wounded four times. In 1864, Gen. Hayes was elected to Congress, from the Second Ohio District, which had long been Dem- ocratic. He was not present during the campaign, and after his election was importuned to resign his commission in the army ; but he finally declared, " I shall never corne to Washington until I can come by the way of Richmond." He was re-elected in 1866. In 1867, Gen Hayes was elected Govern or of Ohio, over Hon. Allen G. Thurman, a popular Democrat. In 1869 was re-elected over George H. Pendleton. He was elected Governor for the third term in 1875. In 1876 he was the standard bearer of the Repub- lican Party in the Presidential contest, and after a hard long contest was chosen President, and was in augurated Monday, March 5, 1875. He served his full term, not, however, with satisfaction to his party, but his administration was an average on I TWENTIETH PRESIDENT. 95 AMES A. GARKIELD, twen- tieth President of the United States, was born Nov. ig, 1831, in the woods of Orange, Cuyahoga Co., O His par- ents were Abram and Eliza (Ballou) Garfield, both of New England ancestry and from fami- lies well known in the early his- tory of that section of our coun- try, but had moved to the Western Reserve, in Ohio, early in its settle- ment. The house in which James A. was born was not unlike the houses of j poor Ohio farmers of that day. It was about 20 x 30 feet, built of logs, with the spaces be- tween the logs filled with clay. His father was a hard working farmer, and he soon had his fields cleared, an orchard planted, and a log barn built. The household comprised the father and mother and their four children Mehetabel, Thomas, Mary and James. In May, 1823, the father, from a cold con- tracted in helping to put out a forest fire, died. At this time James was about eighteen months old, and Thomas about ten years old. No one, perhaps, can tell how much James was indebted to his brother's toil and self-sacrifice during the twenty years suc- ceeding his father's death, but undoubtedly very much. He now lives in Michigan, and the two sis- ters live in Solon, O., near their birthplace. The early educational advantages young Garfield enjoyed were very limited, yet he made the most of them. He labored at farm work for others, did car- penter work, chopped wood, or did anything that would bring in a few dollars to aid his widowed mother in he' struggles to keep the little family to- gether. Nor was Gen. Garfield ever ashamed of his origin, and he never forgot the friends of his strug- gling childhood, youth and manhood, neither did they ever forget him. When in the highest seats of honor, the humblest fiiend of his boyhood was as kindly greeted as ever. The poorest laborer was sure of the sympathy of one who had known all the bitterness of want and the sweetness of bread earned by the sweat of the brow. He was ever the simple, plain, modest gentleman. The highest ambition of young Garfield until he was about sixteen years old was to be a captain of a vessel on Lake Erie. He was anxious to go aboard a vessel, which his mother strongly opposed. She finally consented to his going to Cleveland, with the understanding, however, that he should try to obtain some other kind of employment. He walked all the way to Cleveland. This was his first visit to the city. After making many applications for work, and trying to get aboard a lake vessel, and not meeting with success, he engaged as a driver for his cousin, Amos Letcher, on the Ohio & Pennsylvania Canal. He re- mained at this work but a short time when he went home, and attended the seminary at Chester for about three years, when he entered Hiram and the Eclectic Institute, teaching a few terms of school in the meantime, and doing other work. This school was started by the Disciples of Christ in 1850, of which church he was then a member. He became janitor and bell-ringer in order to help pay his way. He then became both teacher and pupil. He soon " exhausted Hiram " and needed more ; hence, in the fall of 1854, he entered Williams College, from which he graduated in 1856, taking one of the highest hon- ors of his class. He afterwards returned to Hiram College as its President. As above stated, he early united with the Christian or Diciples Church at Hiram, and was ever after a devoted, zealous mem- ber, often preaching in its pulpit and places where he happened to be. Dr. Noah Porter, President of Yale College, says of him in reference to his religion : JAMES A. GARFIELD. " President Garfield was more than a man of strong moral and religious convictions. His whole history, from boyhood to the last, shows that duty to man and to God, and devotion to Christ and life and faith and spiritual commission were controlling springs of his being, and to a more than usual degree. In my judgment there is no more interesting feature of his character than his loyal allegiance to the body of Christians in which he was trained, and the fervent sympathy which he ever showed in their Christian communion. Not many of the few 'wise and mighty and noble who are called ' show a similar loyalty to the less stately and cultured Christian communions in which they have been reared. Too often it is true that as they step upward in social and political sig- nificance they step upward from one degree to another in some of the many types of fashionable Christianity. President Garfield adhered to the church of his mother, the church in which he was trained, and in which he served as a pillar and an evangelist, and yet with the largest and most unsec- tarian charity for all 'who love our Lord in sincerity.'" Mr. Garfield was united in marriage with Miss Lucretia Rudolph, Nov. 1 1, 1858, who proved herself worthy as the wife of one whom all the world loved and mourned. To them were born seven children, five of whom are still living, four boys and one girl. Mr. Garfield made his first political speeches in 1856, in Hiram and the neighboring villages, and three years later he began to speak at county mass-meet- ings, and became the favorite speaker wherever he was. During this year he was elected to the Ohio Senate. He also began to study law at Cleveland, and in 1861 was admitted to the bar. The great Rebellion broke out in the early part of this year, and Mr. Garfield at once resolved to fight as he had talked, and enlisted to defend the old flag. He re- ceived his commission as Lieut.-Colonel of the Forty- second Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 14, 1861. He was immediately put into active ser- vice, and before he had ever seen a gun fired in action, was placed in command of four regiments of infantry and eight companies of cavalry, charged with the work of driving out of his native State the officer (Humphrey Marshall) reputed to be the ablest of those, not educated to war whom Kentucky had given to the Rebellion. This work was bravely and speed- ily accomplished, although against great odds. Pres- ident Lincoln, on his success commissioned him Brigadier-General, Jan. 10, 1862; and as "he had been the youngest man in the Ohio Senate two years before, so now he was the youngest General in the army." He was with Gen. Buell's army at Shiloh, in its operations around Corinth and its march through Alabama. He was then detailed as a member of the General Court-Martial for the trial of Gen. Fitz-John Porter. He was then ordered to report to Gen. Rose- crans, and was assigned to the "Chief of Staff." The military history of Gen. Garfield closed with his brilliant services at Chickamauga, where he won the stars of the Major-General. Without an effort on his part Gen. Garfield was elected to Congress in the fall of 1862 from the Nineteenth District of Ohio. This section of Ohio had been represented in Congress for sixty years mainly by two men Elisha Whittlesey and Joshua R. Giddings. It was not without a struggle that he resigned his place in the army. At the time he en- tered Congress he was" the youngest member in that body. There he remained by successive re- elections until he was elected President in 1880. Of his labors in Congress Senator Hoar says : " Since the year 1864 you cannot think of a. question which has been debated in Congress, or discussed before a tribunel of the American people, in regard to which you will not find, if you wish instruction, the argu- ment on one side stated, in almost every instance better than by anybody else, in some speech made in the House of Representatives or on the hustings by Mr. Garfield." Upon Jan. 14, 1880, Gen. Garfield was elected to the U. S. Senate, and on the eighth of June, of the same year, was nominated as the candidate of his party for President at the great Chicago Convention. He was elected in the following November, and on March 4, 1881, was inaugurated. Probably no ad- ministration ever opened its existence under brighter auspices than that of President Garfield, and every day it grew in favor with the people, and by the first of July he had completed all the initiatory and pre- liminary work of his administration and was prepar- ing to leave the city to meet his friends at Williams College. While on his way and at the depot, in com- pany with Secretary Elaine, a man stepped behind him, drew a revolver, and fired directly at his back. The President tottered and fell, and as he did so the assassin fired a second shot, the bullet cutting the left coat sleeve of his victim, but inflicting no further injury. It has been very truthfully said that this was " the shot that was heard round the world " Never before in the history of the Nation had anything oc- curred which so nearly froze the blood of the people for the moment, as this awful deed. He was smit- ten on the brightest, gladdest day of all his life, and was at the summit of his power and hope. For eighty days, all during the hot months of July and August, he lingered and suffered. He, however, remained master of himself till the last, and by his magnificent bearing was teaching the country and the world the noblest of human lessons how to live grandly in the very clutch of death. Great in life, he was surpass- ingly great in death. He passed serenely away Sept. 19, 1883, at Elheron, N. J., on the very bank of the ocean, where he had been taken shortly previous. The world wept at his death, as it never had done on the death of any other man who had ever lived upon it. The murderer was duly tried, found guilty and exe- cuted, in one year after he committed the foul deed. TWENTY-FIRST PRESIDENT. HESTER A. ARTHUR, twenty-first PresKLiu of the United States, was born in Franklin Cour ty, Vermont, on the fifthofOdober, 1830, andis the oldest of a family of two sons and five daughters. His father was the Rev. Dr. William Arthur, aBaptistc''.rgyman,who emigrated to tb.s country from the county Antrim, Ireland, in his i8th year, and died in 1875, in Newtonville, neai Albany, after a long and successful ministry. Young Arthur was educated at Union College, S< henectady, where he excelled in all his studies. Af- ter his graduation he taught school in Vermont for two years, and at the expiration of that time came to New York, with $500 in his pocket, and entered the office of ex- Judge E. D. Culver as student. After being admitted to the bar he formed a partnership with his intimate friend and room-mate, Henry D. Gardiner, with the intention of practicing in the West, and for three months they roamed about in the Western States in search of an eligible site, but in the end returned to New York, where they hung out their shingle, and entered upon a success- ful career almost from the start. General Arthur soon afterward marred the daughter .of Lieutenant Herndon, of the United States Navy, who was lost at sea. Congress voted a gold medal to his widow in recognition of the bravery he displayed on that occa- sion. Mrs. Arthur died shortly before Mr. Arthur's nomination to the Vice Presidency, leaving two children. Gen. Arthur obtained considerable legal celebrity in his first great case, the famous Lemmon suit, brought to recover possession of eight slaves who had been declared free by Judge Paine, of the Superior Court of New York City. It was in 1852 that Jon, athan Lemmon, of Virginia, went to New York with his slaves, intending to ship them to Texas, when they were discovered and freed. The Judge decided that they could not be held by the owner under the Fugitive Slave Law. A howl of rage went up from the South, and the Virginia Legislature authorized the Attorney General of that State to assist in an appeal. Wm. M. Evarts and Chester A. Arthur were employed to represent the People, and they won their case, which then went to the Supreme Court of the United States. Charles O'Conor here espoused the cause of the slave-holders, but he too was beaten by Messrs. Evarts and Arthur, and a long step was taken toward the emancipation of the black race. Another great service was rendered by General Arthur in the same cause in 1856. Lizzie Jennings, a respectable colored woman, was put off a Fourth Avenue car with violence after she had paid her fare. General Arthur sued on her behalf, and secured a verdict of $500 damages. The next day the compa- ny issued an order to admit colored persons to ride on their cars, and the other car companies quickly 100 CHESTER A. ARTHUR. followed their example. Before that the Sixth Ave- nue Company ran a few special cars for colored per- sons and the other lines refused to let them ride at all. General Arthur was a delegate to the Convention at Saratoga that founded the Republican party. Previous to the war he was Judge-Advocate of the Second Brigade of the State of New York, and Gov- ernor Morgan, of that State, appointed him Engineer- in-Chief of his staff. In 1861, he was made Inspec- tor General, and soon afterward became Quartermas- ter-General. In each of these offices he rendered great service to the Government during the war. At the end of Governor Morgan's term he resumed the practice of the law, forming a partnership with Mr. Ransom, and then Mr. Phelps, the District Attorney of New York, was added to the firm. The legal prac- tice of this well-known firm was very large and lucra- tive, each of the gentlemen composing it were able lawyers, and possessed a splendid local reputation, if not indeed one of national extent. He always took a leading part in State and city politics. He was appointed Collector of the Port of New York by President Grant, Nov. 21 1872, to suc- ceed Thomas Murphy, and held the office until July, 20, 1878, when he was succeeded by Collector Merritt. Mr. Arthur was nominated on the Presidential ticket, with Gen. James A. Garfield, at the famous National Republican Convention held at Chicago in June, 1880. This was perhaps the greatest political convention that ever assembled on the continent. It was composed of the leading politicians of the Re- publican party, all able men, and each stood firm and fought vigorously and with signal tenacity for their respective candidates that were before the conven- tion for the nomination. Finally Gen. Garfield re- ceived the nomination for President and Gen. Arthur for Vice-President. The campaign which followed was one of the most animated known in the history of our country. Gen. Hancock, the standard-bearer of the Democratic party, was a popular man, and his party made a valiant fight for his election. Finally the election came and the country's choice was Garfield and Arthur. They were inaugurated March 4, 1881, as President and Vice-President. A few months only had passed ere the newly chosen President was the victim of the assassin's bullet. Then came terrible weeks of suffering, those moments of anxious suspense, wher. the hearts of all civilized na- tions were throbbing in unison, longing for the re- covery of the noble, the good President. The remark- able patience that he manifested during those hours and weeks, and even months, of the most terrible suf- fering man has often been called upon to endure, was seemingly more than human. It was certainly God- like. During all this period of deepest anxiety Mr. Arthur's every move was watched, and be it said to his credit that his every action displayed only an earnest desire that the suffering Garfield might recover, to serve the remainder of the term he had so auspi- ciously begun. Not a selfish feeling was manifested in deed or look of this man, even though the most honored position in the world was at any moment likely to fall to him. At last God in his mercy relieved President Gar- field from further suffering, and the world, as never before in its history over the death of any other man, wept at his bier. Then it became the duty of the Vice President to assume the responsibilities of the high office, and he took the oath in New York, Sept. 20, 1881. The position was an embarrassing one to him, made doubly so from the facts that all eyes were on him, anxious to know what he would do, what policy he would pursue, and who he would se- lect as advisers. The duties of the office had been greatly neglected during the President's long illness, and many important measures were to be immediately decided by him ; and still farther to embarrass him he did not fail to realize under what circumstances he became President, and knew the feelings of many on this point. Under these trying circumstances President Arthur took the reins of the Government in his own hands; and, as embarrassing as were the condition of affairs, he happily surprised the nation, acting so wisely that but few criticised his administration. He served the nation well and faithfully, until the close of his administration, March 4, 1885, and was a popular candidate before his party for a second term. His name was ably presented before the con- vention at Chicago, and was received with great favor, and doubtless but for the personal popularity of one of the opposing candidates, he would have been selected as the standard-bearer of his party for another campaign. He retired to private life car- rying with him the best wishes of the American peo- ple, whom he had served in a manner satisfactory to them and with credit to himself. t i TWENTY-SECOND PRESIDENT. 103 i TEPHEN GROVER CLEVE- LAND,thetwenty-second Pres- ident of the United States, was born in 1837, in the obscure town of Caldwell, Essex Co., N. J., and in a little two-and-a- half-story white house which is still standing, characteristically to mark the humble birth-place of one of America's great men in striking con- trast with the Old World, where all men high in office must be high in origin and born in the cradle of wealth. When the subject of this sketch was three years of age, his father, who was a Presbyterian min- ister, with a large family and a small salary, moved, by way of the Hudson River and Erie Canal, to Fayetteville, in search of an increased income and a larger field of work. Fayetteville was then the most straggling of country villages, about five miles from Pompey Hill, where Governor Seymour was born. At the last mentioned place young Grover com- menced going to school in the "good, old-fashioned way," and presumably distinguished himself after the manner of all village boys, in doing the things he ought not to do. Such is the distinguishing trait of all geniuses and independent thinkers. When he arrived at the age of 14 years, he had outgrown the capacity of the village school and expressed a most emphatic desire to be sent to an academy. To this his father decidedly objected. Academies in those days cost money; besides, his father wanted him to become self-supporting by the quickest possible means, and this at that time in Fayetteville seemed to be a position in a country store, where his father and the large family on his hands had considerable influence. Grover was to be paid $50 for his services the first year, and if he proved trustworthy he was to receive $100 the second year. Here the lad com- menced his career as salesman, and in two years he had earned so good a reputation for trustworthiness that his employers desired to retain him for an in- definite length of time. Otherwise he did not ex- hibit as yet any particular " flashes of genius " or eccentricities of talent. He was simply a good boy. But instead of remaining with this firm in Fayette- ville, he went with the family in their removal to Clinton, where he had an opportunity of attending a high school. Here he industriously pursued his studies until the family removed with him to a point on Black River known as the " Holland Patent," a village of 500 or 600 people, 15 miles north of Utica, N. Y. At this place his father died, after preaching but three Sundays. This event broke up the family, and Grover set out for New York City to accept, at a small salary, the position of " under-teacher " in an asylum for the blind. He taught faithfully for two years, and although he obtained a good reputation in this capacity, he concluded that teaching was not his 104 S. GROVER CLEVELAND. calling for life, and, reversing the traditional order, he left the city to seek his fortune, instead of going to a city. He first thought of Cleveland, Ohio, as there was some charm in that name for him; but before proceeding to that place he went to Buffalo to ask the advice of his uncle, Lewis F. Allan, a noted stock-breeder of that place. The latter did not speak enthusiastically. " What is it you want to do, my boy?" he asked. "Well, sir, I want to study law," was the reply. " Good gracious ! " remarked the old gentleman ; " do you, indeed ? What ever put that into your head? How much money have you got?" "Well, sir, to tell the truth, I haven't got any." After a long consultation, his uncle offered him a place temporarily as assistant herd-keeper, at $50 a year, while lie could "look around." One day soon afterward he boldly walked into the office of Rogers, Bowen & Rogers, of Buffalo, and told them what he wanted. A number of young men were already en- gaged in the office, but Graver's persistency won, and he was finally permitted to come as an office boy and have the use of the law library, for the nominal sum of $3 or $4 a week. Out of this he had to pay for his board and washing. The walk to and from his uncle's was a long and rugged one ; and, although the first winter was a memorably severe one, his shoes were out of repair and his overcoat he had none yet he was nevertheless prompt and regular. On the first day of his service here, his senior em- ployer threw down a copy of Blackstone before him with a bang that made the dust fly, saying " That's where they all begin." A titter ran around the little circle of clerks and students, as they thought that was enough to scare young Grover out of his plans ; but in due time he mastered that cumbersome volume. Then, as ever afterward, however, Mr. Cleveland exhibited a talent for executiveness rather than for chasing principles through all their metaphysical possibilities. " Let us quit talking and go and do it," was practically his motto. The first public office to which Mr. Cleveland was elected was that of Sheriff of Erie Co., N. Y., in which Buffalo is situated ; and in such capacity it fell to his duty to inflict capital punishment upon two criminals. In 1881 he was elected Mayor of the City of Buffalo, on the Democratic ticket, with es- pecial reference to the bringing about certain reforms in the administration of the municipal affairs of that city. In this office, as well as that of Sheriff, his performance of duty has generally been considered fair, with possibly a few exceptions which were fer- reted out and magnified during the last Presidential campaign. As a specimen of his plain language in a veto message, we quote from one vetoing an iniqui- tous street-cleaning contract: "This is a time for plain speech, and my objection to your action shall be plainly stated. I regard it as the culmination of a mos bare-faced, impudent and shameless scheme to betray the interests of the people and to worse than squander the people's money." The New York Sun afterward very highly commended Mr. Cleve- land's administration as Mayor of Buffalo, and there- upon recommended him for Governor of the Empire State. To the latter office he was elected in 1882, and his administration of the affairs of State was generally satisfactory. The mistakes he made, if any, were made very public throughout the nation after he was nominated for President of the United States. For this high office he was nominated July ir, 1884, by the National Democratic Convention at Chicago, when other competitors were Thomas F. Bayard, Roswell P. Flower, Thomas A. Hendricks, Benjamin F. Butler, Allen G. Thurman, etc.; and he was elected by the people, by a majority of about a thousand, over the brilliant and long-tried Repub- lican statesman, James G. Elaine. President Cleve- land resigned his office as Governor of New York in January, 1885, in order to prepare for his duties as the Chief Executive of the United States, in which capacity his term commenced at noon on the 4th of March, 1885. For his Cabinet officers he selected the following gentlemen: For Secretary of State, Thomas F. Bayard, of Delaware ; Secretary of the Treasury, Daniel Manning, of New York ; Secretary of War, William C. Endicott, of Massachusetts; Secretary of the Navy, William C. Whitney, of New York ; Secretary of the Interior, L. Q. C. Lamar, of Mississippi; Postmaster-General, William F. Vilas, of Wisconsin ; Attorney-General, A. H. Garland, of Arkansas. The silver question precipitated a controversy be- tween those who were in favor of the continuance of silver coinage and those who were opposed, Mr. Cleveland answering for the latter, even before his inauguration. r t. I N *--* t. f- I (?<9 VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. HADRACH BOND, the first Governor of Illinois after its organization as a State, serving from 1818 to 1822, was born in Frederick County, Maryland, in the year 1773, and was raised a farmer on his father's plantation, receiving only a plain English education. He emigrated to this State in 1794, when it was a part of the "Northwest Territory," continuing in the vocation in which he had been brought up in his native State, in the " New Design," near Eagle Creek, in what is now Monroe County. He served several terms as a member of the General Assembly of Indiana Territory, after it was organized as such, and in 1812-14 he was a Delegate to the Twelfth and Thirteenth Congresses, taking his seat Dec. 3, 1812, and serving until Oct. 3, 1814. These were the times, the reader will recollect, when this Gov- ernment had its last struggle with Great Britain. The year 1812 is also noted in the history of this State as that in which the first Territorial Legislature was held. It convened at Kaskaskia, Nov. 25, and adjourned Dec. 26, following. While serving as Delegate to Congress, Mr. Bond was instrumental in procuring the right of pre-emp- tion on the public domain. On the expiration of his 'term at Washington he was appointed Receiver of Public Moneys at Kaskaskia, then the capital of the Territory. In company with John G. Comyges, Thomas H. Harris, Charles Slade, Michael Jones, Warren Brown, Edward Humphries and Charles W. Hunter, he became a proprietor of the site of the initial city of Cairo, which they hoped, from its favor- able location at the junction of the two great rivers near the center of the Great West, would rapidly develop into a metropolis. To aid the enter- prise, they obtained a special charter from the Legis- lature, incorporating both the City and the Bank of Cairo. In 1818 Mr. Bond was elected the first Governor of the State of Illinois, being inaugurated Oct. 6, that year, which was several weeks before Illinois was actually admitted. The facts are these: In January, 1818, the Territorial Legislature sent a peti- tion to Congress for the admission of Illinois as a State, Nathaniel Pope being then Delegate. The petition was granted, fixing the northern line of the State on the latitude of the southern extremity of Lake Michigan ; but the bill was afterward so amend- ed as to extend this line to its present latitude. In July a convention was called at Kaskaskia to draft a constitution, which, however, was not submitted to the people. By its provisions, supreme judges, pros- ecuting attorneys, county and circuit judges, record- ers and justices of the peace were all to be appointed by the Governor or elected by the Legislature. This constitution was accepted by Congress Dec. 30. At that time Illinois comprised but eleven counties, namely, Randolph, Madison, Gallatin, Johnson, Pope, Jackson, Crawford, Bond, Union, Washington and Franklin, the northern portion of the State be- ing mainly in Madison County. Thus it appears that Mr, Bond was. honored by the naming of a 112 SHADRACH BOND. county before he was elected Governor. The present county of Bond is of small limitations, about 60 to 80 miles south of Springfield. For Lieutenant Governor the people chose Pierre Menard, a prominent and worthy Frenchman, after whom a county in this State is named. In this election there were no opposition candidates, as the popularity of these men had made their promotion to the chief offices of the Slate, even before the constitution was drafted, a foregone con- clusion. The principal points that excited the people in reference to political issues at this period wjre local or "internal improvements," as they were called, State banks, location of the capital, slavery and the personal characteristics of the proposed candidates. Mr. Bond represented ths " Convention party," for introducing slavery into the State, supported by Elias Kent Kane, his Secretary of State, and John Mc- Lean, while Nathaniel Pope and John P. Cook led the anti-slavery element. The people, however, did not become very much excited over this issue until 1820, when the f.ira >us Missouri Compromise was adopted by Congress, limiting slavery to the south of the parallel of 36 30' except in Missouri. While this measure settled the great slavery controversy, so far as the average public sentiment was tempor- arily concerned, until 1854, when it was repealed under the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas, the issue as considered locally in this State was not decided until i8"24, after a most furious campaign. (See sketch of Gov. Coles.) The ticket of 1818 was a compromise one, Bond representing (moderately) the pro-slavery sentiment and Menard the anti-slavery. An awkward element in the State government under Gov. Bond's administration, was the imperfec- tion of the State constitution. The Convention wished to have Elijah C. Berry for the first Auditor of Public Accounts, but, as it was believed that the new Governor would not appoint him to the office, the Convention declared in a schedule that " an auditor of public accounts, an attorney general and such other officers of the State as may be necessary, may be appointed by the General Assembly." The Constitution, as it stood, vested a very large appoint- ing power in the Governor ; but for the purpose of getting one man into office, a total change was made, and the power vested in the Legislature. Of this provision the Legislature took advantage, and de- clared that State's attorneys, canal commissioners, bank directors, etc., were all " officers of the State " and must therefore be appointed by itself independ- ently of the Governor. During Gov. Bond's administration a general law was passed for the incorporation of academies and towns, and one authorizing lotteries. The session of 1822 authorized the Governor to appoint commis- sioners, to act in conjunction with like commissioners appointed by the State of Indiana, to report on the practicability and expediency of improving the navi- gation of the Wabash River; also inland navigation generally. Many improvements were recommended, some of which have been feebly worked at even till the present day, those along the Wabash being of no value. Also, during Gov. Bond's term of office, the capital of the State was removed from Kaskaskia to Vandalia. In 1820 a law was passed by Congress authorizing this State to open a canal through the public lands. The State appointed commissioners lo explore the route and prepare the necessary sur- veys and estimates, preparatory to its execution; but, being unable out of its own resources to defray the expenses of the undertaking, it was abandoned until some time after Congress made the grant of land for the purpose of its construction. On the whole, Gov. Bond's administration was fairly good, not being open to severe criticism from any party. In 1824, two years after the expiration of his term of office, he was brought out as a candi- date for Congress against the formidable John P. Cook, but received only 4,374 votes to 7,460 for the latter. Gov. Bond was no orator, but had made many fast friends by a judicious bestowment of his gubernatorial patronage, and these worked zealously for him in the campaign. In 1827 ex-Gov. Bond was appointed by the Leg- islalure, with Wm. P. McKee and Dr. Gershom Jayne, as Commissioners to locate a site for a peni- tentiary on the Mississippi at or near Alton. Mr. Bond was of a benevolent and convivial dis- position, a man of shrewd observation and clear ap- preciation of events. His person was erect, stand- ing six feet in height, and after middle life became portly, weighing 200 pounds. His features were strongly masculine, complexion dark, hair jet and eyes hazel ; was a favorite with the ladies. He died April 1 1, 1830, in peace and contentment. f. GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. ]>war& Coles. DWARD COLES, second Governor of Illinois, 1823- 6, was born Dec. 15, 1786, in Albemarle Co., Va., on the old family estate called "Enniscorthy," on the Green Mountain. His fath- er, John Coles, was a Colonel in the Revolutionary War. Having been fit- ted for college by private tutors, he was sent to Hampden Sidney, where he remained until the autumn of 1805, when he was removed to William and Mary College, at Williamsburg, Va. This college he left in the summer of 1807, a short time before the final and graduating examination. Among his classmates were Lieut. Gen. Scott, President John Tyler, Wm. S. Archer, United States Senator from Virginia, and Justice Baldwin, of the United States Supreme Court. The President of the latter college, Bishop Madison, was a cousin of President James Madison, and that cir- cumstance was the occasion of Mr. Coles becoming personally acquainted with the President and re- ceiving a position as his private secretary, 1809-15. The family of Coles was a prominent one in Vir- ginia, and their mansion was the seat of the old- fashioned Virginian hospitality. It was visited by such notables as Patrick Henry, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, the Randolphs, Tazewell, Wirt, etc. At the age of 23, young Coles found himself heir to a plant- ation and a considerable number of slaves. Ever since his earlier college days his attention had been drawn to the question of slavery. He read every- thing on the subject that came in his way, and listened to lectures on the rights of man. The more he reflected upon the subject, the more impossible was it for him to reconcile the immortal declaration "that all men are born free and equal " with the practice of slave-holding. He resolved, therefore, to free his slaves the first opportunity, and even remove his residence to a free State. One reason which de- termined him to accept the appointment as private secretary to Mr. Madison was because he believed that through the acquaintances ne could make at Washington he could better determine in what part of the non-slaveholding portion of the Union he would prefer to settle. The relations between Mr. Coles and President Madison, as well as Jefferson and other distinguished men, were of a very friendly character, arising from the similarity of their views on the question of slavery and their sympathy for each other in holding doc- trines so much at variance with the prevailing senti- ment in their own State. In 1857, he resigned his secretaryship and spent a portion of the following autumn in exploring the Northwest Territory, for the purpose of finding a lo- cation and purchasing lands on which to settle his negroes. He traveled with a horse and buggy, with an extra man and horse for emergencies, through many parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, determining finally to settle in Illinois. At this time, however, a misunderstanding arose between our Government and Russia, and Mr. Coles was selected to repair to St. Petersburg on a special mission, bear- ing important papers concerning the matter at issue. The result was a conviction of the Emperor (Alex- r EDWARD COLES. su r ander) of the error committed by his minister at Washington, and the consequent withdrawal of the the latter from the post. On his return, Mr. Coles visited oilier parts of Europe, especially Paris, where he was introduced to Gen. Lafayette. In the spring of 1819, he removed with all his negroes from Virginia to Edwardsville, 111., with the intention of giving them their liberty. He did not make known to them his intention until one beautiful morning in April, as they were descending the Ohio River. He lashed all the boats together and called all the negroes on deck and made them a short ad- dress, concluding his remarks by so expressing him- self that by a turn of a sentence lie proclaimed in the shortest and fullest manner that they were no longer slaves, but free as he was and were at liberty to proceed with him or go ashore -at their pleas- ure. A description of the effect upon the negroes is best desciibed in his own language : "The effect upon them was electrical. They stared at me and then at each other, as if doubting the ac- curacy or reality of what they heard. In breathless silence they stood before me, unable to utter a word, but with countenance.; beaming with expression which no words could convey, and which no language can describe. As they began to see the truth of what they had heard, and realize their situation, there came on a kind of hysterical, giggling laugh. After a pause of intense and unutterable emotion, bathed in tears, and with tremulous voices, they gave vent to their gratitude and implored the blessing of God on me." Before landing he gave them a general certificate of freedom, and afterward conformed more particu- larly with the law of this State requiring that each individual should have a certificate. This act of Mr. Coles, all the more noble and heroic considering the overwhelming pro-slavery influences surrounding him, has challenged the admiration of every philan- thropist of modern times. Marcli 5, 1819, President Monroe ap|X>inted Mr. Coles Registrar of the Land Office at Edwardsvil.a, at that time one of the principal land offices in the State. While acting in th's capacity and gaining many friends by his politeness and general intelli- gence, the greatest struggle that ever occurred in Illinois on the slavery ques ion culminated in the furious contest characterizing the campaigns and elections of 1822-4. In the summer of 1823, when a new Governor was to be elected to succeed Mr. Uond, the pro-slavery element divided into factions, pulling forward for the executive office Joseph Phillips, Chief Justice of the State, Thomas C. Browne and Gen. James B. Moore, of the State Mil- ilia. The anti-slavery element united upon Mr. Coles, and, after one of the most bitter campaigns, succeeded in electing him as Governor. His plural- ity over Judge Phillips was only 59 in a total vote of over 8,000. The Lieutenant Governor was elected by the slavery men. Mr. Coles' inauguration speech w.is marked by calmness, deliberation and such a wise expression of appropriate suggestions as to elicit the sanction of all judicious politicians. But he compromised not with evil. In his message to the Legislature, the seat of Government being then at Vandalia, he strongly urged the abrogation of the modified form of slavery whhh then existed in this State, contrary to the Ordinance of 1787. His posi- tion on this subject seems the. more remarkable, when it is considered that he was a minority Governor, the population of Illinois being at that time almost ex- clusively from slave-holding States and by a large majority in favor of the perpetuation of that old relic of barbarism. The Legislature itself was, of course, a reflex of the popular sentiment, and a majority of them were led on by fiery men in denunciations of the conscientious Governor, and in curses loud and deep upon him and all his friends. Some of the public men, indeed, went so far as to head a sort of mob, or " shiveree " party, who visited the residence of the Governor and others at Vaudalia and yelled and groaned and spat fire. The Constitution, not establishing or permitting slavery in this State, was thought therefore to be defective by the slavery politicians, and they desired a State Convention to be elected, to devise and sub- mit a new Constitution ; and the dominant politics of the day was "Convention" and "anti-Conven- tion." Both parties issued addresses to the people, Gov. Coles himself being the author of the address published by the latter party. This address revealed the schemes of the conspirators in a masierly man- ner. It is difficult for us at this distant day to esti- mate the critical and extremely delicate situation in which the Governor was placed at that time. Our hero maintained himself honorably and with supreme dignity throughout his administration, and in his honor a county in this State is named. He was truly a great man, and those who lived in this State during his sojourn here, like those who live at the base of the mountain, were too near to see and recognize the greatness that overshadowed them. Mr. Coles was married Nov. 28, 1833, by Bishop De Lancey, to Miss Sally Logan Roberts, a daughter of Hugh Roberts, a descendant of Welsh ancestry, who cam.: to this country with Win. Penn in 1682. After the expiration of his term of service, Gov. Coles continued his residen'-e in Edwardsville, sup- erintending his farm in the vicinity. He was fond of agriculture, and was the founder of the first agri- cultural society in the State. On account of ill health, however, and having no family to tie him down, he spent much of his time in Eastern cities. About 1832 he changed his residence to Philadel- phia, where he died July 7, 1868, and is buried at Woodland, near that city. t GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. fjf INIAN EDWARDS, Governor from 1827 to 1830, was a son Y- of Benjamin Edwards, and was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, in March, 1775. His domestic train- ing was well fitted to give his mind strength, firmness and honorable principles, and a good foundation was laid for the elevated character to which he afterwards attained. His parents were Bap- tists, and very strict in their moral principles. His education in early youth was in company with and partly under the tuition of Hon. Wm. Wirt, whom his father patronized j and who was more than two years older. An intimacy was thus formed between them which was lasting for life. He was further educated at Dickinson College, at Car lisle, Pa. He next commenced the study of law, but before completing his course he moved to Nelson County, Ky., to open a farm for his father and to purchase homes and locate lands for his brothers and sisters. Here he fell in the company of dissolute companions, and for several years led the life of a spendthrift. He was, however, elected to the Legis- lature of Kentucky as the Representative of Nelson bounty before he was 2 1 years of age, and was re- elected by an almost unanimous vote. In 1798 he was licensed to practice law, and the following year was admitted to the Courts of Tennes- see. About this time he left Nelson County for Russellville, in Logan County, broke away from his dissolute companions, commenced a reformation and devoted himself to severe and laborious study. He then began to rise rapidly in his profession, and soon became an eminent lawyer, and inside of four years he filled in succession the offices of Presiding Judge of the General Court, Circuit Judge, fourth Judge of the Court of Appeals and Chief Justice of the State, all before he was 32 years of age ! In addition, in 1802, he received a commission as Major of a battal- ion of Kentucky militia, and in 1804 was chosen a Presidential Elector, on the Jefferson and Clinton ticket. In 1806 he was a candidate for Congress, but withdrew on being promoted to the Court of Appeals. Illinois was organized as a separate Territory in the spring of r8og, when Mr. Edwards, then Chief Justice of the Court of Appeals in Kentucky, received from President Madison the appointment as Gover- nor of the new Territory, his commission bearing date April 24, r8og. Edwards arrived at Kaskaskia in June, and on the i ith of that month took the oath of office. At the same time he was appointed Superin- tendent of the United States Saline, this Government interest then developing into considerable proportions in Southern Illinois. Although during the first three years of his administration he had the power to make new counties and appoint all the officers, yet he always allowed the people of each county, by an informal 120 NINIAN EDWARDS. vote, to select their own officers, both civil and mili- tary. The noted John J. Crittenden, afterward United States Senator from Kentucky, was appointed by Gev. Edwards to the office of Attorney General of the Territory, which office was accepted for a short time only. The Indians in 1810 committing sundry depreda- tions in the Territory, crossing the Mississippi from the Territory of Louisiana, a long correspondence fol- lowed between the respective Governors concerning the remedies, which ended in a council with the sav- ages at Peoria in 1812, and a fresh interpretation of the treaties. Peoria was depopulated by these de- predations, and was not re-settled for many years afterward. As Gov. Edwards' term of office expired by law in 1812, he was re-appointed for another term of three years, and again in 1815 for a third term, serving until the organization of the State in the fall of 1818 and the inauguration of Gov. Bond. At this time ex-Gov. Edwards was sent to the United States Senate, his colleague being Jesse B. Thomas. As Senator, Mr. Edwards took a conspicuous part, and acquitted himself honorably in all the measures that came up in that body, being well posted, an able de- bater and a conscientious statesman. He thought seriously of resigning this situation in 1821, but was persuaded by his old friend, Wm. Wirt, and others to continue in office, which he did to the end of the term. He was then appointed Minister to Mexico by President Monroe. About this time, it appears that Mr. Edwards saw suspicious signs in the conduct of Wm. H. Crawford, Secretary of the United States Treasury, and an ambitious candidate for the Presi- dency, and being implicated by the latter in some of his statements, he resigned his Mexican mission in order fully to investigate the charges. The result was the exculpation of Mr. Edwards. Pro-slavery regulations, often termed "Black Laws," disgraced the statute books of both the Territory and the State of Illinois during the whole of his career in this commonwealth, and Mr. Edwards always main- tained the doctrines of freedom, and was an important actor in the great struggle which ended in a victory for his parfy in 1824. In 1826-7 the Winnebago and other Indians com- mitted some depredations in the northern part of the State, and the white settlers, who desired the lands and wished to exasperate the savages into an evacu- ation of the country, magnified the misdemeanors of the aborigines and thereby produced a hostility be- tween the races so great as to precipitate a little war, known in history as the " Winnebago War." A few chases and skirmishes were had, when Gen. Atkinson succeeded in capturing Red Bird, the Indian chief, and putting him to death, thus ending the contest, at least until the troubles commenced which ended in the " Black Hawk War " of 1832. In the interpre- tation of treaties and execution of their provisions Gov. Edwards had much vexatious work to do. The Indians kept themselves generally within the juris- diction of Michigan Territory, and its Governor, Lewis Cass, was at a point so remote that ready cor- respondence with him was difficult or impossible. Gov. Edwards' administration, however, in regard to the protection of the Illinois frontier, seems to have been very efficient and satisfactory. For a considerable portion of his time after his re- moval to Illinois, Gov. Edwards resided upon his farm near Kaskaskia, which he had well stocked with horses, cattle and sheep from Kentucky, also with fruit-trees, grape-vines and shrubbery. He estab- lished saw and grist-mills, and engaged extensively in mercantile business, having no less than eight or ten stores in this State and Missouri. Notwithstanding the arduous duties of his office, he nearly always pur- chased the goods himself with which to supply the stores. Although not a regular practitioner of medi- cine, he studied the healing art to a considerable ex- tent, and took great pleasure in prescribing for, and taking care of, the sick, generally without charge. He was also liberal to the poor, several widows and ministers of the gospel becoming indebted to him even for their homes. He married Miss Elvira Lane, of Maryland, in 1803, and they became the affectionate parents of several children, one of whom, especially, is well known to the people of the " Prairie State," namely, Ninian Wirt Edwards, once the Superintendent of Public Instruction and still a resident of Springfield. Gov. Edwards resided at and in the vicinity of Kas- kaskia from 1809 to 1818; in Edwardsville (named after him) from that time to 1824; and from the lat- ter date at Belleville, St. Clair County, until his death, July 20, 1833, of Asiatic cholera. Edwards County is also named in his honor. GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. j:OHN REYNOLDS, Governor 1831- 4, was born in Montgomery Coun- ty, Pennsylvania, Feb. 26, 1788. His father, Robert Reynolds and his mother, nee Margaret Moore, were both natives of Ireland, from which country they emigrated to the United States in 1785, land- ing at Philadelphia, The senior Reynolds entertained an undying hostility to the British Govern- ment. When the subject of this sketch was about six months old, his parents emigrated with him to Tennessee, where many of their relatives had already located, at the base of the Copper Ridge Mountain, about 14 miles northeast of the present city of Knoxville. There they were ex- posed to Indian depredations, and were much molest- ed by them. In 1794 they moved into the interior of the State. They were poor, and brought up their children to habits of manual industry. In 1 800 the family removed to Kaskaskia, 111., with eight horses and two wagons, encountering many hardships on the way. Here young Reynolds passed the most of his childhood, while his character began Ito develop, the most prominent traits of which were ambition and energy. He also adopted the principle and practice of total abstinence from intoxicating liquors. In 1807 the family made another removal, this time to the " Goshen Settlement," at the foot of the Mississippi bluffs three or four miles southwest of Edwardsville. On arriving at his zoth year, Mr. Reynolds, seeing that he must look about for his own livelihood and not yet having determined what calling to pursue, concluded first to attend college, and he accordingly went to such an institution of learning, near Knox- ville, Tenn., where he had relatives. Imagine his diffidence, when, after passing the first 20 years of his life without ever having seen a carpet, a papered wall or a Windsor chair, and never having lived in a shingle-roofed house, he suddenly ushered himself into the society of the wealthy in the vicinity of Knoxville! He attended college nearly two years, going through the principal Latin authors; but it seems that he, like the rest of the world in modern times, had but very little use for his Latin in after life. He always failed, indeed, to exhibit any good degree of literary discipline. He commenced the study of law in Knoxville, but a pulmonary trouble came on and compelled him to change his mode of life. Accordingly he returned home and re- cuperated, and in 1812 resumed his college and law studies at Knoxville. In the fall of 1812 he was admitted to the Bar at Kaskaskia. About this time he also learned the French language, which he practiced with pleasure in conversation with his family for many years. He regarded this language as being superior to all others for social intercourse. \ 124 JOHN REYNOLDS. From his services in the West, in the war of 181 2, he obtained the sobriquet of the " Old Ranger." He was Orderly Sergeant, then Judge Advocate. Mr. Reynolds o|>ened his first law office in the winter and spring of 1814, in the French village of Cahokia, then the capital of St. Clair County. In the fall of 1818 he was elected an Associate Justice upon the Supreme Bench by the General Assembly. In 1825 he entered more earnestly than ever into the practice of law, and the very next year was elected a member of the Legislature, where he acted independently of all cliques and private inter- ests. In 1828 the Whigs and Democrats were for the first time distinctively organized as such in Illi- nois, and the usual party bitterness grew up and raged on all sides, while Mr. Reynolds preserved a judicial calmness and moderation. The real animus of the campaign was " Jackson " and " anti-Jackson," the former party carrying the State. In August, 1830, Mr. Reynolds was elected Gov- ernor, amid great excitement. Installed in office, he did all within his power to advance the cause of edu- cation, internal improvements, the Illinois & Mich- igan Canal, the harbor at Chicago, settling the coun- try, etc.; also reccmmended the winding up of the State Bank, as its affairs had become dangerously complicated. In his national politics, he was a moderate supporter of General Jackson. But the most celebrated event of his gubernatorial admin- istration was the Black Hawk War, which occurred in 1832. He called out the militia and prosecuted the contest with commendable diligence, appearing in person on the battle-grounds during the most critical periods. He was recognized by the President as Major-General, and authorized by him to make treaties with the Indians. By the assistance of the general Government the war was terminated without much bloodshed, but after many serious fights. This war, as well as everything else, was materially re- tarded by the occurrence of Asiatic cholera in the West. This was its first appearance here, and was the next event in prominence during Gov. Reynolds' term. South Carolina nullification coming up at this time, it was heartily condemned by both President Jackson and Gov. Reynolds, who took precisely the same grounds as the Unionists in the last war. On the termination of his gubernatorial term in 1834, Gov. Reynolds was elected a Member of Con- gress, still considering himself a backwoodsman, as he had scarcely been outside of the State since he became of age, and had spent nearly all his youthful days in the wildest region of the frontier. His first move in Congress was to adopt a resolution that in all elections made by the House for officers the votes should be given viva iwce, each member in his place naming aloud the person for whom he votes. This created considerable heated discussion, but was es- sentially adopted, and remained the controlling prin- ciple for many years. The ex Governor was scarcely absent from his seat a single day, during eii^ht ses- sions of Congress, covering a period of seven years, and he never vacillated in a party vote; but he failed to get the Democratic party to foster his " National Road " scheme. He says, in " My Own Times " (a large autobiography he published), that it was only by rigid economy that he avoided insolvency while in Washington. During his sojourn in that city he was married, to a lady of the place. In 1837, while out of Congress, and in company with a few others, he built the first railroad in the Mississippi Valley, namely, one about six miles long, leading from his coal mine in the Mississippi bluff to the bank of the river opposite St. Louis. Having not the means to purchase a locomotive, they operated it by horse-power. The next spring, however, the com- pany sold out, at great sacrifice. In 1839 the ex-Governor was appointed one of the Canal Commissioners, and authorized to borrow money to prosecute the enterprise. Accord 1 ngly, Jie repaired to Philadelphia and succeeding in obtaining a million dollars, which, however, was only a fourth of what was wanted. The same year he and his wife made at our of Europe. This year, also, Mr. Reynolds had the rather awkward little responsibility of introducing to President Van Buren the noted Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith, as a " Latter-Day Saint!" In 1846 Gov. Reynolds was elected a member of the Legislature from St. Clair County, more particu- larly for the purpose of obtaining a feasible charter for a macadamized road from Belleville to St. Louis, a distance of nearly 14 miles. This was immediately built, and was the first road of the kind in the State. He was again elected tothe Legislature in 1852, when he was chosen Speaker of the House. In 1860, aged and infirm, he attended the National Democratic Convention at Charleston, S. C., as an anti-Douglas Delegate, where he received more attention from the Southern Delegates than any other member. He supported Breckenridge for the Presidency. After the October elections foreshadowed the success of Lincoln, he published an address urging the Demo- crats to rally to the support of Douglas. Immedi- ately preceding and during the late war, his corre- spondence evinced a clear sympathy for the Southern secession, and about the first of March, 1861, he urged upon the Buchanan officials the seizure of the treasure and arms in the custom-house and arsenal at St. Louis. Mr. Reynolds was a rather talkative man, and apt in all the Western phrases and catch- words that ever gained currency, besides many cun- ning and odd ones of his own manufacture. He was married twice, but had no children. He died in Belleville, in May, 1865, just after the close of the war. GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. I2 7 "fro ILLIAM LEE D. EWING, Governor of Illinois Nov. 3 to 17, 1834, was a native of Kentucky, and probably of Scotch ancestry. He had a fine education, was a gentle- man of polished manners and refined sentiment. In 1830 John Rey- nolds was elected Governor of the State, and Zadok Casey Lieutenant Governor, and for the principal events that followed, and the characteristics of the times, see sketch of Gov. Reynolds. The first we see in history concerning Mr. Ewing, in- forms us that he was a Receiver of Public Moneys at Vandalia soon after the organization of this State, and that the public moneys in his hands were deposited in various banks, as they are usually at the present day. In 1823 the State Bank was robbed, by which disaster Mr. Ewing lost a thousand- dollar deposit. The subject of this sketch had a commission as Colonel in the Black Hawk War, and in emergencies he acted also as Major. In the summer of 1832, when it was rumored among the whites that Black Hawk and his men had encamped somewhere on Rock River, Gen. Henry was sent on a tour of reconnoisance, and with orders to drive the Indians from the State. After some opposition from his subordinate officers, Henry resolved to proceed up Rock River in search of the enemy. On the igth of July, early in the morning, five baggage wagons. camp equipage and all heavy and cumbersome arti- cles were piled up and left, so that the army might make speedy and forced marches. For some miles the travel was exceedingly bad, crossing swamps and the worst thickets; but the large, fresh trail gave life and animation to the Americans. Gen. Dodge and Col. Ewing were both acting as Majors, and composed the " spy corps " or vanguard of the army. It is supposed the army marched nearly 50 miles this day, and the Indian trail they followed became fresher, and was strewed with much property and trinkets of the red-skins that they had lost or thrown away to hasten their march. During the following night there was a terrific thunder-storm, and the soldiery, with all their appurtenances, were thor- oughly drenched. On approaching nearer the Indians the next day. Gen. Dodge and Major Ewing, each commanding a battalion of men, were placed in front to bring on the battle, but the savages were not overtaken this day Forced marches were continued until they reached. Wisconsin River,_ where a veritable battle ensued, resulting in the death of about 68 of Black Hawk's men. The next day they continued the chase, and as soon as he discovered the trail of the Indians leading toward the Mississippi, Maj. Ewing formed his battalion in order of battle and awaited the order of Gen. Henry. The latter soon appeared on the ground and ordered a charge, which directly resulted in chasing the red warriors across the great river. Maj. Ewing and his command proved particularly efficient in war, as it seems they were the chief actors in driving the main body of the Sacs and Foxes, in- -h I 128 WILLIAM L. D. EWING. eluding Black Hawk himself, across the Mississippi, while Gen. Atkinson, commander-in-chief of the ex- pedition, with a body of the army, was hunting for them in another direction. In the above affair Maj. Ewing is often referred to as a " General," which title he had derived from his connection with the militia. It was in the latter part of the same year (1832) that Lieutenant Governor Casey was elected to Con- gress and Gen. Ewing, who had been elected -to the Senate, was chosen to preside over that body. At the August election of 1834, Gov. Reynolds was also elected to Congress, more than a year ahead of the time at which he could actually take his seat, as was then the law. His predecessor, Charles Slade, had just died of Asiatic cholera, soon after the elec- tion, and Gov. Reynolds was chosen to serve out his unexpired term. Accordingly he set out for Wash- ington in November of that year to take his seat in Congress, and Gen. Ewing, by virtue of his office as President of the Senate, became Governor of the State of Illinois, his term covering only a period of 15 days, namely, from the 3d to the lyth days, in- clusive, of November. On the ryth the Legislature met, and Gov. Ewing transmitted to that body his message, giving a statement of the condition of the affairs of the State at that time, and urging a contin- uance of the policy adopted by his predecessor ; and on the same day Governor elect Joseph Duncan was sworn into office, thus relieving Mr. Ewing from the responsible situation. This is the only time that such a juncture has happened in the history of Illi- nois. On the 29111 of December, 1835, Gen. Ewing was elected a United States Senator to serve out the unexpired term of Elias Ken: Kane, deceased. The latter gentleman was a very prominent figure in the early politics of Illinois, and a county in this State is named in his honor. The election of Gen. Ewing to the Senate was a protracted struggle. His competi- tors were James Semple, who afterwards held several important offices in this State, and Richard M. Young, afterward a United States Senator and a Supreme Judge and a man of vast influence. On the first ballot Mr. Semple had 25 votes, Young 19 and Ewing 18. On the eighth ballot Young was dropped ; the ninth and tenth stood a tie ; but on the 1 2th Ewing received 40, to Semple 37, and was accordingly declared elected. In 1837 Mr. Ewing received some votes for a continuance of his term in Congress, when Mr. Young, just referred to, was elected. In 1842 Mr. Ewing was elected State Audit?r on the ticket with Gov. Ford. Gen. Ewing was a gentleman of culture, a lawyer by profession, and was much in public life. In person he was above medium height and of heavy build, with auburn hair, blue eyes, large-sized head and short face. He was genial, social, friendly and affable, with fair talent, though of no high degree of originality. He died March 25, 1846. -I I GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. OSEPH DUNCAN, Governor 1834-8, was born at Paris, Ky., Feb. 23, 1794. At the tender age of 19 years he en- listed in the war against Great Britain, and as a soldier he acquitted himself with credit. He was an Ensign under the daunt- less Croghan at Lower Sandusky, or Fort Stephenson. In Illinois he first appeared in a public capa- city as Major-General of the Militia, a position which his military fame had procured him. Subsequently he became a State Senator from Jackson County, and is honorably mentioned for introducing the first bill providing for a free-school system. In r826, when the redoubt- able John P. Cook, who had previously beaten such men as John McLean, Elias Kent Kane and ex- Gov. Bond, came up for the fourth time for Congress, Mr. Duncan was brought forward against him by his friends, greatly to the surprise of all the politicians. As yet he was but little known in the State. He was an original Jackson man at that time, being attached to his political fortune in admiration of the glory of his militaiy achievements. His chances of success against Cook were generally regarded as hopeless, but he entered upon the campaign undaunted. His speeches, though short and devoid of ornament, were full of good sense. He made a diligent canvass of the State, Mr. Cook being hindered by the condition of his health. The most that was expected of Mr. Duncan, under the circumstances, was that he would obtain a respectable vote, but without defeating Mr. Cook. The result of the campaign, however, was a source of surprise and amazement to both friends and foes, as Mr. Duncan came out 641 votes ahead! He received 6,321 votes, and Mr. Cook 5,680. Un- til this denouement, the violence of party feeling smoldering in the breasts of the people on account of the defeat of Jackson, was not duly appreciated. Aside from the great convention struggle of 1824, no other than mere local and penonal considerations had ever before controlled an election in Illinois. From the above date Mr. Duncan retained his seat in Congress until his election as Governor in August, 1834. The first and bloodless year of the Black Hawk War he was appointed by Gov. Rey- nolds to the position of Brigadier-General of the volunteers, and he conducted his brigade to Rock Island. But he was absent from the State, in Wash- ington, during the gubernatorial campaign, and did not personally participate in it, but addressed circu- lars to his constituents. His election was, indeed, attributed to the circumstance of his absence, be- cause his estrangement from Jackson, formerly his political idol, and also from the Democracy, largely in ascendency in the State, was complete ; but while his defection was well known to his Whig friends, and even to the leading Jackson men of this State, the latter were unable to carry conviction of that fact to the masses, as mail and newspaper facilities at that day were far inferior to those of the present time. Of course the Governor was much abused afterward by the fossilized Jackson men who re- garded party ties and affiliations as above all other issues that could arise; but he was doubtless \ 132 JOSEPH DUNCAN. sincere in his opposition to the old hero, as the latter had vetoed several important western measures which were dear to Mr. Duncan. In his inaugural message he threw off the mask and took a bold stand against the course of the President. The measures he recommended in his message, however, were so desirable that the Legislature, although by a large majority consisting of Jackson men, could not refrain from endorsing them. These measures related mainly to banks and internal improvements. It was while Mr. Duncan was Governor that the people of Illinois w.ent whirling on with bank and in- ternal improvement schemes that well nigh bank- rupted the State. The hard times of 1837 came on, and the disasters that attended the inauguration of these plans and the operation of the banks were mu- tually charged upon the two political parties. Had any one man autocratic power to introduce and carry on any one of these measures, he would proba- bly have succeeded to the satisfaction of the public ; but as many jealous men had hold of the same plow handle, no success followed and each blamed the other for the failure. In this great vortex Gov. Duncan was carried along, suffering the like derogation of character with his fellow citizens. At the height of the excitement the Legislature " provided for " railroads from Galena to Cairo, Alton to Shawneetown, Alton to Mount Carmel, Alton to the eastern boundary of the State in the direction of Terre Haute, Quincy via Springfield to the Wabash, Bloomington to Pekin, and Peoria to Warsaw, in all about 1,300 miles of road. It also provided for the improvement of the navigation of the Kaskaskia, Illinois, Great and Little Wabash and Rock Rivers ; also as a placebo, $200,000 in money were to be dis- tributed to the various counties wherein no improve- ments were ordered to be made as above. The estimate for the expenses for all these projects was placed at a little over $10,000,000, which was not more than half enough ! That would now be equal to saddling upon the State a debt of $225,000,000 ! It was sufficient to bankrupt the State several times over, even counting all the possible benefits. One of the most exciting events that ever occurred in this fair State was the murder of Elijah P. Love- joy in the fall of 1837, at Alton, during Mr. Duncan's term as Governor. Lovejoy was an " Abolitionist," editing the Observer at that place, and the pro- slavery slums there formed themselves into a mob, and after destroying successively three presses be- longing to Mr. Lovejoy, surrounded the warehouse where the fourth press was stored away, endeavoring to destroy it, and where Lovejoy and his friends were entrenching themselves, and shot and killed the brave reformer! About this time, also, the question of removing the State capital again came up, as the 20 years' limit for its existence at Vandalia was drawing to a close. There was, of course, considerable excitement over the matter, the two main points competing for it be- ing Springfield and Peoria. The jealousy of the lat- ter place is not even yet, 45 years afterward, fully allayed. Gov. Duncan's term expired in 1838. In 1842 he was again proposed as a candidate for the Execu- tive chair, this time by the Whig party, against Adam W. Snyder, of St. Clair County, the nominee of the Democrats. Charles W. Hunter was a third candi- date for the same position. Mr. Snyder, however, died before the campaign had advanced very far, and his party substituted Thomas Ford, who was elected, receiving 46,901 votes, to 38,584 for Duncan, and 909 for Hunter. The cause of Democratic success at this time is mainly attributed to the temporary support of the Mormons which they enjoyed, and the want of any knowledge, on the part of the masses, that Mr. Ford was opposed to any given policy en- tertained in the respective localities. Gov. Duncan was a man of rather limited educa- tion, but with naturally fine abilities he profited greatly by his various public services, and gathered a store of knowledge regarding public affairs which served him a ready purpose. He possessed a clear judgment, decision, confidence in himself and moral courage to carry out his convictions of right. In his deportment he was well adapted to gain the admira- tion of the people. His intercourse with them was both affable and dignified. His portrait at the Gov- ernor's mansion, from which the accompanying was made, represents him as having a swarthy complex- ion, high cheek bones, broad forehead, piercing black eyes and straight black hair. He was a liberal patron of the Illinois College at Jacksonville, a member of its Board of Trustees, and died, after a short illness, Jan. 15, 1844, a devoted member of the Presbyterian Church, leaving a wife but no children. Two children, born to them, had died in infancy. GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. IHOMAS CARLIN, the sixth Governor of the State of Illinois, serving from 1838 to 1842, was also a Ken- tuckian, being born near Frankfort, that State, July 18, 1789, of Irish paternity. The opportunities for an education being very meager in his native place, he, on approaching years of judgment and maturity, applied himself to those branches of learn- ing that seemed most important, and thus became a self-made man ; and his taste for reading and study remained with him through life. In 1803 his father removed to Missouri, then a part of " New Spain," where he died in 1810. In 1812 young Carlin came to Illinois and partici- pated in all the "ranging" service incident to the war of that period, proving himself a soldier of un- daunted bravery. In 1814 he married Rebecca Huitt, and lived for four years on the bank of the Mississippi River, opposite the mouth of the Mis- souri, where he followed fanning, and then removed to Greene County. He located the town site of Car- roxton, in that county, and in 1825 made a liberal donation of land for county building purposes. He was the first Sheriff of that county after its separate organization, and afterward was twice elected, as a Jackson Democrat, to the Illinois Senate. In the Black Hawk War he commanded a spy battalion, a post of considerable danger. In 1834 he was ap- pointed by President Jackson to the position of Receiver of Public Moneys, and to fulfill the office more conveniently he removed to the city of Quincy. While, in rSaS, the unwieldy internal improvement system of the State was in full operation, with all its expensive machinery, amidst bank suspensions throughout the United States, a great stringency in the money market everywhere, and Illinois bonds forced to sale at a heavy discount, and the " hardest times " existing that the people of the Prairie State ever saw, the general election of State officers was approaching. Discreet men who had cherished the hope of a speedy subsidence of the public infatua- tion, met with disappointment. A Governor and Legislature were to be elected, and these were now looked forward to for a repeal of the ruinous State policy. But the grand schema had not yet lost its dazzling influence upon the minds of the people. Time and experience had not yet fully demonstrated its utter absurdity. Hence the question of arresting its career of profligate expenditures did not become a leading one with the dominant party during the campaign, and most of the old members of the Leg- islature were returned at this election. Under these circumstances the Democrats, in State Convention assembled, nominated Mr. Carlin for the office of Governor, and S. H. Anderson for Lieuten- ant Governor, while the Whigs nominated Cyrus Ed- wards, brother of Ninian Edwards, formerly Governor, and W. H. Davidson. Edwards came out strongly for a continuance of the State policy, while Carlin remained non-committal. This was the first time that the two main political parties in this State were unembarrassed by any third party in the field. The result of the els :tion was: Carlin, 35,573; Ander- son, 30,335 ; Edwards, 29,629 ; and Davidson, 28,- ?i.S- Upon the meeting of the subsequent Legislature (1839), the retiring Governor CDuncan") in his mes- THOMAS CARLIN. sage spoke in emphatic terms of the impolicy of the internal improvement system, presaging the evils threatened, and uiged that body to do their utmost to correct the great error ; yet, on the contrary, the Legislature not only decided to continue the policy but also added to its burden by voting more appro- priations and ordering more improvements. Although the money market was still stringent, a further loan of $4,000,000 was ordered for the Illinois & Mich- igan Canal alone. Chicago at that time began to loom up and promise to be an important city, even the great emporium of the West, as it has since in- deed came to be. Ex-Gov. Reynolds, an incompe- tent financier, was commissioned to effect the loan, and accordingly hastened to the East on this respons- ible errand, and negotiated the loans, at considera- ble sacrifice to the State. Besides this embarrassment to Carlin's administration, the Legislature also de- clared that he had no authority to appoint a Secretary of State until a vacancy existed, and A. P. Field, a Whig, who had already held the post by appointment through three administrations, was determined to keep the place a while longer, in spite of Gov. Car- lin's preferences. The course of the Legislature in this regard, however, was finally sustained by the Supreme Court, in a quo warranty case brought up before it by John A. McClernand, whom the Gov- ernor had nominated for the office. Thereupon that dignified body was denounced as a "Whig Court!" endeavoring to establish the principle of life-tenure of office. A new law was adopted re-organizing the Judici- ary, and under it five additional Supreme Judges were elected by the Legislature, namely, Thomas Ford (afterward Governor), Sidney Breese, Walter B. Scales, Samuel H. Treat and Stephen A. Douglas all Democrats. It was during Cov. Carlin's administration that the noisy campaign of " Tippecanoe and Tyler too " oc- curred, resulting in a Whig victory. This, however, did not affect Illinois politics very seriously. Another prominent event in the West during Gov. Carlin's term of office was the excitement caused by the Mormons and their removal from Independence, Mo., to Nauvoo, 111., in 1840. At the same time they began to figure somewhat in State politics. On account of their believing as they thought, accord- ing to the New Testament that they should have " all things common," and that consequently " all the earth " and all that is upon it were the" Lord's " and therefore the property of his " saints," they were suspected, and correctly, too, of committing many of the deeds of larceny, robbery, etc., that were so rife throughout this country in those days. Hence a feeling of violence grew up between the Mormons and "anti-Mormons." In the State of Missouri the Mormons always supported the Dem- ocracy until they were driven out by the Democratic government, when they turned their support to the Whigs. They were becoming numerous, and in the Legislature of 1840-1, therefore, it became a matter of great interest with both parties to conciliate these people. Through the agency of one John C. Ben- nett, a scamp, the Mormons succeeded in rushing through the Legislature (both parties not daring to oppose) a charter for the city of Nauvoo which vir- tually erected a hierarchy co-ordinate with the Fed- eral Government itself. In the fall of 1841 the Governor of Missouri made a demand upon Gov. Carlin for the body of Joe Smith, the Mormon leader, as a fugitive from justice. Gov.> Carlin issued the writ, but for some reason it was returned unserved. It was again issued in 1842, and Smith was arrested, but was either rescued by his followers or discharged by the municipal court on a writ of habeas corpus. In December, 1841, the Democratic Convention nominated Adam W. Snyder, of Belleville, for Gov- ernor. As he had been, as a member of the Legisla- ture, rather friendly to the Mormons, the latter naturally turned their support to the Democratic party. The next spring the Whigs nominated Ex- Gov. Duncan for the same office. In the meantime the Mormons began to grow more odious to the masses of the people, and the comparative prospects of the respective parties for success became very problematical. Mr. Snyder died in May, and Thomas Ford, a Supreme Judge, was substituted as a candidate, and was elected. At the close of his gubernatorial term, Mr. Carlin removed back to his old home at Carrollton, where he spent the remainder of his life, as before his ele- vation to office, in agricultural pursuits. In 1849 he served out the unexpired term of J. D. Fry in the Illinois House of Representatives, and died Feb. 4, 1852, at his residence at Carrollton, leaving a wife and seven children. t. GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 139 a $^t.4l&&4^W.tA*.-*-.^ HOMAS FOR13, Governor from 1842 to 1846, and au- thor of a very interesting history of Illinois, was born at Uniontown, Pa., in the year 1 800. His mother, after the death of her first hus- band (Mr. Forquer), married Rob- ert Ford, who was killed in 1802, by the Indians in the mountains of Pennsylvania. She was conse- quently left in indigent circum- stances, with a large family, mostly girls. With a view to better her condition, she, in 1804, removed to Missouri, where it had been cus- tomary by the Spanish Govern- ment to give land to actual settlers; but upon her arrival at St. Louis she found the country ceded to the United States, and the liberal policy toward set- tlers changed by the new ownership. After some sickness to herself and family, she finally removed to Illinois, and settled some three miles south of Water- loo, but the following year moved nearer the Missis- sippi bluffs. Here young Ford received his first schooling, under the instructions of a Mr. Humphrey, for which he had to walk three miles. His mother, though lacking a thorough education, was a woman of superior mental endowments, joined to energy and determination of character. She inculcated in her children those high-toned principles which dis- tinguished her sons in public life. She exercised a rigid economy to provide her children an education ; but George Forquer, her oldest son (six years older than Thomas Ford), at an early age had to quit school to aid by his labor in the support of the family. He afterward became an eminent man in Illinois affairs, and but for his early death would probably have been elected to the United States Senate. Young Ford, with somewhat better opportunities, received a better education, though limited to the curriculum of the common school of those pioneer times. His mind gave early promise of superior en- dowments, with an inclination for mathematics. His proficiency attracted the attention of Hon. Daniel P. Cook, who became his efficient patron and friend. The latter gentleman was an eminent Illinois states- man who, as a Member of Congress, obtained a grant of 300,000 acres of land to aid in completing the Illinois & Michigan Canal, and after whom the county of Cook was named. Through the advice of ft I4 THOMAS FORD. I this gentleman, Mr. Ford turned his attention to the study of law; but Forquer, then merchandising, re- garding his education defective, sent him to Transyl- vania University, where, however, he remained but one term, o-ving to Forquer's failure in business. On his return he alternated his law reading with teach- ing school for support. In 1829 Gov. Edwards appointed him Prosecuting Attorney, and in 1831 he was re-appointed by Gov. Reynolds, and after that he was four times elected a Judge by the Legislature, without opposition, twice a Circuit Judge, once a Judge of Chicago, and as As- sociate Judge of the Supreme Court, when, in 1841, the latter tribunal was re-organized by the addition of five Judges, all Democrats. Ford was assigned to the Ninth Judicial Circuit, and while in this capacity he was holding Court in Ogle County he received a notice of his nomination by the Democratic Conven- tion for the office of Governor. He immediately re- signed his place and entered upon the canvass. In August, 1842, he was elected, and on the 8th of De- cember following he was inaugurated. All the offices which he had held were unsolicited by him. He received them uprm the true Jefferson- ian principle, Never to ask .uid never to refuse office. Both as a lawyer and as a Judge he stood deservedly high, but his cast of intellect fitted him rather for a writer upon law than a practicing advo- cate in the courts. In the latter capacity he was void of the moving power of eloquence, so necessary to success with juries. As a Judge his opinions were "ound, lucid and able expositions of the law. In practice, he was a stranger to the tact, skill and in- sinuating address of the politician, but he saw through the arts of demagogues as well as any man. He was plain in his demeanor, so much so, indeed, that at one time after the expiration of his term of office, during a session of the Legislature, he was taken by a stranger to be a seeker for the position of door- keeper, and was waited upon at his hotel near mid- night by a knot of small office-seekers with the view of effecting a " combination ! " Mr. Ford had not the "brass" of the ordinary llitician, nor that impetuosity which characterizes a political leader. He cared little for money, and hardly enough for a decent support. In person he was of small stature, slender, of dark complexion, with black hair, sharp features, deep-set eyes, a pointed, aquiline nose having a. decided twist to one side, and a small mouth. The three most important events in Gov. Ford's administration were the establishment of the high linancial credit of the State, the " Mormon War "and the Mexican War. In the first of these the Governor proved himself to be eminently wise. .On coming into office he found the State badly paralyzed by the ruinous effects of the notorious "internal improvement" schemes of the preceding decade, with scarcely anything to show by way of "improvement." The enterprise that seemed to be getting ahead more than all the rest was the Illinois & Michigan Canal. As this promised to be the most important thoroughfare, feasible to the people, it was well under headway in its construction. Therefore the State policy wa> almost concentrated upon it, in order to rush it on to completion. The bonded indebtedness of the State was growing so large as to frighten the people, and they were about ready to entertain a proposition for repudiation. But the Governor had the foresight to recommend such measures as would maintain the public credit, for which every citizen to-day feels thankful. But perhaps the Governor is remembered more for his connection with the Mormon troubles than for anything else; for it was daring his term of office that the " Latter-Day Saints " became so strong at Nauvoo, built their temple there, increased their num- bers throughout the country, committed misdemean- ors, taught dangerous doctrines, suffered the loss of their leader, Jo Smith, by a violent death, were driven out of Nauvoo to the far West, etc. Having been a Judge for so many years previously, Mr. Ford of course was no.i-committal concerning Mormon affairs, and was therefore claimed by both parties and also accused by each of sympathizing too greatly with the other side. Mormonism claiming to be a system of religion, the Governor no doubt was "between two fires," and felt compelled to touch the matter rather " gingerly," and doubtless felt greatly relieved when that pestilential people left the State. Such compli- cated matters, especially when religion is mixed up with them, expose every person participating in them to criticism from all parties. The Mexican War was begun in the spring of 1845, and was continued into the gubernatorial term of Mr. Ford's successor. The Governor's connection with this war, however, was not conspicuous, as it was only administrative, commissioning officers, etc. Ford's " History of Illinois " is a very readable and entertaining work, of 450 small octavo pages, and is destined to increase in value with the lapse of time. It exhibits a natural flow of compact and forcible thought, never failing to convey the nicest sense. In tracing with his trenchant pen the devious operations of the professional politician, in which he is inimit- able, his account is open, perhaps, to the objection that all his contemporaries are treated as mere place- seekers, while many of them have since been judged by the people to be worthy statesmen. His writings seem slightly open to the criticism that they exhibit a little splenetic partiality ngainst those of his con- temporaries who were prominent during his term of office as Governor. Tlie death of Gov. Ford took place at Peoria, 111., Nov. 2, 1850. t. GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. -*-*- 143 Augustus c. French. AUGUSTUS C. FRENCH, Governor of Illinois from 1846 to 1852, was born in the 'town of Hill, in the State of New Hampshire, Aug. 2, 1808. He was a descendant in the fourth generation of Nathaniel French, who emigrated from England in 1687 and settled in Saybury, Mass. In early life young French lost his father, but continued to receive in- struction from an exemplary and Christian mother until he was 19 years old, when she also died, confiding to his care and trust four younger broth- ers and one sister. He discharged his trust with parental devotion. His education in early life was such mainly as a common school afforded. For a brief period he attended Dartmouth College, but from pecuniary causes and the care of his brothers and sister, he did not graduate. He subsequently read law, and was admitted to the Bar in 1831, and shortly afterward removed to Illinois, settling first at Albion, Edwards County, where he established him- self in the practice of law. The following year he removed to Paris, Edgar County. Here he attained eminence in his profession, and entered public life by representing that county in the Legislature. A strong attachment sprang up between him and Ste- phen A. Douglas. In 1839, Mr. French was appointed Receiver of the United States Land Office at Palestine, Craw- ford County, at which place he was a resident when elevated to the gubernatorial chair. In 1844 he was a Presidential ,Elector, and as such he voted for James K. Polk. The Democratic State Convention of 1846, meet- ing at Springfield Feb. 10, nominated Mr. French for Governor. Other Democratic candidates were Lyman Trumbull, John Calhoun (subsequently of Lecompton Constitution notoriety), Walter B. Scales, Richard M. Young and A. W. Cavarly, an array of very able and prominent names. Trumbull was per- haps defeated in the Convention by the rumor that he was opposed to the Illinois and Michigan Canal, as he had been a year previously. For Lieutenant Governor J. B. Wells was chosen, while other candi- dates were Lewis Ross, Wm. McMurtry, Newton Cloud, J. B. Hamilton and W. W. Thompson. The resolutions declared strongly against the resuscita- tion of the old State Banks. The Whigs, who were in a hopeless minority, held their convention June 8, at Peoria, and selected Thomas M. Kilpatrick, of Scott County, for Governor, and Gen. Nathaniel G. Wilcox, of Schuyler, for Lieutenant Governor. In the campaign the latter exposed Mr. French's record and connection with the passage of the in- ternal improvement system, urging it against his election; but in the meantime the war with Mexico broke out, regarding which the Whig record was un- popular in this State. The war was the absorbing and dominating question of the period, sweeping every other political issue in its course. The elec- tion in August gave Mr. French 58,700 votes, and Kilpatrick only 36,775. Richard Eells, Abolitionist candidate for the same office, received 5,152 vot-s, r 144 AUGUSTUS C. FRENCH. By the new Constitution of 1848, a new election for State officers was ordered in Novembei of that year, before Gov. French's term was half out, and he was re-elected for the term of four years. He was there- fore the incu.nbent for six consecutive years, the only Governor of this State who has ever served in that capacity so long at one time. As there was no organized opposition to his election, he received 67,- 453 votes, to 5,639 for Pisrre Menard (son of the first Lieutenant Governor), 4,748 for Charles V. Dyer, 3,834 for W. L. D. Morrison, and 1,361 for James I,. D. Morrison. But Win McMurtry, of Knox County, was elected Lieutenant Governor, in place of Joseph B. Wells, who was before elected and did not run again. Governor French was inaugurated into office dur- ing the progress of the Mexican War, which closed during the summer of 1847, although the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was not made until Feb. 2, 1848. The policy of Gov. French's party was com- mitted to that war, but in connection with that affair he was, of course, only an administrative officer. During his term of office, Feb. 19, 1847, the Legisla- ture, by special per.nissioti of Congress, declared that all Government lands sold to settlers should be im- mediately subject to State taxation; before this they were exempt for five years after sale. By this ar- rangement the revenue was materially" increased. About the same lime, the distribution of Government land warrants among the Mexican soldiers as bounty threw upon the market a great quantity of good lands, and this enhanced the settlement of the State. The same Legislature authorized, with the recom- mendation of the Governor, the sale of the Northern Cross Railroad (from Springfield to Meredosia, the first in the State and now a section of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific) It sold for jjjjroo.ooo in bonds, although it had cost the State not less than a million. The salt wells and canal lands in the Saline reserve in Gallatin County, granted by the general Govern- ment to the State, were also authorized by the Governor to be sold, to apply on the State debt. In 1850, for the first time since 1839, the accruing State revenue, exclusive of specific appropriations, was sufficient ta meet the current demands upon the treasury. The aggregate taxable property of the State at this time was over $100,000,000, and the population 851,470. In 1849 the Legislature adopted the township or- ganization law, which, however, proved defective, and was properly amended in 1851. At its session in the latter year, the General Assembly also passed a law to exempt homesteads from sale on executions This beneficent measure had been repeatedly urged upon that body by Gov. French. In 1850 some business men in St. Louis com- menced to build a dike opposite the lower part of their city on the Illinois side, to keep the Mississippi in its channel near St. Louis, instead of breaking away from them as it sometimes threatened to do. This they undertook without permission from the Legislature or Executive authority of this State ; and as many of the inhabitants there complained that the scheme would inundate and ruin much valuable land, there was a slight conflict of jurisdictions, re- sulting in favor of the St. Louis project; and since then a good site has existed there for a city (East St. Louis), and now a score of railroads center there. It was in September, 1850, that Congress granted to this State nearly 3,000,000 acres of land in aid of the completion of the Illinois Central Railroad, which constituted the most important epoch in the railroad we might say internal improvement his- tory of the State. The road was rushed on to com- pletion, which accelerated the settlement of the in- terior of the State by a good class cf industrious citi- zens, and by the charter a good income to the State Treasury is paid in from the earnings of the road. In 185 i the Legislature passed a law authorizing free stock banks, which was the source of much leg- islative discussion for a number of years. But we have not space further to particularize concerning legislation. Gov. French's administra- tion was not marked by any feature to be criticised, while the country was settling up as never before. In stature, Gov. French was of medium height, squarely built, light complexioned, with ruddy face and pleasant countenance. In manners he was plain and agreeable. By nature he was somewhat diffident, but he was often very outspoken in his con- victions of duty. In public speech he was not an orator, but was chaste, earnest and persuasive. In business he was accurate and methodical, and in his administration he kept up the credit of the State. He died in 1865, at his home in Lebanon, St Clair Co., 111. M7 \ GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. |OEL A. MATTESON, Governor 1853-6, was born Aug. 8, 1808, in Jefferson County, New York, to which place his father had re- moved from Vermont three years before. His father was a farmer in fair circumstances, but a com- mon English education was all that his only son received. Young Joel first tempted fortune as a small tradesman in Prescott, Canada, before he was of age. He returned from that place to his home, entered an academy, taught school, visited the prin- cipal Eastern cities, improved a farm his father had given him, made a tour in the South, worked there in building railroads, experienced a storm on the Gulf of Mexico, visited the gold diggings of Northern Georgia, and returned via Nashville to St. Louis and through Illinois to his father's home, when he mar- ried. In 1833, having sold his farm, he removed, with his wife and one child, to Illinois, and entered a claim on Government land near the head of Au Sable River, in what is now Kendall County. At that time there were not more than two neighbors within a range of ten miles of his place, and only three or four houses between him and Chicago. He opened a large farm. His family -was boardv^ '" miles away while he erected a house on his claim, sleeping, during this time, under a rude pole shed. Here his life was once placed in imminent peril by a huge prairie rattlesnake sharing his bed. In 1835 he bought largely at the Government land sales. During the speculative real-estate mania which broke out in Chicago in 1836 and spread over the State, he sold his lands under the inflation of that period and removed to Joliet. In 1838 he became a heavy contractor on the Illinois & Michigan Canal. Upon the completion of his job in i84r, when hard times prevailed, business at a stand, contracts paid in State scrip; when all the public works except the canal were abandoned, the State offered for sale 700 tons of railroad iron, which was purchased by Mr. Mat- teson at a bargain. This he accepted, shipped and sold at Detroit, realizing a very handsome profit, enough to pay off all his canal debts and leave him a surplus of several thousand dollars. His enterprise next prompted him to start a woolen mill at Joliet, in which he prospered, and which, after successive enlargements, became an enormous establishment. In 1842 he was first elected a State Senator, but, by a bungling apportionment, John Pearson, a Senator holding over, was found to be in the same district, and decided to be entitled to represent it. Mat- teson's seat was declared vacant. Pearson, however, with a nobleness difficult to appreciate in this day of \ 148 JOEL A. MATTESON. greed for office, unwilling lo represent his district under the circumstances, immediately resigned his unexpired term of two years. A bill was passed in a few hours ordering a new election, and in ten days' time Mr. Matteson was returned re-elected and took his seat as Senator. From his well-known capacity as a business man, he was made Chairman of the Committee on Finance, a position he held during this half and t.vo full succeeding Senatorial terms, discharging its important daties with ability and faith- fulness. Besides his extensive woolen-mill interest, when work was resumed on the canal under the new loan of $[,600,000 he again became a heavy con- tractor, and also subsequently operated largely in building railroads. Thus he showed himself a most energetic and thorough business man. He was nominated for Governor by the Demo- cratic State Convention which met at Springfield April 20, 1852. Other candidates before the Con- vention were D. L. Gregg and F. O. Sherman, of Cook ; John Dement, of Lee ; Thomas L. Harris, of Menard; Lewis W. Ross, of Fulton; and D. P. Bush, of Pike. Gustavus Koerner, of St. Clair, was nom- inated for Lieutenant Governor. For the same offices the Whigs nominated Edwin B. Webb and Dexter A. Knowlton. Mr. Matteson received 80,645 votes at the election, while Mr. Webb received 64,408. Mat- teson's forte was not on the stump; he had not cul- tivated the art of oily flattery, or the faculty of being all things to all men. His intellectual qualities took rather the direction of efficient executive ability. His turn consisted not so much in the adroit manage- ment of party, or the powerful advocacy of great gov- ernmental principles, as in those more solid and enduring operations which cause the physical devel- opment and advancement of a State, of commerce and business enterprise, into which he labored with success to lead the people. As a politician he was just and liberal in his views, and both in official and private life he then stood untainted and free from blemish. As a man, in active benevolence, social rirtues and all the amiable qualities of neighbor or citizen, he had few superiors. His messages present a perspicuous array of facts as to the condition of the State, and are often couched in forcible and elegant diction. The greatest excitement during his term of office was the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, by Cpn- gress, under the leadership of Stephen A. Douglas in 1854, when the bill was passed organizing the Terri- tory of Kansas and Nebraska. A large portion of the Whig party of the North, through their bitter op- position to the Democratic party, naturally drifted into the doctrine of anti-slavery, and thus led to what was temporarily called the "Anti-Nebraska" party, while the followers of Douglas were known as " Ne- braska or Douglas Democrats." It was during this embryo stage of the Republican party that Abraham Lincoln was brought forward as the "Anti-Nebraska" candidate for the United States Senatorship, while Gen. James Shields, the incumbent, was re-nom- inated by the Democrats. But after a fewballotings in the Legislature (1855), these men were dropped, and Lyman Trumbull, an Anti-Nebraska Democrat, was brought up by the former, and Mr. Matteson, then Governor, by the latter. On the nth ballot Mr. Trumbull obtained one majority, and was ac- cordingly declared elected. Before Gov. Matteson 's term expired, the Republicans were fully organized as a national party, and in 1856 put into the field a full national and State ticket, carrying the State, but not the nation. The Legislature of 1855 passed two very import- ant measures, the present free-school system and a submission of the Maine liquor law to a vote of the people. The latter was defeated by a small majority of the popular vote. During the four years of Gov. Matteson's admin- istration the taxable wealth of the State was about trebled, from $137,818.079 to $349,95 [,272; the pub- lic debt \v:is reduced from $17,398,985 to $12,843,- 144; taxation was at the same time reduced, and the State resumed paying interest on its debt in New York as fast as it fell due; railroads were increased in their mileage from something lei,s than 400 to about 3,000 ; and the population of Chicago was nearly doubled, and its commerce more than quad- rupled. Before closing this account, we regret that we have to say that Mr. Matteson, in all other respects an upright man and a good Governor, was implicated in a false re-issue of redeemed canal scrip, amount- ing to $224,182.66. By a suit in the Sangamon Cir- cuit Court the State recovered the principal and all the interest excepting $27,500. He died in the winter of 1872-3, at Chicago. GO VRRNORS OF ILLINOIS. *- ILLIAM H. BISSELL, Gov- ernor 1857-60, was born April 25, 1811, in the State of New York, near Painted Post, Yates County. His parents were obscure, honest, God-fearing people, who reared their children under the daily example of industry and frugality, accord- ing to the custom of that class of Eastern society. Mr. Bissell received a respecta- ble but not thorough academical education. By assiduous application he acquired a knowledge of medicine, and in his early manhood came West and located in Mon- roe County, this State, where he engaged in the practice of that profession. But he was not enam- ored of his calling: he was swayed by a broader ambition, to such an extent that the mysteries of the healing art and its arduous duties failed to yield him further any charms. In a few years he discovered his choice of a profession to be a mistake, and when he approached the age of 30 he sought to begin anew. Dr. Bissell, no doubt unexpectedly to him- self, discovered a singular facility and charm of speech, the exercise of which acquired for him a ready local notoriety. It soon came lo be under- stood that he desired to abandon his profession and take up that of the law. During terms of Court he would spend his time at the county seat among the members of the Bar, who extended to him a ready welcome. It was not strange, therefore, that he should drift into public life. In 1840 he was elected as a Dem- ocrat to the Legislature from Monroe County, and was an efficient member of that body. On his re- turn home he qualified himself for admission to the Bar and speedily rose to the front rank as an advo- cate. His powers of oratory were captivating. With a pure diction, charming and inimitable gestures, clearness of statement, and a remarkable vein of sly humor, his efforts before a jury told with irresistible effect. He was chosen by the Legislature Prosecut- ing Attorney for the Circuit in which he lived, and in that position he fully discharged his duty to the State, gained the esteem of the Bar, and seldom failed lo convict the offender of the law. In stature he was somewhat tall and slender, and with a straight, military bearing, he presented a dis- tinguished appearance. His complexion was dark, his head well poised, though not large, his address pleasant and manner winning. He was exemplary in his habits, a devoted husband and kind parent. He was twice married, the first time to Miss James, f WILLIAM H. BISSELL. of Monroe County, by whom he had two children, both daughters. She died soon after the year 1840, and Mr. B. married for his second wife a daughter of Elias K. Kane, previously a United States Senator from this State. She survived him but a short time, and died without issue. When the war with Mexico was declared in 1846, Mr. Bissell enlisted and was elected Colonel of his regiment, over Hon. Don Morrison, by an almost unanimous vote, 807 to 6. Considering the limited opportunities he had had, he evinced a high order of military talent. On the .bloody field of Buena Vista he acquitted himself with intrepid and distinguished ability, contributing with his regiment, the Second Illinois, in no small degree toward saving the waver- ing fortunes of our arms during that long and fiercely contested battle. After his return home, at the close of the war, he was elected to Congress, his opponents being the Hons. P. B. Fouke and Joseph Gillespie. He served two terms in Congress. He was an ardent politician. During the great contest of 1850 he voted in favor of the adjustment measures; but in 1854 he opposed the repeal of the Missouri Compromise act and therefore the Kansas-Nebraska bill of Douglas, and thus became identified with the nascent Republican party. During his first Congressional term, while the Southern members were following their old practice of intimidating the North by bullying language, and claiming most of the credit for victories in the Mexican War, and Jefferson Davis claiming for the Mississippi troops all the credit for success at Buena Vista, Mr. Bissell bravely defended the Northern troops ; whereupon Davis challenged Bissell to a duel, which was accepted. This matter was brought up against Bissell when he was candidate for Governor and during his term of office, as the Constitution of this State forbade any duelist from holding a State office. In 1856, when the Republican party first put forth a candidate, John C. Fremont, for President of the United States, the same party nominated Mr. Bissell for Governor of Illinois, and John Wood, of Quincy, for Lieutenant Governor, while the Democrats nomi- nated Hon. W. A. Richardson, of Adams County, for Governor, and Col. R. J. Hamilton, of Cook r County, for Lieutenant Governor. The result of the election was a plurality of 4,729 votes over Richard- son. The American, or Know-Nothing, party had a ticket in the field. The Legislature was nearly bal- anced, but was politically opposed to the Governor. His message to the Legislature was short and rather ordinary, and was criticised for expressing the sup- posed obligations of the people to the incorporators of the Illinois Central Railroad Company and for re- opening the slavery question by allusions to the Kansas troubles. Late in the session an apportion- ment bill, based upon the State census of 1855, was passed, amid much partisan strife. The Governor at first signed the bill and then vetoed it. A furious debate followed, and the question whether the Gov- ernor had the authority to recall a signature was referred to the Courts, that of last resort deciding in favor of the Governor. Two years afterward another outrageous attempt was made for a re-apportionment and to gerrymander the State, but the Legislature failed to pass the bill over the veto of the Governor. It was during Gov. Bissell 's administration that the notorious canal scrip fraud was brought to light, implicating ex-Gov. Matteson and other prominent State officials. The principal and interest, aggregat- ing $255,500, was all recovered by the State except- ing $27,500. (See sketch of Gov. Matteson.) In 1859 an attempt was discovered to fraudu- lently refund the Macalister and Stebbins bonds and thus rob the State Treasury of nearly a quarter of a million dollars. The State Government was impli- cated in this affair, and to this day remains unex- plained or unatoned for. For the above, and other matters previously mentioned, Gov. Bissell has been severely criticised, and he has also been most shame- fully libelled and slandered. On account of exposure in the army, the remote cause of a nervous form of disease gained entrance into his system and eventually developed paraplegia, affecting his lower extremities, which, while it left his body in comparative health, deprived him of loco- motion except by the aid of crutches. While he was generally hopeful of ultimate recovery, this myste- rious disease pursued him, without once relaxing its stealthy hold, to the close of his life, March 18, 1860, over nine months before the expiration of his gubernatorial term, at the early age of 48 years. He died in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, of which he harl been a member since 1854. GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. j:OHN WOOD, Governor 1860-1, and the first settler of Quincy, 111., was born in the town of Sempro- nius (now Moravia), Cayuga Co., N. Y., Dec. 20, 1798. He was the second child and only son of Dr. Daniel Wood. His mother, nee Catherine Crause, was of German parentage, and died while he was an infant. Dr. Wood was a learned and skillful physician, of classical attain- ments and proficient in several modern languages, who, after serving throughout the Revolu- tionary War as a Surgeon, settled on the land granted him by the Government, and resided there a re- spected and leading influence in his section until his death, at the ripe age of 92 years. The subject of this sketch, impelled by the spirit of Western adventure then pervading everywhere, left his home, Nov. 2, 1818, and passed the succeed- ing winter in Cincinnati, Ohio. The following sum- mer he pushed on to Illinois, landing at Shawneetown, and spent the fall and following winter in Calhoun County. In 1820, in company with Willard Keyes, he settled in Pike County, about 30 miles southeast of Quincy, where for the next two years he pursued farming. In 1821 he visited "the Bluffs" (as the present site of Quincy was called, then uninhabited) and, pleased with its prospects, soon after purchased a quarter-section of land near by, and in the follow- ing fall (1822) erected near the river a small cabin, 18 x 20 feet, the first building in Quincy, of which he then became the first and for some months the only occupant. About this time he visited his old friends in Pike County, chief of whom was William Ross, the lead- ing man in building up the village of Atlas, of that county, which was thought then to be the possible commencement of a city. One day they and others were traveling together over the country between the two points named, making observations on the com- parative merits of the respective localities. On ap- proaching the Mississippi near Mr. Wood's place, the latter told hjs companions to follow him and he would show them where he was going to build a city. They went about a mile off the main trail, to a high point, from which the view in every direction was most magnificent, as it had been for ages and as yet untouched by the hand of man. Before them swept by the majestic Father of Waters, yet unburdened by navigation. After Mr. Wood had expatiated at length on the advantages of the situation, Mr. Ross replied, " But it's too near Atlas ever to amount to anything!" Atlas is still a cultivated farm, and Quincy is a city of over 30,000 population. In 1824 Mr. Wood gave a newspaper notice, as the law then prescribed, of his intention to apply to the General Assembly for the formation of a new county. This was done the following winter, result- ing in the establishment of the present Adams County. During the next summer Quincy was se- lected as the county seat, it and the vicinity then " containing but four adult male residents and half i JOHN WOOD. that number of females. Since that period Mr. Wood resided at the place of his early adoption un- til his death, and far more than any other man was he identified with every measure of its progress and history, and almost continuously kept in public posi- tions. He was one of the early town Trustees, and after the place became a city he was often a member of the City Council, many times elected Mayor, in the face of a constant large opposition political majority. In 1850 he was elected to the State Senate. In 1856, on the organization of the Republican party, he was chosen Lieutenant Governor of the State, on the ticket with Wm. H. Bissell for Governor, and on the death of the latter, March 18, 1860, he succeeded to the Chief Executive chair, which he occupied until Gov. Yates was inaugurated nearly ten months after- ward. Nothing very marked characterized the adminis- tration of Gov. Wood. The great anti-slavery cam- paign of 1860, resulting in the election of the honest Illinoisan, Abraham Lincoln, to the Presidency of the United States, occurred during the short period while Mr. Wood was Governor, and the excitement and issues of that struggle dominated over every other consideration, indeed, supplanted them in a great measure. The people of Illinois, during all that time, were passing the comparatively petty strifes under Bissell's administration to the overwhelming issue of preserving the whole nation from destruction. In 186 r ex-Gov. Wood was one of the five Dele- gates from Illinois to the " Peace Convention " at Washington, and in April of the san.e year, on the breaking out of the Rebellion, he was appointed Quartermaster-General of the State, which position he held throughout the war. In 1864 he took com- mand as Colonel of the i37th 111. Vol. Inf., with whom he served until the period of enlistment ex- pired. Politically, Gov. Wood was always actively identi- fied with the Whig and Republican parties. Few men have in personal experience comprehended so many surprising and advancing local changes as vested in the more than half century recollections of Gov. Wood. Sixty-four years ago a solitary settler on the "Bluffs," with no family, and no neighbor within a score of miles, the world of civilization away behind him, and the strolling red-man almost his only visitant, he lived to see growing around him, and under his auspices and aid, overspreading the wild hills and scraggy forest a teaming city, second only in size in the State, and surpassed nowhere in beauty, prosperity and promise ; whose people recog- nize as with a single voice the proverbial honor and liberality that attach to the name and lengthened life of their pioneer settler, "the old Governor." Gov. Wood was twice married, first in January, 1826, to Ann M. Streeter, daughter of Joshua Streeter, formerly of Salem, Washington Co., N. Y. They had eight children. Mrs. W. died Oct. 8, 1863, and in June, 1865, Gov. Wood married Mrs. Mary A., widow of Rev. Joseph T. Holmes. Gov. Wood died June 4, 1880, at his residence in Quincy. Four of his eight children are now living, namely: Ann E., wife of Gen. John Tillson; Daniel C., who married Mary J. Abernethy ; John, Jr., who married Josephine Skinner, and Joshua S., who married Annie Bradley. The last mentioned now resides at Atchison, Kansas, and all the rest are still at Quincy. GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. '59 ICHARD YATES, the "War Governor," 1861-4, was born Jan. 1 8, 1818, on the banks of the Ohio River, at Warsaw, Gallatin Co., Ky. His father moved in 1831 to Illinois, and ( after stopping for a time in Springfield, settled at Island Grove, Sangamon County. Here, after attending school, Richard joined the family. Subsequently he entered Illinois College at Jacksonville, where, in 1837, he graduated with first honors. He chose for his pro- fession the law, the Hon. J. J. Har- din being his instructor. After ad- mission to the Bar he soon rose to distinction as an advocate. Gifted with a fluent and ready oratory, he soon appeared in the political hustings, andj being a passionate admirer of the great Whig leader of the West, Henry Clay, he joined his political fortunes to the party of his idol. In 1840 he engaged with great ardor in the exciting " hard cider " campaign for Harrison. Two years later he was elected to the Legislature from Morgan County, a Democratic stronghold. He served three or four terms in the Legislature, and such was the fascination of his ora- tory that by 1850 his large Congressional District, extending from Morgan and Sangamon Counties north to include LaSalle, unanimously tendered him the Whig nomination for Congress. His Democratic opponent was Maj. Thomas L. Harris, a very pop- ular man who had won distinction at the battle of Cerro Gordo, in the Mexican War, and who had beaten Hon. Stephen T. Logan for the same position, two years before, by a large majority. Yates was elected. Two years later he was re-elected, over John Calhoun. It was during Yates' second term in Congress that the great question of the repeal of the Missouri Com- promise was agitated, and the bars laid down for re- opening the dreaded anti-slavery question. He took strong grounds against the repeal, and thus became identified with the rising Republican party. Conse- quently he fell into the minority in his district, which was pro-slavery. Even then, in a third contest, he fell behind Major Harris only 200 votes, after the district had two years before given Pierce 2,000 majority for President. The Republican State Convention of 1860 met at Decatur May 9, and nominated for the office of Gov- ernor Mr. Yates, in preference to Hon. Norman B. Judd, of Chicago, and Leonard Swett, of Blooming- ton, two of the ablest men of the State, who were also candidates before the Convention. Francis A. Hoffman, of DuPage County, was nominated for Lieutenant Governor. This was the year when Mr. Lincoln was a candidate for President, a period re- membered as characterized by the great whirlpool which precipitated the bloody War of the Rebellion. The Douglas Democrats nominated J. C. Allen of Crawford County, for Governor, and Lewis W. Ro:=s, of Fulton County, for Lieutenant Governor. The Breckenridge Democrats and the Bell-Everett party had also full tickets in the field. After a most fear- ful campaign, the result of the election gave Mr. Yates 172,196 votes, and Mr. Allen 159,253. Mr. Yates received over a thousand more votes than did Mr. Lincoln himself. Gov. Yates occupied the chair of State during the > i 1 60 most critical period of our country's history. In the fate of the nation was involved that of each State. The life struggle of the former derived its sustenance from the loyalty of the latter; and Gov. Yates seemed to realize the situation, and proved himself both loyal and wise in upholding the Government. He had a deep hold upon the affections of the people, won by his moving eloquence and genial manners. Erect and symmetrical in person, of pre- possessing appearance, with a winning address and a magnetic power, few men possessed more of the ele- ments of popularity. His oratory was scholarly and captivating, his hearers hardly knowing why they were transported. He was social and convivial. In the latter respect he was ultimately carried too far. The very creditable military efforts of this State during the War of the Rebellion, in putting into the field the enormous number of about 200,000 soldiers, were ever promptly and ably seconded by his excel- lency ; and the was ambitious to deserve the title of "the soldier's friend." Immediately after the battle of Shiloh he repaired to the field of carnage to look after the wounded, and his appeals for aid were promptly responded to by the people. His procla- mations calling for volunteers were impassionate appeals, urging upon the people the duties and re- quirements of patriotism ; and his special message in 1863 to the Democratic Legislature of this State pleading for material aid for the sick and wounded soldiers of Illinois regiments, breathes a deep fervor of noble sentiment and feeling rarely equaled in beauty or felicity of expression. Generally his mes- sages on political and civil affairs were able and com- prehensive. During his administration, however, there were no civil events of an engrossing character, although two years of his time were replete with partisan quarrels of great bitterness. Military ar- rests, Knights of the Golden Circle, riot in Fulton County, attempted suppression of the Chicago Times and the usurping State Constitutional Convention of 1862, were the chief local topics that were exciting during the Governor's term. This Convention assem- bled Jan. 7, and at once took the high position that the law calling it was no longer binding, and that it had supreme power; that it represented a virtual assemblage of the whole people of the State, and was sovereign in the exercise of all power necessary to \ p effect a peaceable revolution of the State Government RICHARD YATES. and to the re-establishment of one for the " happiness, prosperity and freedom of the citizens," limited only by the Federal Constitution. Notwithstanding the law calling the Convention required its members to take an oath to support the Constitution of the State as well as that of the general Government, they utterly refused to take such oath. They also as- sumed legislative powers and passed several import- ant " laws ! " Interfering with the (then) present executive duties, Gov. Yates was provoked to tell them plainly that " he did not acknowledge the right of the Convention to instruct him in the performance of his duty." In 1863 the Governor astonished the Democrats by " proroguing " their Legislature. This body, after a recess, met June 2, that year, and soon began to waste time upon various partisan resolutions ; and, while the two houses were disagreeing upon the question of adjourning sine die, the Governor, having the authority in such cases, surprised them all by adjourning them " to the Saturday next preceding the first Monday in January, 1865 ! " This led to great excitement and confusion, and to a reference of the Governor's act to the Supreme Court, who decided in his favor. Then it was the Court's turn to receive abuse for weeks and months afterward. During the autumn of 1864 a conspiracy was de- tected at Chicago which had for its object the liber- ation of the prisoners of war at Camp Douglas, the burning of the city and the inauguration of rebellion in the North. Gen. Sweet, who had charge of the camp at the time, first had his suspicions of danger aroused by a number of enigmatically worded letters which passed through the Camp postoffice. A de- tective afterward discovered that the rebel Gen. Marmaduke was in the city, under an assumed name, and he, with other rebel officers Grenfell, Morgan, Cantrell, Buckner Morris, and Charles Walsh was arrested, most of whom were convicted by a court-martial at Cincinnati and sentenced to imprisonment, Grenfell to be hung. The sentence of the latter was afterward commuted to imprison- ment for life, and all the others, after nine months' imprisonment, were pardoned. In March, 1873, Gov. Yates was appointed a Gov- ernment Director of the Union Pacific Railroad, in which office he continued until his decease, at St. Louis, Mo., on the 27th of November following. =* G<9 VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. Richard JT. Ogles ^ ICHARD J. OGLESBY, Gov- ernor 1865-8, and re-elected in 1872 and 1884, was born July 25, 1824, in Oldham Co., Ky., the State which might be considered the " mother of Illinois Governors." Bereft of his parents at the tender age of eight years, his early education was neglected. When 12 years of age, and after he had worked a year and a half at the carpenter's trade, he removed with an uncle, Willis Oglesby, into whose care he had been committed, to Decatur, this State, where he continued his ap- prenticeship as a mechanic, working six months for Hon. E. O. Smith. In 1844 he commenced studying law at Spring- field, with Judge Silas Robbins, and read with him one year. He was admitted to the Bar in 1845, and commenced the practice of his chosen profession at Sullivan, the county seat of Moultrie County. The next year the war with Mexico was com- menced, and in June, 1846, Mr. Oglesby volunteered, was elected First Lieutenant of Co. C, Fourth Illinois Regiment of Volunteers, and participated in the bat- tles of Vera Cruz and Cerro Gordo. On his return he sought to perfect his law studies by attending a course of lectures at Louisville, but on the breaking out of the California "gold fever " in 1849, he crossed the plains and mountains to the new Eldorado, driving a six-mule team, with a com- pany of eight men, Henry Prather being the leader. In 1852 he returned home to Macon County, and was placed that year by the Whig party on the ticket of Presidential Electors. In 1856 he visited Europe, Asia and Africa, being absent 20 months. On his return home he resumed the practice of law, as a member of the firm of Gallagher, Wait & Oglesby. In 1858 he was the Republican nominee for the Lower House of Congress, but was defeated by the Hon. James C. Robinson, Democrat. In 1860 he was elected to the Illinois State Senate ; and on the evening the returns of this election were coming in, Mr. Oglesby had a fisticuff encounter with " Cerro Gordo Williams," in which he came out victorious, and which was regarded as " the first fight of the Rebellion." The following spring, when the war had commenced in earnest, his ardent nature quickly responded to the demands of patriotism and he enlisted. The extra session of the Legislature elected him Colonel of the Eighth Illinois Infantry, the second one in the State raised to suppress the great Rebellion. He was shortly entrusted with important com- mands. For a time he was stationed at Bird's Point and Cairo ; in April he was promoted Brigadier Gen- eral ; at Fort Donelson his brigade was in the van, being stationed on the right of General Grant's army and the first brigade to be attacked. He lost 500 men before re-inforcements arrived. Many of these men were from Macon County. He was engaged in the battle of Corinth, and, in a brave charge at this place, was shot in the left lung with an ounce ball, and was carried from the field in expectation of im- ^ ' * *- 164 RICHARD J. OGLESB V. : mediate death. That rebel ball he carries to this day. On his partial recovery he was promoted as Major General, for g illantry, his commission to rank from November, 1862. In the spring of 1863 he was assigned to the command of the i6th Army Corps, but, owing to inability fro.n the effects of his wound, he relinquished this command in July, that year. Gen. Grant, however, refused to accept his resignation, and he was detailed, in December follow- ing, to court-martial and try the Surgeon General of the Army at Washington, where he remained until May, 1864, when he returned home. The Republican, or U lion, State Convention of 1864 was held at Springfield, May 25, when Mr. Oglesby was nominated for the office of Governor, while other candidates before the Convention were Allen C. Fuller, of Boone, Jesse K. Dubois.of Sanga- mon, and John M. Palmer, of Macoupin. Wm. Bross, of Chicago, was nominated for Lieutenant Governor. On the Democratic State ticket were James C. Robinson, of ("lark, for Governor, and S. Corning Judd, of Fulton, for Lieutenant Governor. The general election gave Gen. Oglesby a majority of about 31,000 votes. The Republicans had also a majority in both thi Legislature and in the repre- sentation in Congress. Gov. Oglesby was duly inaugurated Jan. 17, 1865. The day before the first time set for his installation death visited his home at Decatur, and took from it his only son, an intelligent and sprightly lad of six years, a great favorite of the bereaved parents. This caused the inauguration to be postponed a week. The political events of the Legislative session of r86s were the election of ex-Gov. Yates to the United States Senate, and the ratification of the 131(1 amendment to the Constitution of the United States, abolishing slavery. This session also signalized itself by repealing the notorious " black laws," part of which, although a dead letter, had held their place upon the statute books since 1819. Also, laws re- quiring the registration of voters, and establishing a State Board of Equalization, were passed by this Leg- islature. But the same body evinced that it was cor- ruptly influenced by a mercenary lobby, as it adopted some bad legislation, over the Governor's veto, nota- bly an amendment to a charter for a Chicago horse railway, granted in 1859 for 25 years, and now sought to be extended 99 years. As this measure was promptly passed over his veto by both branches of the Legislature, he deemed it useless further to attempt to check their headlong career. At this session no law of a general useful character or public interest was perfected, unless we count such the turning over of the canal to Chicago to be deepened. The session of 1867 was still more productive of private and special acts. Many omnibus bills were proposed, and some passed. The contests over the location of the Industrial College, the Capital, the i- Southern Penitentiary, and the canal enlargement and Illinois River improvement, dominated every- thing else. During the year 1872, it became evident that if the Republicans could re-elect Mr. Oglesby to the office of Governor, they could also elect him to the United States Senate, which they desired to do. Accordingly they re-nominated him for the Execu- tive chair, and placed upon the ticket with him for Lieutenant Governor, John L. Beveridge, of Cook County. On the other side the Democrats put into the field Gastavus Koerner for Governor and John C. Black for Lieutenant Governor. The election gave the Republican ticket majorities ranging from 35,334 to 56,174, the Democratic defection being caused mainly by their having an old-time Whig and Abolitionist, Horace Greeley, on the national ticket for President. According to the general understand- ing had beforehand, as soon as the Legislature met it elected Gov. Oglesby to the United States Senate, whereupon Mr. Beveridge became Governor. Sena- tor Oglesby 's term expired March 4, 1879, having served his party faithfully and exhibited an order of statesmanship beyond criticism. During the campaign of 1884 Mr. Oglesby was nominated for a "third term" as Executive of the State of Illinois, against Carter H. Harrison, Mayor of Chicago, nominated by the Democrats. Both gentlemen " stumped " the State, and while the peo- ple elected a Legislature which was a tie on a joint ballot, as between the two parties, they gave the jovial " Dick" Oglesby a majority of 15,018 for Gov- ernor, and he was inaugurated Jan. 30, 1885. The Legislature did not fully organize until this date, on account of its equal division between the two main parties and the consequent desperate tactics of each party to checkmate the latter in the organization of the House. Gov. Oglesby is a fine-appearing, affable man, with regular, well defined features and rotund face. In stature he is a little above medium height, of a large frame and somewhat fleshy. His physical appear- ance is striking and prepossessing, while his straight- out, not to say bluff, manner and speech are well calculated favorably to impress the average masses. Ardent in feeling and strongly committed to the pol- icies of his party, he intensifies Republicanism among Republicans, while at the same time his jovial and liberal manner prevents those of the opposite party from hating him. He is quite an effective stump orator. With vehe- ment, passionate and scornful tone and gesture , tremendous physical power, which in speaking he exercises to the utmost; with frequent descents to the grotesque; and with abundant homely compari- sons or frontier figures, expressed in the broadest vernacular and enforced with stentorian emphasN he delights a promiscuous audience beyond measure! 1 I t GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. JOHN M. PALMER i jjOHN Me A.ULEY PALMER, Gov- ernor 1869-72, \va.s born on Eagle Creek, Scott Co., Ky., Sept. 13, 1817. During his in- fancy, his father, who had been a soldier in the war of 1812, re- moved to Christian Co., Ky., where lands were cheap. Here the future Governor of the great Prairie State spent his childhood and received such meager school- ing as the new and sparsely set- tled country afforded. To this he added materially by diligent reading, for which he evinced an eaily aptitude. His father, an ardent Jackson man, was also noted for his anti-slavery sentiments, which he thoroughly impressed upon his children. In 1831 he emigrated to Illinois, settling in Madison County. Here the labor of improving a farm was pursued for about two years, when the death of Mr. Palmer's mother broke up the family. About this time Alton College was opened, on the "manual labor " system, and in the spring of 1834 young Palmer, with his elder brother, Elihu, entered this school and remained 1 8 months. Next, for over three years, he tried variously coopering, peddling and school-teaching. During the summer of 1838 he formed the ac- quaintance of Stephen A. Douglas, then making his first canvass for Congress. Young, eloquent and in political accord with Mr. Palmer, he won his confi- dence, fired his ambition and fixed his purpose. The following winter, while teaching near Canton, he be- gan to devote his spare time to a desultory reading of law, and in the spring entered a law office at Car- linville, making his home with his elder brother, Elihu. (The latter was a learned clergyman, of con- siderable orginality of thought and doctrine.) On the next meeting of the Supreme Court he was ad- mitted to the Bar, Douglas being one of his examiners. He was not immediately successful in his profession, and would have located elsewhere than Carlinville had he the requisite means. Thus his early poverty was a blessing in disguise, for to it he now attributes the success of his life. From 1839 on, while he diligently pursued his profession, he participated more or less in local politics. In 1843 he became Probate Judge. In 1847 he was elected to the State Constitutional Con- vention, where he took a leading part. In 1852 he was elected to the State Senate, and at the special session of February, 1854, true to the anti-slavery sentiments bred in him, he took a firm stand in op- position to the repeal of the Missouri Compromise; and when the Nebraska question became a party issue he refused to receive a re-nomination for the Senatorship at the hands of the Democracy, issuing a circular to that effect. A few weeks afterward, JOHN MC AULEY PALMER. however, hesitating to break with his party, he par- ticipated in a Congressional Convention which nomi- T. L. Harris against Richard Yates, and which unqualifiedly approved the principles of the Kansas- Nebraska act. But later in the campaign he made the plunge, ran for the Senate as an Anti-Nebraska Democrat, and was elected. The following winter he put in nomination for the _United States Senate Mr. Trumbull, and was one of the five steadfast men who voted for him until all the Whigs came to their support and elected their man. In 1856 he was Chairman of the Republican State Convention at Bloomington. He ran for Congress in 1859, but was defeated. In 1860 he was Republican Presidential Elector for the State at large. In 1861 he was appointed one of the five Delegates (all Re- publicans) sent by Illinois to the peace congress at Washington. When the civil conflict broke out, he offered his services to his country, and was elected Colonel of the I4th 111. Vol. Inf., and participated in the engagements at Island No. 10; at Farmington, where he skillfully extricated his command from a dangerous position ; at Stone River, where his division for several hours, Dec. 31, 1862, held the advance and stood like a rock, and for his gallantry there he was made Major General; at Chickamauga, where his and Van Cleve's divisions for two hours maintained their position when they were cut off by overpowering numbers. Under Gen. Sherman, he was assigned to the i/jlh Army Corps and participated in the Atlanta campaign. At Peach-Tree Creek his prudence did much to avert disaster. In February, 1865, Gen. Palmer was as- signed to the military administration of Kentucky, which was a delicate post. That State was about half rebel and half Union, and those of the latter element were daily fretted by the loss of their slaves. He, who had been bred to the rules of common law, trembled at the contemplation of his extraordinary power over the persons and property of his fellow men, with which he was vested in his capacity as military Governor ; and he exhibited great caution in the execution of the duties of his post. Gen. Palmer was nominated for Governor of Illi- nois by the Republican State Convention which met at Peori.i May 6, 1868, and his nomination would probably have been made by acclamation had he not persistently declared that he could not accept a can- didature for the office. The result of the ensuing election gave Mr. Palmer a majority of 44,707 over John R. Eden, the Democratic nominee. O.i the meeting of the Legislature in January, 1869, the first thing to arrest public attention was that portion of the Governor's message which took broad Slate's rights ground. This and some minor points, which were more in keeping with the Demo- cratic sentiment, constituted the entering wedge fir the criticisms and reproofs he afterward received from the Republican party, and ultimately resulted in his entire aleniation from the Litter element. The Legislature just referred to was noted for the intro- duction of numerous bills in the interest of private parties, which were embarrassing to the Governor. Among the public acts passed was that which limited railroad charges for passenger travel to a maximum .of three cents per mile; and it was passed over the Governor's veto. Also, they passed, over his veto, the "tax-grabbing law" to pay railroad subscriptions, the Chicago Lake Front bill, etc. The new State Constitution of 1870, far superior to the old, was a peaceful " revolution " which took place during Gov. Palmer's term of office. The suffering caused by the great Chicago Fire of October, 1871, was greatly alleviated by the prompt responses of his excellency. Since the expiration of Gov. Palmers 's term, he has been somewhat prominent in Illinois politics, and has been talked of by many, especially in the Dem- ocratic party, as the best man in the State for a United States Senator. His business during life has been that of the law. Few excel him in an accurate appreciation of the depth and scope of its principles- The great number of his able veto messages abun- dantly testify not only this but also a rare capacity to point them out. He is a logical and cogent reasoner and an interesting, forcible and convincing speaker, though not fluent or ornate. Without brilliancy, his dealings are rather with facts and ideas than with appeals to passions and prejudices. He is a patriot and a statesman of very high order. Physically he is above the medium height, of robust frame, ruddy complexion and sanguine-nervous temperament. He has a large cranial development, is vivacious, social in disposition, easy of approach, unostentatious in his habits of life, democratic in his habits and manners and is a true American in his fundamental principles of statesmanshiD. T t. I GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 171 ' ; V ; ' :v; ::. '.>'t '. s . '. ; 'iVi '.'.-. ' '. v. ' ( . v. v. T'.n v OHN LOWRiE BEVER- IDGE, Governor 1873-6, was born in the town of Green- wich, Washington Co., N. Y., July 6, 1824. His parents were George and Ann Bever- idge. His father's parents, An- drew and Isabel Bcveridge, be- fore their marriage emigrated from Scotland just before the Revolutionary War, settling in Washington County. His father was the eldest of eight brothers, the youngest of whom was 60 years of age when the first one of the num- ber died. His mother's parents, James and Agnes Hoy, emigrated from Scotland at the close of the Revolutionary War, settling also in 1 Washington Co., N. Y., with their first-born, whose " native land "was the wild ocean. His parents and grandparents lived beyond the time allotted to man, their average age being over 80 years. They belonged to the "Asso- ciate Church," a seceding Presbyterian body of America from the old Scotch school ; and so rigid was the training of young Beveridge that he never heard a sermon from any other minister except that of his own denomination until he was in his igth year. Later in life he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, which relation he still holds. Mr. Beveridge received a good common-school ed- ucation, but his parents, who could obtain a livelihood only by rigid economy and industry, could not send him away to college. He was raised upon a farm, and was in his i8th year when the family removed to De Kalb County, this State, when that section was very sparsely settled. Chicago had less than 7,000 inhabitants. In this wild West he continued as a farm laborer, teaching school during the winter months to supply the means of an education. In the fall of 1842 he attended one term at the academy at Granville, Putnam Co., 111., and subsequently several terms at the Rock River Seminary at Mount Morris, Ogle Co., 111., completing the academic course. At this time, the fall of 1845, his parents and brothers were anxious to have him go to college, even though he had not money sufficient; but, njt willing to bur- den the family, he packed his trunk and with only $40 in money started South to seek his fortune. f, , JOHN L. BEVERIDGE. Poor, alone, without friends and influence, he thus entered upon the battle of life. First, he taught school in Wilson, Overton and Jackson Cos., Tenn., in which experience he under- went considerable mental drill, both in book studies and in the ways of the world. He read law and was admitted to the Bar, in the South, but did not learn to love the institution of slavery, although he ad- mired many features of Southern character. In De- cember, 1847, he returned North, and Jan. 20, 1848, he married Miss Helen M. Judson, in the old Clark- Street M. E. church in Chicago, her father at that time being Pastor of the society there. In the spring of 1848 he returned with his wife to Tennessee, where his two children, Alia May and Philo Judson, were born. In the fall of 1849, through the mismanagement of an associate, he lost what little he had accumu- lated and was left in debt. He soon managed to earn means to pay his debts, returned to De Kalb Co., 111., and entered upon the practice of his pro- fession at Sycamore, the county seat. On arrival from the South he had but one-quarter of a dollar in money, and scanty clothing and bedding for himself and family. He borrowed a little money, practiced law, worked in public offices, kept books for some of the business men of the town, and some railroad en- gineering, till the spring of 1854, when he removed to Evanston, 1 2 miles north of Chicago, a place then but recently laid out, under the supervision of the Northwestern University, a Methodist institution. Of the latter his father-in-law was then financial agent and business manager. Here Mr. Beveridge prospered, and the next year (1855) opened a law office in Chicago, where he found the battle some- what hard; but he persevered with encouragement and increasing success. Aug. 12, 1861, his law partner, Gen. John F. Farnsworth, secured authority to raise a regiment of cavalry, and authorized Mr. Beveridge to raise a company for it. He succeeded in a few days in rais- ing the company, of course enlisting himself along with it. The regiment rendezvoused at St. Charles, 111., was mustered in Sept. 18, and on its organiza- tion Mr. B. was elected Second Major. It was at- tached, Oct. n, to the Eighth Cavalry and to the Army of the Potomac. He served with the regiment until November, 1863, participating in some 40 bat- ties and skirmishes : was at Fair Oaks, the seven days' fight around Richmond, Fredericksburg, Chancellors- vine and Gettysburg. He commanded the regiment the greater part of the summer of 1863, and it was while lying in camp this year that he originated the policy of encouraging recruits as well as the fighting capac- ity of the soldiery, by the wholesale furlough system. It worked so well that many other officers adopted it. In the fall of this year he recruited another com- pany, against heavy odds, in January, 1864, was commissioned Colonel of the ijth 111. Cav., and skirmished around in Missouri, concluding with the reception of the surrender of Gen. Kirby Smith's army in Arkansas. In 1865 he commanded various sub-districts in the Southwest. He was mustered out Feb. 6, 1866, safe from the casualties of war and a stouter man than when he first enlisted. His men idolized him. He then returned to Chicago, to practice law, with no library and no clientage, and no political experi- ence except to help others into office. In the fall of 1866 he was elected Sheriff of Cook County, serving one term; next, until November, 1870, he practiced law and closed up the unfinished business of his office. He was then elected State Senator; in No- vember, 1871, he was elected Congressman at large; in November, 1872, he was elected Lieutenant Gov- ernor on the ticket with Gov. Oglesby ; the latter be- ing elected to the U. S. Senate, Mr. Beveridge became Governor, Jan. 21, 1873. Thus, inside of a few weeks, he was Congressman at large, Lieutenant Governor and Governor. The principal events oc- curring during Gov. Beveridge 's administration were: The completion of the revision of the statutes, begun in 1869; the partial success of the "farmers' move- ment;" " Haines' Legislature " and Illinois' exhibit at the Centennial. Since the close of his gubernatorial term ex-Gov. Beveridge has been a member of the firm of Bever- idge & Dewey, bankers and dealers in commercial paper at fi Dearborn Street (McCormick Block), Chicago, and since November, 1 88 1, he has also been Assistant United States Treasurer : office in the Government Building. His residence is still at Ev- anston. He has a brother and two sisters yet residing in De Kalb County James H. Beveridge, Mrs. Jennet Henry and Mrs. Isabel French. GO VERNORS OF ILLINOIS. HELBY M. CULLOM, Gover- nor 1877-83,13 the sixth child of the late Richard N. Cullom, and was born Nov. 22, 1829,111 Wayne Co., Ky., where his fa- ther then resided, and whence both the Illinois and Tennessee branches of the family originated. In the following year the family emi- grated to the vicinity of Washington, Tazewell Co., 111., when that section was very sparsely settled. They lo- cated on Deer Creek, in a grove at the time occupied by a party of In- dians, attracted there by the superior hunting and fishing afforded in that vicinity. The following winter was known as the " hard winter," the snow being very deep and lasting and the weather severely cold; and the family had to subsist mainly on boiled corn or hominy, and some wild game, for several weeks. In the course of time Mr. R. N. Cullom became a prom- inent citizen and was several times elected to the Legislature, both before and after the removal of the capital from Vandalia to Springfield. He died about I Until about 19 years of age young Cullom grew up to agricultural pursuits, attending school as he had opportunity during the winter. Within this time, however, he spent several months teaching school, and in the following summer he "broke prairie "with an ox team for the neighbors. With the money ob- tained by these various ventures, he undertook a course of study at the Rock River Seminary, a Methodist institution at Mt. Morris, Ogle County; but the sudden change to the in-door life of a stu- dent told severely upon his health, and he was taken home, being considered in a hopeless condition. While at Mt. Morris he heard Hon. E. B. Washburne make his first speech. On recovering health, Mr. Cullom concluded to study law, under the instruction of Abraham Lincoln, at Springfield, who had by this time attained some notoriety as an able lawyer; but the latter, being ab- sent from his office most of the time, advised Mr. Cullom to enter the office of Stuart & Edwards. After about a year of study there, however, his health failed again, and he was obliged to return once more to out-door life. Accordingly he bought hogs foi packing, for A. G. Tyng, in 1'eoria, and while he re- gained his health he gained in purse, netting $400 in a few weeks. Having been admitted to the Bar, he went to Springfield, where he was soon elected City Attorney, on the Anti-Nebraska ticket. In 1856 he ran on the Fillmore ticket as a Presi- dential Elector, and, although failing to be elected as such, he was at the same time elected a Representa- tive in the Legislature from Sangamon County, by a local coalition of the American and Republican par- ties. On the organization of the House, he received the vote of the Fillmore men for Speaker. Practicing f , k 176 SHELB Y M. CULLOM. t law until 1860, he was again elected to the Legisla- ture, as a Republican, while the county went Demo- cratic on the Presidential ticket. In January follow- ing he was elected Speaker, probably the youngest man who had ever presided over an Illinois Legis- lature. After the session of 1861, he was a candidate for the State Constitutional Convention called for that year, but was defeated, and thus escaped the disgrace of being connected with that abortive party scheme to revolutionize the State Government. In 1862 he was a candidate for the State Senate, but was defeated. The same year, however, he was ap- pointed by President Lincoln on a Government Commission, in company with Gov. Boutwell of Massachusetts and Cnarles A. Dana, since of the New York Sun, to investigate the affairs of the Quartermaster's and Commissary Departments at Cairo. He devoted several months to this duty. In 1864 he enteied upon a larger political field, being nominated as the Republican candidate for Congress from the Eighth (Springfield) District, in opposition to the incumbent, JohnT. Stuart, who had been elected in 1862 by about 1,500 majority over Leonard Swett, then of Bloomington, now of Chicago. The result was the election of Mr. Cullom in Novem- ber following by a majority of 1,785. In 1866 he was re-elected to Congress, over Dr. E. S. Fowler, by the magnificent majority of 4,103! In 1868 he was again a candidate, defeating the Hon. B. S. Edwards, another of his old preceptors, by 2,884 votes. During his first term in Congress he served on the Committee on Foreign Affairs and Expenditures in the Treasury Department; in his second term, on the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Territories ; and in his third term he succeeded Mr. Ashley, of Ohio, to the Chairm.mship of the latter. He intro- duced a bill in the House, to aid in the execution of law in Utah, which caused more consternation among the Mormons than any measure had previously, but which, though it passed the House, failed to pass the Senate. The Republican Convention which met May 25, 1876, nominated Mr. Cullom for Governor, while the other contestant was Gov. Beveridge. For Lieuten- ant-Governor they nominated Andrew Shuman, editor of the Chicago Journal. For the same offices the Democrats, combining with the Anti-Monopolists, placed in nomination Lewis Steward, a wealthy farmer and manufacturer, and A. A. Glenn. The result of the election was rather close, Mr. Cullom obtaining only 6,800 majority. He was inaugurated Jan. 8, 1877. Great depression prevailed in financial circles at this time, as a consequence of the heavy failures of 1873 and afterward, the effect of which had seemed to gather force from that time to the end of Gov. Cullom's first administration. This unspeculative period was not calculated to call forth any new issues, but the Governor's energies were at one time put to task to quell a spirit of insubordination that had been begun in Pittsburg, Pa., among the laboring classes, and transferred to Illinois at Chicago, East St. Louis and Braidwood, at which places laboring men for a short time refused to work or allow others to work. These disturbances were soon quelled and the wheels of industry again set in motion. In May, 1880, Gov. Cullom was re-nominated by the Republicans, against Lyman Trumbull, by the Democrats; and although the former party was some- what handicapped in the campaign by a zealous faction opposed to Grant for President and to Grant men for office generally, Mr. Cullom was re-elected by about 314,565, to 277,532 forthe Democratic State ticket. The Greenback vote at the same time was about 27,000. Both Houses of the Legislature again became Republican, and no representative of the Greenback or Socialist parties were elected. Gov. Cullom was inaugurated Jan. 10, 1881. In his mes- sage he announced that the last dollar of the State debt had been provided for. March 4, 1883, the term of David Davis as United States Senator from Illinois expired, and Gov. Cul- lom was chosen to succeed him. This promoted Lteutenant-Governor John M. Hamilton to the Gov- ernorship. Senator Cullom's term in the United States Senate will empire March 4, 1889. As a practitioner of law Mr. C. has been a member of the firm of Cullom, Scholes & Mather, at Spring- field ; and he has also been President of the State National Bank. He has been married twice, the first time Dec. 12, 1855, to Miss Hannah Fisher, by whom he had two daughters; and the second time May 5, 1863, to Julia Fisher. Mrs. C is a member of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, with which religious body Mr. C. is also in sympathy. I { GOVERNORS OF ILLINOIS. 179 OHN MARSHALL HAMIL- TON, Governor 1883-5, was born May 28, 1847, in a log house upon a farm about two miles from Richwood, Union County, Ohio. His father was Samuel Hamilton, the eldest son of Rev. Wm. Hamilton, who, to- gether with his brother, the Rev. Samuel Hamilton, was among the early pioneer Methodist preachers in Ohio. The mother of the subject of this sketch was, before her marriage, Mrs. Nancy McMorris, who was born and raised in Fauquier or Lou- doun County, Va., and related to the two large families of Youngs and Marshalls, well known in that commonwealth; and from the latter family name was derived the middle name of Gov. Hamilton. In March, 1854, Mr. Hamilton's father sold out his little pioneer forest home in Union County, O., and, loading his few household effects and family (of six children) into two emigrant covered wagons, moved to Roberts Township, Marshall Co., 111., being 2 1 days on the route. Swamps, unbridged streams and innumerable hardships and privations met them on their way. Their new home had been previously selected by the father. Here, after many long years of toil, they succeeded in paying for the land and making a comfortable home. John was, of course, brought up to hard manual labor, with no schooling except three or four months in the year at a common country school. However, he evinced a capacity and taste for a high order of self-education, by studying or reading what books he could borrow, as the family had but very few in the house. Much of his study he prosecuted by the light of a log fire in the old-fashioned chimney place. The financial panic of 1857 caused the family to come near losing their home, to pay debts ; but the father and two sons, William and John, "buckled to" and perse- vered in hard labor and economy until they redeemed their place from the mortgage. When the tremendous excitement of the political campaign of 1860 reached the neighborhood of Rob- erts Township, young Hamilton, who had been brought up in the doctrine of anti-slavery, took a zeal- ous part in favor of Lincoln's election. Making special efforts to procure a little money to buy a uniform, he joined a company of Lincoln Wide- Awakes at Mag- nolia, a village not far away. Directly after the ensuing election it became evident that trouble would ensue with the South, and this Wide-Awake company, like many others throughout the country, kept up its organization and transformed itself into a military company. During the ensuing summer they met often for drill and became proficient ; but when they offered themselves for the v/ar, young Hamilton was rejected on account of his youth, he being then but 14 years of age. During the winter of 1863-4 he attended an academy at Henry, Marshall County. i 1 80 JOHN MARSHALL HAMILTON. i and in the following May he again enlisted, for the fourth time, when he was placed in the 14151 111. Vol. Inf., a regiment then being raised at Elgin, 111., for the loo-day service. He took with him 13 other lads from his neighborhood, for enlistment in the service. This regiment operated in Southwestern Kentucky, for about five months, under Gen. Paine. The following winter, 1864-5, Mr. Hamilton taught school, and during the two college years 1865-7, ne went through three years of the curriculum of the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, Ohio. The third year he graduated, the fourth in a class of 46, in the classical department. In due time he received the degree of M. A. For a few months he was the Principal of Marshall " College " at Henry, an acad- emy under the auspices of the M. E. Church. By this lime he had commenced the study of law, and after earning some money as a temporary Professor of Latin at the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, he entered the law office of Weldon, Tipton & Benjamin, of that city. Each member of this firm has since been distinguished as a Judge. Admitted to the Bar in May, 1870, Mr. Hamilton was given an interest in the same firm, Tipton hav- ing been elected Judge. In October following he formed a partnership with J. H. Rowell, at that time Prosecuting Attorney. Their business was then small, but they increased it to very large proportions, practicing in all grades of courts, including even the U. S. Supreme Court, and this partnership continued unbroken until Pel). 6, 1883, when Mr. Hamilton was sworn in as Executive of Illinois. On the 4th of March following Mr. Rowell took his seat in Con- gress. In July, 1871. Mr. Hamilton married Miss Helen M. Williams, the daughter of Prof. Win. G. Williams, Professor of Greek in the Ohio Wesley an University. Mr. and Mrs. H. have two daughters and one son. In 1876 Mr. Hamilton was nominated by the Re- publicans for the State Senate, over other and older competitors. He took an active part " on the stump " in the campaign, for the success of his party, and was elected by a majority of 1,640 over his Democratic- Greenback opponent. In the Senate he served on the Committees on Judiciary, Revenue, State Insti- tutions, Appropriations, Education, and on Miscel- lany ; and during the contest for the election of a ' U. S. Senator, the Republicans endeavoring to re- elect John A. Logan, he voted for the war chief on every ballot, even alone when all the other Republi- cans had gone over to the Hon. E. B. Lawrence and the Democrats and Independents elected Judge David Davis. At this session, also, was passed the first Board of Health and Medical Practice act, of which Mr. Hamilton was a champion, agair:t r; much opposition that the bill was several times "laid on the table." Also, this session authorized the location and establishment of a southern peni- tentiary, which was fixed at Chester. In the session of 1879 Mr. Hamilton was elected President pro tern. of the Senate, and was a zealous supporter of John A. Logan for the U. S. Senate, who wa1IE Wabash Railroad Company, now under the able management of John McNulta, Re- ceiver, has two lines traversing this county the Chicago Line and the Streator Branch. The former extends through the eastern part of the county from north to south, and has in this county, including side tracks, about forty miles of road. At Streator Junction connections are had with the Blooinington Branch of the Illinois Central, at Forest, the most important station on the road in this county, with the Toledo. Peoria & Western, and at Scovel with the Minonk Branch of the Illinois Central. The Streator Branch traverses the county diagonally from the southeast to the northwest cor- ner, making connection at Streator with the main roads which center there. At Pontiac, the county seat of Livingston County, it crosses the lines of the Chicago & Alton and the Minonk Branch of the Illinois Central, and at Fairbury, the second town of importance in the county, with the Toledo, Peoria & Western. The W abash has more miles of railroad in this county than any other company, and owing to its splendid facilities and connections with the sea- board traffic and the principal Southern and West- ern cities, is destined to do more toward the de- t 1X4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. velopment of the agricultural and material resources of the county than any other road. The principal lines of this road, including the Chicago Branch, have steel-rail track, well-ballasted road beds, and altogether constitute one of the greatest railroad systems in the West. It is one of the most enter- prising roads in the country, and the finest passen- ger coaches on the continent are run on its linos and every effort put forth for the comfort and safety of its patrons. The number of miles now operated by the Receiver is 956, all of which, with the exception of that extending from the State line to Toledo, is in Illinois. Illinois Central .Railroad Company. >>HE Illinois Central Railroad Company has two branches which pass through this county, one known as the Chicago, Pontiac & Chats- worth Division, and the other as the Bloomington Division. There are something over sixty-six miles of track in this county. The line extending from Kempton to Minonk passes through the cen- ter of the county, crossing the line of the Chicago Branch of the Wabash at Scovel, and the Chicago & Alton and the Streator Branch of the Wabash at Pontiac. At Minonk the connections are made with the main line. The Bloomington Branch crosses the Toledo, Peoria & Western at Chats- worth ; the connections of these lines with the main line and the Chicago Divison makes this road one of the best for transportation in the count}'. In September, 1850, Congress granted an aggre- gate 2,595,053 acres to aid in building this road. The act granted the right of way and gave alter- nate sections of land for six miles on cither side of the road to the company. The grant was made directly to the State, and Feb. 10, 1851, the Illi- nois Legislature gave a charter to an Eastern com- pany, represented by Rantoul and others, to build the road. In granting the charter and transferring to the corporation the land, the Legislature stipu- lated that seven per cent of the gross earnings of the road should be paid semi-annually into the State Treasury forever. This wise provision in lieu of the liberal grant yields a handsome annual income to the State. The Illinois Central is one of the great trunk lines of the Mississippi Valley, connecting Chicago with Sioux City and New Orleans, and toward de- veloping the material resources of Illinois, stands first in importance. Strict attention to local busi- ness has always been a marked characteristic' of its management, hence their land has been eagerly sought after, and its officials have the satisfaction of knowing that the value of the road is not en- tirely dependent upon its identification with the through business of the country, but on the con- tribution of local traffic, which shows a permanent and certain increase. The total mileage of this road in Illinois alone is over 1,100 miles. Other Roads. illE Chicago & Alton is an important road and has about fifty -seven miles of track in Sir this count}'. The main line enters the county near Dwightfrom the north. Here connec- tions are had with the Streator Branch of the Chi- cago & Alton and Indiana, Illinois & Iowa Railroad. The next important station is Pontiac, the county seat, where the road crosses the Wabash and the Illinois Central The Alton is the pioneer road in this county, and one of the best in the country. The rolling stock is excellent and the road bed one of the best in the State. This road has contributed largely to the development of the county. The Indiana, Illinois & Iowa has thirty -two miles of track in this county, passing through the north tier of townships, viz.: Round Grove, D wight, Nevada, Sunbury and Newtown, having its western terminus at Streator. The Toledo, Peoria Ar Western is a line extend- ing from east to west, in the southern part of the county, through the townships of Chatsworth, For- est and Indian Grove. The most important sta- tion in the county is Fairbiiry, and at Forest con- nection is had with the Wabash system, and at Chatsworth with the Bloomington Branch of the Illinois Central. Its mileage, including side tracks, is twenty-two. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe has recently constructed a line through the northwestern corner of the county, traversing a portion of Reading Tp. The Chicago & St. Louis is a short line in the northwestern part of the county, passing through the west corner of Newtown Township, through the center of Reading and the northwest corner of Long Point. The length of road in this county is about eleven miles, and the principal stations are Reading and Aneona. i r LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 187 HE portrait on tlie opposite page is that of David Mc- Williams, who was the first merchant of Dwight, and who followed mercantile life there for many years, and with the growth of the place grad- ually drifted into his present business, that of banking ; he settled in Dwight in April, 1855. Of his ancestors we gather the following: His great-grandfather, Alexander Me Williams, emigrated in company with a small colony from Scotland in 177G. While on the ocean passage his grandfather, Alexander, Jr., was born. The colony had selected a place not far from Pittsburgh, Pa., which afterward became known as Pease's Iron Mills, where Alexander, Jr., was reared, and about the time of his becoming of age he, in company with a number of young men of the colony, located in Belmont County, Ohio, and the place is still known as the Scotch Ridge Settlement. It is about six miles from the cit\- of Wheeling, Va., on the Ohio side. James McWill- iams, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born there March 2, 1802, and upon ar- riving at manhood purchased a small portion of his father's farm, and was married to Margaret Lattimer, the daughter of a well-known Scotch family of the same settlement, who had come direct from Scotland to this colon}' only a short time previous. He occupied his farm until 1834, when he sold out and migrated to Griggsville, Pike Co., 111. His familj- then consisted of five children, named in order of their ages Alexander, Elizabeth Jane, Rachel, John and David. Mary was born afterward in Illinois. Rachel died soon after their arrival, and Alexander died in 1842. at the age of seventeen, and all the rest are now living. Mrs. McWilliams, the mother, died in Pike County, in December,! 839, and Mr. McWilliams was married again, to Miss Lucretia Prescott, of Concord, Mass., who was at the time the Principal of the Griggs- ville Female Acadeniy. She was a highly culti- vated lady, and they passed forty years of wedded life together. She died in 1880, and Mr. James McWilliams in 1883, having spent nearly fifty years in and about Griggsville. having served his community in almost all positions of honor and trust. David McWilliams was born in Belmont County, Ohio, Jan. 14, 1834, and was eight months old when his parents moved to Illinois. He was en- gaged in farm work, attending the district school during the winters until he was fourteen years of age. At that time an offer was made by Z. N. Garbutt, the editor and proprietor of the Free Press, of Pittsfield, Pike Co., 111., to enter his printing-olh'M. This he accepted, and remained * 4 s , 188 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. there for some time, gaining a knowledge of print- ing 'and becoming familiar with the general methods of newspaper work. During his residence at tin: count}' seat he had the opportunity of seeing the great lawyers of those days, among whom were Lin- coln, Douglass, Col. E. D. Baker, O. H. Browning, C. A. Warren, Archibald Williams, O. C. Skinner, William A. Richardson, John J. I lard in, and ofthe younger lawyers. Milton Ha} 1 and Jackson Grim- shaw. Judge Lockwood at that time was on the bench, and he well recollects the Presidential cam- paign of that year, when Zachary Taylor ran for the Presidency on the Whig ticket and was elected. He also recollects, during that campaign, of hearing Col. E. D. Baker, who was called the Silver Tongued Orator of Illinois in those days, make one of his great speeches at the court-house in Pittsfield, and such was the enthusiasm at the meeting that at its close Col. Baker was carried on the shoulders of his friends to his hotel. In the year 1849, his father, upon the opening of the Illinois & Michi- gan Canal, embarked in the pine lumber trade, and he returned home and in a short time the entire charge of the yard developed upon him. The business grew in proportions rapidly, and proved to bo quite lucrative, and at this he continued un- til the spring of 1855, when he settled in D wight, erected the first store building, which was in size 20x32 feet, and two stories high, and his first stock of goods cost less than $2,000. The railroad had been completed through Dwight only a few months before, and but few families were in or about that place on his arrival there. The country settled up quite rapidly and his first year's business amounted to about $20,000. He gave his personal attention to his mercantile business for eighteen years, and was also interested in the same for seven years longer. While engaged in the mercantile business our subject had been doing more or less of a banking business, receiving deposits -from the farmers and selling New York and Chicago exchange, and has ever since been doing a regular banking business, and enjoys the confidence and credit of the moneyed interests of hi.- portion of the State. His career has been quite successful, having pa>-e crossed the Atlantic, and made quite a tour of Europe, travel- ing through Ireland, Scotland, England, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and France, visiting the cities of Naples, Rome, Florence, Yen- ice, Milan, Geneva, Paris and London. In 1887 they were again abroad, revisiting England, and spent three weeks in London during the Jubilee, from there going to Norway, and visiting the land of the midnight sun, also visiting the cities of Christiana, Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, and from there to Berlin, the capital of the German Empire; Dresden, the capital of Saxony, Prague, the capital of Bohemia, and as far east as Vienna, the capital of Austria: They returned across Southern Ger- many to Switzerland, where they spent some time at Lucerne and Geneva, thence going to Paris and London, and home by the way of Liverpool. Mr. McWilliams has always encouraged the en- terprises best calculated for the good of the people around him, rightly judging that whatever affects the community in general also has due influence upon the interests of the individuals which compose it. The institutions which he has assisted in build- ing up and the large property interests with which ho is connected will remain as a monument to his enterprise and worth long after, in accordance with the common lot of man, he shall have been gath- ered to his fathers, and the accompanying portrait will show to succeeding generations the features of the man thus useful and honored. AVID HUNTLEY resides on section 24, Broughton Township, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising. He is the son of Hezekiah and Priscilla (Smith) Hunt- ley. and was born in the town of Sand Lake, Rens- selaer Co., N. Y., Aug. 22, 1885. His father was a farmer, and when our subject was twelve years old the family moved to Ohio, locating in Lucas County. Here the son, David, received the common-school education picked up in the way common to those times, that is, attending school during the few months of the winter season. When our subject was twenty-one years old, in the spring of 1857, he came west to LaSalle Count}', 111., where he worked by the month for Benjamin French during the following summer. This limited experience in Illinois gave him a good impression of the State and its great possibilities, and he re- solved to make it his future home. The first im- portant step in that direction was to get a wife, and in the fall of that year he returned to Ohio, and was united in marriage with Miss Eliza- beth Cooper, whom he had previously selected as the girl of his choice. She was the daughter of Reming- ton and Anna (Fogle) Cooper. Their marriage oc- curred Nov. 26, 1857. In the winter of 1858-59, his father sold his small home place of forty acres in Ohio for $350, and by the persuasion of his son was induced to migrate to LaSalle County, 111., whither our subject followed him, with his young wife, in the spring of 1859. During the following summer David Huntley ran a mole-ditcher for C. II. Horine & Co., then of Mendota, 111., but since of the Chicago stockyards. The next summer he farmed for himself, paying cash rent, and doing extra work wherever he could find employment. In February, 1 8(11 . he removed to Livingston County, where he settled on land on section 30, belonging to the canal, which he finally I A , 190 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Nought. In the spring of 18fi2 our subject caught the Western fever, and started in April for Idaho, leaving his family in Livingston County. His work then; was divided between the gold mines and a stock ranch, and he received $200 per month for his labor. lie returned from Idaho in about a year, and soon afterward sold his farm and bought the one where he now lives, to which he moved in 1867. It is a fine body of land, well cultivated, splendidly watered, and has good improvements. A more convenient and well located farm can scarcely be found in Livingston County, it being just near enough to both Caberyand Keuipton to be pleasant. Mr. and Mrs. Huntley have six children, of whom the record is as follows : Altie E. was born in Lucas County, Ohio, Sept. lf>, 1858, married John Slimpin, Sept. 15, 1878, and lives in McHeury County. 111.; they have four children. Albert E. was born May 1 2, 1861, married Sarah H. Canliam, Oct. 2, 1882; they have three children, and live at Rogers, Ford County, 111. Alice E. was born Feb. 28, 1863, mar- ried George Schumacher, Nov. 9, 1887, and lives in Rogers Township, Ford County ; Alcie E. was born Sept. 20, 1865, and lives at home, as does Alfred E., born Nov. 17, 1867; Andrew E. was born Nov. 22, 1873. Our subject is the eldest in a family of three chil- dren. His brother Asil was a soldier in the 129th Illinois Infantry, serving under Gen. Grant, and was four years in the army. He was wounded once, had typhoid fever, and saw nearly all the fighting in which the famous 1 29th Regiment was engaged : he has five children, and lives in Ford Count}'. His sister, Mary S., married George Rogers, lives in Chetopa, Labette Co., Kan., and has three chil- dren. Our subject's father was born Oct. 8, 1807, in Rensselaer County, N. Y., where the birth of his mother also took place June 3, 1808; they were mar- ried Oct. 25. 1829. The father died Oct. 25, 1887, and the mother Fob. 27, 1853; they were descend, ants of the early settlers of New England. The grandfather of our subject, Obediah Little, was a soldier in the Revolution and in the War of 1812. Mrs. Huntley's father was born July 8, 17111, :it Providence, R. I. Her grandfather, William Cooper, was cousin of Peter Cooper, of Greenback fame, and was born in Vermont. Her mother was born i in Toronto, Canada, March 20, 1800. She was married March 20, 1815, on her fifteenth birthday. Mrs. Huntley, the wife of our subject. \\;i- born April 1, 1833, and was the seventh child in a family of ten, all of whom givw to maturity, and five of whom, including Mrs. II., are still living, as follows: William married Maria Wilcox, and dying, left four children; Julia married Isaac Rogers, and is de- ceased, leaving six children, who live in Michigan: Laura married Richard Kimball, lives in Cabery, 111., and has four children; Phu-be married John Komiskey, and died living no children; Philip married Sarah Hendrickson, lives in Lucas County, Ohio, and has one daughter; Mary married John Parker, who resides in Adrian, Midi., and has t\v<> sons; Elizabeth; Horace married Mary Kimball, and was killed in the battle of Shiloh; his widow and son live in Ohio. Harriet lives in Ohio, and is unmarried; A I mini married Wallace Mushreau; she is deceased and left no children. GLASS, of Dwight Township, is comfortably located and in possession of a good farm on section 34. His course in life has been marked by the persistence and indns- try which he inherited from his substantial Ger- man ancestry, and which has distinguished the Glass family as far back as it can be traced. The later descendants have been familiarly known throughout Central Pennsylvania, where Thomas Glass, the father of our subject, was born, and was one of the first of that name to take up his residence in another State. Thomas Glass, ST., upon leaving his native county, located in Ohio, where he married Miss Re- becca Storrer, who was born in Maryland and went with her parents to the Buckeye State when but a child. At the time of their courtship the story goes that Mr. Glass, who lived on one side of the Ohio River while his sweetheart lived on the other, in the absence of a ferry, was obliged to swim the river to meet her. Love in this case, as in nearly all others, laughed as much at water as at locksmiths, and ever since the world began there has been found a way out of these peculiar difficulties. The : -^ f 'I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 191 ' 3'oung people were happily married, as they de- served, and in due time the household circle in- cluded eight children. These were named respect- ively: James, Robert, Elizabeth, Isaac, Jackson, Thomas, Seambns and George. The parents of our subject continued in Ohio and became possessors of a good farm in Guernsey County, where all their children were born. In 1852 Thomas Glass, Sr., migrated to this State with his family and located near Gardner, Grundy County, during the early settlement of that region. He was at once recognized as n valuable addition to the community, and became the owner of a hand- some property. Politically, he was a Democrat, and with his estimable wife, a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was foremost in those enterprises calculated for the good of the growing township, and exerted himself particularly to encourage the immigration of an intelligent and thrifty class of people. He provided generously for his children, assisting each of them in securing a quarter section of land. He was a man of ro- bust frame, six feet in -height, and weighing 260 pounds, while he possessed a dignified and com- manding figure which attracted attention wher- ever he went. During the war troubles of 1812 he served as a soldier under Gen. Harrison, his du- ties lying in the country around Ft. Meigs. The mother of our subject departed this life at her home in Illinois at the age of sixty-one years. She pos- sessed all the womanly qualities so admirable in the wife, mother and friend, and was in all respects the suitable companion and helpmeet of her hus- band. Our subject was born on the old homestead in Guernsey County. Ohio, .July 10, 1832. He ac- quired a common-school education, and was of that temperament which naturally inclined to the free and independent life of a farmer. He therefore cheerfully assisted in the duties around the home- stead, and upon coming to Illinois when twenty years of age, soon began to lay his plans for the establish- ment of a home of his own. In 1854 he was united in marriage with_Miss Mary, daughter of Francis and Mary (Pyatt) Evans, of Kendall County, 111. The father of Mrs. Glass was a native of Pennsylvania, and descended from Welsh ancestry. The parents 4* spent their last years in Illinois, the mother passing away in 1883, and the father in 1877. After marriage the 3'oung couple went to live on their own farm, which Mr. Glass had inherited from his father. A year later, however, they re- moved to Kendall County, where they resided fif- teen years, and where, with the exception of the youngest, all their children were born. These were named respectively : Nellie A.. Mary J., George G., Elizabeth A., Thomas W., Edward B. and De- los H. In 1871 Mr. (Mass came to this county and pur- chased his present farm, to which he soon after- ward removed his family, and where he has since remained. He is widely and favorably known for his straightforward methods of doing business, and his skill and industry as an enterprising agricult- urist. His children are receiving the advantages of a good education, the younger members of whom are still pursuing their studies and remain at home with their parents. The eldest daughter, Nellie, was married, in 1885, to Mr. L. B. Kale, of Sand Brook, N. J., but they now reside on a farm near the homestead of our subject. r J/-RANCIS M. DAVIS, although not an old y resident of Dwight Township, is numbered among its most substantial and reliable citi- zens, and has been doing business in Livingston County for probably thirty years or more. He is of Welsh ancestry, and bears the reputation of an industrious and upright man of unimpeachable moral character and correct business methods. He became familiar with farm life in his youth, but has had experience in other branches of business. He has concluded, however, that there is nothing more satisfactory than the independence and quiet of the country, and proposes to spend his declining 3'ears amid its scenes and occupations. Mr. Davis when but a lad was deprived of the protecting care of his parents, and of the disinter- e>tcd counsels which a father and mother naturally give to their offspring. He was fortunate, how- ever, in having preserved a good part of the family history, from which we find that his paternal grand- 4 s < , 192 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. father, a native of Wales, located in West Virginia sometime in the latter part of the last century. He married a lady of excellent birth, and they reared a family of children, among the sons being James, who became the father of our subject. James Davis was born in West Virginia about 1808, where he developed into manhood, and mar- ried a lady of his own count}', Miss Jane Taylor. He followed farming extensively, and secured pos- session of quite a large tract of land. The house- hold circle was completed b} 1 the birth of eleven children, and the father departed this life amid the comforts of the home which he had built up in Greene County, Pa., at the age of sixty-five years; the mother had died some time before. Most of the children attained to mature years, and are named as follows: William II., Samuel. Jackson, James, Francis, Harriet, Betsey, Clarinsy, Annie and Jane. Our subject was born in Marshall County, W. \'a.. in May, 1842, and after the death of his mother was taken into the home of Mrs. Bradford, of Greene County, where he remained until twelve years of age, when he came to this county with Eli Bradford. Although this section was rapidly com- ing into notice as a desirable place of residence and for carrying on agriculture, no regular school sys- tem was yet established, and consequently young Davis received but a limited education. He learned the art of farming, however, most thoroughly, and kept himself well posted upon matters of general in- terest by the perusal of instructive books and all the papers which he could obtain. He had watched with interest the aspect of political affairs, and es- pecially the career of the newly elected President, Abraham Lincoln, and when the call came for 300,000 troops, to put down the Rebellion, young Davis, although but nineteen years old, was one of those who promptly responded, and enlisted as a private in Company C, 44th Illinois Infantry. He was mustered in in July, 1861, and for three years following suffered all the hardships and privations of a life in the army, lie served under Siegel. Buell and Rosccrans, and participated in the battles of Pea Ridge. Shiloh, Perry ville, Ky., and Stone River, and although experiencing many hairbreadth escapes, fortunately was neither wounded nor cap- tured. After two years of service, however, he had a severe attack of rheumatism which confined him to the field hospital for three months. As soon a> sufficiently recovered, he was transferred to tiie 15th Veteran Reserves, and went with his regiment to Buffalo, N. Y., to enforce the draft, in the fall of 18G3. From Buffalo the loth Regiment was de- tailed to Rock Island to guard the prisoners at that point, and there his services as a soldier terminated. Mr. Davis received his honorable discharge on the 12th of September, 1864, and returning to this county, prepared to enter upon the further business of life. His constitution had been considerably shattered, and purchasing a stock of goods, he em- barked in trade at Coalville, Livingston County, where he continued with fair success until the spring of 1 869, when he sold out, and removed to a farm in Newtown Township. The results of this venture, however, not proving so satisfactory as he desired, he transferred his interests to the town of Newtown, and assumed charge of a hotel, where he officiated as "mine host" afterward for a period of fourteen years. He conducted this with excellent tact and good management, and the house was known for miles around as one of the most desir- able places for the transient traveler in that sec- ! tion. Mr. Davis thus became widely and favor- ably known, and retains the friendship and esteem ; of a large circle of acquaintances. In 188") he abandoned his hotel interests, and invested a part of his capital in a snug farm near the town limits of Dwight. where he now resides, taking life in an easy and sensible manner. One of the most interesting and important events in the life of our subject was his marriage with the amiable and excellent lady who has presided over his domestic affairs for more than twenty years. She was in her girlhood Miss Anna Horford. and their wedding took place at the home of the bride near Manville, Jan. 24, 1866. Mrs. Davis was born Sept. 28, 1844, and is the daughter of Thomas and Jemima (Leonard) Horford. natives of Pennsyl- vania, who came to this county about 1801, and are now living in the village of Dwight. To Mr. and Mrs. Davis there were born three children Lyda ('.. William T. and Jessie M. Lyda C., an intelligent and accomplished young lady, was i married, Sept. 28, 1887. tol-'inleyj. Hohensliell, of t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 193 this county, and they are now living in LaSallc County, where Mr. H. is carrying on fanning; Will- iam T. and Jessie M. continue at home with their parents. The entire family are held in the highest respect, and their homo is the frequent resort of the best residents of the conntv, where, in the social in- terchange of sentiment and the comparison of the past with the present, there is often recalled the un- written history of other days. V HARLES W. SHELDON, residing on sec- tion 33, is one of the prominent farmers of Round Grove Township, and the founder of the village of Campus, 111. He was born in Otsego County, N. Y., July 31, 1831), and was reared to manhood upon the farm. His parents moved to Ohio and settled in the Western Reserve when he was eighteen months old, and at the age of twelve he returned to New York where he attended school four years, and thence to Butler County, Ohio. At the age of twenty j'ears he worked for himself and with the money he thus obtained he was enabled to enter Miami University, in Butler County. Ohio, where he attended for two years, and was then obliged to abandon his course of study, on account of his eyes. He then turned his attention to farm- ing, and in 1X62 he came with his father's family to Iroquois County, 111. In the spring of 1X63 our subject enlisted in Battery B, 1st Illinois Artillery, in which he served until the close of the war. In the battle of Chicka- manga, on the I'.tth of September, 1803, he was wounded in the left hip and injured in the spine so severely that he had to be left on the field and was taken prisoner, and paroled eleven days later. He lay on the battle-field of Chickamauga for eleven days without any attention given him whatever, and received no care until he was taken from the field to Chattanooga, the eleventh day after the bat- tle. He suffered untold pain from his wound, which was caused by the explosion of a shell that struck the wheel of his gun carriage. Every man except two on the piece was either killed or wounded. It war- fortunate for Mr. Sheldon that he was so wounded that he could not be transported farther south, for had he been he would have been consigned to Andersouvillc prison pen. During the winter of 1X63 he spent four months in the parol camp at Camp Chase, Ohio. In the spring of 1X(>4 he was exchanged and returned to his battery, and took an active part in all the engagements, with one excep- tion, in the Atlanta campaign. After the fall of Atlanta he was in Gen. Thomas' corps, with which he went back to Nashville, and was in the battles of Spring Hill, Franklin and Nashville. He was mustered out of the service at Chicago in Sep- tember, 1865, and then returned to Iroquois Comity, 111., where he remained until he came to Living- ston County. For two years he, in company with two brothers, was engaged in merchandising at Clifton, Iroquois County. In the spring of 18611 he came to Livingston Comity, and bought 640 acres of land on section 33, Round Grove Township, where he settled and has since lived. Upon this farm he erected good buildings and made other first- class improvements. In April, 1880, Mr. Sheldon laid out and platted the village of Campus, which is on the line of the Wabasli Railwa}'. It has a population of about l.'ii) inhabitants, and is rapidly assuming the proportions of a prosperous town. Mr. Sheldon is actively engaged in farming, and has laid on his place over thirty-two miles of tile drain, the larger portion of which was made at his own factory on his farm. He was the first man who began laying tile in this part of the country, and is the senior partner of the firm of Sheldon it Straight, tile manufacturers, at Campus. In company with his brother, C. II. Shel- don, he owns and operates a cattle ranch in Western Nebraska, and owns 200 head of cattle. In Bos- ton, Mass., on the 2;>th of May, 1X6!), Mr. Sheldon was married to Miss Mary Fisher, who was born in Butler County, Ohio, on the Ifith of Decem- ber, 1X42. Her parents were James and Eliza (Tucker) Fisher, who were natives of New England. In 1X71 they came to Livingston County, and resided with their daughter. Mrs. Sheldon, for three years, and then returned to Boston, Mass. Jabez Fisher, a brother of Mrs. Sheldon's father, is the oldest living pork packer in this country. He is now living in Washington, N. H., in his ninety- ' > 194 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. seventh year. James Fisher had a family of eight children, of whom Mrs. Sheldon was the second. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sheldon four children, who bear the following names: Eliza S., Sarah G., James M. and Mary Ellen. Mr. Sheldon's parents were John B. and Sarah A. (Seeley) Sheldon. The father was a native of Rhode Island and the mother was a Vermonter by birth. They were the parents of eleven'children, of whom our subject was the seventh: they both died in Iroqnois County, 111. Mr. aud Mrs. Sheldon are member:- of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Sheldon is a Republican in politics and has held the office of Supervisor for Round Grove Township two year>, and was a member of the board during the erection of the new court-house at Pontiac. Dur- ing hi? residence in Livingston County he has taken an active part in public affairs, -and being a large tax-payer has done what he could to inculcate a spirit of economy and judicious expenditure of the public funds. HARLES A. F1NEFIELD, senior member of the hardware firm of Finefield & Larson, at Odell. has been a resident of this county since 1860. He is regarded as a man upright in his business transactions, public-spirited and liberal, and is in all respects one of the important factors of an enterprising and progressive city. He has done much in building up its interests, and nothing pleases him better than to note the progress of the people both morally and intellectually. He takes some interet in politics, enough to cast hi* decided vote with the Republican party, and is a member in high standing of the Masonic fraternity. He has been connected with '.he Village Board for a period of fourteen years, and i> naturally looked to for aid in those enterprises which are calculated to advance the general interests of the town. Our subject was born in St. James, forty mile:- from Montreal. Canada. Sept. 23, 1830, and is the youngest child of Charles and Magdalena (Pellerin) Finefield, also natives of the Dominion, where the father followed carpentering and was a quiet, in- offeiisi\e citizen, neither identified with polities nor war. In his younger years he had engaged in lum- bering in Upper Canada and with his wife spent his entire life in his native Province. Charles Finefield was placed in school at. a suitable age and became familiar, with both the French and English languages. Much of his time until he was fourteen years of age was spent in the carpenter-shop with his father, and then the death of that parent neces- sitated a decided change in his life. Not long after- ward lie came to the States, locating first at Bur- lington, Vt, where he engaged at carpentering one 3'ear aud then took up the trade of a blacksmith, which he followed two years in New England, and in 1847 migrated westward to Chicago. Not being fortunate in finding work there he went to Peoria and fron; there to Oswego, of which he was after- ward a resident eight years and engaged in black- smithing. From Oswego Mr. Finefield came to Odell and continued in the blacksmith-shop >ix years. Then deciding upon a change of occupation he purchased 160 acres of wild land in Union Township, and with his family established himself in a small frame dwelling which had been erected upon it. Two years later, however, he returned to town, took up his trade, and afterward became associated in part- nership with ex-Sheriff J. A. Hunter. They oper- ated together five years, the firm being dissolved by mutual consent. Mr. Finefield carried on the business three years by himself, and then cro>sing the Mississippi purchased 300 acre> of Kansas land with a view of improving a farm. He, however, met with a good opportunity to sell and conse- quently returned to Odell. His sons in the mean- time who had learned blacks mi thing of their father were carrying on that business, and Mr. Finefield invested a part of his capital in a stock of hardware He operated alone from 1882 until 1885, and then his ^resent partner wa> admitted to the business. They carry a well-as>orted stock of the articles mainly required in the country hoii;-ehold and the lighter implement* of the farm. Both men are en- terprising and honest in their transaction.-, and the firm is ranked among the stronger of this section. Mr. Finefield chose for his life companion a lady of his own country, namely. .Mi Julia St. Dennis, who became his wife on the -'oth of July. l?v><>. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Mrs. Fiiieficld was born at St. John, Canada. June ."), 1826, and is tlie daughter of Louis and Aggate Si. Dennis, natives of the Dominion, whence they removed at an earl_y day to Oswego, Kendall Comity, during its first settlement. They after- ward, however, returned to Canada, where the father died about 1856, the mother having pre- ceded him to the better land in about 1837. Of the seven children born to Mr. and Mrs. Finc- field two are now deceased : Mary Jane who died in 1853, at the age of eleven months, and Ephraini at the age of eleven years, in 1866. The record of the others is as follows: Ellen is the wife of Leroy McAllen, a carpenter; Frank married Miss Helen Woodbury; Charles remains with his father; Fred married Miss Carrie Erschens; these are all living at Odell. Willie, the youngest, is unmarried and engaged in buying grain in Dakota. Mrs. Finefield departed this life at her home in Odell. March 11, 1887. She was reared in the faith of the Catholic Church to which she adhered to the end of life. As a wife and mother she was faithful in all respects and fulfilled nobly the responsibilities committed to her. She presented in her daily life all those amia- ble and estimable qualities which made her home, to her husband and children, the most .attractive spot on earth, while in the community which had known her so long and well she was held in univer- sal esteem. jpALTER S. HUNT, a prominent and well-to- do farmer of Broughton Township, owns 240 acres of good land on section 28, and a quarter section in Iowa, which he has acquired by his own unaided industry, except eighty acres which came from the estate of the father of Mrs. Hunt. He commenced in life for himself on H cash capital of $3, and it is hardly necessary to say that his career has been marked by tireless perseverance and re- markably good judgment. The term self-made will apply most properly to this gentleman, who is widely and favorably known throughout this com- munity as one of its representative men. For many years he engaged in general fanning, and later made a specialty of stock-raising, in which he has met with unquestioned success^ ..'Politically lie nllil- iates with the Republican party, and although steadily declining to become an office-holder IIMS exerted much influence in township affairs. Our subject, a native of Chenango County, N. Y., was burn Aug. 13, 1839. His parents. Edwin and Emeline (Ladd) Hunt, were also natives of the Empire State, where they owned a modest property, and whence they migrated in the spring of 1843 to Kendall County, 111., during its early settlement. The father of our subject, with his patient and courageous wife, endured all the hardships and pri- vations incident to pioneer life, and were numbered among the most highly respected residents of that section of country. They spent the remainder of their days in Kendall County, the father passing away Jan. 11), 1864, and the mother on the 9th of March, 1879. The elder Hunt had transformed a portion of the uncultivated prairie into a good homestead, which later passed into the hands of his son J. B. The subject of this history was the eldest child of his parents, and spent his childhood and youth on the farm in Kendall County. His first lessons were conducted in the subscription schools, which were carried on only a few weeks in winter. The re- mainder of the time his services were utilized on the farm, and he early in life acquired those habits of industry and economy which later paved his way to success. He continued with his parents until the outbreak of the Civil War, and in May, 1861, soon after the call for troops, enlisted in Company H, 13th Illinois Infantry, and was with the commands of Gens. Grant and Sherman during his entire service. As may be supposed he par- ticipated in the most important battles of that period, including the fight of Arkansas Post, the siege and capture of Vicksburg, the second battle of Jackson, the engagements at Lookout Mountain and Mission Ridge, besides meeting the enemy at various other points, and engaging in numberless skirmishes. At Chickasaw Bayou young Hunt was wounded three times, once in each arm, and once in the left leg. He was in the volunteer service until receiving his honorable discharge on the 18th of June, 1864; in the meantime he was promoted to Second Sergeant, and received many evidences 4- P.M; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of the approval of his superior officers. His life as a soldier was similar to that of thousands of others, and like most of the brave boys he seldom refer- to that dark period in the nation's history which in- volved so much affliction, bereavement and distress. Upon his retirement from the army Mr. Hunt re- turned to Kendall County, where he continued the pursuit of farming, and on the tith of February, 1 868, was married to Miss Sallie A. E. Wagner, then a resident of that county. Mrs. Hunt was born in Highland County, Ohio, Jan. 31, 1842, and is the daughter of William and Delilah A. (Golladay) Wagner, natives of Virginia. Upon leaving the Old Dominion they lived in Ohio until the fall of 18~>2, and thence removed to Kendall County, where they were among the earliest settlers. Mr. Wagner car- ried on farming successfully, and departed this life on the 28th of March, 1884; the mother had de- parted this life Aug. 31, 1873. Their family in- cluded eight children, of whom five are living, namely: Silas F., a resident of Nebraska; Mary J.. the wife of H. A. MeKinzie, of Kansas; Pauline R.. Mrs. David Hall, of Kendall County; Sallie A. E., and Samuel S., who is farming in Pottawattamie County, Iowa. The children of Edwin and Emeline Hunt besides Walter are as follows: John B. is living in Oswego, 111.; Sarah A. is the wife of Zopher Ketchum, of Kane County; Mary A. is living in Aurora, 111. ; Ellen L., Mrs. Edson Wheeler, is in Dakota; Charles E. is engaged in the carshops at Aurora, 111. Our subject and his wife have three children : Edwin W., who was born June 4, 1870; Walter S., Sept. 11, 1876, and Celia, Dec. 17, 1877; one child, Lnla A., died April 19, 1874, aged four years. They have been resident* of Broughton Township nearly four- teen years, having located on their present farm in the spring of 1874. AMUEL HOKE, after a long and industri- ous life, is now a retired farmer living in the city of Odell. He was born in Mc- C'onnellsburg, Pa., on the 24th of April, 1827, and was the youngest of six boys, and the eighth in a family of ten children born to Jacob and Margaret (Lohr) lloke, who were natives of j Pennsylvania. The father w,-is born in Hanover, Oct. 10, 1783, and the mother in Gettysburg, April 22, 1793. The father was a mechanic, and moved tn McConnellsbiirg about 180H, where he spent his declining .years, dying on the 28th of November, 1867. His excellent wife survived him, and died in Epworth, Iowa, Oct. 10, 1872, while she was visiting her daughter who resided there. Jacob Hoke was a soldier in the War of 181 2, serving until its close, and was present when the British invaded Baltimore. The paternal grandfather was Henry Hoke. Our subject's maternal grandparents were Jacob and Margaret (Zeigler) Lohr, who were natives of Pennsylvania. Both grandfathers par- ticipated in tho Revolutionary War. Samuel Hoke was reared in town, and his educa- tion was almost entirely neglected. At the age of seventeen he went to Chambersburg to learn the trade of a painter, where he was apprenticed and served four years. At that time the customary rule was to board the apprentice and pay him $2 per month in cash, and while thus engaged Mr. Hoke formed his habits of prudence and economy. At the age of twenty-one years he began work for himself, and engaged one year in Chambersburg, after which he went to Gettysburg, where he re- mained one year. From there he went to Williams- burg, and opened a paint and cabinet-making shop, and while living at that place, met the lady who became his wife. On the 18th of April, 1850, Mr. Hoke was mar- ried to Miss Laura M. Kenney, who was born in Martinsburg, Bedford Co., Pa., on the 22d of No- vember, 1831. She was the youngest child in a family of five, born to Alexander W. and Hannah E. (Harvey) Kenney, natives of Pennsylvania. Her father was born June 6, 1797, in Lewistown, Mint in Co.. Pa., and was a saddler by trade, but he went into business as a merchant and grain-buyer in his later years. He died April 13, 1858, in Hol- lidaysbnrg, Pa. His wife, Hannah E., daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Harvey, was born June 13, 1792, in Chester County, and died in Martinsburg, June 31, 1837. A. W. Kenney was the son of Robert and Margaret Kenney, both of Pennsyl- vania. Mr. Hoke and his wife settled in life at Williams- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 197 burg, where he was engaged in business and re- mained there nine years. In 1 859 lie sold his pos- sessions there and moved to Dwight, Living.-tim County, where he opened the first furniture store started in the town, and also pursued his vocation as a painter. He soon sold out his business and purchased a farm of eighty acres, on which he built a house, and in the fall of the same year he removed to this farm, which was located in Union Town- ship. Here Mrs. Hoke taught the second school in that township, with an enrollment of but five pu- pils, three of whom were her own children. Mr. Hoke was one of the first to advocate a division of the township into districts, and being one of the Trustees, he eventually accomplished his object. In 1860 the township was laid off by Samuel Hoke. William Thompson and Arthur Marshall, into four sectional districts, which remain to-day as they were designated then. The first school-house iu the district in which Mr. Hoke resided was located on his land. Mr. Hoke continued to live on this farm until 1880, through thrift and enterprise in- creasing it to 400 acres of fine arable laud, which he put under a fine state of cultivation, and man- aged with great success until he retired from act- ual business life. In 1864 he was drafted as a sol- dier in the army, but sickness prevented his re- sponding to the call, and he provided a substitute. During his residence there he served as Assessor five years, and during nearly the entire time he was School Director. He and his wife have given up active life, and are now living comparatively at their ease, enjoying the fruits of their early labors. Mr. and Mrs. Hoke are the parents of seven chil- dren, six of whom are living: Alexander Rees was born Sept. 16, 1851 ; Hannah Margaret, Jan. 8, 1854; William Elias,Oct. 2, 1850; Charles Harvey, June 28, 1860; George Kenney, Dec. 17, 1862; Samuel Lewis, July 8, 1867, and Frank Lincoln, Nov. 11, 1871. Lewis died Jan. 19, 1887. He was a member of the Congregational Church, which he joined at the age of sixteen, and was active in the Sunday-school and meetings of that denomina- tion; he always evinced a readiness to come for- ward and identify himself with the cause of Chris- tianity. He was a teacher, and while engaged in that profession was taken sick at Belle Prairie, this county, and remained at his post in the school- room until within five days of his death. He was grad- uated at the Odell High School, and afterward at- tended Dixon College. He had taken a high course in mathematics, and prepared himself for the work of a civil engineer, but all the events of his life tended toward the ministry, which would eventu- ally have become his work had he lived. During his last school term he lived at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. I). Spence. Mr. and Mrs. Iloke are members of the Presby- terian Church, and are active and earnest in all their Christian labors, to which they devote much of their time. >HOMAS J. JOHNSON, who is now a retired farmer residing in Dwight, is a native of the State of Connecticut, being bom in Sterling. Windliam County, March 1, 1827. He is of Pro- testant-Irish stock, and his remote ancestors settled at a very early day in Connecticut. John L. John- son, the father of our subject, was born in Rhode Island, and was a farmer by occupation. He after- ward went to Connecticut, where he worked for James Bailey, Sr., whose daughter, Miss Eunice Bailey, he eventually married ; her mother's name was also Eunice. The Baileys were of Protest- ant-Welsh origin, who settled at an early day in New England. The parental family of our subject included eight children Nancy, Thomas J., Henry D., Mary A., John F., Gilbert C., Jane and Alexander. After marriage, Mr. Johnson went to Oneco, Conn., where he had the management of several farms for Mr. Valentine, who was the proprietor of the extensive manufacturing establishment located there. Mr. Johnson bought out the heirs of the Bailey estate, and lived upon that homestead for many j-ears, and died there at the age of sixty-seven. He was a well-disposed man, and of religious principles, but was never a mem her of any religious organization. He was a representative New England farmer, mod- est and retiring in his disposition, and always de- clined to accept office. Thomas J. Johnson was born on the farm named 199 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 above, and received a good common-school educa- tion. When young he had an ambition to obtain a more liberal education than the common school.- of Connecticut afforded, and he worked and strug- gled by teaching school and canvassing for books in the West, to earn the money needed to gratify this worthy ambition. With the money thus pro- cured he managed to attend the Smithville Semi- nary, Rhode Island, and Phillips Academy at And- over, Mass. He was obliged to abandon his inten- tion of obtaining a university education, on ac- count of his delicate constitution, but having natural ability as a conversationalist, he engaged with Hon. Henry Bill, a prominent and well-known publisher of Norwich, Conn., to canvass for his publications. Mr. Johnson traveled extensively in Ohio, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, and besides canvassing himself, employed others to work for him. He was in the book trade from 1850 until IXliS, and was very successful. The professional book men of the United States are a class by themselves, and have distributed among the masses of the people a vast amount of useful information. They, next to the common school, the press and the pulpit, have been one of the greatest causes for the advancement of the people. Numberless valuable books have been circulated in the highways and byways, where oth- erwise few or no books would have found their way. Often situated many miles from an}' book- store, the people would seldom see a valuable book but for the energetic agent, who allows no obstacle to prevent his sales. The professional agents are usually men of fair education, unusual energy and intelligence, and possess perseverance and industry to a remarkable degree. After following this busi- ness for fifteen years, and having saved a consider- able amount of money, Mr. Johnson concluded to take to himself a life partner. On the 31st of January, 1870, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Jennie E., daughter of Albert and Deborah (Kittle) Field, of Rhode Island. Her parents were people of English descent, who came to New England at an early clay. Immediately after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Johnson moved upon a farm in Broughton Township, Livingston Co., 111., which he had previously purchased. They have become the parents of six children, who were named Byron L.. Irving E., Bertie, Byron (2d), Roscoe and Florence. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been sadly afflicted in the death of all their children ex- cepting Florence. Byron L. died at the age of three and one-half years, and in December, 1882, the four boys, Irving, Bertie, Byron (2d) and Ros- coe, died of scarlet fever within two weeks of each other, in Dwight, 111. This severe blow has been endured with great patience and resignation. Flor- ence is now attending school at Dwight, where Mr. Johnson resides, having retired from active life. Our subject possesses a substantial property con- sisting of two farms, together containing 375 acres of land, a good residence and thirty-two town lots in Dwight. In politics Mr. Johnson is a Democrat, but does not take an active interest in political affairs. He is a self-made man, who by intelligence and perseverance has accumulated his large prop- erty. Wide-awake and well informed on most sub- jects, he stands well in the community in which he lives. PHRAIM S. CLARK, the owner of 480 acres land located on sections 32 and 33. Read- Township, after a busy and successful life as a farmer, has retired from active work. He was born in Meigs County, Ohio, on the 27th of February, 1819, and is the son of Samuel and Pirn-be (Sayre) Clark. The father was the son of Samuel Clark, a native of New Jersey, and the mother was the daughter of Ephraim and Lydia (Fosett) Sayre, who were of English descent. Samuel Clark, .the father of our subject, was a volunteer soldier in the War of 1812, and also in the Black Hawk War. He was born on the 8th of March, 1792, and died on the 2d of June, 1*40. Phoebe, the mother of our subject, was born Feb. 4, 1797, and died Aug. 5, 1845. To Samuel and Phu'be Clark were born fourteen children, named as follows: Mary, Lydia, Ephraim S., Hannah, Sarah, Caroline, Amos, Esther, Robert, Rosetta, Charles Wesley, Malvina, John Nelson and Eliza Ann. Mary, born Aug. 27, 1815, died Aug. 30, 1823; Lydia, born Oct. 4, 1817, married Philip Shull, and died leaving five children; Hannah, born Oct. G, 1820, married Abram Hoffman, a farmer, <^p^ PHRA tof lan ing T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 201 i has six children, and lives in Indiana; Sarah, born May 10, 1822, married Isaac F. Cashman, of Bu- reau County, 111., has five children, and resides in Iowa County, Iowa; Caroline, born March 16, 182 1. died April 18, 1824; Amos, born March 27, 1825, married Lucy Reither, and they have one child ; Amos is a shoemaker by trade, but he is now a traveling salesman. Esther, born Nov. 2(>, 1826, was married to George Washington Grant, a far- mer, has four children, and resides in Missouri: Robert, born April 1, 1831, married Hannah Ostran- der; they have two children, and reside in Boone County, Iowa. Rosetta, born Oct. 18, 1832, mar- ried George Hoffman; they have three children, and are residents of Holt County, Neb. Charles W., born Feb. 23, 1834, married Catherine McManus, and they have a family of four children, and reside in Southern Missouri; his occupation is that of a farmer, and he served three years during the late war in Company 1), 20th Illinois Infantry. Mal- vina, born Oct 14, 18:55, married Calvin Roberts, a carpenter by trade; they have six children, and re- side in Barton County, Mo. John N., born Dec. 18, 1837, enlisted in Company D, 20th Illinois In- fantry, and received a wound at Ft. Donelson, from which he died ; his remains were brought home and buried in Ancona Cemetery, where his grave is marked by a fine marble monument. Eliza A., bom July 2-2, 1839, married Henry Sultzbaugh; they have four children, and reside in Webster County, Iowa, where the husband is engaged in mining coal. On the 10th of April, 1845, Mr. Clark was mar- ried to Mildred Ann Jones, a native of Kentucky, who was born on the 6th of November, 1822. She is the daughter of Lewis and Catherine Jones, to j whom, besides the wife of our subject, were born the following-named children : Edward. Sarah Ann, , Winnie Ann, Silas, Lucetta and Nancy Eleanor. Edward married Mary Goodrich, and died, leaving a large family ; Sarah Ann married James McManus, and they both died, leaving one child*; Winnie Ann married Jacob Doll, a tailor by trade; they have three children, and reside in Terre Haute, Ind. Silas died when a young man in Ancona; Lucetta married James Mclntyre, a fanner and stock- raiser, who died at Ransom, 111., leaving two children; Nancy Eleanor married Daniel Foster, who died in Iowa, leaving five children; after the death of her first husband she was married to William McGee, a farmer, and they reside in LaSalle County, 111. In the winter of 1828-29, our subject accom- panied his parents when they removed from Ohio to Indiana, making the trip by water in a boat built for the occasion. When they arrived at the mouth of the White River, a considerable delay was occa- sioned on account of the water being low, and they had to remain at this point until the river arose sufficiently to permit them to continue their jour- ney to Terre Haute, their destination. At the age of ten years our subject, with his sister, began at- tending school at Mt. Carmel, 111., in 1829, and remaining at school about three months, returned to his home in Indiana. In the fall of 1845 our subject, with his young wife, removed to Bureau County, 111., where he remained for about five years, and in December, 1850, he came to Living- ston County, and at once erected a log house, cut- ting and hauling the logs and completing his house in two days. To Mr. and Mrs. Clark have been born the fol- lowing-named children: William Talbot, Tarsina, Annice, Frank, Lycurgus, John Ephraim and Win- field Scott. William T., born March 4, 1848, mar- ried Amy Coe, who has borne him six children, five of whom are living; he is a farmer and stock- raiser by occupation, and resides in Livingston County. Tarsina, born Oct. 12, 1851, married Al- bert Coe, a farmer; they have five children, and live in Woodson County, Kan. Annice, born March :!, 1854, married William Boatman, a farmer by occu- pation, has two children, and resides in Woodson County, Kan.; Frank, born Jan. 8, 1856, married Kate Willoughby, who is now deceased ; he resides in Livingston County, and is a prominent teacher and farmer. Lycurgus, born Dec. 22, 1857, died Jan. 19. 1859; John E., born Oct. 28, 1859, died Sept. 18, 1871 ; he met his death by being kicked by a horse. Winfield S., born Oct. 1 7, 1 862, was educated in the common schools and at the Normal School at Valparaiso. Ind., and now resides at home. Mr. Clark purchased land in Livingston County in the fall of 1852, paying for it with a land war- rant procured from a neighbor, which was issued i; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. r for services rendered as a ranger during the Black Hawk War. He first settled in Reading Township, on section 27, where the village of Ancoua now stands, and from which place he hauled his grain and pork to Ottawa, and his milling to Dayton, four miles northeast of Ottawa. Mr. Clark now owns 480 acres of excellent land, which has been well improved, and contains, besides the homestead, two tenant houses. A double-page view of his estate may be found in the pictorial department of this volume. Mr. Clark was formerly a member of the Demo- , cratic part}', with which he remained up to 185C. In 1860, however, he voted for Stephen A. Doug- las, and since that time has acted independently. Ke is a strong advocate of the principles of tem- perance, and never neglects an opportunity to ad- vance that cause. He has served twenty-six years as School Director, and six as Town Trustee, and has also served as Assessor and Justice of the Peace. He is one of Reading Township's foremost citizens, and has always espoused everything that tended toward the general welfare of the people. He is j widely known for his benevolence and kindness as a neighbor, and indulgence as a husband and father, and enjoys the confidence of all the people of that section of Livingston County. None of those rep- resented in the portrait department of this ALBUM are more worthy of a place there than Mr. Clark. As a fitting accompaniment of his portrait we give that of his estimable wife. J^ESSE UIFFENBAUGH is a prominent grain dealer of Dwight, whose transactions are so extensive as to embrace nearly all the farm ' products of the section of country adjacent. He was born on the 21st of August, 1830, near Westminster, Md. The Diffenbaughs are of an old pioneer family of that State, of sturdy origin, who came to Maryland in the old Colonial times. On the maternal side Mr. Diffenbaugh is of English descent, from one of the old Baltimore families. John Henry Diffenbaugh was the first of the name of whom we have any record, and IIP was brought to this country when a small boy by his father, who 4* was the original pioneer, and brought with him three sons. In those- early days it was a long dis- tance to mill, ns they were located along the creek and were far apart. One of the brothers started to mill to be absent two or three days, but never re- turned. It is supposed he was taken and carried into captivity by some wandering band of Indians. Mr. Diffenbaugh settled on a farm near Westmins- ter, Md., and was drafted as a soldier in the War of 1812, but being in ill-health he was permitted to secure a substitute. The maiden name of his wife was Bumgardner, and they were the parents of four daughters and one son Elizabeth, Catherine, Lydia, Susan and John H. They are all now living except Lydia, who'was thrown from a buggy and killed. Elizabeth is eighty-eight years of age, Catherine eighty-four, John H. eighty-one, and Susan seventy-seven, the combined ages of the four being three hundred and thirty years. The father of this family died in 1813. John Henry, the father of our subject, was born in 1806, and followed the occupation of a farmer. He received a common-school education, and has for many years been a member of the Christian Church. In political opinions he was a Democrat up to the breaking out of the war, and after that he became a Republican. In 1826 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Powell, daughter of John and Eliza- beth Powell, who lived on a neighboring farm. Mr. Powell came from England when a young man, in company with his mother, one sister and two broth- ers. Mrs. Powell was a Stewart, whose mother mar- ried a Towson, who belonged to a celebrated Balti- more family during the War of 1812, in which Capt. William Towson wa> an ollicer. Mrs. Powell wai a woman of superior intelligence, and is well remembered by her grandchildren as a woman pos- sessing great force of character. She was a very skillful nurse and of great service to the sick, who at that day did not have the best medical atten- dance. Mr. Diffenbaugh by his union with Miss Powell became the father of fourteen children John T.. Angelina, Jesse, Margaret, Catherine. Emily J., Lucinda, Adam II., Louisa, Mary, Mar- tha, and three who died in infancy. Martha mar- ried David Burns, of Maryland, and died in 187H, leaving two children, Harvey and Ernest. The f t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 203 remainder of the family are all in Maryland, ex- cepting Jesse, and Louisa, who married Isaac Perry, and is at present a resident of Dwight. Mr. Diffen- baugh was a man of sterling character and brought up his large family to principles of the strictest integrity. Mrs. Diffenbaugh died in 1868, at the age of sixty-one years. The subject of this sketch received a common- school education during his boyhood days and early learned the trade of a shoemaker. Leaving home in 1852, at the age of twenty-two, he went to Mill Creek, Pa., where he engaged as a clerk in a store for eight years. He afterward opened a store of his own, and operated a sawmill, engaging in a gen- eral lumber business. In 1860 Mr. Diffenbaugh was married to Miss Sarah Goodman, daughter of John Goodman, a farmer of Mill Creek. They have had two children, Harry J. and Nora E., of whom the latter died when about eleven years of age. In 1868 Mr. Diffenbaugh sold out his business and moved to Dwight, 111., where he began farming on land which he had previously bought about two miles south of Dwight. In 1870 he engaged in the grain business, which he has prosecuted with suc- cess up to the present time. In political matters Mr. Diffenbaugh acts with the Democratic party, and has been Assessor of the township for three years, and a member of the School Board. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and takes an active interest in lodge matters. A life of perseverance and indus- try has earned for Mr. Diffenbaugh an excellent reputation as a business man, and he stands de- servedly high in commercial circles. In his social relations with the people he has popularized him- self with all classes, by whom he is held in the high- est esteem. t EWIS HOLLOWAY, dealer in dry-goods, groceries, tin and glassware in the village i 'v of Wing, Pleasant Ridge Township, was born in Hamilton Count}', Ohio, in 1838. He is the son of John and Mary (Massey) Holloway, the former of whom was born in 1809 and died in 1849 in Ohio. He was a cabinet-maker b}' trade, and was skillful in his calling. The father's death oc- curred one day after that of the mother, the death of both being caused by cholera. They were the parents of seven children, whose names are as fol- lows: John, Ann, Lewis, William, Sarah, Edward and Emily. Mr. Holloway came to Illinois in 1855, and lo- cated in LaSalle County, where he learned the trades of bricklaying and plastering, at which he worked for four years and then engaged in farm- ing. On the 8th of January, 1862, he enlisted in the army, and was mustered in as a private in an independent company attached to the 53d Illinois In- fantry as Company A Cavalry, and known as Will- iam Ford's Cavalry, afterward Gen. Halleck's es- cort, and later Gen. Grant's escort, and later as Company L, 15th Illinois Cavalry, and soon after- ward it participated in the siege at Corinth, where it remained for about one month. Thence it went to Shewalla, where it remained until the second siege of Corinth, in which it was engaged. The first general engagement in which this company participated was at Hatchie River on the 25th of September, 1862. The company afterward went to Glendale, where it remained until the spring of 1863. In the engagement at Hatchie River Mr. Holloway had received injuries which rendered him unfit for any service, and he was discharged for permanent disability. His discharge bears date Feb. 25, 1863. Immediately upon his discharge he re- turned home, and after recruiting his health about one year he engaged in farming. His first purchase of land was forty acres, to which he has from time to time added until he now owns 140 acres of good land on section 13, this township, and all under cultivation. On the 24th of July, 1858, Mr. Holloway was married to Miss Mary A. Brundage, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born on the 10th of Septem- ber, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Holloway have had ten children, eight of whom are now living: Oscar, Clarence, Alice, Ida J., Harry, Clifford, George and Alma. Mr. Holloway began his present business in May, 1880, but afterward disposed of it and went to the farm, where he staid two years. He then returned to Wing and erected another store building, which he supplied with a large and varied stock of goods, t f 4 204 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. consisting principally of flour, boots and shoes, dry- goods, groceries, tin and glassware. lie has built up an extensive trade with the people of that sec- tion of the country, and is meeting with marked success. In politics Mr. llolloway acts with the Repub- lican party, and has been selected by the people to discharge the duties of various offices. He has filled the office of Road Commissioner nine years and has been Justice of the Peace eleven years, and during that time none of his decisions have been reversed upon an appeal to a higher court. He has jurisdiction in certain criminal cases, and the decisions he has rendered in those cases have been approved whenever an appeal has been taken. Mr. llolloway does not belong to any church organization, but is a strong believer in religion as taught by Christ, and is a Second Adventist in belief, but his children are active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is a Comrade of Post No. 114, G. A. R., at Forest, and is quite regular in his attendance. As a citizen Mr. Hollo- way is highly esteemed, and as a prompt and cor- rect business man has earned an enviable reputa- tion. T (AMES TANNER. This gentleman is one of the oldest living citizens of Avoca Town- ship, and has made his impress in the his- _ ' tory of both the county and township. He was born in Montgomery County, Ohio, on the 27th of September, 1815, and is the son of Rob- ert and Jane Tanner, the former a native of Ken- tucky, and the latter of Pennsylvania. His pater- nal ancestors were of English and the maternal an- cestors of Irish descent. His parents settled in Montgomery County, Ohio, about the j'ear 1812, and were among the very earliest pioneers of that region of country. His father has been twice mar- ried, and of a large family of children there are but three survivors James, John A. and Ann M., the last the wife of Samuel Parrott, of Kansas. The subject of this sketch, when about twelve years of age, accompanied his parents when they removed to and settled in Fountain County, Ind., where lie was reared to manhood and received a rudimentary education in the early subscription schools, which were the only kind they had before the inauguration of the present free school system in Indiana. His early days were spent upon the farm, where he gained that practical experience which has been so' valuable to him in active life. lie was first married in Indiana, on the 24th of December, 1840, to Ann, a daughter of Robert Buchanan, and a native of Pennsylvania. She died on the 5th of March, 1852. Mr. Tanner's second marriage occurred in Illinois on the 1 4th of Decem- ber, 1853, when he was united with Ulala Tucker, who was born on the 14th of December, 1823, in Butler County, Ohio. She was a daughter of Joel and Sarah Tucker, who were natives of Kentucky and Pennsylvania respectively. When seven years of age she accompanied her parents when they re- moved to Tippecanoe County, Ind., where she was reared to maturity. In 1851 with her parents she came to Livingston County, where they settled on the Vermilion River in Avoca Township, and were among the pioneer settlers of that section. The}' both died in this place. In the spring of 1850 Mr. Tanner came from Indiana to Livingston County, and bought eighty acres of land on section 17, in Avoca Township, to which he has added by subsequent purchases until he now owns 154 acres, most of which is under cul- tivation, lie has resided continuously on section 17 since he became a citizen of Livingston County. At the time he settled here the market for his farm products and the base of supplies was Ottawa, to which point he hauled all his grain. He endured all the usual hardships that befall the pioneer in a new country, but he has been successful in life, overcoming all obstacles, and has now one of the most pleasant homes and best improved farms in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Tanner arc members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and for years he has served as Class-Leader, Steward and Superintendent of the Sunday-school. To the church he is a liberal contributor, and as ;i member his example is wor- thy of emulation. To encourage those actively engaged in the battle of life, a few words of his Christian experience from his own pen are quite appropriate in this connection. "I was born of I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Christian parents, who in early youth taught me the fear of the Lord, and to read His holy word. I \VM.S eon verted and gave my heart to God in my sixteenth year, finding great peace in believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. In this Christian faith and hope I have lived for fifty-six years. A large ma- jority of my friends and neighbors have passed on before, and I hope to -meet many of them in the land where sickness and death will never come." He has served as Road Commissioner of the town- ship one term, for several years of said board as Treasurer, and as Justice of the Peace five years, and all these positions he has filled with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the people. Mr. Tanner was appointed Postmaster of Lodemia, Oct. 24. 1878, and has held the office up to the present time. He is a Republican in politics, and is thor- oughly imbued with the doctrines and modern ideas of that party. He has a tendency toward the doctrines of the Prohibition party, and looks upon the evil of intemperance as one of the greatest curses of the land. He and his wife are now in their declining years, but are enjoying the fruits of a life spent in usefulness and well-doing. They are both highly esteemed b'y their neighbors and acquaintances. A. HUNTER. One of the most jH] prominent young business men in the city of Odell, and one who deserves special men- tion for the energy with which he conducts his business, is the subject of this sketch, who is a dealer in drugs and medicines. He was born in Lawrence Count}-, Pa., on the 5th of November, 1857. and in order of birth was third in a family of four children born to James A. and Jane (Struthers) Hunter, whose biographies appear in this Ai.ncM. Mr. Hunter was reared to city life and educated in the schools of Odell, where his parents located when he was eight years of age. From that time until he was sixteen years of age he constantly at- tended school, and was then granted a teacher's certificate, and engaged to teach school in the country, but an eminent physician. Dr. \Valdon, at this time bought a half interest in the Odell City Drug .Store with J. P. Kidder, with the understand- ing that young Hunter should take charge of his interest there. At the end of the first week in the school-room he turned over to a successor his school work and entered the store, in 1874. It being the home of his youth, his acquaintance ex- tended throughout the entire city and many miles in the surrounding country, and his natural genial disposition and upright life, which was an open book to all, brought to him the patronage of the best people of the community, llis business ca- reer proved him to be, as a man, what his' conduct as a boy indicated. After being engaged as a clerk four years, and Dr. Waldon desiring to with- draw from the business in Odell, for the purpose of going West, Mr. Hunter arranged to buy his in- terest in the store. Negotiations were soon com- pleted and at the age of twenty-one years he was in full possession of a half interest in the best pay- ing store in the city. On the 17th of November, 1881, Mr. II. was mar- ried to Florence M. Shaw, who was born in Lawrence County, Pa., on the Kith of February, 1 80!) , and was the second child of eight born to Stephen and Harriet (Ramsey) Shaw, who were natives of Penn- sylvania. Her father was a stanch Abolitionist during the exciting days of the discussion of the slavery question, and during the war was one of the most active aiders and abettors of anti-slavery doctrines. An early acquaintance between Mr. Hun- ter and his wife during their childhood led up to their marriage. The}' are the parents of two chil- dren: James A. was born on the 29th of Septem- ber, 1882, and Harriet J., on the 4th of March, 1887. Mr. Hunter has been remarkably successful in his business affairs, and makes safe investments of his surplus cash. The cottage home which he purchased some four years ago was the beginning of his investment in real estate. In addition to this he also wwns a half interest in the store build- ing where his business is carried on, and a quarter section of fine farming land in Dakota. Mr. Hunter is quite active in political matters, displaying the same energy as he does in his busi- ness, and all his political efforts are directed for the benefit of the Republican party. There i> no self- 20G LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ish motive to any part he may take in politics, for he does not desire public office, preferring to de- vote his time to his private business. He is a member in high standing of the Masonic fraternity, and both lie and his wife are members of the Con- gregational Church, in which he serves as Trustee, and is an active Sunday-school worker. <>f pioneer life, such as distant markets and small prices for the products of his labor. An uncon- querable will, however, overcame all obstacles, and he now owns 161 acres of good land, all of which has been the result of his own efforts. Mr. Morris is a member of the Baptist Church, in which he has officiated as Deacon for several years. He was among the first to preach the Gospel in his neighborhood, which he did in the capacity of a local preacher for many years. In recent years, however, owing to increasing age and infirmities, he has not engaged actively in ministerial labor, but is still an active worker in the Lord's vine- yard, and is an earnest promoter of every move- ment tending to improve society. While not an active politician he has filled several of the local offices, having served as Assessor and School Di- rector. In politics he is a Republican, and as a man his unsullied reputation has won for him the esteem and confidence of all who know him. OHN GEIS, cigar manufacturer of D wight, is regarded among the substantial German citi- zens of the town, and is a fine representative of the industry and persistence which are so essential in the building up of communities, both agricultural and industrial. He is the descendant of a long line of pure German ancestry, and was born and reared near the town of Villmar, in the Province of Hesse-Nassau, of which his father was one of the most prosperous farmers. The latter, who owned a large extent of land, and accumulated a good property, is now retired from active life, spending his declining years in ease and comfort. Only two of the family came to the United States, our subject and his brother Joseph, the latter being now a resident of Nebraska. Mr. Geis was born in 184'J, and spent his boy- hood years not far from the beautiful valley of the IMiine, which is so renowned for its fertility and richness in quarries of marble and iron ore. In common with the youth of his country, he was thor- oughly educated in the schools of his native Prov- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 207 ince, iincl remained there until eighteen years of age. In the spring of 1807 he embarked on a steamer from Bremen, and after a fair passage set foot on American soil, and proceeded directly to the city of Chicago. Thence, -not long afterward, he migrated to Milwaukee, Wis., where he learned the shoe- maker's trade, and remained four years. Then re- turning to Chicago he took up cigar-making, re- maining there four years also, and in 1 N75 was married to Miss Mary A. Schmidt of that city. They are now the proud parents of four boys John, William, Joseph and Edward. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Geis were all born at Dwight after their removal here, March 30, 1875, where during a residence of twelve years, they have fairly established themselves in the esteem and con- fidence of the community. The career of Mr. G. has been steadily onward, and he has built up a suc- cessful patronage, both as a wholesale and retail dealer, he owning his residence and his store. He is declared to be one of the most straightforward and honorable business men of Dwight. He is Democratic, politically, and socially, belongs to the I.O. O. F. and the K. of P. 11. CHISAM. It being generally believed that heredity has much to do with the forma- tion of character, and that our lives are stimulated by the indirect as well as the immediate influences of our ancestors, a short resume of the lives of Mr. Chisam's parents may serve as the in- dex to the liberal and humane impulses which mark his daily life, and which have won for him the esteem of those who know him. The subject of this sketch, a dealer in grain and hay at Odell, was born in Rome, N. Y., on the I'.Hh of July, 1849, and is the eldest child born to James and Margaret (Hayden) Chisam, natives of New York. The paternal grandparents were James and Mary (Cook) Chisam, of North of Ireland descent and of the Protestant faith. They came to America about 182(1, where James Chisam was engaged in farming, and spent his declining years. The ma- ternal grandparents were Dr. Ansonand Kate (Ilill- iard) Ilayden. natives of New York, where he was a practicing physician when the wolves chased night travelers across the country to their doorj'ards. The grandparents all lived to be more than ninety years of age. The father of the subject of this sketch was a carriage-maker by trade, and for many years car- ried on the business in Taberg, N. Y. After the death of his wife he came West, and spent his declin- ing years in Springlield, 111., with his son Charles, freight agent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad. He was a quiet, conservative citizen, taking but little part in politics, though he espoused the principles of the Republican party. At the age of sixty-two years he died in Springfield. C. II. Chisam was reared to city life, and was educated in the common schools until thirteen years of age, when he entered a general store at Taberg, as clerk, where his parents resided at that time. In that line he remained five years and then came West to see what this section of country had in store for him. lie came by the way of Chicago, and down to Lincoln, where he had friends, and en- gaged iii a general merchandise store for two years. At the end of that time he went to Springfield, '111., where he served in the capacity of railroad agent for the Chicago & Alton Railroad Company, for about eight years. While residing at Springfield, Mr. Chisam was married, on the 1 2th of Ma_y, 1875, to Clara Arming- ton, of Atlanta, 111., who was born Oct. 1!), 1850, and was the third in a family of four children born to Hezekiah and Frances (Verry) Armington, who were natives of the State of Vermont, but were early settlers at Armington, Tazewell County, where their daughter was born. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Chisam settled at Springfield, where he was em- ployed, and thence removed to Atlanta, when Mr. Chisam accepted an engagement as a traveling sales- man in Illinois. Five years later he left the road, and coming to Odell, engaged in the grain business, leavinghis wife and family at Atlanta. They were the parents of three children, all of whom are liv- ing. Mr. Chisam had been in business only a short time, spending his Sundays at home, when his wife died on the 22dof March, 1H85, having been a suf- ferer from consumption. Mrs. Chisam was a lad}' of high womanly virtue 208 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. and inanj- accomplishments, a graduate of the High Scliool in Atlanta, and identified with the best in- t crusts of the young people of that city. She was a bright, vivacious, open-hearted young woman. whom all her associates respected and loved. She had always been a promising flower, and was a faith- ful wife and loving mother; her bright, happy man- ner, mid many excellent traits of character making her the friend of all who knew her. The little boys are with their father in Odell, which he contem- plates making their permanent home. Mr. Chisam is a Republican in politics, but does not take an act- ive part; he is a member of the City School Board. II. HINKEY, a prominent farmer, stock ^ii - _ dealer and breeder of full-blood Percheron and Norman horses, on section 31, Dwight Township, is of German origin. Herman Hinkey, the founder of the family in America, came to this country from Germany in 1853, and settled in La- Salle County, 111. His father bought a farm in Wallace Township, LaSalle County, and this home- stead is still in the hands of his son, John H. Hinkey. lie was the father of ten children, and lived on this farm until his death, which occurred in 1881, at the age of sixty-four years. He was a hard-work- ing and industrious man, reliable in all his transac- tions. The subject of our sketch was born on the 15th of February, 18411, and came to this country with his parents when he was but four years of age. While yet a boy he received a good common-school educa- tion and took his first lessons in the details of farm- ing. Early developing a great interest in stock of various kinds, and especially in horses, he has been given opportunities in after life of fully gratifying his inclinations. When but twenty-two years of age, young Hinkey went to Humboldt County, Nev., .in 1871, and worked three years by the month for his brother. Saving his money he rented his brother's ranch of 640 acres of land, and raised 15,000 bushels of barley and wheat, which he sold for ninety cents per bushel, and cleared $5,000. At this time Mr. Hickey was prostrated by a very serious illness, and was confined to his room for three months, but ultimately regained his health. In 1873 he bought a half interest in a hotel in Winneniucca, Nev., and was successful in the con- duct of the business. In 187") Mr. Hinkey returned to LaSalle County, and on the 20th of April, he was married to Miss Mary McGinnis, daughter of Philip and Ellen (Lynch) MeGinnis, of LaSalle County, 111. To them have been born six children, namely : Maggie, Philip, Ella, Agnes, Belle and Mary. Mr. Hinkey took his young bride to his hotel in Nevada, where they remained until the fall of 187~>, when he sold the hotel and purchased a ranch, which he stocked with cattle. He continued in this business until 1884, and was very prosperous. In 1884 Mr. Hinkey returned with his family to Illinois, and purchased 320 acres of land in Dwight Township, which is situated on a gently rolling prairie. On this land he began farming and rais- ing blooded Norman horses. He now has two im- ported stallions, "Taducah" and "Superb," full- blooded Percheron Normans, which were purchased from the importer, J. J. Kemp, of Lexington, III., at 12,000 each. Mr. Hinkey has also four full- blooded mares, imported by Mr. Kemp. The}' are all first-class animals, and were purchased at a cost of $2,000, which makes a total investment in Nor- mans, of $6,000. In point of superior beauty, power of draft and weight, these horses are unequaled. Mr. Hinkey is also a large feeder and dealer in steers, and as he is a man of large and varied ex- perience in this line of business, his work is all conducted upon an intelligent basis. His stock has achieved a reputation throughout the West equaled by few and surpassed by none. ANIEL REED is familiarly known through- out Reading Township as the leading dealer in full-blooded Jersey cattle and high-grade Durhams, in which business lie has had several years' experience, and has operated with success. His headquarters are at a pleasantly located farm on section 2',), where he also lia> a blacksmith-shop, in which he employs his leisure LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 211 lime, and which proves a great convenience in the general business of the farm, enabling him to re- pair the machinery and at once save time and labor. Mr Reed carae to this State from Ohio in 1850, and early in life had been made acquainted with hard labor and economy, and his early education was extremely limited. When quite young he la- bored to assist in the support of his father's family. Notwithstanding this disadvantage, the experience he acquired was of such value that on starting out for himself he was found well fitted for the strug- gle of life, and only sought the reward of his hon- est efforts. This in a measure he now enjoys, as he lias a good farm of 160 acres under a high state of cultivation. Upon this farm was laid the first tile for agricultural purposes in Reading Township, and Mr. Reed has in other respects been one of the most progressive men in this part of the county, availing himself of approved methods and modern machinery. Mr. Reed was born in Clermont County, Ohio, Dec. 2'J, 1*26, and is the son of Conrad and Cath- erine (Weaver) Reed, natives respectively of Penn- sylvania and Maryland. Conrad Reed was born in Washington County, Pa., in 1796, and was the son of John Reed, one of the pioneer settlers of the Keystone State, whence he removed later to Ohio, and was also a pioneer there. The mother of our subject was born in 1805, and is still living, in Streator, 111. ; she has now been a widow twelve years, her husband having died in 1875, at the ripe old age of seventy-nine years. Their children were named Elizabeth, Mary, Daniel, Amanda, William, Nancy, Catherine, Conrad, Matilda, Jane and Jacob. Elizabeth became the wife of David Tullis; Mary married Thomas Osborne, and is now a widow; Amanda was the second wife of David Tullis, who served three years in the arm}' and en- dured great exposure and hardship, which finally resulted in his death at home; William receives no- tice elsewhere in this volume; Nancy is the wife of A. D. Thomas, a practicing physician of Missouri; Catherine married Charles .Werner, and is now de- ceased; Matilda is the wife of Leonard Wet/., a fanner of Long Point Township; Jane is the wife of John Wetz, brother of the above Conrad; the twin brother of Catherine died when quite young in Ohio, and Jacob died there when nine years of age; one infant died unnamed. Mr. Reed learned the trade of a blacksmith in Butlei ville, Warren Co., Ohio, and remained a res- ident of his native county until thirty years of age. Before coining to the West he was united in mar- riage with Miss Eliza G. Merrill, the wedding tak- ing place at the home of. the bride, in Clermont County, Ohio, March 8, 1849. Mrs. Reed is the daughter of William and Mary Ann (Woliver) Merrill, natives of New Jersey. Mr. Merrill, who was a wagon-maker by occupation, boarded a ship bound for Australia which is supposed to have been lost with all on board, as she was never after- ward heard from. His wife died in Clermont Count}', Ohio, in 1833, when her daughter Eliza was but seven years of age. The parental house- hold included the following-named children : Maria, Eliza, Margaret, Hannah, Emma and Mary Jane. Maria became the wife of Hugh Lemmons. and the mother of one child ; she died of cholera at Pickaway, Ohio, in. 1840. Eliza was born Feb. 6, 1829, in the State of New Jersey. Margaret died in Michigan when ten years of age, while Hannah came to her death by being scalded when about five years of age; Emma married David Brown in Hamilton County, Ohio, and they are now residents of Reading Township; Mary Jane died when three months old, and the youngi-st died unnamed in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Reed commenced life together in Clermont County, Ohio, whence they removed to their present farm in 1856. In due time the house- hold was increased by the birth of the following- named children : Catherine, Amanda, Lucy Jane, Conrad and Daniel M. Catherine was born March 14, 1850, and married Samuel Yerty, who is Con- stable of Ancona; they have two children. Amanda was born July 10, 1851, and died March 5, 1853; Lucy Jane was born March 5, 1853, and died Sept. 7, 1858; Conrad was born Dec. 7, 1855, and died Oct. 20, 1857; Daniel M. was born May 28, 1860, and is now in LaSalle. 111. Mr. Reed, politically, is untrammeled by party, and in religious views he and his estimable lady are independent. Their children were given the ad- vantages of a good education, and have taken their 212 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1 places in society as the honored representatives of wise and judicious parents and good citizens. The Reed homestead is one of the most attractive in Livingston County, the result of the labors of a self-made man, who commenced in life without means and has proved an admirable example of what may be accomplished by persevering industry. No man is more highly respected among his neigh- bors, and few have contributed more toward em- bellishing the county and assisting to develop its resources than he has. As illustrative of the prosperity of this section of country, and especially so of the gentleman whose life is here briefly sketched, we present on an ad joining page of this ALBUM a view of his resi- dence, with its environments. GORGE ORB, Postmaster at Round Grove, and an extensive grain dealer, is senior member of the firm of George Orr & Co., which was established in 1882, and is evidently taking the lead in this business in the northeastern part of Livingston County. They are young and enterprising men, keeping pace with the progress of the times, and to whom the community look for assistance in those enterprises best calculated for its advancement, socially and financially. Mr. Orr, a native of Pennsylvania, was born in Allegheny Comity, April 11, 1847, and is the young- est of seven sons and seven daughters, the offspring of John R. and Nanc3' (Thompson) Orr, natives of Ireland. They came to America early in life, locating first in Pennsylvania, where the father died in Allegheny County, in 1852. The mother came with her children to the \Vest when (ieorge was :i lad nine years of age, and settled first in Do Kalb County, 111., where the\- lived five years, then took up their residence for a like period in Kendall County, and in 18(17 came to Livingston, of which our subject ha. since been a resident. The mother is still living and a resident of Round Grove Town- >hip. Mr. Orr was bred to farm pursuits, in which lie engaged until the spring of 1882. Besides his in- terest in the grain business, in which the firm handles from 80,000 to 100,000 bushels annually. he owns a fine farm of over 400 acres, upon which are first-class buildings and all other modern im- provements. There is the usual quantity of ma- chinery and farm stock which the agriculturist of to-day requires for his convenience and profit, and the estate in all its appointments forms a complete country home. Mr. Orr, while a resident of Kendall County, w.-i> united in marriage, in March, 1877, with Miss Jane Ilaverhill, who was a native of that county, and born in June, 18">2. Mrs. Orr is the daughter of Oliver and Juliett Haverhill, natives of New York. and now of Kendall County, 111. She received a fair education and was carefully trained to those household duties and accomplishments which aid so much in the happiness and contentment of a home. Of her union with our subject there are three chil- dren : Burton L., who was born Feb. 11, 1 877 ; Amy E.,Jan. 9, 1880, and James, Jan. 1,188(5. Mr. O. was appointed Postmaster in 1882, and the fact that he holds his office under a Democratic administration, being himself a stanch Republican, is sufficient proof of the estimation in which he is held b}' the people of his community. He takes a genuine in- terest in local affairs and has served as Constable and School Director. pBUSTIN HOWARD in the winter of 1*80 came with his family to this county, and shortly afterward secured possession of 160 acres of good land on section 2!i, in Broughton Township. This he has since occupied, bringing about many improvements, and proving himself to be a thorough and skillful agriculturist, a good business man, and a valued addition to the community. lie makes a specialty of stock-raising, and lias all the conveniences for carrying on the various pursuits of the farm after the most ap- proved methods. Mr. Howard is comparatively a young man, hav- ing been born July 20, 1843, and is a native of Kane County, this State. His parents, Philo and Annie (Colvin) Howard, were born in New York State, and are the descendants of prominent fami- t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 213 lies, well known throughout the East, where they are largely represented. They left New York State in 1841, and the father, after reaching Illinois, pur- chased eighty acres of Government laud .soon after the organization of Kane County, of which he was one of the earliest pioneers. The mother died soon after Ihe removal, and the father followed his de- voted wife in January, 1869. The latter, after the death of his first wife, was married the second time, and was the father of ten children, of whom the following survive, namely: Melvin, of DeKalb County, this State ; Oriu, of Broughton Township, this county; Jane, the wife of Mahlon Snj'der, of Cook County; Emerson A., and Zada, of Kane County, and Austin, our subject. Mr. Howard was the third son of his father's family, with whom he remained in Kane County until reaching manhood. He received a common- school education, and with the exception of four years spent in selling agricultural implements and four years dealing in horses has been engaged in farming. He was married after reaching his twenty- fifth birthday to Miss Ella Bidden-, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Kendall County, Dec. 81, 1868. Mrs. Howard was born in Quebec, Canada, Nov. 18. 1849, and is the daugh- ter of Jeremiah and Nancy (Brown) Biddore, the father a native of France, and the mother of Lower Canada. Her father died in Quebec about 1850, and the mother, when her daughter Ella was about fifteen years of age, came to the United States, and located in LaSalle County, 111.; she died in 1X69. Mr. and Mrs. Howard continued in Kendall County until 1880, and became the parents of eight children La June, Zenas H., Philo E., Auson L., John A., Edward J., Everet B. and Ray C. La June was born Nov. 26, 1869, and is attending the High School at Pontiac: Zenas H. was born Oct. 23, 1X71, and with the younger children is at home with his parents ; Philo E. was born Dec. 4, 1*73; Anson L., April 1 1, 1876; John A., Sept. 8, 1879; Edward J., Aug. 23, 1X81; Everet B., Nov. 4, 1884, and Ray C'., Jan. 20, 1X87. Mr. Howard has always been a Republican and is serving his third term as High- way Commissioner, the duties of which office he is discharging with great credit to himself and satis- faction to the people of his district. Botli he and his estimable lady belong to the church of the Lat- ter-Day Saints. He is public-spirited and liberal, and in all respects a valued member of society. The mother of Mrs. Howard was twice married. By her first union, with John Perrin, she had five children, namely : Mary, Mrs. Joseph Sear, of Ken- dall County, 111., William P. and Stephen, of Can- ada ; Rachel, of DeKalb County, 111., and Nancy, wife of A. Bowers, of Kendall County. By her second union, with Jeremiah Beddore, two children, Ellen and Mrs. Howard of this notice, were born. DWIN DILLON. The little burnt clay -j tubes used in draining land have revolu- tionized fanning during the last few decades, and the Illinois farmer who puts 600 rods of tile under 160 acres of land full}- understands their efficacy, and receives his reward in the in- creased production of corn and wheat. Mr. Dillon believes in the tile, and as an evidence of the practical application of that faith he has one of the finest and most productive farms in Livingston County, located on secticn 35, in Eppard's Point Township, where he is engaged in farming and stock-raising. This farm is located on the south line of the township, one mile from the town of Weston, in McLean County, and is under a most excellent state of cultivation. Mr. Dillon was born on the l'.)th of October, 1839, in Tazewcll County, 111., and is the son of Daniel and Ruth (Hoskins) Dillon. The former was a native of North Carolina, where he was born in 1 802, and was brought to Ohio by his parents when two years of age. In 1816 several families moved from Ohio to Illinois, and settled in Tazewell County, and in 1826 Mr. Dillon's father settled in the same county, where he lived until IcS.'io, and then moved to Delavan Prairie in Mason County, where he lived until his death, which occurred in March, 1 8X5. He was the father < >f eleven children Jane, Cyrus, Emily, Caroline, Catherine, Mary, Edwin, Daniel, Lorenzo, Annie L. and George. Jane died in childhood; Cyrus is married, has three children, and is a farmer in Tazewcll County; Emily is the wife of Z. B. Kidder, who is engaged ' > 214 LIVINGSTON COUNTY, in milling in Russell County, Kan.; Caroline and Catherine arc twins; the former is the wife of Ed. Lyons, lives in Mason County, and has three chil- dren. Catherine is the wife of R. B. Summers, and lives in Kansas. Mary married Abner Summers, and died in Sullivan County, Mo., in 1882, leaving four children; Daniel has a wife and four children, and follows the trade of a carpenter in Peoria; Lorenzo has a wife and four children, and re- sides in San Jose, Mason Co., 111. ; Annie L. mar- ried William Kent, and lives in Florence, Kan. ; George died in 1857, when ten years old, in Mason County, 111. Mr. Dillon's mother died in Mason County, 111., in 1857. Both the parents were mem- bers of the Society of Friends, in which the father was a preacher and leader. Mr. Dillon was educated in the common schools and lived at home until twenty-one years of age. when he began farming for himself, and continued until the year 1862. He then enlisted in the 108th Illinois Infantry, and was assigned to mem- bership in Company H, in which command he re- mained until he was honorably discharged on the 7th of July, 1865, at Camp Butler, Springfield, 111. During the time he was in the service he partici- pated in the second attack on Vicksburg, which was unsuccessful; the battle of Arkansas Post, where 7,(H)() prisoners were captured; the siege of Vicks- burg; the Union defeat of Guntown, where 2,500 Union prisoners were taken, and nearly all of their provisions. By this defeat this army was made almost destitute, and during the subsequent march of nearly 140 miles there was but one pound of provisions to issue to each man. During the time he was in the service Mr. Dillon contracted a disease which became chronic, and was also afflicted with inflammation of the eyes, which destroyed the sight of one of them. In 1H64 he was sent to the hospital in the field, and after remaining there sonic time was sent to the hospital at Springfield, 111., where he remained until lie was discharged. After his discharge he went to Mason County, III., and engaged in farming. At the age of twenty-one Mr. Dillon married Elizabeth \Vakelield. who is a native of Pennsyl- vania, and daughter of Robert and Martha \Vake- lield. She wa.- reared to womanhood in her native State, and then accompanied her parents to Illinois, where she had two brothers, who lived in Mason County for many years. To Mr. and Mrs. Dillon have been born five children Clark, Edwin. Alida, Oscar and Edith. Clark and Edwin died in infancy; Alicia was born July 11, 1865; Oscar, Oct. 27, 18(57; and Edith, June 11, 186!l. In addition to their own children they have an adopted child, whose name is Mabel J. Fultz, and was born March 3, 1884. Mr. Dillon first came to Livingston County in 1867, but had purchased a farm the year before. He has expended much labor and money upon this farm, but in return has the satisfaction of knowing that it is one of the most productive and valuable pieces of farm property in Livingston County. For his family he has provided a com- fortable and convenient residence, and for the pro- tection of his products and the shelter of stock has made ample provision. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Christian Church, and attend services at Fairbury. RS. ELECTA JEFFERS is the widow of the late Nelson Jeffers, of Round Grove Township. Soon after the death of her husband she took up her residence with her daughter in Broughton Township, of which she has since been a resident, and where she is held in universal respect as a lady possessing many amiable qualities, and excellent business capacities. Mrs. Jeffers was born in New London, Huron Co., Ohio, Sept. 13. 1823, where she was reared at the country home of her parents, receiving a good education in the common schools. She was also trained by her careful mother to those housewifely duties which have such a great influence in the happiness and comfort of the domestic circle. In those days learning to spin and weave was an essential element in the training of young girls, and Mrs. J. became expert in these arts before reaching the fifteenth year of her age. At this early age she commenced teaching school, which profession she followed until the time of her first marriage, July 4, IH44. to Mr. John B. Conway, a native of her own State, and one of the associate- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 215 of her youthful days. Two years before her mar- riage she had created quite a sensation in herneigh- liorhood by spinning 100 knots of yarn between sunrise and sunset, an amount of labor which was considered really wonderful, as it usually consumed two and one-half days. The year following their marriage John B. Con- way and his young wife, accompanied by the family of his father, James B. Con way, left the Buckeye State and migrated to Green County, Wis. The young people upon their arrival had but fifty cents in money, besides two cows and a team of horses, but their stout hearts and willing hands comprised a capital which at that time and in that section of country proved, perhaps, full}' as available as money. The following spring the younger Con- way purchased eighty acres of land of his father, upon which he operated about two years, when, on account of poor health, he decided to leave Wis- consin and try the climate of Illinois. His parents spent the remainder of their days in Wisconsin. Soon after his arrival in Kendall County Mr. Con- way purchased eighty acres of land, upon which he farmed about two years, and then sold out and pur- chased 160 acres in Grundy County. This also he sold two years later, and in 1854 came to Living- ston County, purchasing ICO acres in Broughton Township, which comprises the farm still occupied by Mrs. Jeffers. There was then but one family besides themselves within the limits of the town- ship, and their first winter was one of unusual hardship, even at that day, and at a time when who- ever ventured into that section of country expected little else. They located on prairie land, and were obliged to go a long distance for fuel, the labor of gathering a load of wood employing three days' time. The nearest mill was at Wilmington, a journey which involved the same length of time. The little household had been increased in numbers by the birth of one child, and Mrs. Comvay dur- ing the forced excursions of her husband from home was obliged to remain alone with her little ones and the house unfinished. Upon one occasion a fearful storm came on, and in the absence of a door and window sash the rain blew through the house so that both mother and children almost per- ished from fright and cold. The experiences of those years of hardship would make a long and in- teresting tale, and fully prove the correctness of the adage that truth is stranger than fiction. Mr. and Mrs. C'onway continued at the place where they so bravely endeavored to establish a home until the winter of 1861-02; in the meantime they had surrounded themselves with many com- forts, and the settling up of the country had made .life quite endurable. The outbreak of the Re- bellion now interrupted their plans for the future, as Mr. Conway decided to enlist as a Union soldier, and assist in fighting the battles of his country. He joined Company D, 58th Illinois Infantry, and par- ticipated in many of the principal battles of the first important campaign, being present at the sieges of Ft. Donelson and Vicksburg, and the battles of Corinth, Shiloh and Red River, besides many minor engagements and skirmishes. The sufferings and hardships incident to army life brought on an incurable disease, and Mr. Conway, after being confined in the hospital at Joe Holt, Intl., died on the 17th of January, 1865. His remains were laid to rest in the cemetery in Broughton Township. Mr. and Mrs. C'onway became the parents of four children, of whom but one survives. The eldest, Olive E., was born March 28, 1846, and died on the 8th of October, 1855, from the effects of a fall; James J. was born Sept. 18, 1849, and died Jan. 22, 1850; Ezra B., born June 7, 1855, died in infancy; Emily C. was born April 4, 1857, and first married, Sept. 8, 1874, to Charles H. Glass, and became the mother of one child, Frederick E. Glass, born Aug. 8, 1875. She was divorced from Mr. G., and on the 1st of October, 1879, became the wife of Charles H. George, of this township. Of this marriage there were born four children, two living, namely : John Newell, who was born July 8, 1880, and Frank Irvin, Feb. 5, 1883. Mrs. George is a lady of good education, and much in- telligence, and makes a pleasant home for the mother who is now passing down the hill of life, being in the sixty-fifth year of her age. Mrs. Electa Conway, on the 25th of March, 1866, was united in marriage with Nelson Jeffers, of Round Grove Township, where the}' settled upon a farm which Mr. Jeffers operated successfully un- til compelled by his last illness to abandon his r 21 (I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. labors His death took place on theCthof August, 1878, in tlu' fifty-sixth year of his age. After the death of her husband Mrs. J. took up her abode with her daughter in Broughton Township, where she has since resided. The father of Mrs. Jeffers was Isaiah Day, who was first married to Mrs. Annie (Durphy) Tripp, and the}' became the parents of three daughters and one son, Electa being the second child. The mother died at her home in Ohio about 1827. Mr. Day was a second time married to a widow, and reversing the order of children, became the father of three sons and one daughter by this marriage. JOSEPH R. KING. The subject of this sketch has recently become one of the land- owners of Waldo Township, but has nearly all his life been identified with the agricult- ural interests of Livingston County. He has al- ways been a resident of the State, and is thoroughly enlisted in the work of making Illinois stand at the head of the great agricultural States of the Union. He is full of energy and enterprise, and the work he has in hand is prosecuted with that vigor char- acteristic of the man. He is engaged in fanning and stock-raising on section 24, Waldo Township. Mr. King was born in McLean County, III., on the 25th of May, 1854, and is the son of Christian R. and Mary (Beckler) King. He is the second child in a family of twelve, and was about twelve years of age when his father moved to Livingston County, and bought 1GO acres of land, to which he has added until he now owns 640 acres. Mr. King was reared on his father's farm, but the educational advantages during his boyhood days were so mea- ger that he reached manhood without obtaining more than a partial education. At the age of twenty-one years he began farming operations for himself on his father's farm, and after harvesting one crop concluded that it would be better if there were two instead of one to occupy a farm. On the 7th of November, 1875, Mr. King was married to Miss Mary, daughter of Christian and Salome (Summers) Slagell. After Mr. King's mar- riage he continued to farm on land owned by his father until 18s:i, when he moved to the farm which he at present occupies, which is well im- proved and under a high state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. King are the parents of the following- named children : Elias, who was born Sept. 25, 1 87'! ; Christian, April 23, 1878; Benjamin, June 4, 1881; Joseph, Oct. 30, 1883, and Ada, June 2, 1 885. Mrs. King was born on the 18th of June, 1851), near Pekin, 111. Her girlhood was spent with her parents upon the farm, and she attended the com- mon schools, in which she received a good educa- tion. Her parents were natives of France, where the father was born in February, 1819, and the mother on the 17th of June of the same year. They were united in marriage in the city of Cin- cinnati, and came to Livingston County when Mary was five years of age. The father died on the 26th of November, 1884, and tin mother is still living in Waldo Township. Mr. and Mrs. King have made an excellent start in life and their prospects for the future are bright. They both participate actively in all matters that concern the welfare of the community in which they reside. In the management of their own af- fairs they are prudent and economical, yet liberal when and where liberality will accomplish the most good. Mr. King is thoroughly interested in the growth and improvement of Livingston County, and particularly of Waldo Township, where his in- terests lie. The family enjoy the respect and es- teem of all those with whom they associate. As indicative of the progress made in this sec- tion of country we present on another page of this AI.IU-M a view of Mr. King's residence. 3 A. GARRELS is the proprietor of a comfortable homestead on section 16, Ne- braska Township, which invariably attracts the eye of the passer-by from its neat and well-kept appearance, the convenient and substantial build- ings, the goodly array of well-fed stock, and all the other appurtenances of a modern farm. A view of this pleasant and valuable homestead is given in this volume. Our subject, a highly respected Ger- man citizen, crossed the Atlantic in his youth, and commenced at the foot of the ladder to work his LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 217 way up in the world. He should bo reasonably well satisfied with the position which he has attained as a citizen and a property owner. His accumula- tions are the result of his own industry, and lie has pursued that steady and straightforward course which forms the basis upon which men establish themselves in the esteem and confidence of those with whom they have to deal. Our subject was born in the Province of Han- over, Germany, Dec. 22, 1841, and is the son of Abjet and Franke (Kaiser) Garrels, who were also of German birth and parentage. They immigrated to America when George A. was about fifteen years of age, landing in the city of New Orleans, Nov. 2, 1857. Thence they proceeded up the Mississippi River to Quincy and located in Adams County, this State, where the father purchased fifty acres of land, upon which they lived for the following seven years. Then selling out they came to this county and purchased the land which constitutes the pres- ent homestead of our subject. There is one law of" the German Empire which might well be imitated by countries all over the face of the earth, and that is compulsory education. In compliance with this law, oursubject was placed in school at an earlj' age, and pursued his studies, which he completed at fourteen years old. He re- mained with his parents until the breaking out of the Civil War, and then enlisted in the 100th Illi- nois Infantry. His first engagement was at Dyer's Station, where he and a number of his comrades were captured by Forrest's Cavalry. Upon being paroled they were sent to Benton Barracks, St. Louis, and there remained about nine months. After being exchanged, in October, 1863, they were sent to Memphis, Tenn., where they remained during the winter following, and then, after partici- pating in the siege and capture of Vicksburg, joined the army of Gen. Sherman and assisted in destroy- ing the railroad line from Vicksburg to Meridian, Miss. Subsequently they met the rebels in battle at Pleasant View on Black River, and after a skir- mish at Meridian returned to Vicksburg, and from there set out on the Red River expedition. Mr. Garrels while at Shreveport, La., was taken ill and put upon a boat bound for Vicksburg. It was at- tacked by the rebels but finally succeeded in mak- ing the passage in safety. In the meantime the Red River was so low that vessels could not pass, and a dam was built in order that the boats might be taken over the rapids. Oursubject after recov- ering, was finally sent to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, to defend the city against the rebel General, Price. When the danger was passed, they repaired to Nashville and engaged in a two clays' fight, al- most completely annihilating Hood's army, there being of 45,000 troops only about 7,000 able- bodied men remaining after the battle. They pressed him on to Eastport, where they put up for the winter, and in the spring moved upon Mobile, and the capture of Ft. Blakesley followed soon after in April, 1865. The war had now practically closed, and Mr. Garrels, with his companions, was honorably discharged at Mobile on the 26th of August following. Mr. Garrels upon retiring from army life, re- turned to his old haunts in Livingston County, where he operated on rented land a year, and then assumed the management of his father's homestead, where he continued until his marriage. This in- teresting event took place at the home of the bride, Miss Sophia Obert, on the 6th of August, 1870. Mrs. Garrels is the daughter of Vincent and The- resa (Schwenderman) Obert, and ivas born in Bos- ton, Mass., March 1, 1852. She came to Illinois with her parents when a mere child, and has the most of her life been a resident of Livingston County. Mr. and Mrs. G. became the parents of eight children, namely : Elizabeth, who was born .June 3, 1871; Ida M., Jan. 19, 1873; Martin J., Nov. 23, 1875; Hermann H., Jan. 25,1878; Henry \V., Dec. 1), 1879; John J., July 14, 1883; Will- iam H. and Mary L. (twins) Sept. 26, and was consequently twenty-two 3'ears of age at the time of their marriage. The wedding took place at the home of the bride, and Mr. and Mrs. M. at once settled in Peoria County, where they remained until removing to their present farm. The wife of our subject was the daughter of John E. and Eliza A. (Hare) Miller, who were pioneer settlers of Peoria County, locating there in 1841*. Mr. Miller was born in Reusselaer County, N. Y., and his wife was a native of Kentucky; she died Nov. 7, 1 887. Their family included four children : George; Flora, the wife of Edgar Davis, Harry L. and Alice. All but Mrs. Maxson are residents of Peoria County. Mr. and Mrs. M. have two chil- dren: Fred R., who was born Sept. 24, 1X81, and Alice E., Aug. 19, 1884. The homestead includes eighty acres of good land, a comfortable farm resi- dence, a fair-sized barn and all the other buildings required for the shelter of stock and the storing of grain. They do not pretend to live elegantly, but are simply surrounded by all the comforts of life, and probably are far more contented than those who shine in the fashionable world. Mr. Maxson takes an interest in school matters and for the past five years has served as School Director. During the late war Mr. Maxson served in the Army of the Cumberland several months, being a member of Company C, 8(>th Illinois Infantry. He participated in the battle at Peri^-ville, Ky., and was engaged in numerous other skirmishes with the enemy. lie is an ardent Republican, politically, and a member of the G. A. R. Post at Saunemin. 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 223 )ENNET HUMISTON, deceased, was a pio- neer settler of Livingston County, in Esmen Township, becoming a resident in October, 1852. He became well and widely known, as one of the most enterprising farmers and stock- breeders of the county, and during all the years of his residence here was recognized as a business man of the utmost probity of character, one whose word was considered as good as his bond. Born in the good old State of Connecticut, and descended from a long line of Puritan ancestry, who were noted for their sterling qualities of man and woman- hood, it could not be otherwise but that he would inherit in a large measure the pure principles which are characteristic of those people. Bennet Humiston was born Sept. 6, 1830, in the town of Thomaston (then known as Plymouth), Conn., and was the son of Bennet and Emily (War- ner) Humiston. His parents were natives of Ply- mouth, Conn., and his father was extensively en- gaged in farming and stock-raising. His father, Jesse, the grandfather of our subject, was also a na- tive of Thomaston, and was likewise a farmer. The grandparents of Bennet on the mother's side, were Aaron and Mary (Camp) Warner, who were farmers, and descended from a long line of English ancestry. Our subject was liberally educated in the district schools and the academy in his native town, after which he spent a year in assisting his father on the farm, then came West as above stated, with Mr. Camp, and they entered into partnership in the stock business, and were so engaged most of the time until 1876, the date of Mr. Humiston's re- moval to Pontiac. While still a single man, he came with Mr. Apollos Camp to this county in October, 1852, and purchased a tract of land and settled in Esmen Township; he subsequently be- came an extensive breeder of imported horses, and was also a large stock-raiser of the higher grades. Mr. Humiston was married, May 22, 185G, to Harriet, the only living child of Apollos and Nancy (Thomas) Camp, whose biography and portraits are shown on another page. Mr. and Mrs. Humis- ton continued to live in Esmen Township until 1876, when they removed to Pontiac, and there re- sided until his death, which took place Nov. 14, 1883. He had accumulated a handsome com- petency before his death, and was known and loved in the community where he had resided for over thirty years. In politics he was a stanch Democrat. When a child he was baptized in the Episcopal Church. He was a liberal contributor toward the erection of the beautiful church of that denomina- tion in Pontiac. He left to his widow a large landed estate besides other property. The portrait of Mr. Humiston, which is shown in this connection, will be looked upon with pleas- ure by all who knew him, as being the likeness of one who at all times used his influence on the side ! of right. As a fitting accompanying picture, that of his wife is also given. ILLIAM CAPES. The connecting link be- tween an American and an Englishman is so close that it is difficult to tell when one ceases to be an Englishman, and begins to be an American. The Americans sprung from the En- glishmen at a time when tyranny drove Englishmen to the New World, and made Americans of them. Ever since then has the work of making Americans out of Englishmen been going on. Through proc- esses which are largely pleasant, the subject of this sketch, who is a representative farmer on sec- tion 33, Pontiac Township, became an American citizen. Mr. Capes was born on the 23d of July, 1851, in Lincolnshire, England, arid during that year his parents emigrated to America. He is the son of Willoughby and Elizabeth (Milner) Capes, both natives of England. Upon their arrival in America in 1851, they came direct to Tazewell County, and there resided for twelve years, when they moved to Livingston County, and settled in Pike Township, where they still reside. There was born to them a large family of children, nine of whom survive : Charles ; Hannah, Mrs. John Crabb ; William, George; Jennie, Mrs. A. Mott; John; Sarah A., Mrs. Herman Baxter; David; and Mary L., Mrs. George Crow. The parents are ardent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are widely and favorably known throughout their locality, enjoying the respect and confidence of 224 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. their neighbors and friends. The father is a Re- publican in politics, and takes an active interest in political affairs. When a boy, the subject of this sketch came to Livingston County with his parents, where he has ever since resided, and the very liberal education he enjoys was obtained in the district schools of this county. He was married on the 21st of August, 1874, to Miss Mary Kirkpatrick, daughter of G. L. Kirkpatrick, formerly a citizen of this county, but now residing in Kansas. They have two children: Mary E., born on the 3d of June, 1875, and Delia M., on the 2d of October, 1880. Mr. Capes be- came a citizen of Pontiac Township in 1880, where he has since resided. His admirable farm consists of seventy acres of most excellent land, finely un- derdrained, and well cultivated. He has erected good and substantial buildings, and employs the most improved machinery in the cultivation of his farm. He acts with the Republican party, and has been four years Overseer of Highways in his road district. Mr. Capes and his wife are identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church, which they regularly attend. They are highly respected members of the community in which they live, and engage in all social and moral undertakings that are calculated for the improvement of themselves and neighbors. In their own affairs they have been signally suc- cessful, and not yet having reached the meridian of life, the future before them looks bright. They have learned that "where there is a will there is a way," and they have the will to yet accomplish much. J~ ACOB YOUNG. Some of the most stable and substantial citizens of this country have been contributed by Germany, and this is es- ' pecially true of that portion of our country known as the boundless West, where magnificent farms have taken the place of the wilderness, and the wild prairies "blossom as the rose." The sub- ject of this sketch, a native of Bavaria, has done his part in this world of transformation, so far as one of the most beautiful portions of Illinois is concerned. He is a farmer and stock-raiser on sec- tion 33, Rook's Creek Township, and was born on the 29th of November, 1844, in Bavaria, the son of Henry and Margaret (VVirth) Young. Mr. Young arrived in this country on the llth of May, 1866, making the voyage across the ocean in the steamer "Pennsylvania," which required about fourteen days. He remained in New York while awaiting information concerning his relatives who had come to this country before him. Leav- ing New York, he went to La Salle County, 111., where he remained nearly seven years, six of which he spent as a hired man, and the seventh he worked for himself on a rented farm. On the 1st of Jan- uary, 1873, he left La Salle County and rented land near Pontiac, on which he remained five years, and then came to Rook's Creek Township, where he purchased 160 acres of land on section 33, and subsequently eighty more on section 34. On the 9th of January, 1872, he was married to Mary Hensel, daughter of Christian and Annie (Hensel) Hensel, of La Salle County, who were natives of Wurtemberg, and came to this country in May, 1867. Thej' are still living in La Salle County. Mr. and Mrs. Young are the parents of seven chil- dren, all living with their parents: Annie, born Oct. 28, 1872; Charles, born March 31, 1874; Ja- cob, born June 4, 1876; Christian, born July 12, 1878; William, born Dec. 13, 1880; Mary, born Jan. 6, 1883; Henry, born Aug. 10, 1885. The father of Mr. Young was born in the year 1819, the mother in 1816, and they were married, as nearly as Mr. Young can remember, about 1838. The state of the father's health disqualified him for military service, and he met his death by being struck by lightning while seeking shelter under a tree during a storm. Our subject was the youngest in a family of three children, the other two of whom are still living in Bavaria. The brother Henry was born in 1842, and has four children. His sister Catharina, born in 1839, married Peter Wirth, and has two children. The name of Mr. Young's grandfather was Michael Young, born about 1790, and was old enough to be a soldier in the French army under Napoleon. He avoided service in Russia by employing a substitute, which consumed all of his portion of his father's estate. ' f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 225 He was a very rugged man physically, and lived to be eighty-six years of age, accumulating consider- able property. Mr. Young remembers seeing his great-grandfather, and of hearing him relate the details of procuring the release of his son from the army. The father-in-law of Mr. Young's grand- father, also named Young, was a wagon-maker by occupation, and a great hunter, fifty years of his life being devoted to the latter pastime as a business. He was born about 1760, and lived to be ninety-six years of age. Mrs. Jacob Young had five brothers and one sis- ter, their names being as follows: Christian, born in 1849; Fred, born in 1853; Christina, born in 1857; Mary Gottlieb Walker; John, born in 1862; Gottlieb, born in 1865, and August, born in 1869. Her grandfather's name was Michael Hensel, who was born in 1791 and died in 1853, being sixty- two years of age. Mr. Young is not a party man. but in elections votes for the men he considers the most compe- tent to discharge the duties of the office. He is a member of the Lutheran Church. SEORGE ANDREWS, who is largely engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 29, Waldo Township, is a native of Lincoln- shire, England, which is one of the best known of the counties of that country. It excells in its agri- cultural products; its cattle, which are mostly Short-horn and attain a great weight; its sheep, which are famous for size and long wool; its fine horses, flue soil, and number and beauty of its ancient parish churches. Our subject was born on the 31st of May, 1848, his parents being James and Elizabeth (Plowright) Andrews. They came to this country when he was about seven years of age, landing in New York, and going at once to La Salle County, 111., where the father rented laud and lived for about two years. He then lived in Knox County for a time, then returned to La Salle County, and then went to Putnam County, where he remained two years. He then came to Livings- ton County in 1861, and purchased 160 acres of land, to which he after ward added 160 acres. At that time the chances for obtaining an educa- tion in Livingston County were very limited, and in the township in which our subject lived there were but two school-houses, and they were so far distant that a greater portion of the day was con- sumed in going to and fro. Besides, it was neces- sary to devote the greater portion of his time to work upon the farm. He managed, however, by close application to his studies during the time he was permitted to attend school, and at odd times, to secure a fair common-school education. At the age of twenty-one years he began doing for him- self, and engaged in working by the month for about one year, then rented ground of his father, which he began farming. This arrangement was continued with profit to himself until he was twen- ty-*ix years of age, when he purchased eighty acres of land, which he owned and farmed until 1883. In 1880 he bought another eighty acres, which he also sold in 1883, and purchased 200 acres, upon a portion of which bis house now stands, and the other portion is on section 32. On the 14th of December, 1876, Mr. Andrews was married to Mary J. Kingdon, daughter of Henry and Mary Ann (Hodge) Kingdon. To them have been born three children : Mary Elizabeth, born Oct. 31, 1878, died November 4 of the same year; Lillie Mabel, born May 19, 1880, .and Percy Henry, April 15, 1887. Mrs. Andrews was born on the 20th of August, 1856, in Peoria County, 111. The father of Mr. Andrews was born in En- gland on the 5th of April, 1820, and died on the 5th of August, 1883. He was a Republican in politics, and after becoming a citizen of this country took an active interest in political affairs. The mother of our subject was born in England in 1825, and is still living in Gridley, 111. Our sub- ject is the third child in a family of fourteen, nine of whom are still living. Unlike his father, in political matters he is a Democrat. In the way of official positions he has held the office of Township Collector three years in succession, and was elected and re-elected as Road Commissioner. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Gridley, in which he is a Steward. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews have surrounded them- selves with very many of the comforts of life, and 226 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the home which they occupy is one of the pleasant- est in Waldo Township. The farm is well im- proved, being under-drained, and thorough!}' fenced. In their social relations with the people among whom they live they stand well, and enjoy the respect and esteem of all who know them. ERBERT F. ADAMS, one of the enterpris- ing and promising young business men of Livingston County, is a member of the firm of R. C. Adams & Son, general merchants, dealers in lumber, and proprietors of the Black- stone Creamer}'. He is a native of Livingston County, being born in Nevada Township Feb. 28, 1861, and is the second son of R. C. Adams, whose biographical sketch appears on another page of this ALBUM. Our subject received a good education in the public schools in the town of Dwight, which he attended until eighteen years of age. At that time he began clerking in the banking house of D. McWilliams, of Dwight, and remained in that institution for about four years. After this he oc- cupied a trusted and confidential position in the bank of J. C. Hetzel, and at the end of one year, with another party he purchased this bank, and they conducted it one and one-half years, when he sold his interest to his partner and came to Black- stone, purchasing an interest in his present busi- ness in connection with his brother, Edwin F. They were associated together until the latter's death, which occurred in the terrible Chatsworth railroad disaster, on the morning of the 10th of August, 1887. In 1886 they established the creamery business in Blackstone, which proved to be a very profitable adjunct to their other business. On May 27, 1885, Mr. Adams was married to Miss Mamie Bradford, who was born in Will County, 111., on the 29th of February, 1864. Her father was Chauncy Bradford, who was a native of Vermont and the lineal descendant of Gen. Will- iam Bradford, who came to America as a member of the Plymouth Colony, and was its second Gov- ernor. To Mr. and Mrs. Adams have been born two children, upon whom they have conferred the names of Jennie Olga and Catherine. The firm of R. C. Adams & Son is one of the best known in Livingston County, not only for the magnitude of its business, but for its business methods. It is prompt, reliable and enterprising in all its dealings with the people, and has estab- lished itself in their confidence. While the busi- iness in which they are engaged is remunerative to them, R. C. Adams & Son may be looked upon as public benefactors, in that 'they furnish a good, ready and cash market for the products of that section of the country. kUCAS H. BROWN is the proprietor of eighty acres of good land on section 35, in Rook's Creek Township, where he carries on farm- ing and stock-raising, and is known as a peaceable and law-abiding citizen. He is a native of this State, and the son of Henry O. and Margaret M. (Schonbeck) Brown, who were of German birth and parentage. Henry O. Brown was born in 1807, and the mother in 1816. They were married in 1844, and came to this country in May, 1857, where the father died of lung fever. The mother married again, and of this union there was born one son, who is married and farming in this township. On their arrival in this country in 1857, the fam- ily of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Brown consisted of three children, and was increased in September of the same year by the birth of our subject. The eldest son, Henry, enlisted as a soldier in the Union army during the late war, and since the close of that struggle has never been heard from ; Frederick C. was twice married, is a painter by trade, and is now a resident of St. Louis; Anna H., the wife of G. Westermann, is the mother of six children, and a resident of Woodford County. Mr. Brown was educated in both English and German in the common schools, and with the ex- ception of a brief season spent at wagon-making, has followed agriculture all his life. When twenty- three years of age he purchased his present farm, which was then a tract of partially cultivated land, and he has made good improvements. Two years later, Sept. 24, 1882, he was united in marriage with Miss Lottie Frobish, at the residence of the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1 bride's mother, in Rook's Creek Township. This union has resulted in the birth of two children, namely, Daisy, born Oct. 31, 1884, and Elbert C., Oct. 21, 1880. The parents of Mrs. Brown are J. Michael and Elizabeth (Konner) Frobish, the former a native of Germany, and the latter of Switzerland. They were married in Ohio. EDWIN F. ADAMS, deceased, formerly a mer- chant at Blackstone, was born in Nevada Township May 1 1, 1859, and was the oldest son of R. C. Adams (see sketch.) He received his early education in the public schools at Dwight, after which he advanced in his studies by attend- ance at the State University at Champaign. After completing his education at that institution he en- gaged as clerk in a drug-store in 1880, where he continued for three years. He then formed a part- nership with B. B. Dow, and rented a building at Blackstone, in which they began the business of general merchants. This firm continued in exist- ence until 1884, when he bought his partner's in- terest and conducted the business alone until 1885. He then sold an interest to his brother, H. F. Adams, with whom he was associated at the time of his death. On the morning of the 10th of August, 1887, he joined an excursion which was to run over the Toledo, Peoria & Western Road, from Peoria to Niagara Falls. Within a short time after boarding this train, and while running at the rate of forty miles an hour, it ran upon a bridge which had been partially destroyed by fire, and many of the cars were precipitated into the chasm be- low. The train being very much crowded at the time, many persons were either instantly killed or burned to death. Among those who lost their lives in this terrible disaster was the subject of this sketch. The Chatsworth railroad disaster has gone into history as one of the most destructive of human lives that has occurred in the annals of railroading. On the 7th of December, 1881, Mr. Adams was married to Miss Elizabeth Baker, who was born in Lebanon, Ind., in October, 1858. She is the daugh- ter of Nathan and Margaret Baker, of Dwight, 111. To Mr. and Mrs. Adams were born two children Ethel and Harry. The widow is now living in Dwight. At the time of his death the subject of this sketch was one of the most promising young business men of Livingston County. He was thor- oughly fitted by education for business affairs, and his natural inclination led in that direction. His death, and the manner of it, was a terrible shock to his family and all who knew him. He had en- deared himself to the people among whom he lived, and will live long in their memories. The wife and orphaned children were the recipients of the tenderest and most heartfelt sympathy of relatives and friends. ATTIG, an industrious young farmer of Rook's Creek Township, occupies a snug homestead on section 34, comprising eighty acres of land, with a neat farm residence and the necessary out-buildings. He has spent his life thus far in the Prairie State, being a native of Woodford County, where his birth took place Nov. 19, 1859. He has started out fairly for a young man, and is making good progress toward the es- tablishment of a permanent home and the accumu- lation of that which greatly assists in smoothing the rugged path of life. Mr. Attig is the son of German parents, who passed their youth in their native land, and emigrated to America after their marriage. Upon their arri- val in New York City they staid a few weeks, when they came West and remained residents of Woodford County until 1878. The father then removed to Rook's Creek Township, this county, and afterward to McLean County, where he still resides, near Chenoa. The parental household in- cluded eight children, of whom the record is as follows: Catherine, the eldest daughter, became the wife of John Snyder and is a resident of Mar- shall County ; Frederick married Miss Mary Trucke- miller, has two children, and is farming in Pontiac Township; John, our subject, is the third child; Sa- rah, Mrs. Frank Laschen, is the mother of two children and lives in Woodford County; William is unmarried and engaged in farming in Pontiac \ 228 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Township; George, Maggie and Christopher re- main under the home roof. The subject of our notice was united in marriage with Miss Dorothea Salzman, March 4, 1886, the wedding taking place in Rook's Creek Township at the home of the bride's parents, Christopher and Mary Salzman, of whom a sketch will be found elsewhere in this ALBUM. The young people com- menced housekeeping at their present homestead, and have many friends in the community around them. THOMAS M. SPENCE. This gentleman ranks among the representative farmers and stock-growers of Rook's Creek Town- ship. He has been a resident of the western country about thirtj r years, and is of the opinion that it is about the finest locality in the world. He commenced life in Warren County, Ohio, Nov. 26, 1846, aijd is the son of James and Lucinda (Shields) Spence, who emigrated from the Buckeye State to Illinois in 1855. They lived near Pontiac about two years, when they returned to Ohio and resided there until 1870. In the meantime occurred the out- break of the Rebellion and our subject, yet but a boy, ran away from home with a companion, Caleb Whittaker, and enlisted in an Ohio regiment, re- ceiving a bounty of about $600. He was as- signed to the 13th regiment of cavalry, and with his comrades marched to the front, meeting the enemy first at Petersburg, but not engaging in any serious conflict, as the war was nearing its close. He received an honorable discharge July 4, 1865, and returned to his home in Ohio, where he con- tinued until the death of his father, which occurred March 13, 1867. The following year he left home and engaged to work on a farm in Allen County six or seven months, at the expiration of which time, after a brief visit to his mother, he started for Illinois. He worked by the month in Shelby County about one year, when he came to Living- ston, where he concluded to remain. A year later he returned to Ohio for his mother, and they sub- sequently located a tract of land from a warrant which had been held by the maternal grandmother on account of the services of her husband in the War of 1812. This land is now included in the present home of Mr. Spence. Our subject, in 1873, returned to his native State, and was there married to one of the compan- ions of his childhood, Miss Hannah, daughter of James and Isabella (Martin) Walker, Sept. 10, 1873. Of this union there has been one child only, a son, Franklin M., born Nov. 3, 1875. The subject of this sketch comes from excellent Pennsylvania stock, who afterward became resi- dents of Kentucky, where his father was born Feb. 4, 1803. The maternal ancestors were also from the Keystone State, and the mother, Mrs. Lucinda Spence, was born in Ohio July 2, 1812. She was married to the father of our subject, Sept. 28, 1841, and Thomas M. was the third child in a family of six sons all living, whose record is as fol- lows: William Preston, born Aug. 25, 1842, served in the Union army one year, married, and became the father of three children now living with him near Ft. Scott, Kan; his wife is dead. Robert Franklin was born April 7, 1844, and en- listed in the 4th Indiana Cavalry, serving two years and participating in several important bat- tles. He is married, has one child, and lives at Hazen, Ark.; Thomas M. is our subject; Calvin B., born Dec. 15, 1848, is married, has three chil- dren, and is a resident of Ft. Scott; James C., born March 2, 1851, is a resident of Kansas, and lives with his brother William near Ft. Scott; John L., born April 19, 1854, is unmarried, and continues on the old homestead in Rook's Creek Township. The paternal grandfather of Mr. Spence was born about 1756, and lived to be eighty-three years of age. He served three months in the War of 1812, and received from the Government a land warrant which his widow afterward sold. The lat- ter was born in 1771, and also lived to be eighty- three years old. Grandfather Shields was born in 1776, and died in 1846, being seventy years of age. His wife survived him eighteen years, her death taking place in 1864, when she was eighty -six years of age. .Mrs. Spence was the third child in a family of six, and was born in Ohio, June 1, 1841. Her brothers and sisters, the most of whom are in Warren County, Ohio, were named respect! vely, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 229 Mary, Sarah. Jane M., Samuel B. and Martin, and a half-brother, Scott Walker. Her father, James Walker, was born March 8, 1809, of Pennsylvania parents and ancestry; he died in July, 1879. The mother was horn April 16, 1810, and went with her parents to Ohio when a child eight years of age. They were married Dec. 25, 1834, and the mother passed away at her home in Warren County, Ohio, in 1857. J""j OSEPH A. BROWN, attorney-at-law, is one I of the rising young members of the legal profession at Pontiac, where he commenced ' practice July 22, 1884. He has been suc- cessful thus far and bids fair to become prominent as an attorney and counselor. Mr. Brown was born in Warren County, Ind., Oct. 14, 1851, and is the son of Joseph A. and Mary J. (Myers) Brown, natives respectively of Indiana and Ohio. His father was a merchant of many years' standing, and departed this life at his home in Indianapolis in 1856, leaving a wife and two children, Henry F., now a resident of Arizona, where he is engaged in mining, and the subject of our sketch. The maternal grandparents of our subject were Will- iam and Annie (Buckels) Myers, natives of Ohio. After their marriage the}' emigrated to Indiana during the pioneer days of Warren County, where the father opened up a home in the wilderness and became a prominent citizen. The father of Annie Buckels was Abram Buckels, who served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and spent his last years in Warren County. The subject of this history was reared on a farm in Warren and Benton Counties, Ind., and con- tinued with his mother until twenty years of age, receiving a practical education in the common schools. He afterward taught school in his native county five months, and the next year operated a farm on shares. The following winter was again spent in teaching, and in the spring of 1873 he en- tered upon a classical course of studies in Wabash College, in Montgomery County, Ind., where he re- mained for five years, then pursuing the same course of studies for one year longer in Butler University at Indianapolis, Ind., from which institution he was graduated in the classical course in June, 1879; then taught school the next three years in Indiana. The total expenses of his six years' college course were defrayed by our subject with money earned by him before commencing the course and during college vacations. He came to Illinois in the fall of 1882, and was appointed Superintendent of Fairbury schools in this county, and acted as such for one year. In July, 1883, he crossed the Missis- sippi. He had heretofore employed his leisure time in reading law, and now entered the law school at Iowa City, where he was graduated after a year's studj', and thence returned to this county and commenced the practice of his profession July 22, 1884. Politically he is a decided Repub- lican, and took an active part in the Presidential campaign of 1884, by stumping nearly every township in Livingston County. Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Miss Laura E. St. John, of this county, Dec. 29, 1881, at the home of the bride in Eppard's Point Town- ship. Mrs. Brown was born July 18, 1859, and is the daughter of John and Emma St. John, natives of Ohio, and residents of Illinois since 1851 or 1852. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have one child, a son, St. John Loyd, born Dee. 9, 1883, at Iowa City, Iowa. ERNEST F. PIERCE. In a town the size of Graymont, the man who occupies the posi- tions of Postmaster, Freight, Ticket and Express Agent, and telegraph operator, comes very nearly having business transactions with every man, woman and child in the territory adjacent to the place. This is the case with the subject of this sketch, who is now serving in all the capacities named. He is the son of James H. and Rachel (Reed) Pierce, and was born in LaSalle County, 111. At the age of ten years he accompanied his father when he moved to Clifton, and engaged in the hardware and tinware business, being a tinner by trade. While living in Clifton, oar subject learned telegraphy in the railroad office at that place, and commenced working in the office at the age of nineteen. In 1879 and 1880 he was employed in 230 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the switching yard at Oilman, when in the fall of 1880 he took charge of the office at Graymont, where he has since remained, and was also ap- pointed Postmaster in the spring of 1882. Mr. Pierce was married, on the 27th of April, 1882, to Miss Sarah Beardslee, daughter of Smilie R. and Ruth (Hebron) Beardslee, of Clifton. 111., the ceremony being performed by George F. Weekes. To them was born a daughter on the 2d of January, 1887, upon whom ]they conferred the ! name of Ruth. Mr. Pierce is the oldest child in a family of six, the others being: Clara, Mrs. Bluford L. Starkey, living in Piano, Tulare Co., Cal. ; Harvey C. married Mary Brault, has two children, and lives in Alleyton, Mich. ; Albert II., unmarried, and lives with his father in Saugatuck, Mich. ; Flora and Archie R., unmarried, live at home. Mr. Pierce's father was born in Massachusetts on the 18th of March, 1825; his mother was born near Harper's Ferry, but whether in Maryland or Vir- ginia, Mr. Pierce does not know, as she lived in both those States when a child. She came to Illi- nois with her parents when about fifteen years of age, and in La Salle County Mr. Pierce's father became, acquainted with her, and there they were married. The paternal ancestors came over in the Mayflower; the maternal ancestors were of German descent. Mr. Pierce's wife is the second child in a family of eight, the others being: Laura E., Mrs. Selva Beebe. has five children and lives in Ells- worth County, Kan.; Emma J., Mrs. Edmund A. Gardner, lives near Clifton, 111., having one child, a boy; Alice C., Mrs. Byron Osborne, has two children, and lives in Linn County, Kan.; William R., unmarried, lives in Clifton, 111.; Frank S., un- married, lives with his parents; Arthur S. married Rachel Hall, and lives at Ashkum, 111; George M., unmarried, lives at home. The father of Mrs. Pierce was born in New York on the 4th of November, 1824, and accompanied his parents when they moved to Michigan when he was ten or twelve years of age. Her mother was born in England on the 1st of April, 1829, and came with her parents to America when she was two years of age. They located in Michigan, where in childhood she became acquainted and went to school with the boy who afterward became her husband, on the 25th of December, 1849. Her maternal grandfather, William Hebron, lived to be quite old, and died in 1857. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to "which they each attached themselves at the age of sixteen. Mr. Pierce is a Republican in politics, casting his first vote for Rutherford B. Hayes in 187G. He was appointed to the office of Postmaster under a Republican administration, and has conducted the office with such complete satisfaction to the people that no disposition has been manifested to displace him since the advent of a Democratic administra- tion. lENJAMIN F. COLEHOWER, dealer in gen- eral merchandise at Long Point, is one of the most promising young business men of the place, and already the possessor of a good property. This includes his store building and the two lots on which it is located, besides three lots elsewhere, and a two-fifths interest in the Masonic Hall. He is wide-awake and energetic, one of those men who believe that the building up of his town is as much a credit to the citizens there- of as the building up of their own personal inter- ests. He is accordingly interested in whatever per- tains to the prosperity of Long Point, and is re- garded as one of its most valued citizens. Mr. Colehower is a native of this State, being born in Peoria County, Sept. 22, 1854. Of his parents,"John and Elizabeth Colehower, a sketch will be found elsewhere in this Ai.nr.v. Benjamin F. received a good education, and at an early age gained a good insight into business methods, and began to lay his plans for the future. He wa> first employed at Long Point, and established his present business in 1882. He began in a modest manner, and increased his stock by degrees as he became known, and there sprang up around him a good patronage from the best residents of this section. When the time came that he felt justified in taking upon himself the responsibilities of a family, he was united in marriage with the lady of his choice, Mi-- Jennie Phillips, who was born in Marshall Count}', 111., Feb. 24, 1858, and is the daughter of James B. f RESIDENCE or G.W. BLACKWELL.SEC.SS.CHARLOTTEIOWNSHIP. RESIDENCE OTTHE LATE BENNET. HUMISTON,PONTIAC. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 233 and Sarah (Clifford) Phillips, natives of Ohio, and now residents of Nebraska. The little household has been brightened by the birth of one child, Leah Blanche, born Jan. 30, 1877. They occupy a neat residence on Fourth street, and enjoy the society and friendship of a large circle of acquaintances. ^Jl OHN R. CAPES. This country is just now passing through a period of transformation. The generation of ante-bellum days is pass- ing away, and is being replaced by a gener- ation of men and women who date their birth dur- ing and since the War period. This new'generation is one from which much can be expected, for it partakes of the new life which received its birth and impetus when the nation started on its new era of prosperity at the death of slavery. The man who was born early in the sixties, and has become anchored in the affairs of life is amply able to fill the place in the stirring world of to-day left vacant by any one of the old generation. Among those who have come upon the stage of action with the incoming of the new era is the subject of this sketch, who is a representative young farmer and stock-raiser on section 32 of Pontiac Township, and a native of Tazewell County, 111., where he was born on the 30th of August, I860, the son of Wil- loughby and Elizabeth (Milner) Capes, of Pike Township,] Livingston County. His parents are natives of England, who came to Livingston County in 1863 and settled in Pike Township, where they still reside. A large family of children was born to them, of whom the following are sur- vivors: Charles, of Pontiac; Hannah, Mrs. John Crabb, of Pike Township; George, of Livingston County ; Jennie, Mrs. J. Mott, of McLean County ; David; Louie, Mrs. George Crow, of Pike Town- ship; Sarah, Mrs. Herman Baxter, of Pontiac Township, and John R. and William, also of Pon- tiac. The parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and widely known as devoutly religious people. John R. Capes has lived on a farm all his life, and in his youth received a rudimentary education in the district schools. For the past ten years, in addition to his occupation as a farmer, he has en- gaged in threshing, in which business he has been quite successful. He was married Nov. 4, 1879, to Miss Annie Kirkpa trick, daughter of G. L. Kirk- patrick, of Kansas, and they have had three chil- dren: George E. ; Olive F., deceased, and Elsie M. Mr. Capes owns eighty acres of land, which he suc- cessfully cultivates. He takes a lively interest in political affairs, and in all such contests casts his influence and vote with the Republican party. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and take a warm interest, not only in church affairs, but in all matters which tend to the elevation of the people. x^g\\ YRUS G. BARR, grain dealer and farmer, of if! Nevada Township, was born in Bethel, Clarke ^^ Co., Ohio, Sept. 11, 1838. His father, Jacob Barr, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., and his grandfather, also named Jacob Barr, was a na- tive of Germany, who came to America and settled in Lancaster County, where he died. The father was reared and married in Lancaster County, and after marriage went to Clarke County, Ohio, pur- chasing a farm in Bethel Township, where he re- sided all the last years of his life, and died in 1847. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of our subject, was Christiana Barr, but no relation of her husband, although bearing the same name. She died before her husband, on the old homestead. To them were born ten children, eight of whom grew to man and womanhood. The subject of our sketch was the seventh child of his parents' family, and was but six years old when his mother died, and his father's death took place three years later. He then went to live with James Lamb, in Clarke County, Ohio, with whom he remained until he was fourteen years of age, and then engaged in farm work in the same county at $6.25 per month. In 1856 he came to Illinois, and on the 1st of April of that year he purchased the place where he now resides, paying for the land the sum of $7.25 per acre. It was a tract of wild, un- broken prairie, over which deer and other wild ani- mals and game roamed at will. After buying this 234 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 land he went to Ohio, where he spent the winter, and in the spring of 1857 returned to Illinois and be- gan the improvement of his farm. He first erected a house, 12x12 feet, which he occupied, perform- ing his own housework up to the date of his mar- riage. He devoted his entire time to the improve- ment of the farm until 1881, when he went to Mansfield and engaged in the grain business one year; lie then resumed farming until 1885, in which year he returned to Mansfield, and has since been engaged in the grain business, leaving the act- ive management of the farm to his sons. On the llth of September, 18G1, Mr. Barr was married to Keziah Morrison, who was born in Phil- lips, Me., Jan. 4, 1844. Her father, Stephen Morri- son, was a native of the same State, where he was reared on a farm, and when a young man went to Lowell, Mass., and married there; afterward he re- turned to Maine, where he resided for three or four years, and then went back to Lowell. In 1848 he went to East Livermore, Me., and bought a farm, upon which he lived until 185C, in which year he moved to Illinois, and settled in DeKalb County, where he remained until the spring of 1857, at which time he moved to Livingston County, and settled in what is now Nevada Township. He pur- chased land on section 10, where he resided for a number of years, and then moved to Dwight, where he lived in retirement from active business during the last years of his life. He died in Dwiglit in July, 1876. The maiden name of his wife was Lydia Hanson, who was born about 1818, and grew to womanhood in Vermont. She is still living, and resides in Dwight. To Mr. and Mrs. Barr have been born six chil- dren, whose names are as follows: David E., Charles W., Josiah II., Susan A.. Minnie E. and Lj'dia E. Mr. and Mrs. Barr are both active mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in its affairs take much interest. To the necessities of the church they are liberal givers, and in all good works which may result in the benefit of the pub- lic, they participate active^'. In politics Mr. Barr is a Republican, and casts his vote and uses his in- fluence for pure nominations and a higher standard of morals in the contest for preferment. He has filled various offices of trust and honor in his town- ship, and always to the satisfaction of the people, and credit to himself. He is a gentleman of pleas- ant and affable manner, and makes friends readily wherever he goes He is one of those persons whom it is a pleasure to meet upon any and all oc- casions. TEPHEN D. EWING. The "middle man" sustains an important position between the producer and the market, and in the in- stance of the subject of this sketch, he bears that relation in a dual capacity, buying the prod- ucts of the farm, and forwarding them to the market, and on the other hand, handling the prod- ucts of the manufacturer, and finding a market for them among the producers of grain. He is a grain buj'er and shipper, and dealer in agricultural implements, coal and tile, at Graymont, 111. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Bowers) Ewing, and was born on the 22d of September, 1862, on section 9, Pike Township, Livingston County. The days of his boyhood were spent upon a farm, and such education as he obtained was in the common schools. He remained on the farm with his parents until he was about twenty-two years of age. On the 3d of July, 1 884, Mr. Ewing was married to Nettie L. Crow, daughter of William and Mary (Plummer) Crow, whose sketch is given in another part of this Ai.Bor. They have one child, born on the 2d of June, 1886, upon whom has been con- ferred the name of Lester C. Soon after marriage Mr. Ewing moved to Graymont, where he engaged in buying grain for his father-in-law, William Crow, in whose employ he remained about two years, when Mr. Crow's lease of the elevator expired, and it was leased to Hamlin. Congdon & Co., who re- tained Mr. Ewing in their employ, and entrusted to him the management of their affairs. On the 1st of August, 1887, the firm style was changed to Middle Division Elevator Company, and he was still continued in the employ of that company. Mr. Ewing is the seventh in a family of eight children, whose names are as follows: Mary E., who was born Sept. 17, 1844, married Richard Mc- Millan, and they live in Esmen Township; Rosella, born Nov. 9, 1847, married Robert Ralston, has t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 235 , ,) five children, and lives in Thayer County, Neb.; Aurelius McCurdy, who was born Dec. 13, 1850. married Frances Tracy ; they have five children, and live in Chicago. James Loren, born July 2, 1853, married Mary H. Tracy, has three children, and lives in Pike Township; George W., born Oct. 23, 1856, died March 3, 1874, and is buried in Pike Township graveyard; Laura Matilda, born March 11, 1859; Stephen, our subject; and Will- iam C., born Feb. 12\ 1865. The parents of Mr. Ewing were born in Ohio, the father on the 29th of September, 1820, and the mother on the 25th of April, 1824. They were married on the 1st of December, 1842, and came to Illinois in 1862, ar- riving on the 1st of March, and locating on section 9, where they remained until 1863, when they re- moved to their present home on section 4, consist- ing of a half section, and 240 acres on section 5. 1SAAC RAMY JOHNSTON. The people who have more to do with shaping the destiny of the country than any other class are the edu- cators of the children. It is they who first mold into shape the thoughts of the child when the book of life is first opened to it. On these educators depends largely the status of the rising generation, and great responsibilities rest upon them. No matter how humble the teacher may be, nor how obscure his locality, wherever it is he is the great factor in shaping the new generation for its duties in life. To the grand army of educators belongs the subject of this sketch. He is the teacher of the school at Graymont, 111. Mr. Johnston is the son of Adam Mitchell and Lydia C. (Teachenor) Johnston, and was born in Adams County, Ohio, on the 9th of January, 1851. His father was a cooper by occupation, and lived in Manchester, Ohio. At a time when Mr. John- ston was about ten years of age he came with his father to a little village called Fairview. Although his educational opportunities were very limited his diligence secured him a good common-school edu- cation, and at twelve years of age he entered his father's shop for the purpose of learning the trade of a cooper, at which he worked for about four years. His father then moved to Missouri, where he engaged in school teaching, and Mr. Johnston was enabled to attend school for one year, after which he labored on a farm for one year in the employ of his father, and for about two years he worked by the month, giving to his father the money he thus earned. Shortly after he was twenty-one years of age he accumulated money with which to purchase a horse and wagon, and renting a farm commenced business for himself. On the 10th of February, 1875, Mr. Johnston was married, by Rev. J. H. Polandor, to Miss Laura Frances Stretch, daughter of William and Eliza- beth (Lupton) Stretch, of Lewis County, Mo., formerly of Clinton County, Ohio. After his mar- riage Mr. Johnston remained one year in Missouri, and then moved to Livingston County by wagon, where he arrived in January, 1876, and rented a farm south of Pontiac. On account of the exces- sive rains of that year his crop was an entire fail- ure, but he tried farming one year more and was reasonably successful. In the month of Septem- ber, that year, he began school teaching, in which profession he has been more or less engaged ever since. In 1882 he was appointed Treasurer of the School Fund, a position which he has held ever since. In 1879 he was appointed Town Clerk, to fill a vacancy, and was afterward elected five times in succession. In 1885 and 1887 he was elected Assessor. Mr. Johnston is a Republican, and cast his first vote for Gen. U. S. Grant. When eleven years of age he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but his actual con- version did not occur until his sixteenth year. He lived a consistent Christian life for several years, but finally became indifferent and lukewarm, and was not re-awakened to his condition until 1885, at a meeting held by the Free Holiness Evangelists, since which time he has been a believer in the doctrines taught by that church. Mr. Johnston's parents were born in Ohio. His father is of Irish descent, and his mother is of Scotch origin. They were married in 1 848, and now reside in Wilson County, Kan. They had a family of seven children, as follows : Sarah Ann married William Emerson ; they have three children, and live in Red Willow County, Neb. 236 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Isaac R., the subject of this sketch; Frances E., un- married; John Mitchell, unmarried; Mary Agnes married Charles Newton, and has one child; George Wilbur, unmarried, and Wiley II., all live in Wil- son County, Kan. There is an adopted sister named Maud, who lives with his parents. Mrs. Johnston is the second child in a family of nine, one of whom died in infancy, and seven are still living: Mary Ann married Zacharias Clifton, and died in 1877; Laura Frances, Lewis Albert; Mary has three children, and lives in Shelby Countj^, Mo.; Marion Alonzo, married, is an evangelist and sings at the Holiness meetings; Alice Catherine married Brice Holbart, has three children, and lives in Lewis County, Mo. ; John William, unmar- ried, and lives in Kansas; Cora May, unmarried, and lives in Lewis County, Mo.; Mary Emma, un- married, and lives in Lewis County, Mo. Mrs. Johnston's father was of German descent, and the ancestors of her mother were Irish. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston have had four children, as follows: Mary Emily, born Dec. 6, 1876; Rainy, born March 8, 1881, and died in infancy; Marion Reno, born June 30, 1884; Clarence Wilbur, May 27, 1886. In educational matters Mr. Johnston is an en- thusiast, and he and his wife both take a very ardent interest in everything pertaining to the profession. As a teacher he is popular, both with pupils and parents, and his school is a model for its discipline and perfect system of conduct. eHRISTOPH SALZMAN, a thrifty German farmer of Rook's Creek Township, owns eighty acres of good land which he has cul- tivated successfully for the last eighteen years, and upon which he has erected a substantial and com- fortable residence, a good barn and all the build- ings required by the intelligent agriculturist. He is held in respect as a useful member of the com- munity, and for the last ten years has served as School Director, although he would prefer to attend strictly to his farming affairs without being the in- cumbent of any office. He is a native of the Fatherland, and after becoming a naturalized citi- zen cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, whom he saw and heard speak at Havana at the time he was candidate for Senator. Our subject was born in the Province of Saxe Weimar, Germany, Jan. 23, 1835, and is the son of Christopher and Dorothea (Schwinger) Salzman, also of German birth and parentage, who spent their entire lives in their native land. The mother died while a young woman, when our subject was but three or four weeks old. He was then taken by his maternal grandparents, Johannes and Anna Elizabeth (Tuchscha) Schwinger, and when a young man accompanied them to the United States. His grandfather died at Cape Girardeau while en route for St. Louis, while the steamer was blockaded by ice. Grandmother Schwinger survived her hus- band several years, and came to Mason County, 111., where her death took place in the spring of 1856. The father of our subject married a second time and reared quite a large family, all of whom remained in Germany. Mr. Salzman, upon coming to this country in 1 853, landed in the city of New Orleans, whence he at once proceeded to Havana, 111., where he worked on a farm about three years, and was after- ward employed in the store of Walker & Hancock four years. He was married, March 13, 1862, to Miss Mary Schmale, and soon afterward rented a tract of land in Mason County, where he carried on farming four years. Then going to Havana he took a clerkship under J. W. Jones, which he held two years, when he decided to return to rural pur- suits, and in 1869 located upon his present farm. To Mr. and Mrs. Salzman there have been born nine children, as follows: The eldest son, William Henr}', born Dec. 28, 1862, remains at home with his parents; Dorothea, born Dec. 18, 1864, is the wife of John Attig, a fanner of Rook's Creek Town- ship, and the mother of one child; Frederick, born Oct. 19, 1866, remains at home with his (parents; George Louis, born April 30, 1869; Maria Louisa, Jan. 9, 1872; Sophia E., Oct. 20, 1874; Albert, April 2, 1877; Anna C., Jan. 15, 1880, and Emma L., March 20, 1882. Mrs. Salzman is the daughter of William and Sophia (Bulks) Schmale. Her father was born about 1807 and died Aug. 28, 1855. The mother was born May 4, 1805, and died Aug. 28, 1877. . LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 237 They were married about 1835-36. Mrs. S. was the second child of four children who all lived to years of maturity. Her sister Catherine died when twenty-one years old. Henry married Mrs. Nancy (Schwartz) Bohlander, has two children, and is farming in Rook's Creek Township. Louisa, Mrs. Louis Zelle, is the mother of eight children, and lives in Havana, where her husband is engaged in the grocery trade. Mrs. S. has a faint recollection of her paternal grandmother, who lived to be quite aged. Mr. Salzman is a member in good standing of the German Lutheran Church, and has inherited the praiseworthy qualities of a long line of substan- tial German ancestry. H.K NTON G. JACOBS, a prosperous German Ol farmer of Rook's Creek Township, owns nearly 300 acres of valuable land on sec- tion 34, which is thoroughly drained with tile and provided with a substantial residence, a good barn, ample corn cribs, and a fine assortment of live-stock, including cattle, horses and swine. Mr. J. has been largely dependent upon his own resources since starting out in life, and his posses- sions are mainly the result of his own industry. His time has been principally employed in attend- ing to his own concerns, and the result has been very satisfactory. He is independent in politics, has never been an office-seeker, and is a member in good standing of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Jacobs was born in the Province of Hanover, Germany, Jan. 10, 1845, and is the son of Anton G. and Mary (Rebelf) Jacobs, natives of the same country. They emigrated to America in 1855, and proceeding directly westward, took up their residence first in Peoria, on the 28th of June, whence they removed the following month to Woodford County, where the father purchased the farm on which he still resides. He is a gentleman who appreciates the advantages of education, and left his native land for the sake of his children, who he considered would have better advantages, both socially and financially, in the New World. He had himself been fairly educated in his native tongue, and pursued his studies after coming to this country. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Jacob Harmon Jacobs, died in the Fatherland about 1851. The grandmother, who was born about 1783, sur- vived her husband several years, and died in her native Province when about ninety-four years old. Her family is of German ancestry, as far back as our subject has any record. Mr. Jacobs was the fifth cliild in fi family of seven, who lived to mature years: Henrietta was married, and died childless; Lamert, married and the father of three girls, lives in Woodford County ; Mary, Mrs. Fritz Zachgo, is the mother of nine or ten children, and a resident of McLean County ; Margaret married John Will- iams, of Woodford County, and has five children ; Catherine, the wife of Christian Reiner, has four children and lives in Ohio. Mr. Jacobs remained on his father's homestead until twenty-three years of age, when he was mar- ried, Jan. 7, 1868, to Miss Mary, daughter of Al- bert E. and Mary W. (Eadler) Sathoff, natives of Germany, who emigrated to the United States in 1857, when their daughter Mary was seven years of age. Mrs. Jacobs was born Jan. 4, 1850, and was the seventh in a family of eight children. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs settled down on a farm in Woodruff County, where they remained seven years, when they removed to Ben- son, and in 1881 took possession of a part of their present homestead. Mr. J. first purchased 160 acres, to which he afterward added 126 more. Upon this he has effected fine improvements, build- ing up a country home which is the admiration of all who pass by it. The household circle includes nine children, all at home with their parents. The eldest son, Jacob Harmon, named after his pater- nal great-grandfather, was born Nov. 7, 1868; Mary, Oct. 31, 1870; Albert E., Aug. 16, 1872; Anton E., May 12, 1874; Henrietta C., Aug. 18. 1876; Gesena, Dec. 1, 1878; John M., Nov. 10, 1880; Hajo E., June 8, 1882; Bennett L., July 13. 1886. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Jacobs are re- corded as follows : Bena was married in early man- hood, and followed the sea, being Captain of a sail- > 238 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ing-vessel; their home was in Germany, where his wife died in 1885, leaving four children. John is married, has three children, and lives in Kansas; Jesina, Mrs. Eddie Woltzen, has four children and lives in Woodford County; Bernardino, Mrs. Al- bert Woltzen, has thirteen children, and is also a resident of Woodford County; Hajo married Miss Phebe Franks, has seven children, and lives in Mc- Lean County ; Albert E., married, and. the father of six children, lives in Woodford County. D' UDOLPH EISELE. Lying on section 17, Rook's Creek Township, is one of the most valuable farms of that locality, the cultiva- tion of which has been in the skillful hands of the subject of our sketch. He comes of excel- lent German stock, and is a typical representative of that reliable element to which the West is so largely indebted for its development and progress. The fair prairies of Illinois are dotted all over with ! the substantial homesteads of the men who left their native land to seek their fortunes in the New World, ' the great advantages of which they had heard in their homes across the water. The subject of our sketch was born in Germany on the 17th of April, 1828, his parents being Jasper Eisele and Catherine (Rosebaum) Eisele, who came ! to this country in 1852, landing in New York, i where they remained three years, and then removed ' to Virginia, residing there for three years. He at- tended school for eight years in Germany, as is re- quired by the compulsory education law of that country. Being of a studious nature, he made rapid progress in his studies, in which he became quite proficient. From Virginia Mr. Eisele came West, locating at Peoria, where he spent a portion of his time on a farm, after which he came to Livingston County, where he purchased 160 acres of land. Mr. Eisele was married in New York, in 1856, to Elizabeth Keck, and to them have been born seven children: Elizabeth died in infantry; Minnie, Mrs. Joseph Webber, lives in Livingston County; John married Miss H. S. Fugar, and lives in Rook's Creek Township; Elizabeth resides with her parents; Ru- dolph and David are twins, born in 1868, and live at home; Mary Ann, the youngest, lives at home also. During the war of the Rebellion he served for six months in the Union army. On account of disability incurred in the service, he has asked the Government to grant him a pension, but his applica- tion has not yet been finally passed upon. Mr. Eisele is an enterprising and energetic far- mer, and takes considerable pride in the amount and quality of live stock that he raises. His farm is under a high state of cultivation, and he has erected suitable buildings for the care of his crops, and the shelter of his domestic animals. He has a comfort- able home, with pleasant and agreeable surround- ings, and enjoys the esteem and respect of all his neighbors. EORGE K. HOKE, one of the youngest men engaged in business upon his own account in Union Township, is successfully farming and raising stock on section 17. He is a native of Livingston County, and Union Township, and was born in the house he now lives in on the 17th of December, 1862, and was the fifth in a family of seven children born to Samuel and Laura (Kenney) Hoke, who were natives of Pennsylvania, and a history of whom appears in another place in this ALBUM. The subject of this sketch was reared wholly to farm life, for which he developed considerable apt- ness early in youth. The winters of his boyhood were devoted to attending the common schools, and he received a very fair education. At the age of twenty-two years he concluded to try his fort- unes in the West, and proceeded to Lincoln, Neb., where he engaged on a ranch with the famous Buf- falo Bill. He was not well pleased with that coun- try, however, and soon returned to Illinois, where he concluded to remain permanently. He began farming for himself on the home place, where he has continued until the present time. February 10, 1887, Mr. lloke was married to Emma J. Tanquarry, second child in a family of seven born to Levi and Sarah R. (Mead) Tanquarry, natives of Ohio and Illinois respectively. Mrs. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 239 Hoke's grandparents were William and Elizabeth (Shackleford) Tanquarry, .natives of Ohio, and her maternal grandparents were George W. and Lydia (Perkins) Mead, natives of Ohio. The parents of Mrs. Hoke came to Livingston County in 1867, and settled on a farm about ten miles west of Pon- tiac, where they resided until the death of the father, which occurred June 12, 1874. The mother still survives, and lives at Pontiac. Levi Tan- quarry, the father of Mrs. Hoke, served in the Union army for a time, but his health became so badly impaired that he was compelled to accept a discharge and return home. He was a member of the Methodist Church during his whole life, and was a Christian in every sense of the word. He was largely identified with all the progressive strides made by Livingston County. For very many years he was a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, and religiously carried out its principles. Mr. and Mrs. Hoke have settled on the farm lo- cated on section 17, where they expect to make their permanent home, and will expend their best energies in surrounding themselves with all the comforts and conveniences obtainable. Mr. Hoke is not much interested in political matters, and pro- poses to leave politics to the care of politicians, while he will devote his entire time to the affairs of his farm. Mrs. Hoke is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which she takes an active part, and they are both earnest workers in the cause of temperance. iHOMAS C. KIDDER. This gentleman's farm, pleasantly located on section 25 in Rook's Creek Township, comprises a valua- ble tract of eighty acres of land, provided with a good residence and all suitable buildings. This to him is all the more valuable because it was the homestead of his father, who settled here upon his arrival in this county about 1856. Mr. K., in ad- dition to general farming has given much attention of late years to stock-raising, in which he has met with success. Mr. Kidder is a native of the Prairie State, hav- ing been born in La Salle County, Feb. 9, 1850. His parents, Abel C. and Nancy (Chamberlain) Kidder, were natives respectively of Vermont and Massachusetts, the father born in 1800 and the mother in 1814. They subsequently became resi- dents of Ohio, whence they removed to this State at an earl}' day and shared with the pioneers of that time the hardships and dangers incident to life in a new settlement. Abel Kidder departed this life at his home in Rook's Creek Township, in 18G8, and the mother Jan. 27, 1882. Our subject after the death of his father took charge of the homestead, upon which he has since remained, effecting many improvements as the years have passed by. To this home he brought a bride in 1871, namely Miss Alice B. Cook, whom he married November 30 of that year. They have no children. Mrs. Kidder is-the daughter of Mic.ijah and Elizabeth (Lewis) Cook, and the twelfth in a family of thirteen children, eight of whom are liv- ing. She was born March 4, 1850. Micajah Cook was born in Virginia, Feb. 27, 1808, and his wife, Elizabeth, in Kentucky, Feb. 16, 1809. They were married Nov. 3, 1829, and made their home in Fayette County, Ky., until their removal to Illi- nois. They located upon a farm in Livingston, Pike Township, where the mother departed this life April 22, 1871. Mr. Cook is still living, and makes his home with his daughter Alice. Francis N. Cook, a brother of Mrs. Kidder, served as a soldier in the Union army, belonging to the 77th Illinois Infantry. He took part in two or three important battles, and after- ward contracted a disease from which he died the day after his arrival home, in 1862. The parental family of our subject included five children. His sister is now the wife of Wilson Breckenridge, of Kansas, and the mother of four children. William P. Kidder, the eldest son, was born in La Salle County about 1842. Upon the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted in the 20th Illinois Infantry, and after participating in the bat- tle at Ft. Donelson was killed in the engagement at Shiloh while lighting in the front ranks. Mr. Kid- der cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Grant in 1872, and since that time has been a stanch sup- porter of the Republican party. Although never an oflice-seeker he has maintained a warm interest f 240 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i in the general welfare of his fellow-citizens, and has served as School Director six years. He i ranked among the representative men of his com- munity, where he is held in universal esteem. REMINGTON, retired merchant and grain dealer, is the owner of a pleasant home in Fairbury, where he is spending his declining years in the ease and quiet justly earned by the labors of his earlier manhood. He is a native of Suflield, Hartford Co., Conn., where lie began life Dec. }4, 1820. His early education was conducted in the common schools, and when fifteen years of age he pursued the higher brandies in an academy five years. The most of his time he lived upon his father's farm, and early in life, after completing his studies, embarked in business as a grain dealer, locating first at Camden, N. C. He was a resident of that town two years, and be- sides his grain operations engaged in general mer- chandising. The two years following he spent in Mississippi and Louisiana, and migrated from the latter State to Illinois in 1847. While a resident of East Granby, Conn., Mr. Remington was married, in 1846, to Miss Cliloe H. Alderman, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride' on the 31st of May. Mrs. R. was bom in Chester, Mass., April 13, 1822, and is the daugh- ter of Harvey and Sarah (Holcomb) Alderman. She came to Illinois with her husband, and they first located at Kaneville, Kane County, where they resided four years. Mr. Remington engaged in farming, and afterward purchased a stock of gen- eral merchandise, and continued in trade about seven years. He sold out in the fall of 1859, and coming to Fairbury established his present business, which has been marked with success from the be- ginning. Mr. and Mrs. R. have one child only, a son, Albert II., who was born Feb. ;">, 1850, and after reaching manhood married Miss Elizabeth No3 7 ce. He is now engaged in real estate and as a grain dealer at Fairbury. Besides his village property, which consists of a fine dwelling witli ample grounds, Mr. Remington owns ten acres of valuable land adjacent, upon which he keeps ten fine Jersey cows. He has al- ways taken a warm interest in the welfare of his adopted town, and is the encourager of those en- terprises tending to its advancement. He cast his first Presidential vote for Henry Cla.y, and has always been a stanch Republican. Socially he is a Knight Templar in the Masonic fraternity; he became identified with Masonry in 1854, while a resident of Kane County. He was reared in the doctrines of the Baptist Church. Mrs. Remington is a Presbyterian. The parents of our subject, Isaac and Abigail (Gillette) Remington, were natives of Connecticut, and of English ancestry. Their family included three children Chauncy. Daniel, and Henry, our subject; the latter is the only immediate represent- ative living, his brothers and his parents being deceased. H. GUPPY is one of the successful farmers of Pontiac Township, who at the age of forty years was the owner of an excellent farm of 1 60 acres, which he has been able to purchase as the result of hard work. Mr. Guppy is a native of Toronto, Canada, where he was born on the 21st of July, 1846, his father being Emanuel Guppy, a native of England, who emigrated to Canada in 1840. The subject of this sketch spent his first eight years in Canada, when he removed with his father to Waukegan, Lake Co., 111., where he remained until the breaking out of the late Civil AVar. He was deprived of the care and affectionate training of a mother, she having died when he was but seven years of age. Being left almost entirely upon his own resources, and having to shift for himself, he did not have much oppor- tunity for securing an education. In April, 1862, Mr. Guppy enlisted in Company E, 134th Illinois Infantry, which was one of the 100 days' regiments, and served with the regiment until the expiration of his term of enlistment. In the following spring he re-enlisted in Company C, 155th Illinois Infantry, thus participating in army service, principally guard duty, for about seven months, and was honorably discharged in 1863. He came to Livingston County in the spring of I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 245 1864. Since his return from the army he has re- sided in this county. On the 31st of December, 1874, our subject was married to Elizabeth Luke, born Aug. 31, 1851, on Staten Island, N. Y., and a daughter of John and Esther Luke. Her parents came to Livingston about 1862. Mr. Guppy lived in Odell Township until 1883, when he purchased a farm of 160 acres on section 14, Pontiac Township, where he now resides. As was said at the opening of this sketch, he is a self-made man. and has obtained the owner- ship of a good farm under the most adverse cir- cumstances and greatest discouragements. Mr. and Mrs. Guppy are the parents of three children: William J.. bora Jan. 28, 1876 ; Mary E., Sept. 27, 1879, and Harvey J., Dec. 9, 1884. Hav- ing overcome all the difficulties which surrounded them at the beginning of their married life, Mr. and Mrs. Guppy are now living in contentment, and are very hopeful for the future. While not taking a very active part in political matters Mr. Guppy patriotically prides himself on being a mem- ber of the Republican party, and freely does what he can for the success of that political organization. 1 J"?OHN W. MILLS, Supervisor of Reading Township, has a fine farm of 320 acres on | sections 16 and 21, and is largely engaged ' in the breeding of Short-horn cattle. He has been a resident of the Prairie State since 1854, and is numbered among the most enterprising and wide-awake men of Livingston County. The farm is finely located and embellished with a handsome set of frame buildings, including a tasteful dwelling, a good barn, and the other structures required by the modern agriculturist for the successful prosecu- tion of his calling. A view of the place is shown on another page of this work. Mr. Mills has built up one of the finest homesteads in this section of country, and deserves great credit for the manner in which he has contributed to the wealth and pros- perity of Reading Township. Our subject was born near the town of Sabina, Clinton Co., Ohio, on the 4th of June, 1835, and is the son of Daniel and Mary (Bennett) Mills, na- tives respectively of Virginia and Kentucky. Dan- iel Mills was born April 17, 1781, and departed this life at his home in Reading Township, Feb. 6, 1868. His wife, Mary, was born April 16, 1793, and died also in this township Nov. 2, 1877. They were married in Ohio, Feb. 9, 1815, and became parents of the children bearing the following names: Thomas, Elizabeth, Louisa, James, Joshua C., Mar- tha, Elma, Maria, Mary, Margaret, Melissa, Letitia, Elvira and John W. (twins), and Louis Clark. Mr. Mills was reared to manhood in the Buckeye State, and early in life began to lay his plans for the future. When about the age of nineteen he started for the West, and finding no place which suited him better than this county, located here and has since remained, being now a resident for a period of thirty-three years. He first took up his residence in Reading Township, and in due time made the acquaintance of Miss Lucy E. Coe, who became his wife March 31, 1864. Mrs. Mills is the daughter of John and Nancy (Wilkinson) Coe, na- tives respectively of Connecticut and Vermont, and was born Feb. 5, 1842, in Geauga County, Ohio. John Coe was born Feb. 20, 1811, and departed this life Oct. 5. 1862. His wife, Nancy, was born Aug. 13, 1813, and passed away at her home Feb. 16, 1874. The children of the parental household of Mrs. Mills were, Daniel T., now a resident of Sheridan, LaSalle Co., 111. ; Clara E., the wife of A. B. Whit- ney, of Peoria, traveling correspondent of the Transcript; Lucy E., the wife of our subject; Al- bert, who resides in Kansas; Arthur, who died when fourteen months old; Amie L., the wife of W. T. Clark, a farmer and stock-raiser of Reading Township. The parents were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father served one year in the Union army, being assigned to duty at Johnston's Island, near Sandusky, Ohio, where he contracted a fever which resulted in his death. He died at Columbus, Ohio, and his remains were taken to his home in Geauga County, Ohio, for burial. The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Mills are all at home with their parents. The eldest son, Fred- f 246 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. die E., was born July 10, 1868, and after complet- ing his studies in the common schools, entered the business college at Peoria, 111. He, together with his sister, Clara E., has developed uncommon musi- cal talent, which is often utilized in the social as- semblies of their neighborhood and church. Clara Eveline was born Aug. 13, 1872; Charles Franklin, April 13, 1877, and Albert Roy, April 23, 1881. Mr. Mills was first elected Supervisor in 1876. He has been quite prominent in the councils of his fellow-townsmen, and served as Assessor four years, besides being Commissioner, School Treasurer and School Trustee. With his estimable wife he is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically, affiliates with the Republican party. We give in connection with this brief sketch of one [of Livingston County's representative citi- zens, the portrait of the man of whom we write, and as an appropriate companion picture, that of his estimable wife. J~~| OHN LOAR. "Like father like son" is an I old saying, and it is a pretty trite one. The man who commences the struggle of life without anything but willing hands and a brave heart, and fights successfully through until the end, generally transmits to his children an indom- itable will, and a courage which makes them suc- cessful in life. Such can be said of the subject of this sketch, who is a farmer and stock-grower on section 18, Belle Prairie Township. He was born in Greene County, Pa., on the 21st of April, 1826, and is the son of John and Hester (Stephens) Loar, natives of Mainland and Pennsylvania re- spectively. The father was born on the 28th of November, 1789, and died on the 5th of May, 1873, in Pennsylvania. He was all his life a farmer by occupation, commencing his career as such without a cent of capital, and long before his death he had accumulated a competency. He and his wife were members of the Protestant Meth- odist Church, and in early times the meetings of that denomination were held at their residence. The mother was born in June, 1794, and died in December, 1881, both dying on the same farm in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of fourteen children, eleven of whom they reared to man and womanhood : Sarah ; Jacob, who held the office of Justice of the Peace fifteen years; George, who is a minister; Appollos, a physician and Christian minis- ter in Richmond, Ind.; Adam died in childhood; Martha; John ; Henry died at the age of eight years; Dr. James Loar, of Bloomington, 111.; Nancy died at the age of four years; Levi. Hester J., Lany A. and Elizabeth. John Loar was married to Miss Maria White on the 22d of April, 1847, the Rev. Foredyce, of the Protestant Methodist Church, officiating. She was born on the 24th of April, 1826, and is the daugh- ter of Rev. David and Leah (Straschneider) White, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The father was born in 1795, and is still living, a hale and hearty old man of ninety-two years. On the day after his ninetieth birthday he delivered a very fine discourse in the same school-house where he studied eighty years before, this house standing on the same farm where he was born and reared. He displays considerable agility, and can run and jump with nearly as much ease as he could sixty years ago. He indulges considerably in horseback riding, and in 1856 he rode from his home in Penn- sylvania to Missouri in the month of December. He has been preaching since 1820. The mother was born in 1801, and died in April, 1865. She was also a member of the Christian Church, and her husband is credited with being the oldest liv- ing minister of that denomination. They were the parents of eight children Elizabeth, Israel, Sarah, Mariah, Eliza J., Reason, Mary A., and Christina, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Loar have had ten children : Thomas J., now teaching school in Kansas; Martha J., David W., Elizabeth S. ; George, druggist and Postmaster in Cropsey, McLean Co., 111.; Emma F., a school teacher; James L., a lawyer, and graduate of Ann Arbor. Mich.; Fafayette died at the age of fifteen months in the year 1868; Ida B. and Artie M. Mr. Loar came to Illi- nois in 1868 and located on a farm of 160 acres on section 18, on which he has continuously resided since. In the management of his farm and the T , E - LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 247 raising of graded stock, he displays unusual enter- prise, and encourages all organizations that are in- tended to further the interests of the agricultur- ists and stock-raisers. He is a stockholder in the Livingston County Fair Association, and also in the Belle Prairie Farmers' Mutual Insurance Com- pany, chartered Jan. 14, 1874, fora term of twenty years. As a sample of the productiveness of his farm it may be stated that in 1871 he cut twenty- four tons of hay on ten acres of land, and sold $600 worth of apples that were raised on the same ten acres, and in 1881 the product of the orchard was $550 worth of apples. There are 600 rods of tile drain on the farm. The family of Mr. Loar are members of the Christian Church, in which he has held the office of Elder for many years. He is a stanch Demo- crat, and upon all proper occasions gives evidence of the political faith that is in him. 1 AMUEL EARP, one of the pioneer farmers and stock-raisers of Livingston County, resides on section 4 of Rook's Creek Town- ship. He is the son of William Earp, and was born on the 31st of May, 1829, at New Gar- den, Columbiana Co., Ohio. In 1856 he removed to Wisconsin, where he staid one summer, and then to Livingston County, 111., and settled in the neighborhood where he now resides. The father of the subject of this sketch was born in England about the year 1803, and came to the United States when fourteen years of age, landing at Philadelphia on his fourteenth birthday. His memory serves him so well that he remembers the return of soldiers to England after the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo. He witnessed the review of the American soldiers by Gen. La Fayette at Philadelphia, in 1824. He had traveled over En- gland quite extensively in his boyhood days in company with an older brother, who was engaged in selling pottery, and was present when he sold a set of chinaware to Queen Victoria, before she was crowned ; while in Philadelphia he learned the trade of making boots and shoes. He was married in Pittsburgh about 1827, and some time after this moved to Ohio and engaged in farming. He was the father of four sons: Samuel; James, who is single and lives in Livingston County ; Charles W. died Dec. 15, 1868; George died in infancy. Samuel Earp received more than an ordinary education in the common schools, and attended the High School in Richmond, Jefferson Co., Ohio. He cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and has been a constant and firm supporter of the principles of the Republican party ever since. He has filled nearly all the various township offices, having served as Commissioner of Highways a number of terms, and been three times elected as Supervisor, and each of these places of trust he has filled with such honesty and ability that great satisfaction was given the people. Mr. Earp is a man of very generous impulses, and has made it a practice throughout life to assist all worthy persons who applied to him for aid. Being a firm believer in pure Christianity and apostolic simplicity, his inclinations are toward the Christian Church. Charles Earp, a brother of Samuel, was in the Union army during the war, and served under Gen. Sherman, taking part in that memora- ble march from Atlanta to the sea. In that cam- paign he contracted consumption, from which he never recovered, and died soon after 'returning from the army. On the 13th of May, 1858, Mr. Earp was mar- ried to Caroline Earp, daughter of Charles Earp, of Livingston County. She is a cousin, and was born on the 18th of February, 1834, in Norwalk, Ohio. Her mother was born on the 26th of Feb- ruary, 1811, in England, and during the first five years of her life lived in Derbyshire, and at that age accompanied her father to the United States, landing in Baltimore, and going directly to Co- lurnbiana County, Ohio, by wagon. Her mother had died shortly before. John Morledge, the grandfather of Mrs. Earp, was born in England about 1774, and was a blacksmith by trade, but after he removed to the United States and settled in Ohio he became a farmer, and bought a half- section of land, which he cleared and improved, and which is now owned by John Morledge, a son by his second wife. John Morledge was a member 248 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of the Church of England, but his daughter Esther has never been a member of any church, but be- lieves that pure and simple religion consists in vis- iting the widow and fatherless in their affliction, and keeping unspotted from the world. Mrs. Earp is a member of the Episcopal Church. J^ AMES W. EISENHOWER, farmer and mer- chant clerk, is splendidly situated on sec- I tion 20, Rook's Creek Township. He is the ' eldest son of John F. and Catherine J. (Mil- ler) Eisenhower, and was born on the 8th of No- vember, 1835. in the State of Pennsylvania. He made the most of what common-school advantages there were in Newburg, Cumberland County, and remained with his father, who was at that time a merchant, until he was about twenty years of age, when he was married to Caroline Harlin, on the 13th of December, 1855. For two years after his marriage he was engaged as a clerk in his father's store. A son was born to him and his wife on the 29th of October, 1856, and was named Theodore B. In February, 1859, his wife died, and he moved to McLean County, 111., leaving the child in the care of his parents. After locating in Mc- Lean County, he rented a farm for one year, at the end of which time he sold what property he pos- sessed, and engaged to work by the month for nine months, but before the contract expired he enlisted in August, 1862, in the 1st Marine Artillery of New York. During its service the regiment was mostly em- ployed in the coast defenses, and Mr. Eisenhower was actively engaged in three battles; the first at Kingston, on the Neuso River, near Newbern, N. C., in which the Union side was successful in capt- uring 600 prisoners. Mr. Eisenhower thinks one incident of the battle is worthy of mention. When part of the men who were doing patrol duty began to see shot and shell coming near they concluded they had better be getting out of there, and so ex- pressed themselves. Capt. Smith, of the 17th Mas- sachusetts, reassuringly said, "Oh, no; those are from our cannon, and they won't hurt us;" but when the next one came near, pressing his head against the side of a house which stood near, he remarked that "we had better be getting out of here." The second battle was what is known as Dudley Halls, in which the Union forces were suc- cessful. Soon after they were in the battle of Goldsboro, where they burned a bridge on the road leading from Weldon to Richmond, and de- stroyed a portion of the track in order to shut supplies out of Richmond. Mr. Eisenhower went through the service without receiving a scratch, and was honorably discharged in April, 1863. Upon his discharge from the army, Mr. Eisen- hower returned to his home in Pennsylvania, where he again married, taking for his wife Miss Susan Gunkel (now spelled with a K instead of a G), on the 17th of September, 1863. He then came back to Illinois and farmed in McLean Count}' until the fall of 1865, when he moved to Marshall County, where he carried on farming until the fall of 1867. In that year they moved to AVoodford County, where he purchased eighty acres of land and re- mained there two years, sold out, and moved back to Marshall County, and from there to Livingston County, in the fall of 1 869, where he farmed for two and one-half years on land belonging to his wife's brother. He then purchased a farm of 120 acres, which he now owns. His land was unim- proved when it came into his possession, but he worked upon it industriously, and soon brought it to a fine state of cultivation. It is honeycombed with tiled ditches, and where trees never grew be- fore he has planted them, and they now afford an abundance of shade. He has an excellent set of farm buildings, and all necessary implements and machinery required for the carrying on of agricult- ure in a first-class manner. The homestead pre- i seuts one of the attractive points in the landscape of Rook's Creek Township. Mr. Eisenhower's eldest son, Theodore B., is married, and lives in Albion, Boone Co., Neb., and is a traveling express messenger on a branch of the Union Pacific Railway. By the second marriage there have been born the following children : George A., born Aug. 1, 1864, married Lucy Ben- son, and lives in Rook's Creek Township; William A., born Aug. 27, 1865, lives in the same township; Edwin K., born Nov. 1, 1867, is single and lives at i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 249 home. Mr. Eisenhower's sous are now conducting the farming operations, and he devotes his time to the management of Dr. J. Allen's general store in Graymont, of which he has complete control. Mrs. Eisenhower was born on the 15th of Febru- ary, 1839, and is the daughter of George and Bar- bara (Houser) Kunkel. Her parents were natives of Lancaster County, Pa. Her brothers and sis- ters were as follows : The eldest, Martin, died in infancy; John, William, Elizabeth, Edwin, George, Israel, Catherine and Martin. yiLLIAM F. COOK. One of the younger men and farmers who is destined to make his impress upon the history of Livingston County is the subject of this sketch, who has a farm of 100 acres on section 28, in Pontiac Town- ship. He is a native of Butler County, Ohio, where his birth took place on the 4th of July, 1853, and consequently has the rare privilege each year of celebrating the anniversary of his birth and the birth of the Nation simultaneously. He is the son of Eli and Almeda Cook, who were both natives of the State of Ohio, and were pio- neers of Butler County. The father, during most of his life in Butler County, was a grain dealer, and from him his son inherited considerable busi- ness tact. They had a family of four children William F., Charles F., George C. and Frank J. The father died in Ohio on the 22d of June, 1885, and after his death the mother came to Livingston County and resided with her sons un'til the summer of 1887, when she went to Pueblo County, Col., and there resides. They both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and were very much devoted to the welfare of that organization. So far as political matters went the father was an ardent supporter of the Republican party, and as such was widely and favorably known throughout Butler County, while the opposition in that Demo- cratic stronghold have cause to remember the blows he struck in defense of his party. The years intervening between the birth and manhood of Mr. Cook of our notice were spent in Butler County, where he attended the common schools regularly and pursued his studies so assidu- ously that he received more than an average edu- cation. Having an inclination for the business affairs of life he took a thorough course in book- keeping at the Hamilton Business College, of Hamilton, Ohio, in the year 1 870, and was graduated from that institution with great credit to himself. For several years afterward he was associated with his father in the grain trade, and had entire charge of the books of the firm, while he became an ex- pert grain buyer. In the fall of 1873 he came to Livingston County, where for the first year of his residence he engaged in work on a farm in the em- ploy of John A. Knapp, of Pontiac. For the next three years he rented farms which he managed suc- cessfull.y. In 1882 he purchased the farm on which he now lives, on section 28, Pontiac Township, and his 100 acres are as fertile and productive as any similar body of land in Livingston County. On the 21st of March, 1878, Mr. Cook was mar- ried to Rosalind Knapp, daughter of John A. Knapp, the gentleman for whom he worked during the first year of his residence in Livingston County. They have two children: Emma A., born Dec. 22, 1879, and Edna B., born May 3, 1881. Mr. Cook has made a success in his farming operations unusual with men who are not bred to farm life. Ever since he became a voter he has cast his ballot with the Republican party. He and his wife are respected members of society, and are active in all things intended to benefit the community. UGH D. MACK. This gentleman, who lo- cated in Avoca Township eleven years ago, purchased a quarter of section 30, where he has since been engaged in farming and stock- raising, and is accounted one of its most enterpris- ing citizens. He has been a resident of the Prairie State for a period of thirty-four years, having located in McLean County, near Bloomingtou, in 1853, whence he removed to this county in 1876, taking possession of his present farm. Mr. Mack is a native of the Buckeye State, and was born in Harrison County, June 7, 1827. His parents, Samuel and Margaret (Carnes) Mack, were 1 250 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. natives of Ireland, who emigrated to the United States early in life. Their household included eleven children, of whom the following are living: Isabella, Hugh D., John, David, Ellen, Lizzie, William, George and Robert. Some of these are located in Kansas, others in Ohio, where the parents i are now living. Our subject remained a member of his father's household until considerably past his majority, and after passing his thirty-fifth year, was united in marriage, on the 10th of May, 1863, to Miss Sarah A. Fosset, a native of his own State, who came to Illinois in 1853. They have three children Edith, Robert and Edna. The youngest is now six years of age. Mr. Mack, struggling through the disad- vantages of a limited education, has by his own ef- forts acquired sufficient knowledge of business mat- ters to invest his money in a judicious manner, and has attained to a good position, both socially and financially. He and his estimable lady are mem- bers in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are valued in the community. His land has been brought to a good state of cultivation, and the farm buildings, neat and substantial, are kept in good order, while everything about the place wears the air of comfort and plenty. ~~ AMES L. ROBERTS, the well-known and en- terprising dealer in merchandise, and grain buyer and shipper, of the town of Graymont, Livingston Co., 111., is the son of John and Katherine (Henkins) Roberts, and was born in Greene County, Pa., on the 31st of August, 1847. In 1851 he accompanied his parents to Bureau County, 111., where they rented ground and farmed four years. In 1855 they moved to a farm in Putnam County, where the father bought ten acres of land, which he sold in 1858, and then moved to Davis County, Mo., where they farmed, rented ground until the fall of 1861, when they returned to Illinois and located in De Witt County. After remaining in this county until 1869 they came to Livingston County, where the father bought forty acres on section 28, Rook's Creek Township, one mile south of where the town of Graymont now stands. In 1869 the subject of this sketch bought forty acres of land, and in 1874 still another forty adjoining on section 28. He continued to make his home at his father's and assisted on the farm until 1 880. During this period he was elected Com- missioner of Highways. On the 6th of September, 1880, Mr. Roberts was married to Miss Rachel Jane Lillie, daughter of John and Mary (Smith) Lillie, at the residence of W. F. Brydia, in Saunemin Township, Livingston County, Rev. G. W. Gue officiating. On the 23d of October, in partnership with Henry Pample & Co., he opened a stock of general merchandise un- der the firm name of Roberts, Pample & Co., in Graymont. This was among the first establish- ments for the sale of general merchandise opened in that town. This partnership continued until June, 1882, when Pample sold out to B. S. Lillie, a brother-in-law of Mr. Roberts. The firm then became Roberts & Lillie, who continued the busi- ness until February, 1884, when Mr. Roberts bought out Mr. Lillie's interest, and has since con- tinued the business by himself. In the fall of 1885 he added the buying and shipping of grain to his regular business, and was the prime mover in secur- ing the location of Graymont at its present site, assisting also very materially in obtaining the right of way for the Kankakee Line of the Middle Divis- ion of the Illinois Central Railroad. Mr. Roberts re- ceived a very fair common-school education, and in addition to that he has further qualified himself for business affairs by learning book-keeping and mastering its various complications. He has al- ways been a man of public spirit, assisting in the building of churches throughout the surrounding country. Mr. Roberts' parents were born in Pennsylvania, on or near the line of Greene Township, the father Nov. 27, 1811, and the mother on the 13th of July, 1820. They were married in Pennsylvania about the year 1838. The subject of this sketch is the fourth in a family of six children: the oldest, Eliza May, died in infancy; Lucretia was born July 4, 1842, is unmarried, and lives with her parents in Milford, Montgomery Co., Iowa; Elijah Peter was born on the 14th of July, 1844; he enlisted in August, 1862, in Company G. 107th Illinois In- t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 251 fantry, and was wounded in a skirmish, dying soon after in a hospital at Baltimore, where he was buried. James L. ; Margaret Susannah, born Aug. 20, 1863, and Marion Morris, born April 23, 1859, are unmarried and live with their parents. Mr. ^Roberts' paternal grandfather, James Rob- erts, was born in Pennsylvania on the 30th of July, 1787, and his grandmother, Lucretia Morris, on the 30th of April of the same year. They were mar- ried on the 15th of May, 1807, and moved to Han- cock County, 111., where they died. The great- grandfather was born in New Jersey and moved to Pennsylvania when a young man ; his father was a native of Wales. The maternal grandparents were born in or near Greene County, Pa., the grand- father, Elijah Henkins, on the 22d of May, 1791, and the grandmother, Elizabeth (Brown) Henkins, July 1, 1787. They were married about 1814. The "grandmother died on the 12th of August, 1875, and was buried in the Lone Tree Graveyard, Bureau County, 111. The grandfather served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and died Aug. 6, 1887. Mr. Roberts remembers seeing his maternal great- grandmother, and says she lived two or three years at their home in Illinois, where she died and is buried in the Lone Tree Graveyard. He thinks her name was Lucretia Brown, and he says he car- ries scars which he received by falling on her iron kettle. The wife of James L. Roberts was born at Noblesville, Ind., on the 6th of September, 1851, and moved with her parents to Bloomington, 111., when about five years of age. They remained there but one year when they removed to Living- ston County, where the father bought 1 20 acres of land on section 22. She attended the district school during her girlhood, and received a very fair edu- cation. She is the seventh in a family of twelve children, all of whom are still living; their names are: Margaret, born on the 7th of November, 1839, married to William T. Brydia Dec. 7, 1863, lias two children, and lives in Livingston County; Letitia, born Nov. 29, 1841, married R. M. Hop- kins, has five children, and lives in McLean County, 111. ; Joseph, born July 2, 1843, married and has three children, lives in Stephenson County, 111.; Eliza B., born April 25, 1845, married Robert Shields Nov. 4, 1883, has five children, and lives in Liv- ingston County; James W., born March 4, 1847, has one child and lives in Nebraska; Benjamin S., born March 25, 1849, married Sept. 14, 1886, has one child and lives in Broken Bow, Neb. ; Rachel Jane ; Leonidas L. H., born Oct. 5, 1854, is unmarried and lives in Williamsport, Dak.; Elvira, born April 1, 1857, married Oscar Pickering March 17, 1886, and lives in McLean County ; Effle K., born July 23. 1861, married Charles Hopkins Aug. 6, 1879, has three children, and lives in McLean County; Mary Eudena, born June 15, 1865, is unmarried and lives at Lexington, 111., with her sister; Williamette, born May 13, 1869, is unmarried and makes her home with her sister in Graymont. The father of Mrs. Roberts came from Delaware, where he was born on the 30th of May, 1815; the mother was born in Ohio on the 22d of February, 1821. They were married Dec. 9, 1838. The father died April 2, 1883, and the mother Feb. 16, 1885; they are both buried at Pleasant Hill Ceme- tery, McLean County, 111. Her maternal grand- father, Benjamin Smith, was born Feb. 3, 1782, and the grandmother, Rachel Smith, was born in 1786. COLLINS, an old and respected citizen who, besides displaying much enter- prise in his business affairs, has been largely instrumental in building up the schools and ad- vancing educational interests where he has lived, is a farmer and stock-raiser on sections 17, 29 and 7, Union Township. He was born in County Ros- common, Ireland, on the 19th of February, 1819, and was the sixth child in a family of seven chil- dren born to Patrick and Delia (Eagan) Collins, natives of Ireland. The paternal grandparents were Mark and Ellen (Dowd) Collins, the former a prominent politician connected with the Rebellion. The maternal grandparents were Patrick and Julia (Regan) Eagan. Mr. Eagan was a soldier in the war at the time the French invaded Ireland. The father of Mr. Collins was a farmer by occupation, and died in Ireland. The subject of this sketch was reared a farmer lad and was educated in the public schools, where 252 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. such fair opportunities were afforded that he ob- tained a good education. At the age of nineteen his school life ended, and at the age of twenty-five . he was married, on the 30th of June, 1844. to Em- ma W. Burke, who was born in County Galway, Ireland, in 1825, and was the sixth child in a family of eleven born to James and Delia (Barlow) Burke, nativeslof Ireland. As soon as they were married, Mr. Collins and his wife prepared to come to America, and in August of that year sailed from Liverpool in the "New Hampshire," an American sailing-vessel, when after a stormy voyage of nine weeks and three days they landed at New York on the 13th of November. They lived in New York the first six months after their arrival, where Mr. C. was engaged as assistant book-keeper. They then moved to Orange County, N. Y., where he engaged in farming, and remained for nine years. At the end of that time they started for the West, where they first located in Kendall County, 111., and engaged in farming on rented land for twelve years. In 1865 they moved to Livingston County, where they had purchased 160 acres of partly im- proved land the year before, and they began to make for themselves a home. The township was not yet divided into districts, and Mr. Collins was largely instrumental in the advancement of the schools, in which work he entered with enthusiasm. During the time which has elapsed since Mr. Col- lins' settlement in Union Township he has added forty acres to his original purchase, besides im- proving the older portion of the farm, and now has 200 acres of as fine land as can be found in the county, which he has stocked with fine Durham cattle and Norman horses. He has a thoroughbred Durham registered as Hibernia, and a large stock of well-bred Poland-China hogs. Mr. Collins al- ways takes an interest in politics and is now identified with the Democratic party, although he was formerly a Republican. It lias devolved upon him to assess the township for seventeen years ; he has been Commissioner of Highways for nine years, Collector for one year, and School Director for eighteen years. Mr. and Mrs. Collins are the parents of eight children, all of whom are living Patrick B., Ellen, Mary A., Margaret, James E., Edward R., Sarah J. and John C. Ellen is the widow of George W. Bradley, and lives in Emington, this county; Patrick married Emma Decker, and lives on a farm in Odell Township; Mary, Mrs. John Kemp, lives in Kempton, this county; James is unmarried, and farming in Odell Township; Sarah is teach- ing school in Emington; Mary was also a teacher; Edward and John are unmarried and live at home. The family are members of the Catholic Church in Odell, and are regular worshipers with the congre- gation there. ^*"**~ a, A HOMAS TALBOTT, a worthy English far- mer of Belle Prairie Township, owns a quar- ter of section 1, which constitutes one of the finest bodies of land in the county, prolific of the best crops of the Prairie. State, and brought to a high state of cultivation. He has been promi- nent in township and county affairs, is a Deacon in the Christian Church, and a Republican who has exercised no small influence in his party in this section. His industry and energy are proverbial, and of which a forcible illustration is presented in the handsome home which he has built for himself and his family. The residence, with its surround- ings, invariably attracts the admiring observation of the passing traveler, and the farm with its beauti- ful fields and well-kept stock is creditable alike to the proprietor and the township which he has chosen for his abiding-place. Our subject was born in Somersetshire, England, April 12, 1836, and is the son of Henry and Ann (Stuckey) Talbott, also of English birth and par- entage. They emigrated to America with their family in 1857, and coming to this State located in Cook County, where the father engaged in farming, and where the mother died in 1880; the former is now living in Newton County, Ind. Their four children are all living, and Thomas was the eldest of the family. The others were James, Caroline and Christopher. Thomas remained with his par- ents until twenty-one years of age, then rented a tract of land in Cook County, upon which he operated five years. He was married in 1865. and then coming to Livingston County, purchased RESIDENCE or Gco.W. *:/* it tt ~S' RESIDENCE, STORE AND MILL or DAVID HOOBLER.MANVILLE.ILL. t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 255 eighty acres of uncultivated prairie land which is now included in his present farm. This amount he afterward doubled, and has since devoted his entire attention to its cultivation and improvement. He received no assistance whatever from his father or anyone else, and has the satisfaction of knowing that his possessions are the result of his own in- dustry. The wife of our subject, to whom he was mar- ried Feb. 7, 1865, was formerly Miss Mary Stuckey, a native of Somersetshire County, England, and was born March 18, 1840. She came to America with her parents when seventeen years of age, in 1857, the same year that her husband came, and formed his acquaintance in Cook County, where her people had settled. Of this union there have been born six children Hattie, Nettie, Burt, Edward, and two who died in infancy. IPENETUS DIXON is quite an extensive stock farmer on section 5, Newtowu Town- ship, where he owns 200 acres under a good state of cultivation, and raises stock- in sufficient quantities to consume the entire grain product of the farm. Mr. Dixon was born in Marshall County, 111., Feb. il, 1845. He is the son of Charles and Sarah (Hodges) Dixon, natives of England. The father was born in 1800 and lived in England, where he followed the business of brick-making until after marriage. The maiden name of the mother was Ann Whitaker, and she was born in England, and came to America soon after her son Charles emigrated, her husband having died in En- gland. Of their children one is buried in England, one in Marshall County, 111., James lives in Kansas, and Charles, the father of our subject. The mother lived to be about ninety years of age, and is buried in Phillips Cemetery in Newtown Township. Charles Dixon and wife came to America in 1835, arriving at New Orleans, from which place they ascended the Mississippi River to St. Louis, and then settled at Magnolia, Marshall Co., 111., where they lived until about October, 1847, and during the time were engaged in farming. In that year they moved to Livingston County, and pur- chased land on section 5, in Newtown Township, which is a part of the land the subject of this sketch now owns. The father died on the 21st of April, 1879, and is buried by the side of his mother. His wife, Sarah, died on the 21st of September, 1871, and is buried in the same place. To them were born the following-named children : George, born in May, 1840, died in 18G8, and is buried in the same cemetery as his parents; Richard was still- born; Joseph, born on the 14th of September, 1843, is engaged in farming in Iowa; Epenetus is the subject of this sketch; Wilbur, born about 1847, died when eight years old; William, born on the 16th of November, 1850, is a Presbyterian minister, and lives in Illinois; Albert, born on the 18th of May, 1852, is now the owner of the home- stead of his father in Newtown Township; Sarah Ann, born on the 29th of August, 1860, died in January, 1881 ; she was the wife Of William A. Mason, who is now living in Nebraska. The father and mother of the above-named chil- dren were members of the United Brethren Church, and during their connection with that denomina- tion were active in the duties of membership. Epenetus Dixon lived at home until twenty-three years of age, and attended the district schools of his township. He has been a resident of Newtown Township ever since he was two years of age, ex- cepting the year 1870, which would give him a resi- dence of thirty-nine years in the township. Mr. Dixon was married on the 3d of February, 1870, to Mary M. McCandlish, who was a native of Ohio, and was born May 1, 1848; she was the daughter of George P. and Catherine McCandlish. Robert McCandlish, the grandfather, was born in Scotland, and immigrated to America, where he spent his last days. His wife, Mary Black, was born in Pennsylvania, and died in Ohio in the year 1855. They were the parents of eleven children, three of whom survive : Nancy Sammis was born on the 10th of November, 1817, and lives in Wes- terville, Ohio; Jane McCandlish, born April 24, 1814; Sarah Pyle, born Aug. 20, 1830, resides in Nevada, Vernon Co., Mo. The names of the de- ceased children are as follows: Martha Sammis, 4=. 256 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. horn May 1, 1828; Elizabeth Emrich, Sept. 5, 1823; Mary Ann Lamb, Nov. 20, 1819; Emily, born Dec. 9, 1834, died at the age of nineteen years; Margaret, born Sept. 25, 1825, died when twelve years old; Anthony S., born Aug. 25, 181, died in 1860; William, born Oct. 4, 1812, died June 4, 1865; George P. was born Jan. 1, 1816, and died Aug. 13, 1875, in La Salle County, 111. Catherine Deenis, the mother of Mrs. Dixon, was the daughter of Henry and Margaret (Rodehafer) Deenis, natives of Virginia. To them were born seven children, of whom the living are Catherine, the mother of Mrs. Dixon; Nancy McGee, in Os- borne County, Kan., and Mary A. Heart, in Ge- neva, Neb. Catherine, the mother of Mrs. Dixon, makes her home with the latter, and is sixty-one years of age. The father was born Jan. 11, 1816, and died Aug. 13. 1875. George P. and Catherine McCandlish were married on the 17th of June, 1847, in Fairtield County, Ohio, came to Illinois in the fall of 1856 and settled in La Salle County. To them were born four children: Mary M., the wife of our subject; Sarah J., born April 28, 1850, is the wife of James II. Mason, and lives near Man- ville; Robert II., still-born Aug. 4, 1853; Emily Frances, born Oct. 15, 1855, died April 9, 1863. Mrs. Dixon's father enlisted in the army Aug. 14, 1862, in Company F, 104th Illinois Infantry, in which he served two years and eleven months. He was in the battle of Hartsville, Tenn., Dec. 7, 1862. During the latter part of the war he was in charge of a boat on the Mississippi River and the Gulf coast. Since his death his wife Catherine draws a pension of $12 per month from the Government. To Mr. and Mrs. Dixon have been born the follow- ing-named children: Sarah Catherine, born Nov. 2, 1872, died March 2, 1874; Nora Louise, born June 26, 1875; Georgia Idella, born June 3, 1877, died May 29, 1879; Nellie Mabel, born Sept. 26, 1880. Grandmother Black, the mother of Mary Black, was one hundred and four years old when she died at the home of Nancy and Smith McCandlish, near Rushville, Ohio. She left Ireland during the time of the trouble between the Catholics and Orange- men, and on leaving entrusted the care of her babe to her sister, expecting to return soon. The name of this child was William Black, and he grew to manhood and was married before coining to this country. He located in Ohio, where he died in 1870. Mrs. Dixon is a member of the United Brethren Church. When the Dixon family first came to Illinois, Livingston County was a wilderness, and to show what straits people were put to we have only to mention that buckwheat was ground in a coffee-mill with which to make flour for bread, and at one time corn was taken to a feed grinder, in which it was cracked and then used as food. fACOB COX, who is a representative farmer and stock-raiser, located on section 19, Pontiac Township, is a typical Ohio man, be- ing a native of Adams County, that State, where he was born on the 9th of May, 1838. He is the son of James and Nancy (Summers) Cox, the former being a native of Ohio, and the latter of Virginia. His paternal ancestors were of Scotch descent. The grandfather, Jacob Cox, was a Vir- ginian by birth, who settled in the State of Penn- sylvania at an early date in its history, and subse- quently in Adams County, Ohio, where the father of our subject was born and reared. His parents had nine children, of whom four survive Jacob; James G., Andrew D. and Mary C., of Ft. Scott, Kan. Two of Mr. Cox's brothers, John S. and Henry C., were soldiers in the Union army, and gave their lives that the nation might live. In 1853, with his parents Mr. Cox came from Ohio to Livingston County, and settled in Pontiac Town- ship. At that time Livingston County was very sparsely settled, and this family was one of the first to make their home there. They remained in Livingston County until 1869, when the parents moved to Ft. Scott, Kan., where the father died on the 22d of December, 1884; the mother still sur- vives, and resides at Ft. Scott, in the seventy-fifth year of her age. During almost all his entire life Mr. Cox has been accustomed to living on a farm, and during bis boyhood he received a very fair English edu- cation in the public schools; for a short time he t t. t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 257 attended Eureka College at Eureka, 111. During twenty years of his life he devoted the winter months to teaching school, being employed both in district and graded schools. When the war broke out in 1861 he enlisted in the three months' serv- ice in Company D, 20th Illinois Infantry, and was with that regiment during the preliminary skirmishes and incidents at the beginning of the war. On the 14th of February, 1868, Mi-. Cox was mar- ried to Clara A. Syphers, a native of Pennsylva- nia, and daughter of Prof. J. and Sarah (Kent) Syphers, of Greene County, that State. By this union there are four children Clara N., Beatrice C., Clemeth J. and Clifford E. Mr. Cox is now the owner of eighty acres of excellent land, to the cultivation of which he devotes his entire time, displaying unusual ability in farm management and the raising of stock. Politically he is a Repub- lican. He alone is entitled to all the credit that at- taches to his success in life, as what fortune he has was carved by his own hands. He is in the fullest sense of the word a self-made man. Everything which pertains to the good of the community re- ceives his liberal and hearty support, and in all these things he is cheerfully seconded by his esti- mable wife. >. ft -.. J~ OHN M. WINCE, of Owego Township, is one of the pioneers of the county, and dur- ing his long residence here has secured for himself the profoundest respect of his fellow- citizens. He is a native of Loudoun County, Va., and was born on the 15th of March, 1828, being the son of Philip and Catherine Wince, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Vir- ginia. The paternal ancestors were of German de- scent, some of whom are supposed to have been soldiers in the Revolutionary AVar, as they lived in America at that time, and a vein of patriotism has run through the family since its earliest existence. To his parents were born seven children, of whom the following are the survivors: Sarah, Catherine, Lut-inda, Eliza A., Henry L. and John. Mr. Wince grew to manhood in Loudoun County, which is located in the northern part of Virginia, bordering on Maryland, which in 1870 produced more wheat and corn than any other county in the State, but which during the boyhood days of our subject was neither highly cultivated nor far ad- vanced in educational facilities. Under these cir- cumstances Mr. Wince received but a limited edu- cation, the greater part of his studies being prose- cuted by the light of pine knots after night, but having obtained the rudiments of an education, he has been a constant and diversified reader all his life, and keeps posted upon all the general topics of the day. In 1856 Mr. Wince left Virginia and emigrated to Livingston County, where he devoted the next ten years of his life to work upon the farm for monthly wages. In this manner he succeeded in accumulating sufficient money to start him in busi- ness, and located on his present farm on section 34 in Owego Township, in the year 1864, where he has resided ever since. This farm consists of eighty acres, which was composed entirely of raw prairie at the time of his purchase, but by hard work and good management he has reduced it to such a state of cultivation that it is now considered one of the best in the township. Mr. Wince can look back upon his past efforts with great satisfaction, for when he reached Illinois he was without money and among strangers; he now has a good farm, is comfortably surrounded, and enjoys the esteem and respect of the people among whom he lives. On the 13th of December, 1868, our subject was married to Mary Keith, a native of Maine, daugh- ter of Howard C. Keith, who at the time of the marriage resided in the northern part of Living- ston County, of which he was one of the original settlers. Mr. and Mrs. Wince have had two chil- dren : Ida M., born June 9, 1873, and Lillie D., Nov. 7, 1875. While Mr. Wince has never identi- fied himself with any particular religious denomi- nation, he takes an active interest in church matters, and was largely instrumental in organizing the first church and Sunday-school located in the southern part of Owego Township. His political proclivi- ties are Democratic, and he is a strong advocate of temperance principles. His office-holding experi- ence has been somewhat limited, having held the office of Justice of the Peace one term, the duties - . 258 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of which he discharged with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. On account of the warm interest which betakes in educational matters he was appointed to the position of School Director in his district, which position he held four years, and that of School Trustee two years. i AMES D. SIDLE, hotel-keeper and assistant grain buyer at the Graymont Elevator, is the son of Daniel and Catherine (Zorn) Sidle (formerly spelled Seidle), and was born on the 3d of May, 1 850, in Somerset County, Pa. When he was about five years of age his parents came to Illinois, locating in Stephenson County, where his father bought a farm in 1857, procuring the money to make the first payment from Benjamin Snyder, and with the help of his son carried on farming and blacksmithing, having learned the latter trade in Pennsylvania. On the 24th of March, 1864, Mr. Sidle, at four- teen years of age, ran away from home, and after making seven efforts, at length was sworn into the service as drummer to the 93d Illinois Regiment. He soon threw away his drum and took a gun. The regiment to which he was attached was as- signed to duty at Camp Fry, Chicago, guarding prisoners, and at about the end of four months it was sent to Camp Butler, Springfield, 111., where it remained in the same duty. About the 18th of February, 1865, the regiment was sent to Memphis, Tenn., but it was not needed there and returned to Springfield. Mr. Sidle received an honorable dis- charge, being mustered out on the 26th of March, 1865. After his return from the army he once more joined his father and assisted him in farming until he was eighteen years of age, when he worked by the month in Livingston County until he was twenty -one years of age, at which time he had ac- cumulated enough money to buy a team of horses, harness and wagon. It was in Livingston County that Mr. Sidle be- came acquainted with Mary J., daughter of John Crow (who is mentioned in the biography of William Crow), whom he married on the 6th of August, 1871. In the fall of that year they moved to Stephenson Count}', and farmed for one year, during which time the oldest child, John Henry, was born on the 18th of September, 1872. In Feb- ruary, 1873, they started for Nebraska, making it convenient to visit some friends on the way, and arrived at Palmyra, Otoe County, the latter part of March. Here he devoted the first summer to farming and raised a fine crop, of which, however, 100 bushels of wheat were stolen. In February of the following year he suffered a paralytic stroke which disabled him from work for four years. They returned to Stephenson County, where his father started him with a small stock of confection- ery, which business he carried on until he became so disabled that he was not in a condition either physically or mentally to attend to it, and his father closed up the business for him. During this time the second child, George Burtin, was born, June 9, 1874. In 1875 Mr. Sidle removed his family to Livingston County, where they resided with his wife's father, John Crow, until April, 1876, when they moved into a little log hut on section 21, where he undertook to earn something by cob- bling. The neighbors gave him their work to do, and they remained there about one year, when they moved to section 32. The people elected him to the following offices : Constable, Town Clerk, Collector, Pathmaster and Township Treasurer. During this time his third child, Harry Watson, was born, on the 15th of November, 1878. While here a very important incident in the life of Mr. Sidle occurred, which was that in answer to prayer he was instantaneously cured of his afllic- tion, so that he was immediately able to go to work. They remained on section 32 until the spring of 1880, when they moved to Pontiac, where he worked on the railroad about five months, and then went to cobbling through the winter, as he was not yet able to bear exposure to the inclement weather. While in Pontiac his wife look in boarders in order to assist in the support of the family. After re- maining in Pontiac about one year he returned to section 32, where he engaged in farming for about two years. At the end of that time he moved to Graymont, where he has since resided. In 1885 he was again elected Township Collector. In po- litical matters he always acted with the Republican LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 259 party until two years ago, when he became an ad- vocate of prohibition. In 1875 Mr. Sidle was con- verted to religion and joined the United Brethren Church. While a member of that church he was granted a license to preach, and in that capacity he served the Master for four years. About this time his attention was called to sanctification by the preaching of B. F. Goodwin, and under the teach- ings of J. S. Allison he accepted that doctrine and has since held no membership with any sect. The fourth child, Jesse Daniel, was born on the 14th of July, 1883. Mr. Sidle was the yonngest child in a family of nine children, all of whom grew to maturity: Erne- line first married Mr. Berkebill, by whom she had one son, and is now the wife of William Bon- acker, by whom she has six children; Sarah mar- ried first Solomon Lohr, by whom she had thirteen children, and is now the wife of Joseph Lilly; they have three children. Julia Ann married Benjamin Snyder; they have four children and live in Ste- phenson County. Henry is married and lives in Arizona; F. A. is married, has three children, and lives in a Otoe County, Neb. ; Charles married, has eight children, and also lives in Otoe County ; Mary married Jacob Andrew, has four children, and lives in Stephenson County; James D. is the subject of this sketch, in which the details and events of his life are chronicled. 1LLIAM JONES, who stands as one of the leading and representative farmers and stock- raisers of Owego Township, located on section 14, is a native of Worcestershire, En- gland, where he was born on the 21st of February, 1826. He is the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Bil- lingsley) Jones, both of whom were natives of En- gland. To his parents were born seven children, as follows: William; Benjamin, of England ; John, of Saunemin Township, Livingston County; Eliza- beth, Mrs. Robert Bolton, of Peoria; Sarah, Mrs. Thomas Murphy, of the Island of New Zealand ; Esther, Mrs. George Vincent, of San Francisco, Cal. ; Frederick, of New Zealand. Mr. Jones re- ceived an English education in his native country, where he remained until he grew to manhood, learning also the boot and shoe business, in which his father was then engaged. Mr. Jones was married in England, on the 29th of July, 1851, to Miss Mary A. Cox, daughter of Samuel Cox, of Shropshire, an inland county of I England, bounded on the north by Wales, and through which the Severn flows. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have seven children, six of whom are living: Nellie, Mrs. James Roberts, of New Zealand; Orin W., a farmer of Owego Township; Benjamin F., grain dealer and buyer of Eylar, Livingston County; Albert, a grain-buyer of Cullon, this county; Edward G., a real-estate dealer in Kansas City, Mo.; Laura, at present attending Lincoln University, at Lincoln, 111. Mr. Jones emigrated to America in 1852, taking passage at Liverpool, and landing in New York. He spent about three and one-half years in Leroy, N. Y., coming to Illinois in 1856. His first ten years' residence in this State was in Peoria County, when, in 1866, he came to Livingston County, and settled on a farm in Owego Township, where he now resides. When he acquired this land by pur- chase, it was composed of what is known as raw prairie, and not a foot of it had ever been culti- vated. But nothing daunted he went to work upon it with a will, enduring all the hardships incident to pioneer life, and in the course of a few years had transformed it into a finely cultivated farm. As the years went by his successes were most pro- nounced, and he has been able to afford all his chil- dren ample facilities for procuring a good educa- tion. One of his daughters, Nellie, now living in New Zealand, was a public school teacher for many years. Although he bas frequently been solicited to become a candidate for public office, he has in- variably declined, excepting in the case of the of- fice of School Director, which he has filled for a number of years, and which he consented to accept simply because it would enable him to labor more effectively for the advancement of education, of which all his life he has been a friend and promoter. As a political thinker, he does not confine himself to the narrow rut in which machine politicians run, but takes a broad and liberal view upon all ques- tions of public policy, and votes for the men who f 260 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. suit him best regardless of their party affiliations. He is to all intents and purposes, a self-made man, so far as his career in this country is concerned, and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor, both in the substantial comforts of life, and the satisfaction of having contributed to society respected and honorable members in the persons of his children. eHARLES W. ROLLINS. One of the most substantial homesteads in Owego Township, lying on section 19, is occupied by the sub- ject of this sketch, who is a farmer and stock-raiser. The family residence, which is splendidly located, is one of the neatest and most tasteful in that lo- cality, and the barn and other necessary farm buildings are handsome and substantial structures calculated alike for beauty and utility. The fences and farm machinery are kept in good repair, and the stock and other accessories of the estate testify in a silent and forcible manner to the intelligence, industry and enterprise of the proprietor. Mr. Rollins is a native of Livingston County, and was born on the 23d of January, 1840. He is a son of Philip and Martha Rollins, who were among the very first settlers of Livingston County, and a sketch of whom appears in another portion of this work. His early days were spent upon the farm assisting in the work, and during the school term attending school. On the 15th of June, 1862, Mr. Rollins was mar- ried to Maria Stiuson, also a native of Livingston County, born on the 21st of February, 1844. She is a daughter of James L. and Mary Stinson, na- tives of Ohio. The parents came to Livingston County about 1839, and settled upon the farm which is at present occupied by the subject of this sketch. James L. Stinson, in connection with a brother, pre-empted 200 acres of land, which was composed entirely of raw prairie, not a furrow hav- ing been turned in it at the time they became pos- sessed of it. He resided on this land until his de- cease in 1845; his wife survived him, and died in 1853. They were the parents of four children, three of whom are living: Letitia, widow of the late Willard Foster, of Livingston County; Mar- tha, the wife of G. W. Ferris, of Pontiac, and Maria, now Mrs. Rollins. To Mr. and Mrs. Rol- lins but one child has been born, a son, Charles A., whose birth took place on the 2d of February, 1869. Mr. and Mrs. Rollins are members of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, in which he has served as Steward and Trustee. He is exceedingly inde- pendent in his political belief, and does not attach his faith to either of the old parties, but makes it a point to vote for the men whom he believes will best discharge the duties of the offices to which they are elected. For five years he has served as Supervisor of Owego Township, and for a term of one year as Road Commissioner. Mr. Rollins has been exceptionally successful in his business enter- prises, and now owns 250 acres of as good land as is contained within the borders of Livingston County. ARTIN M. SPENCE. Illinois is a State of largely diversified opportunities for the industrious and enterprising citizen. In an agricultural sense it is one of the best in the Union, and its vast prairies, which produce wonderful crops of corn and excel in the raising of hay, make the industry of stock-raising one of the most important and profitable in which the people engage. Very many of the farmers of Livingston County engage more or less in stock-raising, and instead of depending on uncertain markets for their grain, feed their entire crop to horses, cattle and hogs, which always find a ready market at any time of the year, and they thus have a sure thing in dis- posing of the products of the farm. One of the men who thus combines farming and stock-raising is the subject of this sketch, whose fine stock farm is on section 4, Belle Prairie Township. This gen- tleman is a native of Livingston County, where he was born on the 22d of August, 1844, his parents being William and Mary (Darnell) Spence, who were natives of Kentucky. When Mr. Spence was a boy, he worked on a farm in summer and attended the district school in the fall and winter, in which he made such progress in his studies, thtit without =4- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 261 difficulty he was admitted to Eureka College, and afterward attended college at Monmouth, Warren Co., 111. After passing through these educational institutions with great credit to himself, he returned home and engaged in work upon the farm. September 19, 1881, Mr. Spence was married to Miss Jennie Darnell, who was born in Johnson County, Mo., on the 26th of July, 1857, and is the daughter of William and Eliza (Coffman) Darnell. Of this union there are two children, William and Hazel May, who are exceptionally bright for their age. Mr. Spence is the owner of 300 acres of as flue land as the sun shines on, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation, and which yields crops ample to feed a large number of domestic animals. Mr. Spence's stock operations are princi- pally confined to horses, and he makes a specialty of breeding heavy and light draft, and saddle horses. This business he conducts in such an in- telligent manner that his profits are certain and satisfactory. Mr. Spence is an ardent member of the Masonic fraternity, and a member in good standing of Tar- bolton Lodge No. 357, and also a member of the Chapter. In politics he is an advocate of the prin- ciples and measures of the Greenback party, and while that party is not numerically strong, he ad- heres to its doctrines regardless of the fact of its being in the minority. Mr. Spence has been very successful in his occupations, and has shown rare judgment and good management in his business, farm and stock operations. In the various rela- tions of life, he sustains the character of an estima- ble citizen, neighbor and friend, and enjoys the full confidence and regard of those who know him. His excellent wife is a member of the Christian Church, and takes great interest in the affairs of that organization. LBERT J. MORRISON is one of the young men engaged in agricultural pursuits, who can claim Livingston County MS the place of his birth, and who has been a witness of the wonderful improvements which have been made and developments that have taken place during the past thirty years. He comes upon the stage of ac- tion at a time in the history of the county when the work of opening and bringing it to a state of culti- vation has all been performed, and the benefits of the work of the pioneers are to be gained. He is truly one of the representative farmers of Avoca Township, and is pleasantly situated on section 9. Mr. Morrison was born in Livingston County on the 6th of August, 1854, and is the son of Joseph C. and Naomi Morrison, the latter of whom is de- ceased. His father is a native of the State of New York, and his mother was born in Ohio. Joseph C. Morrison, the father, is the gentleman who has gained such a large reputation as an importer and dealer in Norman horses at Pontiac, 111. His im- portations of fine horses average about thirty animals every trip he makes to Europe, and his visits are made several times a year. He hails from the State of New York, and came to Illinois about the year 1840, settling in Avoca Township when the prairie was yet unbroken and no signs of cul- tivation were visible. He is one of the early pio- neers to whose energy and enterprise can be credited the work of developing the county. He had prac- tically no means when he arrived here, and his splendid stock farm, elegant residence and commo- dious farm buildings, are evidences of his industry, good management, and close attention to business all through an active life. Besides being one of the heaviest farmers and largest dealers in expen- sive stock, he is a leading citizen in all the affairs of the town and county. In political matters he acts with the Republican party, and his influence is a power in that section of the county. Mr. Morri- son is the father of nine children, eight of whom are living, as follows: Jasper N., Lotta, Samuel L., Addie; Delia, the wife of Ns. T. Green, of Pontiac Township; Alta I.; John W. and Albert J., the lat- ter the subject of this sketch. Albert J. Morrison has been a citizen of Living- ston County all his life, and during his boyhood days was afforded all the advantages for obtaining a good education, of which he availed himself. On the 27th of November. 1879, our subject was mar- ried to Violetta Augustine, daughter of John Au- gustine, of Owego Township, of whom a sketch appears in this ALBUM. Mr. and Mrs. Morrison have f 262 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 three children: Roy A., born Jan. 14, 1881 ; Stan- ley A., Nov. 4, 1882, and Feme I., Aug. 12, 1887. The farm of Mr. Morrison consists of 120 acres of as good land as can be found in Livingston County, and it is all well drained and fenced. The residence he and his family occupy is one of the snuggest and best appointed in the township. Like his father, Mr. Morrison is an enthusiastic Republican, and he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church; he is one of the Trustees of the church at McDowell. At the time this sketch is written, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison are virtually in the first stages of their life's work, but their beginning is under the most favorable auspices, and the future undoubtedly has in store for them great and grand successes. Their little family is one of which they may well be proud. They take an active interest in all matters for the weal and welfare of the society in which they move, and to all good works they are liberal contributors, both of time and money. J~~) OSEPH HARRISON MORRIS, widely and I favorably known as one of the most success- ful farmers and stock-raisers of Rook's Creek Township, arrived in Illinois on his eighteenth birthday, having journeyed from Wash- ington County, Pa., where he was born March 16, 1848. He consequently became a resident of the Prairie State in the spring of 1866, and since that time has dwelt within its borders. He had at that time no possessions except his resolute will and strong hands, and with this excellent capital cour- ageously commenced life for himself, determined to secure a good home and a good position among his fellow-citizens. He began first as a farm la- borer, and has gradually climbed up until now he is the owner of a good property, and is a man of no small importance in his community. The parents of our subject, Samuel and Nancy Elizabeth (Swagler) Morris, were natives respect- ively of New York ancTOhio. Samuel Morris was born in 1800, and departed this life in Washington County, Pa., Sept. 2, 1857. The mother who was born in 1812, is still living upon the old homestead in Pennsylvania. Their family included eleven children, of whom our subject was the seventh in order of birth, and seven are still living, as follows: John M., a resident of Washington Count}', Pa., married, and the father of several children; Jona- than, Sarah M., Mary, Cyrus and Isaac N. Those deceased are James L., Samuel, Susan and Nancy E. J. H. Morris received a fair education in the common schools of his native State, and after he found that his prospects would justify him in the undertaking, was married, in Pontiac Township, Feb. 21, 1878, to Miss Mary A., daughter of Reason and Mary (McMillan) Brown. The young people located on section 28, where Mr. Morris had pur- chased eighty acres of land, and commenced house- keeping in unpretending style, suitable to their means and station. Four and one-half years later Mr. M. sold this property and purchased eighty acres on section 12, where he now resides. Mrs. Morris was born in Rook's Creek Township, March 16, 1860, and is the eldest of five children who comprised the parental household. Her brother, William Allen, and her sister, Nancy E., the wife of John E. Blake, are also residents of Rook's Creek Township; Sarah E., Mrs. Brown, lives on her father's homestead in Pontiac Town- ship, with her brother, Jesse S. Reason Brown, her father, was born in Scioto County, Ohio, Sept. 4, 1838, and the mother in Pontiac Township, this county, Dec. 25, 1841; they were married in June, 1859. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. M. was Andrew S. McMillan, who married Miss Maria Springer, of Illinois. C. BALL. The law has always been con- sidered as one of the highest of the profes- w sions. The honest and conscientious law- yer is one of the necessities of the age, and the best friend of the people in the matter of se- curing their rights under the law. A. C. Ball, one of the leading younger attorneys of the Livingston County bar, is a native of Bureau County, where he was born on the 24th of June, 1858, and is a son of James M. and Hannah M. (Frink) Ball, who LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 265 . > were natives of New York. The father of James M. was John M., a native of New York, who was engaged in farming and went to Michigan in the early settlement of that State, where he settled at Parma, and where he is now living. His family consisted of nine children, seven of whom are liv- ing. Hannah M. Frink's parents were Hiram and Malinda (Ogden) Frink, who were natives of New York. The father of A. C. Ball was reared on a farm until he was eighteen years of age, and during that time attended the common schools, and then learned the trade of a carpenter in Illinois, where he had come in 1855. He followed contracting and build- ing until he was about thirty years of age, and then for a number of years was a traveling man, and about the year 1855 engaged in mercantile busi- ness in Bureau County, 111. In 1881 he moved to Normal, McLean County, where he engaged in the business of publishing. His family consisted of three children: A. C. ; Ella M., Mrs. Burt, of Nor- mal, McLean County, and Minnie H., Mrs. Taylor, of McLean County. Our subject attended and taught school until he was twenty-six years of age. He is a graduate of a Normal School, and also of the Bloomington Law School, class of 1885. After graduating from the law school he came to Pontiac, and began the prac- tice of law, in which business he has been success- ful, and his practice is continually increasing. He is independent in political matters, not having identified himself closely with either of the old parties, although heretofore acting with the Repub- licans. He is more of a lawyer than a politician, and will doubtless devote his life to the profession, allowing politicians to take care of the offices. He has one child, a son, named John D. 1 AJOR MARTIN DARNALL, whose por- trait is shown on the opposite page, has the distinction of being the earliest settler of Livingston County, and a full and de- tailed history of his life could not be written with- out writing that of the county, for one is almost identical with the other. He now resides on sec- tion 4, in Belle Prairie Township. He was born in March, 1798, in Old Virginia, and is the son of James and Massey (Martin) Darnall, natives of the same State, and both of whom died some years ago. Major Darnall was reared on a farm, where he be- came accustomed to hard work, and was educated in the common schools of those days, which af- forded very limited facilities for obtaining an edu- cation. He arrived in Illinois on the 27th of Oc- tober, 1830, making the journey overland in a wagon with the old-fashioned scooped bed, which had a wonderful capacity for carrying household goods. This wagon was drawn by four horses, which were frequently almost inadequate to haul it through the deep mud caused by the rains at that season of the year. His first year's residence in Illinois was in a log cabin which he built him- self, the only tool used being an ax, for he had no saw. This house was raised on the 1st of Novem- ber, 1830, and he occupied it that same winter. In 1832, on account of the breaking out of the Black Hawk War, he found it necessary to remove his family to Mackinaw, McLean County, for safety. After peace was declared, he returned to the house he had built, where he resumed his residence. A tract of 160 acres of Government land which he entered at that time, is still in his possession, and the title which was vested in him by the Govern- ment remains just as it was written at that time. Major Darnall has been married twice, the first time in 1817, when he took Miss Rachel Steers for his wife: She was born in Indiana, in 1793. Her parents moved to Kentucky when she was but a child, and early in their residence in that State, the father was captured by the Indians, and was held in captivity for seven years, during which time he suffered almost untold hardships, and twice came very nearly being killed. Upon three separate oc- casions he was compelled to run the gauntlet, and upon one occasion was blackened and condemned to be burned, but while pinioned, a few moments before the fire should have been lighted, there stepped forward a man who offered a price for his life, and he was released from the stake. He died a natural death in Boone County, Ky., in 1848. By his first marriage, Major Darnall had six chil- 266 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. dren Jonathan, Mary, Alvira M. ; Malvina F., de- ceased ; Nancy Ann and Minerva A. Major Dar- nall's second marriage occurred in 1 880, the name of his wife being Mrs. Francis Cummings, a native of Kentucky, who died at Hutchinson, Kan., while on a visit, on the 29th of May, 1883. Alvira M., one of the children by the first mar- riage, married Benjamin Hieronymus, in 1839, who was born in 1818, and died in Illinois on the 31st of December, 1885. He was a native of Boone County, Ky., emigrated to Illinois in 1829, and settled in Tazewell County. He was a farmer by occupation, and a cooper by trade. He was a very hard-working man, and at the time of his death, which occurred in Livingston County, he owned 500 acres of land. He and his wife were the par- ents of eight children, three of whom, William, Jasper and Elizabeth, are living, and two, Martin and Emma, died after they grew to maturity; three died in infancy. Major Darnall was the first Township Supervisor, in which capacity he served two terms, and in early times was a juror for many years; on account of there being no jury room in which to meet, the jury were obliged to sit on logs in the open air. All the early settlers of Livingston County remem- ber the deep snow of 1830-31, when the snow fell continuously for three daj r s, and became so deep that it was impossible to travel, even on horseback. The day before this snowfall commenced, Major Darnall went to Mackinaw to procure a supply of meat for his family, going in a wagon, and although the town was but eight miles from his residence, on account of this extraordinary snowfall he was prevented from returning home for nearly a week, and then he did so on horseback. Although ninety years of age, Major Darnall is a fine specimen of manhood, being five feet ten inches in height, and weighing 180 pounds, with health much better than could be expected. His first Presidential vote was cast for Gen. Jackson, and he has remained a Hick- ory Democrat all through his life. Being a man of large intelligence, and a close observer of the events which have transpired since the first white man settled in Livingston County, it is well worth any man's time to listen to his reminiscences of the settlement and growth of the count}-. PR AN CIS D. JOHNSON, of Indian Grove Township, is one of the most energetic farmers of Livingston County. He has, without doubt, done as much, if not more, hard work than any other man of his age in the county, and being in the prime of manhood, has a bright future before him. Mr. Johnson is the son of PYanklin I. and Mary A. (Wightmau) Johnson, whose biographies may be found in another place in this work. The subject of our sketch was born in Hastings, N. Y., May 2, 1854. When two years of age his parents moved to Vermont, Fulton Co., 111., where they lived until 1861, when they moved to Peoria, and there young Frank received his first schooling, working also in his father's stoneware pottery in that city. When the family came to this county and located on their 160-acre farm, south of Fairbury, our subject was of sufficient age to take a full-hand share in the work. He took hold with his father and brother, and together they worked early and late to improve the place and to replenish the pa- ternal exchequer. During this time he improved what opportunities presented of attending the dis- trict school, and remained with his parents until after he had reached his majority, giving to their service his best energies. On Dec. 24, 1874, Mr. Johnson was married to Lucena M. Odell, who was born in the State of New York on the 26th of August, 1853, and is the daughter of James H. and Mary (Straight) Odell. To Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have been born five chil- dren, whose names are as follows: Birdie R., born Feb. 15, 1876, died in infancy Oct. 4, 1876; Carrie M., born Aug. 2, 1877; Addie M., born Aug. 2, 1879; Lottie M., born Aug. 2, 1882, and Vinnie L., born March 17, 1884. In the year 1876 Mr. Johnson moved upon the farm on which he at ' present resides, consisting of 120 acres, and began the work of improvement, which he has carried forward so energetically and systematical^' that he now has one of the best conditioned farms in the county. The soil is of a fine quality, and the drain- age is perfect, so that productiveness is much en- hanced. During most of the time he has resided upon this farm Mr. Johnson has made a specialty of raising fine horses, meeting with excellent suc- fr- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 267 cess. During the year 1886 he was so unfortu- nate as to lose seventy-three head of fine Chester- White hogs. Although it was quite a severe finan- , cial loss, his courage was not diminished in the least, but he immediately began, with renewed en- ergy, to maintain his business up to the standard, and at the same time to regain what had been lost. Politically, Mr. Johnson is an advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, and has been called upon to discharge the duties of many of the various township offices. He is a member of the lodge of Knights of Pythias, in which he has held the various offices, and filled them with credit to himself and satisfaction to the fraternity of that lodge. 1 ILTON KELLEY, an intelligent and well- educated young bachelor of Indian Grove Township, is operating the farm of his father, on section 27, and engaged in the breeding of fine stock, including Norman horses and Chester-White swine. The estate is one of the most valuable in the southern portion of Liv- ingston County, the farm having been opened up mainly by the father of our subject, who migrated to Illinois from Pennsylvania in 1864. Our subject was born in Greene County, Pa., May 23, 1854, and was consequently a lad ten years of age when he came to this State with his parents. The latter were Jacob C. and Martha (Gosline) Kelley, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of the Keystone State. Jacob Kel- ley was born June 20, 1815, and died at his home in Indian Grove Township on the 23d of June, 1881. He located in this township March 10, 1864, and became one of its most prominent and well-beloved citizens. A thorough and progressive fanner, he was a man prompt to meet his obliga- tions, and took a genuine interest in the welfare of the people around him, encouraging and sustaining those enterprises calculated for their well-beingand improvement. Although never identifying himself with any religious organization, he illustrated in his life and character the principles of true Chris- tianity, and no man enjoyed in a warmer degree the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. Upon coming here, he at once purchased the land upon which our subject now operates, where he built up a fine home and reared his children to habits of industry and principles of honor. Mrs. Martha Kelley, who was born in 1821, was a lady in every respect the suitable companion of her husband, and the possessor of all womanly vir- tues. She looked well to the ways of her house- hold, and is yet affectionately regarded as a tender .friend and counselor, kindly and charitable, ever lending a ready ear to the tale of distress and her aid to the unfortunate. She resides with her son on the old homestead. The three children of the parental household were: Milton, our subject; James, who died in February, 1881, aged twenty- six years ; and Mary, who resides with her mother and brother. The daughter is finely educated, and possesses more than ordinary intelligence and re- finement, and is in all respects an ornament to the home circle. Mr. Kelley cast his_ first Presidential vote for Peter Cooper, and has always been a stanch sup- porter of the Republican party. He identified him- self with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1883, and is one of its most valued members. x AVID G. LEWIS, a representative young farmer and stock-raiser of Owego Town- ship, occupying 117 acres on section 10, has spent his entire life in the Prairie State, having been born in Fulton County April 25, 1851. He came to this county soon after his marriage, which took place in 1874, and located on his present farm in 1887. He has been remarkably successful thus far 'in his agricultural operations, and is keeping pace with the methods of modern and progressive farming. The parents of our subject were George W. and Abigail Lewis, who were of New England birth and parentage, and settled in Illinois during the pioneer days, more than thirty years ago. George Lewis for many years conducted an hotel at Fail-view, where his death took place March 16, 1886. The mother passed to her rest in 1865. r ^208 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. There had been born to them seven children, four of whom are now living, namely, Andrew V., John G., Frank, and David G., our subject. The parents were widely and favorably known through- out Fulton County as representing its most sub- stantial and reliable elements. Their children re- ceived careful home training and a good common- school education, and imbibed those principles of morality and sentiments of honor which have ren- dered them worthy to bear the name and mantle of the authors of their being. David G. Lewis was reared and educated in his native county, where also he took unto himself a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Mary Vanostrand, of Fulton County. Mrs. L. is the daughter of Jacob W. and Phoebe M. Vanostrand, and was born in B^ulton County, 111., in 1856. Of this union there are two children: George, born Aug. 15, 1875, and Carrie, Feb. 13, 1886. The family residence is a neat and comfortable structure, and the barn and out-buildings are in keeping with the general air of thrift and comfort which pre- vades the premises. Mr. Lewis is a steady and persistent worker, and his labors in due time will bring him his just reward. ~1OHN WHALEN, who has a stock farm on Ind. ; Mary and Fannie both attended St. Mary's Academy at^Morris, 111., where the former still re- mains; the latter has returned home. James died May 1, 1877, in Livingston County, at the age of seventeen years. John Whalen, our subject, was educated in the High School in Pontiac, and afterward attended the Jacksonville Business College, where he took a thorough practical course. Although he is a farm- owner and stock-raiser, he devotes most of his time to teaching, in which profession he has been eminently successful. section 30, Amity Township, devotes a I ^_ N ^ I large proportion of his time to school teach- (Wgj^/ ing, for which profession he is peculiarly fit- ted, not only by education, but by natural inclina- tion. Mr. Whalen is a native of Livingston County, and was born Feb. 15, 1847. He is the son of Patrick and Mary (Foley) Whalen, who were natives of Ireland, and emigrated to America when they were about twenty years of age. His father was the son of Michael and Mary (Doran) Whalen. To Patrick Whalen and wife a family of five children were born, namely, Jerome M., John, James, Mary and Fannie. John Whalen now owns 160 acres of fine farm land, all under a good state of cultivation, which is ditched and well drained; Jerome Whalen was educated in the col- lege at Valparaiso, Ind., and at Notre Dame Uni- versity, located near South Bend, St. Joseph Co., i>ILLIAM W. SKINNER, whose early life was characterized by energetic and indus- trious farm employments, in which he was remarkably successful as an agriculturist and stock- dealer, has now wisely retired, and is spending his declining years in the ease and comfort of a hand- some home in Fairbury. He is a native of Devon- shire, England, and was born May 5, 1828. His parents, William and Grace (Leeworthy) Skinner, were of pure English blood, and emigrated to America in 1834, when their son William was but a child six years of age. After landing in New York City they proceeded to Sangerfleld, Oneida County, which remained their residence twelve years thereafter, and during which time the father was engaged in farming. In 1846 they all came to Illinois, and the father purchased land in Ken- dall County, where he built up a fine homestead, and cultivated the soil until departing from the scenes of his earthly labors. He was .born in 1803, and died in 1855. The mother, born in 1799, passed away three years before her husband, in 1852. The household included nine children, namely : Mary and Jane, now deceased; William, our subject; Henry; Elizabeth, deceased; John, Eliza, Morgan and Martha. Mr. Skinner was educated in the common schools, and remained under the parental roof until after reaching his majority. lie then purchased eighty acres of land in Kendall Count}', and began the ca- reer which subsequently proved so prosperous. His property includes 480 acres of some of the finest land in Forest Township, a handsome and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 269 , ,1 substantial farm dwelling, with its necessary adja- cent buildings, and an acre of land within the limits of Fairbury. After reaching his thirty-second year he was united in marriage with Miss Hannah F. Alford, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, in November, 1860. Mrs. S. was born in Clinton County, N. Y., Sept. 9, 1844, and is the daughter of Wesley J. and Cornelia B. (Randall) Alford, also natives of the Empire State. Her fa- ther was born Aug. 17, 1820, and her mother in 1823. They are both living, and residents of Belle Prairie Township, this county, where for many years Mr. A. followed farming. The parents were married in 1839. and the familj' circle was com- pleted by the birth of nine children, namely, Lu- cina R., Hannah F., Seth 11., Emeline, Lorenzo W., Louisa, George, Allie and Warren L. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner have two sons only : Rod- ney C. was born May 12, 1863, and married Miss Ella Evans, of Chenoa; he is farming in Forest Township. William was born Sept. 1, 1870, and is reading medicine in the office of Dr. C. G. Lewis, of Fairbtiry. Mr. Skinner, politically, uniformly votes the Republican ticket, and is greatly inter- ested in the success of the temperance movement. Mrs. S. is a worthy member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. E B. FOSTER, one of the oldest living pioneers of Livingston County, was born in Tioga County, N. Y., Aug. 17, 1825, the son of John and Susan (Shephard) Foster, the for- mer a native of Vermont, and the latter, who it is known was of New England birth, was probably reared not far from the birthplace of her husband. The Foster family is of English ancestry, and was first represented in this country in the Colonial days. The mother of our subject was of Scotch descent, and her great-grandfather settled in New England probably before the commencement of the Revo- lutionary War. The Fosters were largely repre- sented in New England, and the father of our subject was one of a numerous family whose father had been married several times. The children now living are: Edward, of Denver, Col.; Robert, of Kansas ; James, of Kansas City, Mo. ; Frank, Charles, and George B. of our sketch. In 1837 John Foster, with sixteen others of the same patronymic, including the family of the maternal grandfather, started West, making their way to Cleveland. Ohio, by lake and rail, then engaged teams and proceeded overland, locating first at Dayton, Ohio, on account of the cold weather, which interfered with their comfort while camping out at night. They remained there three months, when they continued their journey, finallj' settling in Pontiac. Here our subject was reared to manhood and trained especially to habits of in- dustry and economy while receiving a limited edu- cation in the pioneer school. He took kindly to labor, and at an early age became initiated into the secrets of successful farming, which he naturally chose as his future vocation. He was married, Dec. 21, 1852, after reaching his twenty -seventh year, to Miss Martha Jones, who was born in Indiana, Feb. 25, 1834. Mrs. F. was the daughter of Henry and Emily (De Moss) Jones, natives of Kentuck} 7 , who emigrated to Illinois about 1846, and settled in Owego Township. They afterward removed to California, where the mother died about 1863, and where Mr. Jones is still living. Mr. and Mrs. Foster became the parents of six children, of whom the record is as follows: Agnes, the first born, died when one year old; Henry obtained a fine educa- tion and is now Principal of the Pontiac High School, and numbered among the efficient popular educators of the county; Emily is the wife of William Decker, a prosperous merchant of Owego Township; Susan married Charles Grandy, who is farming in Pontiac Township, where Nathan also pursues the same calling; Clarence is a resident of Owego Township. In 1852 Mr. Foster purchased the land compris- ing his present farm, which was then an unculti- vated tract of prairie, distant from markets and even from the traveled highway. Scarcely a fur- row had been turned, while deer and other wild game were plentiful in that vicinity. Mr. Foster, being quite a marksman, kept his family supplied with the finest of wild meats, and if at times they lacked flour they were seldom without the impor- tant article of meat. He commenced farming with T 270 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. an ox-team and a few rude implements which would be regarded with ridicule at the present day. He set out, however, with the resolution of making the best of circumstances, gaining a little each year until he had turned the sod upon the greater part of his possessions and brought the soil to a good state of cultivation. It is now considered one of the finest farms of its size in Owego Township, and although consisting of but eighty acres is more valuable than many occupying a larger area. Mr. Foster, while having an abundance of labor on hand in connection with his own interests, has deported himself unselfish!}' and given whatever of I his time and attention that was needful in subserv- ing the welfare of his community. He has been School Director for many years, and sought by his influence, and more substantial methods when necessary, to encourage those enterprises tending to the welfare of the people. He uniformly votes the Democratic ticket, and with his estimable lady is numbered among the valued residents of Living- ston County, who have assisted in the development of its resources, rejoiced in its prosperity, and con- tributed their quota toward its moral welfare. /NDREW J. BROOKS, of Rook's Creek Township, owns a fine farm of 160 acres on section 26, of which he has been in pos- session since the spring of 1 874. This he has brought to a high state of cultivation, using considerable tiling, and purposes draining the land still further in this manner. His farming opera- tions have been conducted with industry and good judgment, and he has in all respects performed his part as a useful citizen and a skillful agriculturist. He has attended principally to his own concerns, but has kept himself posted upon current events, and is always pleased to note the progress and ad- vancement, both morally and financially, of the people around him. As far back as he has any record, the ancestors of Mr. Brooks were of American birth and parent- age, and mostly residents of New York State. His paternal grandfather, John Brooks, served in the Revolutionary War. and spent his last days in New York State. The parents, Martin and Han- nah (Appleby) Brooks, were natives of the Em- pire State; the former was born in Greene County. In 1853 they came to Illinois and located in La Salle County, where they spent the remainder of their days. Their household included twelve chil- dren, ten of whom lived to become men and women. Andrew J., our subject, was the youngest, and was born in Greene County, N. Y., March 12, 1850. He received a common-school education, and when twenty years of age commenced farming for himself. A year later he was married to Miss Sarah E. Hornbeck, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, Dec. 1, 1870. The young people commenced life together on a farm in La Salle County, whence they removed three years later to Streator, 111., renting land, which they tilled one year, when he purchased eighty acres of his present farm. He was prospered in his labors, and invested his surplus capital in another eighty acres on section 35, all of which he has brought to a good state of cultivation. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks became the parents of six children, all living, with one exception, and at home with their parents. Viola, who was born Jan. 3, 1872, died June 12, 1884, when an inter- esting child of twelve years; Howard was born May 10, 1874; Bertie, Sept. 26, 1876; Henry, Jan. 1, 1879; Ina, April 21, 1881, and Ralph, May 16, 1883. They form a bright family group, <>f which the parents have reason to be proud. Mrs. Brooks is the daughter of Henry and Deb- orah (Kimball) Hornbeck, natives of New York, who came to Illinois and located in La Salle County in 1855. The household included seven children, of whom Mrs. B. was the third. Four are now living, namely: Newton J. is married, a resident of Kansas, and the father of six children; Sarah, wife of our subject; Clara married Albert Davis, and became the mother of two children ; she is now a widow and lives in Streator. Ida H. is the wife of Dr. William Sheppard, of Chicago, and is the mother of one child. A. Lincoln died June 8, 1886, unmarried, when about twenty-six years of age. The parents of these children were married June 14, 1843. The father was born July 10, 1822, and the mother July 20, 1817. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 271 The brothers and sisters of Mr. Brooks are as follows: Lawrence is married and a resident of Ford County; he has no children. Harriett is married to her third husband, Jackson Whittaker, and is the mother of two children by her first mar- riage ; her first husband was Peter Alson, and her second, John Hogaboom. Burgess, married, is a resident of Nebraska, and has five children; Sa- rah, Mrs. Peter VanValkenburg, is the mother of live children, and a resident of New York State; Edwin is married, and has seven children ; he is a resident of Adair County, Iowa. Andrew J., of our sketch, was the youngest. FORDYCE, one of the most exten- sive farmers, stock-raisers, and breeders of Short-horn cattle and Hambletonian horses, as well as general dealer in stock, in Reading Town- ship, where he lives on section 21, is a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born on the 5th of December, 1834. He is the son of Corbley and Jane (Bailey) Fordyce, also natives of Pennsylva- nia. The father was born June 7, 1807, and died Nov. 13, 1862, at the age of fifty-five years- The mother was born June 16, 1811, and is now seventy-six years of age and residing in Pennsyl- vania, in the county in which she was born. The father of our subject was a farmer, stock- raiser and feeder, and in this business met witli good success. His political affiliations were with the Whig and Republican parties, and he, as well as his wife, was a member of the Methodist Protest- ant Church. To them were born the following- named children: Kliza Ann, born Feb. 15, 1830, and married John Smith, a fanner and merchant; they have had a family of seven children, one de- ceased, and now reside in Greene County, Pa. Elizabeth, born Feb. 28, 1832, married John Church, has had three children, one deceased: they reside in Greene County, Pa., where the husband is engaged as a farmer and stock-breeder. Girard is our subject: Mary, born Jan. 17, 1836, married Thomas B. Smith, a farmer by occupation, and a local minister in the Methodist Protestant Church; they have seven children and reside in Ohio. Joab B., born March 27, 1838, married Eliza Garrison, and has had three children, of whom two are de- ceased ; the family reside in Greene County, Pa., where Joab is a farmer and stock-dealer. John G., born Feb. 14, 1841, is a farmer in Greene County, Pa. ; he first married Jennie Huffman, who died after the birth of two children, and he afterward married Mary Phillips, by whom he has had one child. Corbley, born Aug. 30, 1843, died July 10, 1845. Hattie, born March 3, 1846, married Joshua Rice, a farmer, and has had six children, one of whom is dead; Ellen, born Oct. 20, 1850, died in infancy; Jennie, born April 9, 1848, married Peter Huffman, a farmer, and resides in Greene County, Pa.; Jo- seph B., born Feb. 9, 1852, died May 3, 1857; Homer C., born July 3, 1855, married Elizabeth Huffman, has three children, and resides in Greene County, Pa., where he is engaged in farming. On the 18th of July, 1853, Mr. Fordyce was married to Joanna Coe, a native of Pennsylvania, born on the 26th of March, 1839, and the daughter of Silas and Ruth (Church) Coe. The marriage occurred at the residence of the bride's father, at Waynesburg, Pa., the Rev. William C. Leonard officiating. To her parents were born the follow- ing-named children: William, born Jan. 28, 1837, and died Oct. 4, 1864, in Pennsylvania; Joanna, the wife of our subject: John, born June 12, 1842, mar- ried Jennie Knight, now deceased, and afterward he married Annie Keith; they have had six children, two of whom are deceased. John is a farmer by occupation and resides in Ancona; Henry, born Feb. 14, 1845, married Maria Fry on the 13th of September, 1864, and died Feb. 7, 1865, in Greene County, Pa.; Joseph, born Dec. 25, 1847, married Prude Barackman, and resides on a farm in Read- ing Township. (At the time of the writing of this sketch Joseph and his wife are sojourning in Cali- fornia with the hope of restoring the health of the latter.) Sarah, born Nov. 2, 1850, and married George W. Mathis, a merchant and publisher of Ancona, whose biography will be found in another part of this book; Cephas, born Nov. 14, 1853 married Carrie Barackman, and has three children living; he is a farmer and resides in Reading Town- ship. Lile Ann, born Feb. 31, 1857, married James , , t . 272 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. P. Mathis, and has had three children, one of whom is dead ; her husband is a merchant, and stock and grain dealer at Rutland. Robert G. resides in California, where he is engaged as a clerk in a bank. To Mr. and Mrs. Girard Fordyce eight children have been born: Mary L., in Pennsylvania, on the 25th of May, 1865; she is now a student in Eureka College. Joseph C., born Feb. 1, 1867, died April 1, 1868; Franklin, born June 23, 1869; Charles J., March 21, 1872; John G., July 19, 1874; Harry S., Ojt. 16, 1876; Nellie R., Dec. 28, 1880, and C. Roy, Jan. 27, 1885. Mr. Fordyce now owns 207 acres of land, located on sections 21, 28 and 33, seven and one-half of which are covered with timber, while all the remainder is susceptible of high culti- vation. A good class of improvements, including suitable buildings, has been made by Mr. Fordyce. In his youth Mr. Fordyce received an excellent common-school education, and afterward graduated from the Waynesburg College, located in Greene County, Pa., after which he attended medical lec- tures in Cleveland, Ohio, and then practiced medi- cine for two years. In 1863 he responded to his country's call by enlisting and recruiting a com- pany of which he was appointed Lieutenant. After going into camp he was notified by telegraph that his father was fatally ill and could not live long, and upon his arrival at home he found the truth of the summons verified. His father exacted a prom- ise from him to resign his commission in the army and return home for the purpose of settling up the estate he might leave. He considered that his ob- ligations to his father and his family preceded his duty to his country, and heeded the call made upon him by his father. Mr. Fordyce is a member of the Republican party, in which he takes an active interest. He has been School Director for four terms, 1 and has also served to the satisfaction of the people in the office of Justice of the Peace. He is a member in good standing of the Masonic Lodge at Long Point, and cheerfully engages in such works of benevolence as the conditions of the case. may war- rant. He is a business man of rare ability, and of pleasant social address, progressive in his ideas and energetic in whatever he undertakes. ICHAEL D. PETERS is farming on section 1, Newtown Tp.. and coal mining in Shaft No. 3, of the Vermillion Coal Company, and has been a resident of this locality for sixteen years, during which time, for about four years, he operated a small shaft of his own on his farm. Mr. Peters is one of the oldest employes in the shaft, and has always been constant and faith- ful in his work. When not engaged at the shaft, he devotes his time to his farm. Mr. Peters was born in Ireland in the year 1841, and is the son of Patrick and Mary Peters, natives of Ireland, who came to America in 1849, at which time they had six children. They left Waterford in April, and landed at New York City on the 9th of June, after a long and tempestuous voyage. From New York City they went to Troy, N. Y., where they remained about two months, and then moved to Blossburg, Pa., where they remained, the boys engaging at work in the coal mines at that place. The father was then too old to work, but remained there until his death, which occurred in 1866. Our subject's mother died in 1851, soon af- ter settling in Pennsylvania. To the parents were born eight children James, Patrick, Dennis, John, Michael, Mary, Sarah and Bridget. Of these, three are now living: John, married, has three children, and is engaged in the coal mines at Houtzdale, Pa. ; Bridget, the wife of Michael Eagan, who has been engaged as watchman for the New York & Erie Rail- road at Corning, N. Y., for twenty-five years. Of the others, two died in Ireland, two died in Penn- sylvania, and Sarah, Mrs. James Lacey, died in Mor- ris, Grundy Co., 111. Michael, our subject, lived at home until sixteen or seventeen years of age, when he devoted several years to traveling from one place to another, nearly all over the United States, and has been in most of the principal cities of the North and South. He was near Chattanooga at the time of the breaking out of the war, and en- listed in the 6th Alabama Regiment for one year. About the expiration of his term of service he ran away and crossed tbe line into McCIelland's camp, where he surrendered himself and then returned to Pennsylvania. On the 15th day of January, 1867, Mr. Peters was married to Ann Lonergon, of Bellefonte, Pa., STORE AND FARM PROPERTY OF HENRY RINGLER,STRAWN, ILL. ^.^^^'^fl^^^V'^'^i^'^^^^^^-^^^^^W' v '^-.fcMi%N&*^0^ RESIDENCE OF D. F SMITH, SEC. 3. INDIAN GROYETOWNSHI p. RESIDENCE or HENRY U LBRIGHT, 5EC.9. FOREST TOWNSHIP. f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 275 where she grew to womanhood. She was the daugh- ter of Thomas and Mary (Murphy) Lonergon, na- tives of Ireland, who came to this country at an early day, and were married in Pennsylvania. They reared a large family of children, of whom our subject's wife was the third. Soon after mar- riage, Mr. Peters came to Pontiac, and engaged in coal mining in the Pontiac mines, where he re- mained for about one year, and then mined coal in La Salle for about the same length of time. From La Salle he went to Streator, remaining one year, and then to his present location. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Peters, four of whom died in infancy: Sadie was born Jan. 15, 1875; Annie, Feb. 8, 1878; Michael and Katie, twins, Jan. 6, 1881. These four are all living at home, the | rest are dead. Mr. Peters and his family are de- vout members of the Catholic Church, and attend services at Streator. -#- j)ILLIAM A. LATHAM, a representative farmer and stock-raiser of Owego Town- ship, is a native of New Hampshire, and was born on the 12th of December. 1837, and is the son of William H. and Eliza Latham, both New Englanders by birth. When an infant he was taken by his parents to Fayette County, Ohio, where he was reared. He received a fair English education, and after having reached years of ma- turity came to Illinois and resided in McLean County a number of years. He removed from Kankakee to Livingston County in 1885, and has resided here ever since. He owns 400 acres of land in Livingston County, and also an interest in a large stock ranch in Colorado. In Blooinington, 111., on the 5th of February, 1874, his marriage was celebrated, at which time Miss Frances J. Wej'and, an accomplished lady of Bloomington, 111., became his wife. She is a daugh- ter of William and Catherine Weyand, they having been among the worthy and esteemed pioneers of McLean County, who settled in Bloomington at an early day. The mother is deceased. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Latham has been blessed with seven children, four of whom are living Florence, Arthur W., Mary C. and John H. Mrs. L. is a member of the Christian Church, and an active and influential member of society. The subject of this sketch has been successful in business affairs, and is a public-spirited man, being in favor of all things which tend to elevate society and improve the community. He is a Republican in politics and a leading citizen in all public affairs. None are more worthy of a place in this ALBUM than Mr. and Mrs. Latham, who enjoy the esteem and confidence of the entire community in which they live. [} OSEPH R. PLOWMAN. Whatever a man may own of this world's goods, it is some satisfaction to himself, and certainly a credit readily conceded to him, when they are ob- tained through his own efforts, as the reward that comes of industry and prudence. The greatest ac- complishments are those made by men who are thrown entirely upon their own resources, and carve out the fortunes of which they become possessors, and when these men succeed in their efforts, they seldom fritter away their holdings, for they know under what difficulty they were obtained. The sub- ject of this sketch is a self-made man, and his ex- cellent farm in Pontiac Township, with all its be- longings, stands as the evidence of hard work through life. Mr. Plowman was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., on the 4th of July, 1838, and is the son of Edward L. and Sarah L. Plowman, the father a na- tive of Maryland, and the mother of Mifflin County, Pa. His paternal ancestors are of German descent, and the maternal of English descent. His fore- fathers were among the pioneers of Huntingdon County, Pa. His parents settled in La Salle County, 111., in the year 1854, and were among the pioneers of that county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, the father dying on the 29th of March, 1884, and the mother on the llth of September, 1876; they had two children, named Joseph R. and Apollos F. Mr. Plowman married on the 3d of April, 1868, Martha E. Cays, daughter of Conrad Cays, of La Salle County, 111. They have four children : Dora, t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. t wife of H. F. Davis, of this count}'; Arthur, Elmer and Minnie. Mr. Plowman removed to Living- ston County in the fall of 1880, and thence upon his present farm in the spring of 1887. He owns 120 acres of land, which is known for its fertility and fine location. On the 1 4th of August, 1 862, he enlisted in Company D, 104th Illinois Infantry, under Capt. W. II. Collins, and was attached to the 14th Army Corps, Arm}' of the Cumberland, and participated in many engagements and skirmishes in Kentucky and Tennessee, the principal field of operation of that army corps. After serving nearly three years, he was honorably discharged on the 5th of July, 1 865, when he returned to peaceful pur- suits in Illinois. Mr. Plowman is a Republican in politics, a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and a comrade of the G. A. R. In each of these organizations he takes an active interest, and occupies a prominent position. While a citizen of La Salle County, he served as Collector and Assessor of Reading Town- ship. Although comparatively a new citizen of Livingston County, he has already formed very pleasant social relations with the older citizens, and it is very probable that his conditions and sur- roundings will prove very pleasant and profitable in the future. AMUEL M. PRICER, Supervisor of Avoca Township, and the representative of a fine old Pennsylvania family, is one of the most prosperous farmers and stock-raisers of this township, to which he came in 1873 and settled on his present farm, which embraces 460 acres on sec- tion 1, and to the management of which he gives his attention. The land was then in an unculti- vated state, but by the exerci>e of continuous in- dustry and good judgment, has become one of the most tiucly cultivated and fertile tracts in the south- ern part of Living.-ton County. Mr. Pricer. of late years, has taken life easier, but still extends the r-anie supervision as of old over hi- farm operation-, which are conducted after the most modern and ap- proved method^ Our Mib.ect wa> born in Ross County. Ohio, Feb. 16, 1824, and is the >on of Jacob and Elizabeth (Benner) Pricer. whose birth took place near the city of Philadelphia. Pa. I'pon both sides the par- ents were of German ancestry, and their lioii-eliold included seven children, of whom the following sur- vive: Elizabeth. Mrs. Alexander Brown; Louisa. Mrs. David Brown: Frances L.. the wife of John M. Dwire: and Samuel M., our subject. With the exception of the last they are all iv-iilents of Ross County. Ohio. The parents located in that county during the pioneer days, where the father carried on farming successfully., and where his death took place in the spring of 1852. The mother is still a resi- dent there, continuing on the old homestead, near the town of Comstock, and has now passed her eightieth birthday. Mr. Pricer spent his boyhood and youth among his native hills, 'receiving a good education in a State renowned for its school facilities, even in the country districts. He was fond of his books, mak- ing good use of his time, and after leaving school was engaged for a time as a teacher. Subsequently, when but a youth of eighteen, he engaged as clerk and book-keeper in the mercantile establishment of Elijah Rockhold, with whom he continued four years. At the expiration of this time he had ac- cumulated sufficient capital to go into business for himself, and established a store of general merchan- dise in company with Jacob Benner, with whom he continued five years. He then purchased the in- terest of his partner, and continued there in busi- ness several years longer, after which he came to this State. Mr. Pricer, upon his arrival in Illinois, in 1862, established himself in the hotel business at Salem, Marion County, and thence removed to East St. Louis. After a year's residence at that point, he established himself as a general merchant at Qaincy t 111., where he was thus occupied three years, and then engaged as a traveling salesman for a St. Louis house. In 1873 he came to this county, settled down upon a farm, and has since continued a resi- dent of the rural districts. To this latter life he seems more especially adapted, and nothing could suit him better than its employments and pleasures. He has been blessed with good health, the result of good habits, and besides his farm duties has found time to interest himself in the welfare of his com- f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 277 munity. He first served as Commissioner of High- ways three years, and in the spring of 1 886 was elected to his present office of Supervisor, the du- ties of which he is discharging with credit to him- self and satisfaction to all concerned. He takes a keen interest in the success of Sunday-school work, as well as in that of the temperance movement, and is Chairman of the Blue Eibbon Society of Owego Township, the meetings of which are held regularly in the Methodist EpiscopaljClmrch. The marriage of Samuel M. Pricer and Miss Mary E. Latham was celebrated at the home of the bride, in Washington, Fayettc Co., Ohio, in May, 1856. Mrs. Pricer was born in Grafton County, N. II., in 1835, and is the daughter of Will- iam H. and Eliza (Comers) Latham, the latter now deceased. Her father is living, and a resident of Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. P. have no children. RANK RAISBECK, one of the enterprising young farmers of Esmen Township, is lo- cated near the homestead of his father-in- law, Amariah Bemis, on section 2, where in addi- tion to general agriculture he is engaged in the raising of fine stock, including horses, cattle and hogs. He is a native of a far county, having been born near Laxey Beach, on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, July 4, 1852. He was the eldest in a family of seven children, the offspring of Robert and Jane (Gelling) Raisbeck, the former a native of England, and the latter of the original Manx blood, and born on the Island where her son was given birth. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Frank and Betsey Raisbeck, natives of Yorkshire, England, emigrated to the Isle of Man about 1839. The mother's parents were John and Jane Gelling, natives of the Isle of Man. Robert Raisbeck, the father of our subject, was a silver miner in his native land and emigrated to America about 1856, going directly westward to Benton, La Fayette Co., Wis., where he en- gaged in farming and lead mining. About 1861, leaving his family in Benton. he went to Pike's Peak and thence, after a short stay, to Idaho, returning in 1865. He then removed his family to Grundy County, 111., where he engaged in coal mining, at which he still employs himself, though now a resi- dent of Braceville. Our subject was reared partly on a farm, but spent much of his time in the mines where his father was employed. He remained a member of the par- ental household until reaching his majority, and then coming to this count)' engaged as clerk in a general store at Odell. He remained with his first employer four years, and then desiring a change to outdoor life he went up into the lumber regions of Michigan, where he spent one year. He was married, March 23, 1876, to Miss Sarah A., daugh- ter of Amariah N. and Lucinda (Backus) Bemis (a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work). The young people located at Odell, where they lived six months, when Mr. Raisbeck made his trip to Michigan. Upon his return he took possession of a farm, but soon after resumed clerking in Odell. A year later he returned to farm life, and in 1881 purchased a tract of land near the limits of Odell, where he combined the occupations of clerk and farmer. In 1883 he sold this property, and with his family took up his residence on the Bemis homestead, where he has since resided. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Raisbeck, six in number, are named respectively, Edith May; Maxwell, deceased ; Robert Bemis, Nellie Viola, Lila and Bessie. /p^EORGE GOSHORN, proprietor of 100 acres (If <=? of fine farming land on section 21, Indian ^^4! Grove Township, is regarded as one of the successful stock-growers of the southern part of Livingston County, to which he came in February, 1866. He is an Ohio man, and was born in Butler County, Sept. 25, 1835, remaining a resident of his native State until the outbreak of the late war, when he proffered his services to assist in the pres- ervation of the Union. The parents of our subject, Leonard and Ellen (Dorman) Goshorn, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Maryland, and neither lived to be aged, the mother dying in 1849. and the father two years later. They spent their last years in Ohio, where the father followed blacksmithing. ' ' f i . , 278 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1 ' The household circle included the following chil- dren: Mathew, John, Sarah J., George, William and Smith. They received a common-school edu- cation and careful home training. George remained on a farm until the outbreak of the Rebellion called for Union troops, and then laid aside his personal interests and enlisted in Company I, 39th Ohio In- fantry, as a private. In 1863 lie was promoted Corporal, and served in the army four years, partic- ipating in some of the most important battles of the war. He first met the enemy at New Madrid, after having been detailed to the northern portion of Missouri, and was afterward at the siege of Cor- inth and the battle of luka, Miss. In October, after a second engagement at Corinth, his regiment was assigned to quarters near Memphis, Tenn., and subsequently went to Chattanooga and joined Sher- man's army in its march from Atlanta to the sea. While at Atlanta our subject, on the 22d of July, 1864, received a bad flesh wound in the right arm, and was confined in the hospital forty days. lie was granted a short furlough, upon which he re- turned home to Ohio, but rejoined his regiment at Atlanta, whence they went to Savannah and took steamer for Buford, S. C. Thence they marched across the State, and afterward engaged in the hard-fought battle at Bcntonville, N. C. About this time the war practically ended by the sur- render of Gen. Lee at Appomattox. Our subject and his comrades not long afterward entered the Na- tional capital for the grand review, and were mus- tered out at Louisville, Ky. Mr. G. received his final and honorable discharge at Camp Dennison, Ohio, about the 25th of July, 1865. Concerning the hardships, privations and fatigues which were the common lot of all who participated in that memorable struggle, those who were the most in- terested have remained for the most part admira- bly silent. Mr. Goshorn, likewise, bore with fortitude the difficulties and dangers which he en- countered, and is entitled to equal consideration. After retiring from army life Mr. Goshorn spent a brief time in his native State, and then set out for the West. After selecting his future abiding- place he was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca J. Crouch, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Indian Grove Township on New Year's Day, 1867. The young people commenced life together in a modest dwelling, and in due time became the parents of one child, a daughter, Nellie, born Nov. 15, 1872. She is now an interesting young lady of fifteen years. Mis. Goshorn is the daughter of Richard G. Crouch, and was born in New Hampshire, of which State her parents were also natives. Her mother is deceased. Both our subject and wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically Mr. Goshorn is a decided Republican. Socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. IMON F. SLYDER, an aged and highly re- spected citizen of Owego Township, has been identified with its farming interests for over twenty years, being one of the earliest settlers of this section, and coming here when but a small portion of the Prairie soil had been turned upward to the sun. He was born and reared in the Keystone State, imbibing with his na- tive air those substantial qualities of character which were so much needed in the West at that period, and came here in the prime of life. With his strong hands and resolute will, he set himself to work to establish a permanent home, and has built up a record of which his descendants should be proud. He was then the possessor of but modest means, and the fact that he now owns 400 broad acres of the most valuable land in Central Illinois, is sufficient indication of the success which has crowned his efforts. The main points in a history of more than ordinary interest are substantially as follows: Mr. Slyder was born in Cumberland County, Pa., Nov. 27, 1816. His parents, Jacob and Elizabeth (Borah) Slyder, were natives of the same State, and possessed all the substantial elements of their excellent German ancestry, the first representatives of whom in this country, crossed the water prior to the Revolutionary War. Several of them served as soldiers on the side of the Colonists during their struggle for liberty, and afterward located in Penn- sylvania, where the family has been largely repre- sented for the last century. The parental family of our subject included seven LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 279 children, of whom but two are now living, namely, Lyclia, the wife of Joseph L. Near, of Warren County, this State, and Simon, our subject. The latter was reared to manhood near the place of his birth, receiving a good common-school education, and becoming familiar with all the employments of farm life. He remained under the home roof until his thirty -fifth year, when in April, 1851, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Beam, a na- tive of Franklin County, Pa., and born Aug. 7, 1833. Mrs. Slyder, who is several years younger than her husband, was a daughter of A bra in and Margaret (Bowermaster) Beam, natives of Penn- sylvania, and of German descent. They located in Franklin County soon after their marriage, and during its early settlement, where they remained until 1855, when they came to Illinois and located in Fulton, where they were finally laid to their long rest. Mr. and Mrs. Slyder commenced housekeeping in a modest dwelling at Clay Lick Hall, Pa., where they remained until after the birth of one child, and then, not quite satisfied with the results of their labors, decided to emigrate to the then far West. They came to this State in the fall of 1854, locating first in Fulton County, whence, in 1869, they re- moved to this county with the results which we have already indicated. In the meantime the household circle had been gradually enlarged until it included ten children. These were named re- spectively, William 1C. : Elizabeth M., Mrs. Charles Schnurr, of Owego Township; Simon F., Samuel D., Luther B. ; Louisa C., Mrs. D. S. Myers; Annie M., Jesse C., Susie A. and Delia L. All the chil- dren are still living, and are located in different parts of Illinois and Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Sly- der are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which the former has served as Deacon for many years, and was one of the number who first assisted in the organization of the society in Owego Township. He also contributed liberally to the building of their edifice, which is located on section 2. He has labored fifteen years as teacher and Superintendent of the Sunday-school, and no man takes more interest in the intellectual and re- ligious education of the people. Mr. Slyder has watched with unabated interest the growth and development of Livingston County, and has at all times done what he could toward sus- taining its reputation as one of the most desirable localities for the residence of an intelligent people. Politically, he was identified with the Whig party, casting his first Presidential vote for W. H. Harri- son, and upon the abandonment of that platform, he associated himself with the Democratic party, with which he still affiliates. He has held the various township offices, serving as Assessor and a member of the Board of Supervisors, and for the last nine years has officiated as Justice of the Peace. He is the favorite of young and old in his com- munity, and is held up by the elder members as a worthy example for imitation by the younger ones. eHARLES F. H. CARRITHERS, State's At- torney for the county of Livingston, has been a resident of Fairbury since 1 883, tak- ing up his residence here soon after being gradu- ated from the law department of the Iowa State University. He has already become one of the prominent young members of the legal profession in this county, and possesses in a large measure those elements of character which insure success. . Mr. Carrithers was born in Marshall County, 111., Dec. 6, 1854, and is the son of William P. and Marj r E. (Barnes) Carrithers, natives respectively of Indiana and Ohio. The father of our subject was born June 6, 1829, and during a period of twenty years, has officiated as a minister of the Christian Church. His labors have been eminently successful, and he has particularly distinguished himself in the organization of churches, and by his zeal in upholding the cause of Christ. He now preaches at Anchor, McLean County, and Kemp- ton, Ford County, this State, and resides with his family at Saunemin, 111. The mother was born in Januarv, 1832. Her parents were Henry B. and Esther (Dickinson) Barnes. They went to Mar- shall County at an early day, and the father served as a Captain in the Black Hawk War. On his jour- ney to Illinois he was accompanied by his brothers and sisters, Robert, William, Nancy and Mary, who *=K- ' ' 280 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i are all married and living in this State, having ar- rived at a good old age. Our subject was the eldest of ten children born to his parents, namely, Charles; Jennie died in childhood; Fred, in the insurance business at Fair- bury; William died when a youth of eighteen years; Belle, Mrs. John AVatkins; Edmund, a far- mer of Saunemin Township; Barnes, Lizzie, Nellie and Eugene. Charles F. was reared on the farm with his brothers and sisters, and attended the com- mon school until seventeen years old. He then entered upon a higher course of study at Eureka College, Eureka, 111., and three years later com- menced teaching, which he followed in this and Marshall Counties for a period of nine years, and in the meantime employed his leisure hours in reading law. He prepared himself for the univer- sity course, and upon the completion of this, lo- cated at Fairbury and formed a partnership with G. W. Patton, now of Pontiac. He was afterward re-examined and admitted to the bar of this State, in June, 1884. The following August he was elected to the office of State's Attorney on the Re- publican ticket, and is discharging his responsible duties in a praiseworthy manner. While in school he distinguished himself by his close application to his studies, and for a long period he was President of his class. He has a good practice outside of his office, in the courts of this mid other counties of the State. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, has attained to the Commandery degree, and served as Master of his lodge two years. Mr. Carrithers, while a resident of Saunetnin, 111., was united in marriage with Miss Lucy M. Brydia, on the 1st of October, 1879. Mrs. C. was born in Kane, 111., Aug. 23, 1855, and is the daughter of Truman W. and Laura (Day) Brydia, natives of Vermont, who came to the West in 1854, settling in Saunemin Township, where with his estimable wife, he spent the remainder of his days. The mother departed this life in 1871, and the father surviving her sixteen years, passed away on the 15th of February, 1887. Mr. Brydia followed farming all his life, and was a prominent and use- ful member of his community, where he held the various township offices, and represented the peo- ple in the County Board of Supervisors for many years. He uniformly voted the straight Demo- cratic ticket, and by his industry and good judg- ment, accumulated a fair competency. Mr. and Mrs. Carrithers have three children: Truman, born July 28, 1882; Mary, Oct. 9, 1884, and Fred, May 30, 1887. They occupy one of the best homes on Oak street, and enjoy the friendship of the cultivated and refined people around them. J. HANDLEY is a retired farmer of Pon- tiac. If there is any man who is entitled to ease, quiet and comfort in the twilight of life, it is he who sought a home in a new country and became a pioneer in its develop- ment and in the opening up of its resources. To this class of men belongs the subject of this sketch. who was born on the 7th of February, 1826, in Loudoun County, Va. He is the son of John and Hannah (Cravin) Handley, natives of Virginia. The father was engaged in fanning for a short time in Virginia, and about 1831 removed to Ohio, and settled in Licking County, where he purchased a farm of 270 acres, and subsequently another 270 acres, which latter tract he afterward sold and di- vided the monej' among his children. He held several of the local offices of the township in which he lived, and with his wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years, most of which time he was a Trustee. He belonged to the Democratic part}' until during the administra- tion of Martin Van Buren, when he joined the Know-Nothing party, which was but a step of tran- sition to the Republican party later. He had a family of ten children, eight of whom are now liv- ing: D. J., Lydia A., James W., Amos C., John S., Sarah E., George W. and Esther J. John Handley died in 1870, and his wife in 1882. D. J. Handley was brought up on a farm, avail- ing himself of such facilities for education as were presented by the common schools of those days, and lived at home with his parents until he was twenty-five years of age. For three years he en- gaged in sheep-raising in his native county, and then went to Adams County, Ohio, where he con- tinued the same business, having at one time a fold t fc LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 281 of sheep numbering as high as 300. In 1855 he removed to Macon County, 111., where he re- mained one year, and in the fall of 1856 came to Livingston County, and settled in Eppard's Point Township, on Rook's Creek, where he purchased 110 acres of land. He lived on this farm until 1884, when he moved to Pontiac. When he pur- chased this land not a foot of it was under cultiva- tion. He has transformed it into a model farm, and has erected thereon an excellent house, as well as barns and stables, while the greater portion of it is enclosed by a hedge feiiQe. When he first settled here there was an abundance of wild game, including deer, wolves and prairie chickens. He found a market for his products at Pontiac. Mr. H. married, Sept. 11, 1851, Miss Rebecca M. Griffith, a native of Licking County, Ohio, and the daughter of George and Margaret (Woodard) Grif- fith, also natives of Licking County. They have a family of five children Charles B., Arabelle R., Mattie E., George C. and Elma. Charles B. mar- ried Sarah E. Leedon ; they have two children, named Albert W. and Joanna, and are engaged in farming in Nebraska. Arabelle R. married John Leedon, a farmer, and resides in Nebraska; they have one child named Nettie. George C. married Ella Brown, and they reside at Pontiac; they have one child named Lulu M. Mr. Handley is a Republican, and takes consider- able interest in the welfare of that organization. He has held the offices of Assessor, School Director, Collector, and for four years the office of Town- ship Clerk. He takes great pride in fine stock, and at the present time is the owner of two imported Cleveland Bays, magnificent horses of the English coach breed, and adapted for all purposes. W. APPLEGATE, an intelligent and enterprising farmer and stock-raiser, located on section 24 in Newtown Town- ship, was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, on the llth of January, 1832, but grew to manhood in Miami Count}'. He is the son of George M. and Margaret (La Rue) Applegate. The father was born in Warren County, Ky., and the grandfather, whose name was George Miller Applegate, was born and reared in the same State, where he lived until he was a very old man. He moved to Ohio, and died in that State at the age of one hundred years. He had been married twice, his first wife dying in Kentucky, and by his second marriage there were no children. He was the owner of a plantation, a steamboat and about 200 slaves. George M. Applegate, the father of our subject, was born in Kentucky Feb. 16, 1797, where he lived until he grew to manhood, and then moved to Ohio. On the 28th of February, 1820, he was married, and resided in Ohio until 1851, in which year he came to Illinois and settled on section 14, Newtown Township. He lived on this homestead for twenty years, and then removed to Blackstone, remaining there until his death, which occurred May 21, 1876. He was a fanner and blacksmith by occupation, following blacksmithing in the ear- lier days of his life, and farming until his removal to Blackstone, when he retired from active labor. During his life he was a very active man, and of good business habits. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was al- ways a leader. Margaret A. La Rue, his wife and the mother of our subject, was born in Clay County, N. J., Sept. 15, 1800, and died Sept. 8, 1881. She was a daughter of Amos La Rue, a native of New Jersey, who, with some of his sons, participated in the earlier wars. In his later life he came to Ohio and followed farming in Hamilton County, al- though he was a weaver by trade. He was the father of five children, whose names were Moses, Samuel, Frank, Margaret and Lydia. Moses was wounded in the French and Indian War, and died soon after he came home; the others settled in Ohio, where they reared families and died. To George M. and Margaret Applegate were born the following children : Eliza Jane, born Feb. 17, 1822, was the wife of Henry Morter, and died Dec. 16, 1844; she was the mother of one child, named Mary J. James, born Nov. 28, 1823, is now a retired farmer living in Blackstone; he has been married twice, and by his first wife had one child, Albert A., and by his second the following: Theodore, Mary, John, Amos, Jane, Anna, Susie and Carrie. William, born Dec. 24, 1825, is a re- 282 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. tired farmer, and lives in Streator; he became the father of six children, named Flora A., George T., Lewis (deceased), Milton, Lizzie and AVilliam. Mary A., born Dec. 27, 1827, has been married three times, and is now the widow of AVilliam Pence; by her first marriage she had five children Lewis, Hannah, Jane, George, and Ellie (de- ceased) and by her last husband one child, Emma ; she now resides in Indianapolis, Ind. Lydia, born Jan. 11, 1830, is the wife of James Swartz, and lives in Streator; she has three children living, named Jane, Ettie and Nora. Margaret, born May 10, 1836, married James Swartz, became the mother of one child, and died May 7, 1855. Amos, born May 28, 1840, is married, and lives in Esmen Township, and has four boys, named Irving, El- mer, Frank and Earnest. Amanda, born June 17, 1843, died in February, 1869. George W. Applegate, our subject, lived at home until he was twenty-five years of age, and then be-, gan work for himself. On the 27th of October 1857, he was married to Nancy C. Yale, who was born at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., on the 5th of Jan- uary, 1841. She is the daughter of Reuben and Elizabeth (Gleen) Yale, who were natives of En- gland and France respectively. The grandfather was Reuben Yale, who was born in England, and came to America at an early day. To the parents of Mrs. Applegate were born the following-named children: Nancy A., the wife of our subject; Amos died in childhood; Sarah, born in 1844, now lives in Washington Territory, and is the widow of Samuel Olmstead, to whom she was married near Ottawa, this State; she has three children living, named Sheridan, Clara and Jackson. Eliza, born in 1846, died in 1866 in Streator; Laura, born in 1851, is the wife of Alonzo Applegate, and lives in Blackstone; they have two children living, Charles ind Ira, and three dead, May and two who died in infancy Mrs. Applegate's father died March 31, 1857, and her mother April 14, 1887; the latter was a member of the Baptist Church in early life, but her later years were spent as a member of the Methodist Church. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Applegate has been , blessed with four children: Addie, born Aug. 13, 1860, is the wife of Merrit R. Swarner, and lives in Newtown Township; they were married on the 21st of Januar}', 1880, by Rev. O. M. Dunlevey, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have one child, named Elma, born April 11, 1883. Minnie, born Dec. 26, 1867, lola, Aug. 29, 1872, and Deamie, Sept. 4, 1883, live at home with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Applegate are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Blackstone, with which they have been connected for more than thirty years. He is one of the Stewai'ds and Trustees of the church. In politics, he acts with the Democratic party, to which he has always been loyal. Mr. Applegate is an excellent citizen, and one who takes an active interest in everything that is calcu- lated to advance his township and benefit the people. T ENRY G. GREENEBAUM, deceased, was a prominent merchant and banker of Pontiac, who died on the 24th of April, 1887. He was a native of Gelnhausen, Germany, born on the 6th of May, 1837, and was the son of Moses Greenebauni, also a native of Germany. Henry G. (ireenebaum came to America when fifteen years of age, and first settled in Lexington, McLean Co., 111., where he engaged in the clothing business. He removed to Pontiac in 1856, and with his brother, J. M. Greenebaum, engaged in the same business under the firm style of Greenebauni Broth- ers, which they continued until 1874. Inl871 they established the Livingston County National Bank, of which J. M. (Jreenebaum was President. Henry ('.. was Cashier, in which capacity he continued un- til his death. In 1882 he built a magnificent resi- dence east of the court-house, where "his widow and children now reside. On the 14th of August, 1864, Mr. G. was married I" Miss Carrie Hart, of Chicago. She was the daugh- ter of Jacob and Minnie (Straus) Hart, who were natives of Germany, and came from near the River Rhine. Jacob Hart came to America in 1858. and with liis family settled in Chicago, where he and his sons engaged in the clothing biisincs- and continued until his death in 1881. His wife died in 1887. They were the parents of the following-named chil- dren: Mary, Mrs,. Schoenberg, who died in New ... 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 285 Orleans, in 1870; she was the matron of the Jew- ish orphan asylum. Henrietta, Mrs. Abt, of Chi- cago: Carrie.-, widow of our subject; Rose, Mrs. Frank, of Chicago'; Harry, of Chicago; Janie, Mrs. Marx, of Chicago; Max, Lehart and Jacob, of Chicago; Sarah, Mrs. Meyer, of New York City. Henry Greenebaum left a wife and six children : Moses H., who is clerking in the bank; Harry, Rosa, Mary, Jacob and Willie. Mr. Greenebaum was a stockholder in the Metropolitan, and the American Exchange Bank, of Chicago, also in the Pontiac Coal Company. He was a self-made man, the archi- tect of his own fortune, which was quite considera- ble at the time of his death. He had the reputation of being one of the best business men of Living- ston County. IIILIP ROLLINS, the oldest living pio- neer in or about Pontiac Township, was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, Sept. 24, 1813, and lias consequently'" passed more than the allotted threescore years and ten. His life has been marked by honest}" and uprightness, and he consequently enjoys the friendship and respect of a large circle of acquaintances, some of whom, like himself, came to this section at an early day, and shared in the hardships and vicissitudes common to life in a new settlement. Our subject is the son of William K. and Su-an Rollins, natives of Virginia, and of French and Ger- man ancestry respectively. Mr. Rollins served in the War of 1812. In their youth they removed from their native State to Coshocton County. Ohio, and became the parents of six children, of whom only three survive, namely: Nancy, Mrs. John Stur- ni.-m. of Wood ford County, 111.; Hannah, wife of William Xeal. a prominent attorney of Hamilton County, lud., and Philip, of our sketch. Philip was reared to manhood in his native State, receiv- ing a rudimentary education in the log-cabin r-chool- honse. and spent most of his youth in farming pur- suits, employing his leisure time at carpenter work. In the latter he became e.-pecially skillful, and dur- ing the present year (1887) he has superintended the erection of the residence of his son, William II., located on the old homestead. In addition to farm- ing and carpentering, he also developed talent as a natural machinist, and without effort became fully acquainted with the duties of a millwright, in which he became an expert. His energy and industry met with ample reward, and he was at one time the owner of nearly 500 acres of land, which he divided among his children. He has always taken a lively interest in the welfare of his community, being an active supporter of those measures that tend to ben- efit society at large. He has served as Justice of the Peace eight years, represented Pontiac Town- ship in the County Board of Supervisors several terms, and was School Director in his district a num- ber of years. Politically, he votes the straight Democratic ticket. Mr. Rollins was married in Indiana, March 8, 1 839, the lady of his choice being Miss Martha De- Moss, a native of his own State, and born in Hamil- ton County Jan. 23, 1812. Her parents, James and Nancy DeMoss, were natives respectively of Vir- ginia and Kentucky. In 1841 they removed from Indiana to Livingston County, and settled in Avoca Township, where they spent their last years. The father had served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and upon coming to Illinois they endured, in com- mon with the settlers of that period, the hardships and privations which were the distinctive features of pioneer life. Mr. and Mrs. Rollins became the parents of eight children, six of whom are now living, namely : Pe- ter, Charles, William II. ; Nancy, widow of the late George Hamstreet, who was killed in the late Civil War; Matilda, Mrs. Reuben Liddel, and Emeline, widow of Harry Hill, late of this county. In mak- ing the journey from Indiana to this county Mr. R., with his family, spent one week upon the road, sometimes sleeping at night in the open air. Upon arriving here he had the sum of $1.25 in his pocket, besides his team and household goods. He took up a tract of 160 acres in Pontiac Township, for which lie contracted to pay $3 per acre, and after liquidat- ing this indebtedness he pre-empted forty addi- tional acres. The first dwelling of the family was a rude log cabin, which they occupied a few years until it could be replaced In' a more convenient and commodious dwelling. Deer and wolves wereplen- 286 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. tiful, and Mr. Rollins has killed as many as seven deer in one day. He prided himself upon his marksmanship, and seldom failed to bring down his game. The change from that time to the present IIMS been remarkable, and Mr. Rollins lias watched the growth and development of his adopted State with more than ordinary interest. He has also con- tributed his full share toward its prosperity, having characterized himself as a valuable citizen, liberal- minded and generous, and the encourager of tho-e enterprises that tend to the best welfare of the com- munity. He and his good wife an- regarded with that reverence and respect accorded those who braved the dangers and difficulties of the early times, and the publishers have much pleasure in be- ing enabled to place their portraits on another page of this ALBUM. J~j OHN H. COLEHOWER, favorably known throughout Long Point Township, owns I forty acres of land on section 27, and the ' same amount on section 34, the whole of which has been carefully cultivated, and yields each year to the hand of industry an abundance of the best products of Central Illinois. Aside from his importance as a skillful fanner, Mr. C. has been School Director in his district, Commissioner of Highways, and has occupied other positions of trust among his fellow-townsmen. He is a stanch Dem- ocrat, and a member in good standing of the I. O. O. F. Like many of the early settlers in Livingston County Mr. Colehower was born in Pennsylvania, June 22, 1830, and is of German descent. His parents were Conrad and Rachel (Garner) Cole- hower, the former of whom was born in Germany and emigrated to this country while a young man. His death was the result of an accident, which oc- curred at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets in the city of Philadelphia, where in alighting from a street-car upon the icy ground, he slipped and fell under the car, which ran over him, producing instant death. The mother continued with her young family in Pennsylvania, where she died in the city of Harrisburg, Oct. 23. 1887, at eighty years of age. The parents joined the Presbyterian Church in their youth, and the father, politically, was decidedly Democratic. He possessed more than ordinary ability, and had he lived would have become prominent in the affairs of his township, where he had already held the position of Super- visor and was held in universal esteem. Our subject remained with his mothef in Penn- sylvania until twenty-two years of age and then started for the West, which at that time was at- tracting so many young and enterprising men within its borders. He located first in Peoria County, where he resided for a period of thirteen years, and then took up his abode in Livingston. He was married, Dec. 1, 1853, to Miss Elizabeth A. Ramsey, who was born Oct. 15, 1831, and who by her union with our subject became the mother of six children, of whom the record is as follows : Benjamin F., born Sept. 23, 1854, developed into a promising young business man, and is now carry- ing on merchandising in Long Point; his biography appears elsewhere in this volume. Martha R., born Aug. 4, 1858, became the wife of J. H. Reed, whose biography will be found elsewhere; Thomas C., born Feb. 5, 1863, officiates as clerk for his brother in a store at Long Point; Henry R. was born Feb. 28, 1865, and died Feb. 16, 1870, when a bright little lad less than five years old ; Lydia F. was born May 9, 1867, and died Feb. 8, 1870; Emma was born Nov. 26, 1869, and lives at home, pursuing her studies in the district school. The parental family of our subject included twelve children, namely, Henry, Mary Ann, John H. (our subject), Washington, Harris, Conrad, Martha, Rebecca, Samuel, Hannah, besides two who died unnamed in infancy. Henry was killed by being run over by a railroad train, and left a wife and four children ; Mary Ann is the wife of Joseph Free, of Philadelphia, and is the mother of three children; Washington died in Philadelphia, leaving a wife but no children; Harris, also a resi- dent of the (Quaker City, is married and has three children: Conrad, who resides in Marshall County, this State, is married and has four children ; Martha died when about four years of age; Rebecca is married, a resident of Harrisburg, Pa., and the mother of four children; William died of consump- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 287 tiou about 1877, leaving a wife and one child; Samuel was married, but his wife died leaving one child ; Hannah is married and has four children. These three last were residents of Philadelphia, where the two living now reside. The parents of Mrs. Colehower, Thomas B. and Rebecca (Carnog) Ramsey, were natives of Penn- sylvania, and their household included nine chil- dren. The mother died in June, 1884. The father is living and is a resident of Long Point Township. Her brothers and sisters were John, Walter S., Sa- rah B., all deceased ; Isaac T., who has a family and lives in this county, is one of its prosperous farmers and stock-raisers; William B., deceased; Charles A., who is farming in Missouri, and has a wife and six children ; Mary J., the wife of F. L. Saxton and the mother of five children, and Walter S., Post- master of Long Point, where he is also carrying on a hardware store; he has a wife and three children. TEPHEN JOHNSON. There is something about the place of one's birth which acts like a mag-net during life, and it is as nat- ural to be drawn back to the old home- stead after years of absence as it is for the needle to seek the pole. The bard sang, "Be it ever so humble there is no place like home," and around the parental hearth cling a multitude of pleasant associations. The subject of this sketch is a native of Living- ston County, a man to the manor born, who after years of residence in other localities made up his mind that there was no place like Livingston County, and no other township that possessed so many endearing memories as Rook's Creek. Mr. Johnson is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 10, Rook's Creek Township, the son of John and Nancy (Bloyd) Johnson, and was born on the home farm on the 14th of September, 1843. His father was born in New York on the 14th of February, 1804, and died on the 9th of April, 1887. The mother was a native of Maryland. The paternal grandparents came from Ireland shortly after the great Irish Patriots' war, in which the great-great-grandfather lost his life. The grandfather, who was the only representative of the family, settled in New York, and about 1821 moved to Sangamon County, 111., where he purchased a farm on which he lived and died. He was born Sept. 16, 1774, and his wife, Miss Betsy Sacket, was born May 19, 1777. They were married on the 17th of June, 1796, and to them were born nine children, as follows: Eliza- beth, born April 28, 1797; Maria, Feb. 24, 1799; Lydia, Oct. 13, 1801; John, Feb. 14, 1804; Na- thaniel P., July 30, 1806; Royal S., Oct. 28, 1808; Oliver P., Oct. 21, 1813; Lucretia, Oct. 11, 1816; Melvine A., April 30, 1820. Oliver Johnson, the grandfather, died on the 6th of August, 1835. Mr. Johnson's father came to Livingston County about 1823, and was the second man to settle in Rook's Creek Township. He at first bought 160 acres of land, and afterward added to it until he had 240 acres. He was married, on the 17th of March, 1825, to Nancy Bloyd, born Oct. 25, 1806. They were the parents of ten children, all of whom grew to maturity except two: William, born Jan. 2, 1826; John, born Sept. 1, 1827, died Jan. 30, 1855; Lydia, born Oct. 6, 1829; Elizabeth, Dec. 19, 1831 ; Henry, Jan. 5, 1834; Eleanor, born Sept. 9, 1836, died Nov. 14, 1837; Oliver, born Aug. 30, 1838; Amanda, April 5, 1841; Stephen, our sub- ject; Lucinda, born March 4, 1846, died Aug. 25, 1848. Stephen Johnson was married, on the 17th of June, 1866, to Miss India Ann Sellman, and they are the parents of the following-named children : Oliver E., born Feb. 9, 1868, on the Little Sioux River, Cherokee Co., Iowa; John Henry, born Oct. 10, 1869, in Cherokee County, Iowa; Stephen, born Nov. 15, 1871, in Lawrence, Kan.; Sherman, born Nov. 2, 1875, in Rook's Creek Township; Sharon Perry, born June 8, 1885, in Esmen Township. Mr. Johnson lived on the home farm while a bo3 - , and divided his time between work on the farm and learning the trade of a carpenter from his father. Shortly after his marriage he moved to Cherokee County, Iowa, where he followed both farming and carpentering. He lived in that State for three years, when he moved to Lawrence, Kan., where he worked on the Kansas Pacific Railroad as a bridge carpenter, and served two years as foreman. He 288 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. then returned to Livingston County, and now lives on the old homestead where he was born, and where his father died. t UKE JORDAN. There 'are no people on earth who have a greater love and af- fection for their native land than the Irish. No matter what their condition is or may have been in the land of their nativity, they look upon it as the most favored spt on earth, and the oppressions and abuses which have been heaped upon them by English landlords have only served to intensify their love for the old sod. This oppression and proscription in years became so in- tolerable that thousands upon thousands have emi- grated to other countries, the largest proportion of whom have sought homes in this country, where they have become useful and prosperous citizens. The laws and customs of this country permit the largest liberty and freedom, which is especially en- joyed by a people who have been trampled upon for centuries. Among those who came to this country at an early date is the subject of this sketch, a represent- ative farmer and stock-raiser in Pontiac Town- ship, who was born in Ireland in the year 1823, be- ing the son of James and Catherine Jordan, also natives of Ireland. They were the parents of seven children, four of whom are now living; Michael, James, Luke and Catherine. Luke spent the days of his boyhood in his native country, securing a very fair education in spite of the fact that at that time the schools were of very inferior quality and widely separated, and in order to obtain an educa- tion at all it was necessary for him to walk miles each day to and from the nearest school. In the year 1851 he made up his mind that he would emi- grate to that country of which he had heard so much, and took passage on a ship at Liverpool, when after spending seven weeks upon the Atlan- tic Ocean, he landed in the city of New York. where he remained for about four years, and then came to Livingston County, where he resided at Pontiac for two years. Mr. Jordan was married to Miss A. Nevalle, with whom he lived happily until her death on the 18th of September, 1872. She was a woman of many estimable qualities, and her death caused a gloom not only within the household but throughout her entire circle of acquaintances. She was the mother of six children, four of whom are now liv- ing Thomas, John, James and Anna. Mr. Jor- dan's farm is located on section 1 8, Pontiac Town- ship, and contains 232 acres of well-drained land, which under the intelligent manipulation of Mr. Jordan produces excellent crops. He is consider- ably interested in the raising of stock, and in this line of business has been very successful. He deserves a very large measure of credit for his success in life, as he began without means and has succeeded in accumulating property sufficient to make him independent, and have no fear of want during the remainder of his days. Having been one of the early settlers of this county, he has long since established himself in the affection and esteem of his fellow-citizens, whose confidence he enjoys to a large degree. ILLIAM RUTZ bears the reputation of be- ing one of the most thorough and skillful farmers of Eppard's Point Township. He deals largely in live stock, fattening each year from fifty to 100 head of cattle, and fully the same num- ber of swine. He owns 400 acres of finely culti- vated land, and for the last six years has bent his energies to the establishment of a good home, while at the same time keeping in view those matters per- taining to the general welfare of the community, in whose advancement he takes a lively interest. The early years of Mr. Rutz were spent in the Empire of Germany, where his birth took place March 31, 185C. His parents, John and Minnie (Bung) Rutz, were natives of the same Province, of pure German ancestry, the father born in 1836, and the mother a year later. They emigrated to the United States after their marriage, and subsequent to the close of the late war, in 1865, and after set- ting foot upon American soil, proceeded directly to the West, locating in Peoria County, 111. Three or four years later they came to this county, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. f\ the father purchased a tract of land in Pike Town- ship, where he engaged in farming, and now re- sides. He has been a hard- working and industrious man, commencing here with little means, but is now the owner of a comfortable home. The parental household included three sons only, namely, Charles, who was born in Germany and died about 1876, in this county; John, a resident of York Count}', Neb., and William of our sketch. Mr. Rutz continued with his parents until reach- ing manhood. He was but a lad of eleven years when he crossed the ocean, and remembers that the voyage consumed nine weeks and three days, be- sides being stormy and dangerous. They set out on the 26th of November, 1865, and landed in New York City on the 1st of January following. In the meantime the father had been taken ill with small- pox on shipboard, and was confined in the hospital in New York City six weeks after landing. The mother was afterward stricken with the same terri- ble disease, and died on the farm in Peoria County. The memory of that time still brings to Mr. Rutz the shadow of the affliction with which he was then visited. The father subsequently married Mrs. Rynsta Chanabeck, a native of his own country. She came to America in 1867, and by her first mar- riage had become the mother of two sons and a daughter. William Rutz continued with his father and step- mother until twenty years of age, and then started out for himself. He had little capital to commence with, but by living economically, and saving his earnings, found himself in due time enabled to pur- chase eighty acres of land north of Chenoa, in the cultivation of which he was engaged fora time, but which he afterward sold in order to remove to Wood ford County. After a residence there of one year, during which time he was married, he came to this county and first purchased a quarter section in Eppard's Point Township. His industry and perseverance met with their legitimate reward, and he wisely invested his surplus capital in additional land. He is now the proprietor of 400 acres, finety stocked with excellent grades of cattle and swine, and supplied with good buildings. The wife of our subject was formerly Miss Katie J. Altaian, of Woodford County at the time of their marriage, but who was born in Tazewell County, July 21, 1862, and became the wife of our subject Dec.. 29, 1881. They have two children: I Minnie, born Nov. 18, 1882, and Freddie, March 4, 1884. Mr. Rutz meddles very little with political affairs, but performs his duties as a good citizen at times of general elections, and votes the straight Republican ticket. He and his estimable lady are members in good standing of the Brethren Church at Ocoya. MANUEL SWYGERT, who is numbered among the representative farmers of Owego Township, is pleasantly located on section 9, where he owns 156 acres of improved laud, of which he took possession iu 1869. During his resi- dence here of nearly twenty years he has fully established himself as a reliable and valued citizen, and has attended strictly to the farming pursuits which he commenced in his boyhood. He was c< miparati very without means when he started out for himself in life, but is now enjoying the ample rewards of in- dustry and frugality. He is public-spirited and liberal, and nothing pleases him better than to note the prosperity and advancement of the people a i ( mud him, both morally and financially. He is now, with his aged and estimable wife, passing quietly down the sunset hill of life, comforted with a good conscience and the satisfaction of feeling that they have done what they could in exerting a good in- fluence around them, and setting an example worthy of imitation by the rising generation. Mr. Swygert forms an important member of the colony which, in the early days, emigrated in small detachments from Penns3 T lvauia, he having been a native of that State, and born in Franklin County, Jul}- 14, 1814. His parents were John and Susan Swygert, natives of the same State, where his pater- nal grandfather. George Swygert, had located at an early day. after serving as a soldier in the Revolu- tionary War. When the struggle ended he took up bi- abode in Franklin County, where he was married, and reared his family, whose descendants are largely represented in that section of country. His SOU John, the father of our subject, was there reared to farming pursuits, which he followed all his life, and I 290 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. when 1 ho was married and became the father of seven children. Of these four survive, namely, William. Henry, John and Emannel. In middle life John Swygert came to the West with his family, lo- cating in Fulton County. 111., aliont 1842. where In- resided with his estimable wife until called from the scenes of earth. Our subject spent several years in Fulton County with his parents, and was there married, in 1844, to Miss Catherine Hawker, who has remained his elo>i- friend and companion for over forty years. Mrs. S. is a native of the same State as her husband, and they became the parents of two children : Charles, now deceased, and Matilda, the wife of James Lowe, a prosperous farmer of Owego Township. They re- moved from Fulton to Livingston County in 1869, where Mr. S. had purchased the land which he has since transformed into a valuable farm. It had then but a small frame dwelling upon it, with a poor excuse for a barn, which the family took pos>cion of until they could afford something better. In due time the first humble residence was replaced by a more modern and convenient structure, and a good barn stands in the rear. Adjacent is a fine orchard of apple and other choice fruit trees, and the live stock and farm machinery combine to give the premises a substantial and homelike appearance which is pleasant to the eye. Mr. and Mi's. Swygert number their friends by the score in Livingston County, and enjoy the distinction of lie ing numbered not only among its first, but among its best residents. J~j OSEPH BRADSHA W. When one has per- formed all the duties devolving upon him I in rearing a family of children to manhood ' and womanhood, he deserves the ecomium, "Well done, thou good and faithful," and is enti- tled to pass the sunset days of his life in rest and quiet. The subject of this sketch, now a retired farmer living in Fairbury, was born in Washington County, Pa., on the 9th of July, 1821, and is the son of Edward and Nancy (Patterson) Bradshaw, natives of County Tyrone, Ireland, where they were married. [Before emigrating to this country they had one child, Anna, now Mrs. William Brock. They came to America in the year 1811, landing at New York, and proceeded at once to Washing- ton County, Pa., where he followed the occupation of a weaver, a trade which he had learned in his native country, and in which he had become very proficient. From Pennsylvania he removed into Ohio, where he died on the 31st of December, 1875, aged eighty-three years; his wife died on the 22d of November, 1803. They were the parents of ten children Ann, Sarah, David, Mary, Joseph, John W., Margaret, William, George and Catherine. At the age of sixteen years, the subject of this notice was apprenticed to a millwright, which trade he learned and followed for about fifteen years, when he concluded to engage in the occupation of a farmer. In 1859 he moved to Buchanan County, Mo., but not being favorably impressed with the country there, he remained but five months, when he went to Pike County, 111., and rented a farm on which he lived for six years. At the end of that time he came to Livingston County and purchased eight}' acres of land, which he successfully managed until 188b, when he discontinued farming, and re- moved to Fairbury, where he will reside in the future, enjoying the fruits of a long life of success- ful labor. On the 23d of December, 1842, Mr. Bradshaw was married to Miss Dorcas Arnold, a native of Jefferson County, Ohio, who was born Sept. 13, 1823, and was the daughter of Solomon and Bar- bara (Stonebrook) Arnold. The father was born in Pennsylvania, in 1791, and died on the 15th of May, 1846. He was a farmer by occupation, and by trade a cabinet-maker. The mother was a na- tive of North Carolina. To them eleven children were born Hickman, Dorcas, Rebecca. Prue, Bar- bara E., Mary A., Sarah Jane, David, Eli, Drusilla and Jacob S. Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw have had seven children: Barbara, now Mrs. William Rutledge, living in Linn County, Kan.; Edward IL, born Oct. 22, 1846, died Dec. 31, 1875; Nancy J., now Mrs. Michael Morris, living in this county; Mary, Mrs. Darius Vail, living in Joplin, Mo.; William T. niar- I ried Miss Sarah E. Cox: David W. died in infancy; Harriet E., Mrs. Barklcy Connor, living in Wichita, Kan. Mr. and Mrs. Bradshaw are active and inllu- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 291 ential members of the Christian Church, of which lie lias been an Elder for the past seven years, and a member for nine years. The wife has been a member of that church for over fifty years; they are botli much devoted to their chinch. Mr. Brad- shavv has been a great observer of political events all his life, and very early in the career of the Re- publican party became one of its enthusiastic adher- ents, remaining so up to the present time. 1 fifi OSIAH M. FETZER. Many of the earlier settlers of Virginia came from Germany, and they were among the most thrifty far- mer.s and tradesmen of the Old Dominion, although for a great length of time they labored under many disadvantages unless they were well enough off to own slaves, which few of them de- sired to, even had they been able. Many Virgin- ians of German ancestry are now scattered throughout the West, and among her best citizens Illinois can claim a multitude of them. In Liv- ingston County there are quite a number of fami- lies who are natives of Virginia, and they are all thrifty and prosperous people. The subject of this sketch, who is a representative farmer and stock-raiser on section 28, Avoca Township, is a native of Shenandoah County, Va., and was born on the 17th of January, 1848. Mr. Fetzer is the son of George and Catherine Fetzer, the latter deceased, who were Virginians by birth, and the father was of German descent. To them were born eight children, five of whom are living: John W. ; Eliza, wife of L. T. Courtney; James B., George and Josiah M. When our sub- ject was about four years of age his parents emi- grated to Illinois and settled in Vermilion Town- ship, Ln Salle County, where the mother died in the month of June, 1881. The father, who is nearly seventy years of age, resides in that county, an honored and respected citizen. He has always been identified with moral reforms and movements for the betterment of the people. For a consid- erable time he served as School Director in La Salle County, and during his administration the affairs of the schools were well and judiciously managed. Mr. Fetzer was reared to manhood on a farm in La Salle County, where he received a good educa- tion in the district schools. On the 18th of March, 1874, he was married to Mary F. Scott, a native of La Salle County, and a daughter of John Scott, a pioneer of that county. Of this union there are three children : Cora E., born on the 2d of May, 1875; Charles R., May 4, 1879; Pearl, Sept. 30, 1884. Mr. Fetzer came to Livingston County in the year 1886, and settled upon the farm which he now occupies in Avoca Township. This farm con- sists of 100 acres of well-improved land, which has been thoroughly drained and made exceedingly productive. lu connection with his farming oper- ations he devotes considerable attention to the raising of stock of all kinds, and in this has been quite successful. He is a Democrat in his political affiliations, but does not engage in politics for the purpose of securing office. He has served for several years as School Director, to the duties of which position he has given close and careful at- tention. He is a'friend of education and pro- gressive in his ideas of the management of schools. He and his wife occupy an enviable position in the society of Avoca Township, and are highly re- spected and esteemed for their many good qualities. ERMAN GIRARD, one of Long Point's thorough-going and progressive farmers and stock- raisers, located on section 13, was born in Prussia, Germany, Dec. 23, 1836. He is the son of Frederick and Dorothea Girard, who are natives of the same country, and came to America in July, 1856, landing at Castle Garden, N. Y. From New York they proceeded to Chi- cago, where they remained two weeks; thence they went to Ottawa, and from there to Livingston County, where Frederick purchased ninety acres of land, twenty of which were heavily timbered. On the 16th of February, 1868, Herman Girard was married to Mary Zeilman, daughter of Corne- lius and Betsy (Hall) Zeilman. To Mr. and Mrs. Girard have been born eight children, seven of i 292 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. whom are now living. Olive was born Dec. C, 1868; Dorothea, Sept. 4, 1870; Adolph, Nov. 25, 1872 ; Philo Wesley, Nov. 5, 1874 ; Marian Blanche, born Feb. 20, 1877, died July G> 1880; Mabel Lu- cinda, born Jan. 11, 1880; Mamie Bell, April 5, 1882, and Hilda Melvina, Dec. 31, 1884. Mr. Girard enlisted in Company C, 39th Illinois Infantry, which was organized at Poutiac, but his enlistment was at Chicago in August, 18(51. The regiment went to St. Louis and from there to Will- iamsburg, Md., arriving there Nov. 2, 1861, at which time and place they received their first guns. Mr. Girard received a flesh wound on the knee at Morris Island, S. C., on the 9th of October, 1863, while he was on duty rebuilding the old fort. He was discharged from the hospital Jan. 1, 1864, and was afterward wounded at Drewry's Bluff, Va., May 1 6 of that year. At the battle of Petersburg, Va., he was again wounded in the left leg in the charge on Craig, April 2, 1865. He is now receiv- ing a pension of $10 per month on account of these last two wounds. Mr. Girard was promoted Cor- poral, and Sept. 1, 1863, was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was in the battle of Petersburg, and on the 20th of March, 1862, was in the engage- ment at Winchester, and afterward was continu- ously under fire while on guard duty along the river. At Ft. Waggoner he helped to dig up to the fort, and the night the fort was taken he was one of the twenty men who first entered it as vol- unteers. After the Union troops had taken pos- session the Johnnies tried to blow it up by setting fire to a fuse leading to the magazine; this was first noticed by Mr. Girard. He was in the engagement at Folly Island, after which he was engaged in scouting and skirmishing until his discharge from the army. After his return from the army Mr. Girard en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, although lie was a cooper by trade. He now owns 120 acres of fine farming land under a high state of cultivation, which is well improved, fenced, and drained by 400 rods of tiling. Politically, Mr. Girard is a Repub- lican, having grown up in that faith. His service in the army strengthened it, and his mature judg- ment, formed by close observation of men, and the course of political parties, has given a still more stalwart character to his political belief. He does not, of course, carry his politics into his business, nor, on the other hand, does he allow his business to enter into his politics. He is a Comrade of Post No. 223, G. A. R., at Cornell, in which he takes a leading and active part. He was brought up in the faith of the Lutheran. Church. He is one of Long Point's most progressive citizens, and enjoys the confidence anil esteem of all who know him. His family occupies an enviable position in that section of the county, and deservedly so. J~ OHN HARRIS. Some of the best citizens now residents of the United States were con- tributed by England, not only in Colonial days but in later years. They arc nearly all men of intelligence, because of the advanced jxisi- tion of Kngland in educational advantages and also of the innate aptness of the English ]>eoplc for getting on in the world. A large j>er cent of the English- men now in the United States are skilled mechanics, and they have been indispensable aids in assisting American manufacturers to occupy the leading posi- tion they do in the markets of the world. The En- glish farmer displays as much tact and aptness in his special calling as does his brother in the manufact- uring world. The subject of this sketch, who is one of the wealthy and respected fanners of Living- ston County, residing in Belle Prairie Town>hip. \\.-i~ horn in North Devonshire, England, on the 30th of March, 1832, and is the son of William and Mary (Bennett) Harris, both of whom are of pure Engli.-h blood. The father was by occupation a gentlemanV footman. His death occurred in 1881. and the mother's in 1848. They were the parents of seven children Jeremiah. William. Elizabeth, John, Sn>an. Thomas and Mary J. John Harris came to America in 1855, landing at (Juebee, Canada, from which place he proceeded to Genesee County, >". Y. There he remained for live years engaged at work by the month. He then came to Illinois and located at Shirley, a place south of Bloomiiigton. where he worked by the month for the same man. a Mr. Uaird. for the next five years. At the end of that time he purchased a piece T Vs*iiS. RESIDENCE OF JOHN H ARRIS ,SEC.18. BELLE PRMRIETOWNSHIP. SEC.S.FONTIACTOWNSHIF. SEC. 3 PONTI AC TOWNSHIP. ^ RESIDENCE AND FARM PROPERTY OF J.S.FINLEY , LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 295 of laud hi Forest Township, Livingston County, where he remained onefyear, and sohHhis and rented land for two, years Jof Dr. Bartlett. He then came to Belle Prairie Township and purchased 130 acres of unimproved prairie land, which he immediately set to work to transform into a productive farm, in which enterprise he succeeded so well that he now owns 380 acres of as good land as can be found anywhere. During hisj-esidence in this township lie has devoted considerable attention to the raising of hogs, and_also in this particular branch has been eminently successful, and now is looked upon as one of the wealthiest men of the township. In May, 1852, Mr. Harris^ was married to Miss Mary Cooper, who was born in Devonshire. En- gland, 011 the 27th of October, 1830, and to them have been born eight children : John C., who mar- ried Miss Mary A. Weeks, Nov. 9, 1881, and they have two children, Blanche and Mabel; Frank ,1., who married Hattie K. Knight, and they have one child named Roy;-, Walter W., William, Emanuel, Mary J., Lydia A.\and James A. Mr. Harris is a leading and prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he contributes liberally of both time and money. He is a straight Repub- lican in politics, and takes an active part in the cam- paigns of his party. In business affairs he is prompt and reliable, and faithfully keeps all his obligations. Among the numerous farm homesteads shown in this volume as specimens of what Livingston County affords may be found Mr. Harris' place. JOSEPH S. FINLEY, an^extensjve farmer and stock-dealer of Esmen Township, is the owner of 600 acres of land on section 34, which comprises one of the finest estates in Livingston County. His land is under good cul- tivation, and the farm buildings are of a handsome and substantial style of architecture, and admira- bly adapted to the purposes for which they were intended. The live stock includes some fine spec- imens of Norman and Cleveland Bay horses, Short-horn cattle and Poland-China hogs. Mr. Finley has attained a fine reputation as a breeder, and in his business has been remarkably successful, and exhibits some of the finest animals in this part of the State. Our subject was born in Delaware County, Ohio, Oct. 1C, 1830, and was the eldest of a family of nine children, the offspring of Robert and Eliza- beth (Riley) Finley, natives respectively of Vir- ginia and Pennsylvania. The paternal grand- parents were John and Nancy (Moore) Finley, of the same States. Grandfather Finley was a farmer by occupation, and served as a soldier in the Rev- olutionary War. He possessed a fine constitution and was of excellent habits, and rounded up the good old age of ninet}' years before he was gath- ered to his fathers. The parents of the mother of [ our subject were Joseph and Mary (Smith) Riley, of Pennsylvania, where Joseph Riley followed farm- ing all his life. His father was a native of Ger- many, and emigrated to America at an early period in its history, starting with his parents from his na- tive land. They, however, did not- live to behold the shores of the New World, as both died on the voyage and received an ocean burial. Their son Joseph was then a mere babe, and was adopted by an Irish gentleman named Riley. He was too young to tell his own name, and consequently never knew it, and was never able to communicate with friends or relatives of his parents. Robert Finley, the father of our subject, was reared in Delaware County, Ohio, and followed farming there until 1839. He then sold out and, migrating westward, purchased a tract of land in Kane County, this State, where he established a comfortable home and spent the remainder of his days. He was a man of more than ordinary intelli- gence, became active in political affairs, and during the time of the slavery agitation was one of the most active Abolitionists of the country. All the strength of his manhood was thrown into the bal- ance on the side of freedom and humanity. His name is familiarly known throughout the central part of this State, and he was a strong foe of his op- ponents, the most of whom were his inferiors in in- telligence and general information. lie is remem- bered as a gentleman of kind impulses, and was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. After a useful life, during which lie had endeavored to build up a worth}' record for his children to re- , > 296 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. fleet upon in after years, he folded his hands for his finnl rest in 1877. The mother departed this life in 1875, at the homestead in Kane County. Our subject was edueated in the snl)seri])tion schools of Central Illinois, and trained exclusively to fanning pursuits. After reaching his majority he commenced cultivating a tract of land on his own account, and on the 18th of April, 1855. took to himself a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Mary J. Campbell, who was the second child of James and Sarah (Graham) Campbell, native.- of Ireland and of Scotch-Irish descent. They emi- grated to America early in life, and eventually drifted west to Marion County. Ohio, where their daughter Mary was born Oct. 16, 1833. That same year the family came to this county, locating in Esmeii Township, where there were at the time but three or four families. Mr. Campbell. h<>\ve\ er. only lived a short time thereafter, but many of his descendants are still residents of this section. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Finley came to this county and located u]K>n the land which is now included in their present homestead, taking po.-.-es- sion on the l()th of May, 1853. His tirst purchase was a quarter section, and the dwelling which he afterward erected was the first frame house built along the creek in this part of Livingston County. That structure, in 18G4. was replaced by the hand- some and commodious dwelling which they now oc- cupy, and which, with its adjacent buildings and surroundings, forms one of the most attractive fea- tures of the landseai>e in Ksmen Township. They have labored hard, hand [in hand, to build up a home, and it needs but a glance at this pro]>crty to convince the beholder that they have succeeded in an admirable manner, and it is with pleasure that We present in connection with this sketch a view of the homestead. Mr. Finley. in the fall of 1864. was drafted for the Union service and taken to Springfield for ex- amination, lie was rejected on account of physical disability, and consequently was not permitted to see any service. His influence, however, like that of his father, was exerted in favor of the honorable prosecution of the war and the preservation of the Union. The six children of Mr. and Mrs. Finley were named res[K'ctiveIy. Robert V. : George R.. now de- c-eased; Sarah H. : Mary ('.. deceased : Jennie 1'.. and Alice, deceased. Sarah became the wife of Ed- ward Whalen. and lives at home with her parent-. her husband assisting in the management of the farm: they have had three children Roy. who is deceased. Lulu B. and Frank F. Robert and Jen- nie make their home with their parents. The latter has been pursuing her studies in the 1'ontiac schools and expects to be graduated soon. Mr. Finley has served a> School Director in his district most of the time since lie first settled here, and has been School Trustee for the last seven or eight years, lie has also served as Road Commissioner. He meddles little with jiolitics otherwise than casting a straight Republican vote upon occasions of important elec- tions. J"?OHN BUFFHAM, who after many struggles | and much contending with adversity, is now I one of the leading farmers of Nevada Town- ' ship, where he owns 1 60 acres on section 1 1 , was born in Lincolnshire, England, on the 21st of January, 1842. He is the son of John Buffham, also a native of P^ngland, who was engaged in farm- ing all his life, and died in England in 1850. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Mary A. Green, who was born in Lincolnshire, and lived there until 1856. In that year she was mar- ried to George Essington, and shortly afterward with him, accompanied by her three children and his eight by a former marriage, came to America. They settled in Plainfield, Will County, where they have since resided. Mr. Buffham has a brother and sister living: Joseph lives in C'alhoun County, Iowa, and Mary married John Stafford, who died at Pontiac , where his widow now lives. Mr. Buffham was eight years old when his father died, and before that occurrence he attended school for a short time ; afterward he had to work in order to procure his own living. He worked for three years for his board and clothes, and after that for eightpence per day, and boarded himself. He came to America with his mother and found em- ployment by the month during the first two years t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 297 , of his residence in this country in Will County. He then went to Kendall County, and worked by the month until soon after the breaking- out of the War. On the 16th of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company H, 89th Illinois Infantry, in which he served until the close of the war. On the llth of September, 1864, he was taken prisoner at Atlanta, after which he was confined in the prisons at Ma- con, Ga., Milan, and Savannah, Ga., and from the latter place was taken several miles into the for- ests, where he and his fellow-prisoners were under guard for two weeks. On the 24th of December, 1864, he was taken to Andersonville, where he was confined until the close of the war, after which he was taken to Baldwin, Fla., and liberated, and with others made his way to the Federal lines at Jack- sonville, where he arrived more dead than alive. During his confinement at Andersonville he suf- fered all its tortures and horrors, and has never re- covered from the effects of the starvation and brutal and inhuman treatment there received. He was mustered out of the service at Springfield, 111., on the 29th of June, 1865, and then returned to Will County, where he remained until the spring of 1866, when he went to Kendall County and bought eighty acres of land, which he engaged in farming until 1875. In that year he sold out and came to Livingston County, and purchased the farm which he now owns and occupies. This farm consists of 160 acres, all of which are improved, and contains good pasture laud. On the 12th of September, 1865, Mr. Buffham was married to Sarah Ann Kirton, who was born in Lincolnshire. England, on the 16th of May, 1843. Her father, Thomas Kirton, was born in the same shire, where he was reared and lived until 1853, when he came to America with his wife and two children, and located in Cleveland, Ohio. They resided in that city for three years, and the mother of Mrs. Buffham died there. In 1855 her father moved to Illinois, and lived in Mt. Carroll until 1856, then moved to Will County. He died at the residence of Mrs. Buffham in 1 879. Mrs. Buffham had one brother named William, who was a soldier in the 17th Illinois Cavalry. He died in the serv- ice at Glasgow, Mo. Mr. and Mrs. Buffham are the parents of five children living Joseph K., Mary E., John T., Willie and Fred S. They had two children who died in infancy, Eddie and Sadie. Our subject and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which they are regular attendants and to which they contribute liberally of their means. Mr. Buffham is in every sense of the word a self- made man. Through all trials and adversities he has bravely contended, and with his own hands, assisted by his excellent wife, has carved out a comfortable competency, at the same time making and maintaining for himself a name for strict honor and integrity, which after all is the best heritage to leave to posterity. In politics Mr. Buffham has always been a Republican, and though not a politi- cian he can invariably be relied upon to further the best interests of the party. As a citizen he stands well with all the people, and discharges faith- fully every obligation imposed by the law and the customs of his neighborhood. ACOB SPILLMAN, Postmaster at Swygert, where he is engaged in general merchandis- ing, is widely and favorablj' known through- out Owego Township as having been one of its most successful farmers, and who was fortunate in accumulating a fine property. He retired from active labor in 1886, and investing a portion of his capital in general merchandise, established himself in trade at Swygert, where lie takes life compara- tively easy, and is numbered among its most sub- stantial residents. He carries a good stock of everything required in a village or country house- hold, including the smaller implements of the farm. His straightforward business methods have com- mended him to the people of his community, and he enjoys a large patronage among its best residents. The early home of Mr. Spillman was in Switzer- land, where he was born March 15, 1825. His parents, John and Phrona Spillman, were also of Swiss parentage, and spent their entire lives on their native soil. Young Jacob was placed in school at an early age, where he pursued his studies from the time he was six until he was fourteen years old, and was afterward engaged at general *=* 1 298 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. work, making his home with his father. He had been an ambitious boy, and was desirous of some- thing better than the prospect held out to him in the Fatherland. He remained under the parental roof until after reaching his majority, and in the spring of 1848 made his preparations for a voyage to the New World. Taking passage on a sailing- vessel at Havre he bade adieu to the friends and associates of his childhood, and after a voyage of twelve weeks, set foot upon American soil, landing first in the city of New Orleans, lie remained in the Crescent City but a short time, and thence pro- ceeded up the Mississippi to this State, not long afterward locating in this county, where he began the career which has since been marked with such success. The first marriage of our subject took place in Bureau County, 111., in 1853, the maiden of his choice being Miss Fredricka Dietz. They passed the first years of their wedded life in Bureau County, and became the parents of two children Albert and Barbara. The mother of these passed away in 1880. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married in 1882, was formerly Mrs. Rosa Johnson, and they began life together in a modest dwelling in Owego Township. Of this union there were born two sons and one daughter Julius, Ag- gie, and a babe unnamed. Mr. Spillman is Democratic in politics, and a prominent member of the Presbyterian Church. He has made good use of his opportunities since becoming a naturalized citizen, and the occasion of his seeking a permanent home in the New World has proved fortunate to himself as well as to the people with whom he has been associated. pILLIAM TAVENER is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser on section 17, Avoca Township, who has been a resident of this country for fifteen years. He was born July 14, 1848, in Somersetshire, a county of England, lying south of the Bristol Channel. The coast line and surface of this county are very much diversified, and hi ghl}' picturesque. It is watered by the Parrot, Axe, Avon, and Yeo Rivers, all of which flow into the Bristol Channel. Along the rivers are many marshes and tracts of high fertility, but in other parts are extensive wastes, as Exmoor at the west- ern extremity. Cheddar and other cheeses, wool and cider are the principal products. Coal, stone, calamine and fuller's earth are obtained. Woolen goods, silks, gloves, linens, stockings, paper, glass, ironwares, woolcards, shoes, leather and malt are manufactured. The county contains the cities of Bath, Wells and a part of Bristol. Antiquities of almost every period of British history are met with in this county. This is the county from which Mr. Tavener hails, and where he was born, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Taveuer, the former de- ceased, and the latter still residing in England. He was reared to manhood in his native country, where he received an excellent English education. He has all his life been engaged in the occupation of farming. Mr. Tavener was married on the 9lh of May, 1872, iu England, to Miss Sarah Ann Masters, daughter of William and Fanny (White) Masters, of Somersetshire, England. Her parents are both dead. Directly after his marriage, Mr. Tavener and his wife emigrated to America, and soon after their arrival at New York proceeded to Livingston County, where for nine years he engaged in farm- ing upon a rented farm. In the spring of 1 882 he settled upon the farm which he now occupies in Avoca Township, where he has 175 acres of excel- lent land, as a reward for his industry, economy and good management since becoming a citizen of this country. His surroundings attest truthfully the measure of success he has attained, and he is now considered one of the most prosperous farmers of Avoca Township. He and his wife are both mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and their devotion to the church is manifested in many ways. Mrs. Tavener was born on the 4th of November, 184C, and is the mother of seven children: Min- nie L., born June 20, 1875; Fannie E., Aug. 10, 1877; Walter S., Dec. 25, 1879; Albert E., Dec. 25, 1881; Charles E., Jan. 13, 1885; Jessie M.. March 13, 1880, and Nellie M., May 13, 1887. These children are all strong and healthy, and bid fair to grow to man and womanhood in vigorous LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 299 health. Mr. and Mrs. Tavener have become thoroughly identified with American life and cus- toms, and have no cause of regret for having left the land of their nativity to make their homes and fortunes in the New World, where every man is a peer, and there is no caste caused by landed estates or immense wealth, which precludes the humblest man in the country from becoming its chief ruler. >ILLIAM SMITH, who has been a resident farmer of Livingston County since 1859, and now resides on section 32, Avoca Township, was born in Berkshire, which is an in- land county in the southern part of England, on the 3d of November, 1834. He is the son of Henry and Mary Smith, botli ofjwhom were natives of England, and is the sixth child of the family. He grew to manhood in his native country, where he received a good English education and learned the rudiments of farming. He emigrated to Amer- ica in 1859, taking passage at Liverpool in a steamer, and after an ocean voyage of fifteen days* in which the usual dangers of storm and wave were encountered, landed in New York City. He did not tarry there, but came direct to Livingston County, and after arriving here, for five months he worked by the month at $13, and afterward farmed as a renter for five years, and in this time he not only acquainted himself with all matters pertaining to American fanning, but by industry and economy accumulated enough to purchase a farm. He settled on his present farm in 1873, and has resided there since. It consists of 160 acres of good land, which he has improved both with good buildings and under-draining until it is one of the best in the county. ' In draining the farm he has consumed about 15,000 feet of various sized tile. All the money he has expended in draining is being returned to him now with tenfold profit in the way of increased crops. He generally keeps about twenty-five or thirty head of cattle of vari- ous kinds, and has from five to six horses available for any kind of work. When he made his start as an Illinois farmer he had a yoke of cattle, which he traded for a horse, and with which he tended thirty acres of corn. This corn when marketed only brought him fourteen cents per bushel, which left him a very small margin after deducting the cost of producing it, without considering his time at all. Mr. Smith was married, on the 1st .of March, 1805, to Annie Rumbold, a native of Hampshire, England. They commenced life together on the east eighty of Mr. Smith's present farm, and they have had eight children, six of whom are living Mary E., Henry J., Thomas C., William E., Martha S. and Alfred E. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics, and while he is not a politician he is loyal to that party to the extent of voting its tickets at all elections. His sympathies are with the Episco- pal Church, and his wife's with the Presbyterian Church. He has served as School Trustee for one term, and the people of Avoca Township remem- ber that the administration of school affairs during that term was such as to give almost universal sat- isfaction. Mr. Smith enjoys the esteem and confi- dence of his friends and neighbors, and he and his wife arc both active and influential members of the society of which they are a part. ENJAMIN E. HADLEY. Among the ac- cessions to the ranks of its citizens during the last eight years none have been more welcomed to Livingston County than the subject of this sketch, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 21, Sunbury Town- ship. He is a native of the State of Ohio, where he was born in Clermont County, thirty miles east of Cincinnati, on the 6th of May, 1824. He is the youngest child in a family of nine born to Ebene- zer and Elizabeth (Patton) Hadley. Mr. Hadley was reared upon the farm and obtained a fair com- mon-school education under disadvantageous cir- cumstances. At the age of nineteen he began life for himself as a farmer, and followed that occupa- tion in Ohio until twenty-four years of age. when he accompanied his father to Kane County, 111. On the 8th of February, 184C, before coming to Illinois he was married to Barbara Whitmore, who was the fourth in a famity of eight children born to Conrad and Mary (Hensel) Whitmore, natives I 4 300 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. t of Kentucky. Her father was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1868, where he died in the fall of that year at the residence of Mr. Hadley. In 1851 our subject went to La Salle County, and purchased eighty acres of wild land, upon which he lived un- til 1880. At that time land in La Salle County was very valuable, and Mr. Hadley sold his farm, and with the proceeds of the sale came to Liv- ingston County, and purchased 150 acres of im- proved land, which he moved upon and has since been successfully cultivating. Besides his agricult- ural business he is largely engaged in raising stock of excellent quality. . Mr. and Mrs. Hadley are the parents of eight children, six of whom are living, as follows: t Han- nah M., Ezra L., John W., Amanda M., Charles W. and Jennie E. Two died in infancy. Han- nah, Mrs. William Greenlees, lives eight miles north of Ottawa; Ezra L. married Clara Totnpkins, and lives on a farm in Sunbury Township; John married Ella Davis, and lives on a farm in Iroquois County; Amanda, Mrs. B. F. Piester, lives in Nebraska; Charles married Flora Cornell, and lives near Cornell in this county ; Jennie married Henry L. Davis, and lives with his parents on the home farm, which he assists in conducting. Dur- ing the time Mr. Hadley has owned this farm he has materially improved it in every respect. It is completely under-drained, and well fenced, while the farm buildings are models of their kind. In his business affairs Mr. Hadley is energetic and enterprising. Ever since the dissolution of the Whig party Mr. Iladley has been a Republican, and has all his life taken an active part in political matters, though he has never had any selfish motive in doing so, for he has never sought office, and the only ones he ever accepted at the hands of the people were those of Constable aivl Justice of the Peace seven years. He has been a Notary Public by appoint- ment of the Governor. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, a very ardent Sunday- school worker, and is at the present time Superin- tendent of the Sunday-school, and President of the Township Sunday-School Organization. Mr. Had- ley is a great lover of good literature, and devotes considerable time to reading. His library is large and varied, including works upon almost all topics. He is a great reader of current literature and a large patron of the publications of the day. MARIAH N. BEMIS, formerly a leading farmer and stock -raiser of Esmen Town- ship, has retired from the labors and cares Q-JJ incident to the supervision of a large area of land and now occupies an elegant and comforta- ble home, surrounded by the friends whom he has made in by-gone years and enjoying the comforts which he has justly earned. He is of New England parentage, and was born in the town of Stafford, Tolland Co., Conn., March 16, 1814. His parents, Amariahand Sally (Shurnway) Bemis, were natives of Massachusetts, and settled in Connecticut about 1812, soon after their marriage. They became the parents of eight children, namely, Clarissa, Mi- randa, Araariah N., Mary, Charles, Isaac, Judis and Abijah. The paternal grandparents of our subject were Abijah and Mary Bemis, also natives of the Bay State. His mother was the daughter of Ebenezer and Comfort (White) Shumway, natives of Massa- chusetts, and of French descent. The grandmothers both lived to be more than ninety years of age, and Grandmother Shumway died at the age of ninety-five. The Bemis family was originally from England, the first representatives in this country being two brothers, the great-grandfather and the great-uncle of our subject. The uncle never mar- ried, and consequently the later descendants sprang from one brother. The latter was the father of thirteen children, as follows: Alpheus, Amariah, Aaron, Amos, Abigail, Alice, Amos (2d), Lydia, Willard, Abijah, Hephzibah, Tylor and Mary. The second son, Amariah, married, and became the father of eight children, namety, Clarissa, Miranda, Amariah N., Mary, Charles S., Judith, Isaac and Abijah. The third child of this family was the subject of our sketch. Young Bemis was reared to farm pursuits and in the meantime was employed considerably in a sawmill. lie received a limited education in the common schools, and after reaching his majority LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 301 ' . left the parental roof to seek his fortune in the West, which was then beckoning eagerly to young and enterprising men. On the way, however, Mr. Bemis stopped for a time at Oxford, in Chenango County, N. Y., where he followed painting, which he had learned in his youth. He remained in this locality a number of years, and in the meantime, on the 9th of September, 1839, was united in mar- ringc with Miss Lucinda Backus, who was born in Oxford, N. Y., June 18, 1818. Her parents, Capt. John and Lucinda (Johnson) Backus, were natives respectively of Norwich and Canterbury, Conn. Her paternal grandparents were Ezra and Rhoda (Dodge) Backus, of Norwich, and her mother was the daughter of Obediah, Jr., and Lucinda (Dodge) Johnson, also of Connecticut. Col. Obediah John- son and his wife, Lucy, were the parents of Dr. Rufus, Obediah, Jr., mentioned above, Ebenezer, Nathan, John and Olive. Capt. John Backus was the father of four children by his first wife and five by his second. The first four were named respect- ively, Lucinda and Ezra, both now deceased; Will- iam and Lucinda (2d). His second wife, Abigail, was the daughter of Nathan and Desire (Crary) Glover. She became the mother of Henry, now in Massachusetts; John and Harriet, deceased ; Nathan in Dakota; and Guerdon. After his marriage Mr. Bemis remained a resi- dent of Oxford for a period of thirty-five years, the first fifteen of which he was employed as a me- chanic. A serious spell of sickness, however, weakened him so that he was obliged to give up his trade, and he then engaged in lumbering and freighting, carrying this on quite extensively for twenty years. In 1868 he came to Illinois, and purchased 160 acres of land on section 2, in Esrnen Township, which he placed in charge of his son. He also purchased the adjoining quarter of the same section which his son now lives on; he took posses- sion of it with his family in 1870, and built the resi- dence which he now occupies. He has superin- tended the cultivation of the land until now, with the aid of his son; it is all in fine condition and pro- ductive of the choicest crops. The residence and other buildings are among the best in the township, and the whole premises indicates the supervision of the thrifty and progressive modern agriculturist. Mr. and Mrs. Bemis, since coming West, have twice returned to their old home in New York to visit among the friends whom they had made dur- ing their long residence there. Two of their chil- dren are settled in the East, one in Connecticut and one in New York. They became the parents of five, of whom John died in 1848. when two and a half years old. The others are, Nelson Amariah, Mary Eliza, Harriet and Sarah. Nelson married Miss Sarah L. Shelden, and lives on a farm adjoin- ing that of his father; Maiy is the wife of Albert C. Green, and lives in Canterbury, Conn.: Harriet, Mrs. DeWitt A. Gleason, is a resident of Oxford, N. Y. Mr. Beniis has been uniformly successful in the cultivation of Illinois soil and is ranked among the representative men of this section of country. He votes the straight Republican ticket, | and has served twice as Assessor of his township. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, and was instrumental in the erection of their building, which is located not far from his home. Mrs. Bemis is connected with the Congre- gational Church in Odell. years, receiving $10 pur month the lirst yc:iraiid$15 the second. He continued as a laborer another year, and then rented a tract of land upon which he farmed two years for himself. The outbreak of the Rebellion then furnished employ- ment for many idle hands. Our subject, however. me by no means of this class, but he laid aside his personal interests to assist in the preservation of the Union, and in perpetuating the institutions of his adopted country. lie enlisted in the 104th Illinois Infantry, and marched with his regiment afterward to Tennessee, where he was taken prisoner by Mor- gan, and with his comrades was marched 100 miles in three days without food. They were then re- leased on parole, when, as a natural consequence of this terrible experience, our subject was taken ill, and for three months was an inmate of the hospital at Cincinnati. His constitution now being under- mined he was discharged on account of disability. and returned to La Salle County. A few months later he purchased eighty acres of land in Sauneniin Township, and set himself industriously about its cultivation. Not long afterward he was united in marriage with Miss Annie Catherina llolman. the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in La Salle County, 111., in 18(53. Subsequently he re- moved to Rook's Creek Township, where he has since resided and built up one of the finest country homes in the western part of Livingston County. He has labored industriously when able, and has superintended his farm operations with excellent judgment, and invested his capital in a judicious manner. In common with otheis he has had much to contend with. Upon coming to this county after the war he possessed a cash capital of $5. He has now a quarter section of valuable land, underlaid with 30,000 feet of tile, and the buildings are at once elegant and substantial, the admiration of the country around. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson arc as follows: Ktheline, Mrs. Chapman, is a resident of Pontiac, III., and has two children: Henry, unmar- ried, is at home with his parents, as are also Lewis. William. Nannie. Emeline. ( 'ora, Annie. Bertie and Willie, the latter, twins, born March 3, 1880. Mr. Jacobson after becoming a Voter espoused the cause of the Republican party. lie identified himself with the Baptist Church in which he has olliciated LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 309 as Trustee, and been one of its chief pillars. Mr. Jacobson was the fifth in a family of six children born to his parents. Five of these are .still living;, including our subject, and the other four having their home in Denmark. The mother died when Peter was a lad fourteen years of age. The father lived to be eight}' years old. J~ OHN W. A. LILLY has been a resident of the village of Cornell since the spring of 1875, and is serving his second term as Jus- ' tice of the Peace. He was born at Fair- mont, W. Va., May 25, 1834, and is the seventh son of John W. and Irene C. (Patterson) Lilly, na- tives respectively of West Virginia and Connecti- cut. In 1845, John W. Lilly, Sr., removed with his family from his native State to Sharon, Beaver Co., Pa., where, in March of the year following, he was stricken down with smallpox, and died at the age of fifty-seven years. Mrs. Irene C. Lilly was the daughter of Thomas Patterson, of Connecticut, and by her union with the father of our subject be- came the mother of nine children, seven sons and two daughters. She survived her husband many years, and died at the ripe old age of ninety-four, in Grafton, W. Va. Our subject remained with his mother until reach- ing manhood, and in the meantime served a thor- ough apprenticeship at the boot and shoe business, which he followed until the breaking out of the war. In the meantime he was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca A. McVay, of Greene County, Pa., on the 1st of January, 1859. Upon the first call for 75,000 troops, Mr. Lilly was among those who yielded a ready and cheerful response, and after serving three months, re-enlisted for three years, or until the close of the war. His company was a part of the 2d West Virginia Infantry, which afterward became the 5th Cavalry, and he served with it un- til being mustered out June 1C, 1864. He con- tinued, however, in the army, being thereafter in the recruiting service, until the surrender of Lee prac- tically ended the conflict. Upon retiring from the army, Mr. Lilly rejoined Ins family in West Virginia, where he engaged in merchandising until February, 1872, then started for the West. He tarried a few days at Cornell, this county, but subsequently took up his abode in Elm wood, returning, however, to the former place in 1875, of which he has since remained a resident. Here he is quite a prominent citizen. While in West Virginia he filled the office of Alderman in the little city of Cameron, and was afterward elec- ted Mayor. Mr. Lilly cast his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont, in 1856, and has since clung with un- abated fidelity to the Republican party. There is no doubt but that he will continue to share its triumphs, likewise its reverses, as he is a gentleman of decided opinions, and it will be a remarkable event that will cause him to forsake his early love. AMUEL ALGEO, a self-made man, is to- day a prosperous and highly respected farmer and stock-raiser on section 8, Rook's Creek Township. He came to Illinois with his parents, poor in pocket and without in- fluential friends, but by the exercise of his native energy and resolution he has secured for himself a comfortable home and a competency, and has es- tablished himself in the esteem of his fellow-citi- zens. Mr. Algeo is the son of Robert and Martha (Hughes) Algeo, and was born in May, 1836, near Dooballa, Donegal County, Ireland. He has no recollection of his paternal grandparents, but can remember his maternal grandfather, who lived to be an old man. Mr. Algeo is the youngest of eight children, as follows: Eliza married Francis McDeavitt in Ireland, and moved to Illinois in April, 1886; they have seven children. John, married, and living in Marshall County, 111., has two children ; William, born in Ireland, married in the United States, lived in Livingston County over thirty years, when he moved to Iowa in 1886; he has six children. Alex- ander, born in Ireland, came to Illinois where he married and has ten children ; James, married in Ireland, came to Illinois thirty years ago, and has eight children living; Robert, unmarried, lives in r 310 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Livingston County; Joseph, married and living in Ireland on the old homestead as a tenant under Sir Samuel Hayes, has six children^and Samuel is the subject of this sketch. The subject of this biography was married to Miss Fannie Margaret Algeo on the 5th of June, 1865, and on the 16th of July of that year they came from Ireland to the United States, making the voyage on the steamer Iowa, which required two weeks, and landing at New York, where they staid about three weeks. From New York they went to Oswego, where they remained till spring with an elder brother, when they came to Rook's Creek Township, Livingston County, where they bought eighty acres of land on section 14, and have since purchased 120 acres on section 8, on which farm they now live. The parents of Mr. and Mrs. Algeo were second cousins. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Algeo six children, whose names are as follows: Alexander, born on the 24th of March, 1866; Robert, born Dec. 3, 1868;Cassie, born Nov. 4, 1870; John James, born Feb. 27, 1872; Fannie May, born Nov. 1, 1875; Sarah M., born July 13. 1879. The parents of Mrs. Algeo were Alexander and Fannie (Ralston) Algeo, both born in the year 1797 in Ireland, and married on the 1st of January, 1818. They were the parents of the following named children : James, born in November, 1818, married, and died April 24, 1887, leaving three children; John, born in 1820, is unmarried ; William, born in 1822, married, and lives on the homestead in Ireland ; Alexander, born in 1824, married, and has two children, and lives in New York; Samuel, born in 1826, married, and has four children, and lives in Indianapolis; Robert, born in 1828, died and left four children who live in New York ; Thomas, born in 1833, married, has four children, and lives in Pennsyl- vania; Fannie Margaret was born June 25, 1836; Catherine, Mrs. William Ray, lives in Battle Creek, Mich, and has five children. Mr. Algeo is an intelligent member of the Pres- byterian Church, and has very decided opinions upon matters both religious and political, while he is especially well informed on the Home Rule and other questions which are agitating England and Ireland. He is independent in politics and is very decided in his opposition to the question of Woman Suffrage. Mrs. Algeo received a very fair common-school education in Ireland, and both she and her husband are very extensive readers. keeping thoroughly posted on all the current topics of the day. ^ LIVER JOLLY, whose forty-acre stock farm is located on section 32, Waldo Township, was born Aug. 7, 183"), near Martinsburg, Knox Co., Ohio. He is the fourth in a family of eight children, whose names are, Sarah Jane, Mrs. Hiram Cawl, who died leaving one child, Sarah, since married; John, born Aug. 27, 1830, married, has one child, and lives in California; Daniel, born Feb. 28, 1832, lives in Nebraska Township; Oliver, our "subject; Mary Ann, born Oct. 15, 1837, mar- ried Elijah Wade, has four children, and lives in Ohio; Emma Eliza, born in 1840, married Charles Walker, and died leaving six children; Robert, born Aug. 15, 1842, is married, has several chil- dren, and lives in Ohio; Eliza E., born in October, 1845, married James McMann, has six children and lives in Ohio. Our subject's parents were natives of Pennsylvania; the mother departed this life March 18, 1886; the father was born in March, 1809, and still resides in Ohio. Daniel, a brother of our subject, was a soldier in the Union army in the war of the Rebellion, where he served for three years. His brother was also a soldier in the Union army. Mr. Jolly remained with his parents on a farm, and as opportunities presented, attended the com- mon schools until he was twenty-one 3 r ears of age, when he began to do for himself. When about twenty-two years old, he came to Illinois and lo- cated at Farm Ridge, where he worked by the month for several years, when he rented ground and began farming on his own account, and in about two years, in 18G7, he purchased his present farm of forty acres in Waldo Township. On the 2d of September, 1869, the subject of this sketch was married to Miss Susan Yaryes, daughter of Paul and Melinda Yaryes, natives of Pennsylvania. To Mr. and Mrs. Jolly have been LIVINGSTON COUNTY. born two children, as follows: Estella, on the 26th of August, 1872, and Matilda, April 18, 1875. Mr. Jolly has always been a Democrat, and cast his first Presidential vote for James Buchanan. He is a member of the Christian Church, holding mem- bership at Gridley. While Mr. Jolly's farm does not comprise so many acres as some other farms in the township, it is equally as well cultivated. The improvements about the place are good and ample, and the buildings are both substantial and com- fortable. His family identify themselves with all matters which are calculated to benefit the com- munity in which they live. /p^EORGE H. SHERMAN. In order that a jl| -, community may prosper, there must be men <^4l competent as leaders, enterprising as citi- zens, and industrious as workers. \Vhile the lower strata are as useful in their place as the upper, just as the mortar is as essential as the bricks in rearing a building, still there must be master minds to su- perintend and bring each division to its proper place. The subject of our sketch in his community has acted largely as a leader, has been judicious in his investments, and has added greatly to the gen- eral prosperity of this section. Although in younger days he was something of a mechanic, and possessed naturally considerable skill in this line, he later determined to enter upon the more con- genial pursuits of farm life. The consequence is that he has now one of the finest country estates in Union Township, where of late years he has largely engaged in stock-raising, and has been uniformly prosperous. The interesting points in the life history of Mr. Sherman are substantially as follows: He is the eighth in a family of fourteen children born to Samuel and Azubah (Greene) Sherman, natives re- spectively of New York and Vermont. The youngest of the family died in infancy, but the re- maining thirteen lived to mature years, married, and had families of their own, before a death oc- curred among them. Eight of these are now liv- ing, making their homes principally in Illinois. The maternal grandparents of our subject, Alpheus and Rhoda (Pratt,) Greene, were natives of Ver- mont, in which State they spent most of their lives. Mr. Greene died in Illinois in 1861. Mrs. Greene died in New York State. Samuel Sherman was a cooper by trade, but was fond of country life, and purchased a farm where he passed his last years. Although but a youth, he served as a soldier during the War of 1812, and took part in the memorable battle of Plattsburg. ID early manhood he had identified himself with the Whig party, but after its abandonment cor- dially endorsed Republican principles, and later was quite active in public affairs. He came into the West in about 1850, locating in Knox County, and spent his last years at Galesburg, where his death took place in 1875. The mother, whose name is held in the most affectionate remembrance by her children, survived her husband until 1886, and then passed to her final rest. Both parents were universally esteemed in their community, as those whose places when they passed away it would be most difficult to fill. Our subject passed his early years after the man- ner of most farmers' boys, assisting in the sowing and reaping, and during the winter season gaining a knowledge of the common English branches in the district school. At the age of eighteen, after the family came to Illinois, he left home and en- gaged in farming at various places in Knox County, finally renting a tract of land and carrying on ag- riculture for himself. A few weeks before reach- ing his twenty-third year, there happened one of the most important events of his life, namely, his marriage, which occurred Nov. 27, 1855. His bride was Miss Charlotte M. Sherwood, who was born July 9, 1831, in Coeymans, Albany Co., N. Y., and was the second child of Stephen and Phebe (Ostrom) Sherwood. Her parents were also na- tives of the Empire State, and of Dutch and En- glish descent. Their family included six children. They came to Illinois in about 1853, settling first in Knox County, aad afterward became inmates of the home of Mr. Sherman for a period of fourteen 312 LIVINGSTON COUNTY - years. Subsequently they removed to Chicago, where they both passed away in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Sherman commenced housekeeping on a farm in Knox ^County, where they resided nine years. Mr. S. had in the meantime purchased a tract of land in Clover Township, which he after- ward sold, however, and in the spring of 1866, started out to hunt for a permanent location, think- ing probably he would go beyond the Mississippi. Upon his arrival in Livingston County, however, he found he could purchase good land at a reason- able price, and consequently, in company with his brother-in-law, secured a section in Union Town- ship. It was totally uncultivated, but he put up a small house and began the improvement of his pur- chase. He was prospered in his operations, and each year grew more attached to the place, so that it has become a permanent home, and has been his residence now for the last twenty-two years. The change which has been effected in this tract of land as well as the country around it, is ample evidence thai master hands have been at work. Mr. Sher- man has bent his energies to the building up of a homestead which is creditable to him as a farmer and a citizen, and its appearance to-day indicates how well he has succeeded. The soil is the most productive in the township, and the farm buildings are of the best description. The fields each year produce the finest corn and wheat, and his live- stock includes the best specimens of thoroughbred Short-horn cattle and Norman horses. He also raises a goodly number of Poland-China swine, and the income from these sources nets him a hand- some sum annually. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Sher- man, but three survive : Sarah, the eldest, is the wife of Adolph Peterson, agent of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Co., at Adeline, Ogle County; Cora, who possesses more than ordinary ability and is fond of study, is attending school at Greencastle, Ind.; Mary remains at home with her parents. Mr. Sherman votes the straight Republican ticket, and although no office seeker, has served as Justice of the Peace three terms. He is one of the most active workers in the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he has been connected many years, and served as. Steward and Trustee. It will thus be seen that he has had little time for idleness, and looking back over a life which is yet in its prime, he may feel satisfied with the results attained, and hope for still better things in the future. AVID L. MURDOCK, attorney-at-law, Fairbury, 111., is among the prominent cit- izens of Livingston County. People al- ways delight to honor a self-made man, not alone for his success in life, but because he is generally a man of unselfish disposition. Lincoln, perhaps, is the most lofty example of the reverence of the people for those who have been the archi- tects of their own fortunes. Nearly every com- munity affords an example of what a humble in- dividual may accomplish by properly directed en- ergy. In the subject of this sketch an instance is furnished where a man began without a dollar, and while yet young in years has gained a compe- tency which will serve him through life. Mr. Mnrdock was born in Butler County, Ohio, on the 19th of November, 1836, and is the son of Ezekiel P. and Rachel (Taylor) Murdock, natives of Pennsylvania and Tennessee respectively. His father was born on the 10th of March, 1809, and is still living at his home in Chicago. The mother was born on the 29th of January, 1814, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth (Cross) Taylor, and died in August, 1885. They were married in Indiana on the 29th of June, 1835. Mr. Murdock was mar- ried, on the 22d of November, 1860, to Miss Mary E. Pillsbury, a sister of Judge Pillsbury, of Pontiac. She was born on the 20th of September, 1839, in the town of Shapleigh, York Co., Me., and came to Illinois in 1855. Mr. Murdock came to Illi- nois in 1854 and located in Hennepin, Putnam County, where he engaged in farming and school teaching. In 1859 he came to Livingston County, where he farmed until Aug. 9, 1862, when he en- listed in the 77th Illinois Infantry and became a private in Company II, and was subsequently pro- moted to the rank of Sergeant. The service of the 77th Regiment was principally in the 13th Army Corps and the Army of the Tennessee. COTTAGE HOUSE\W^.COWLING,PROPR. CHATSWORTH.ILL. RESIQENCEOFIHEODORE WIENAND .SEC. 35. CHARLOTTEIOWNSHIP. RESIDENCE OF Louis M ETTE , CMATSWORTH, lu, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 315 Among the most prominent engagements he par- ticipated in were the siege of Vicksburg and the battles preceding the investment of the city, the siege of Mobile and the capture of Spanish Fort, and the siege and capture of Jackson, Miss. He served full three years, and was mustered out of the service on the 10th of July, 1865, at Mobile, Ala. After his return home he went to Pontiac and engaged in mercantile business with Mr. Pills- bury, in which he continued until 1869, when he began to read law under the instructions of Judge Pillsbury, of that place, and was admitted to the bar in 1870. At that time he took up permanent residence in Fairbury, and has since assiduously devoted his time to the practice of law and the prosecution of the insurance and real-estate busi- ness, in all of which he has been successful, and now owns 300 acres of good farm land, several pieces of town property, and his beautiful resi- dence, which cost $5,000. In 1876 Mr. Murdock was elected to the office of State's Attorney, in which position he served four years with much credit to himself and honor to the State. He was a member of the State Board of Agriculture for two years. The children who have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Murdock are : Ste- phen D., who married Miss EmmaSpence; Clarence J. and Charles B., twins, the latter dying in in- fancy; Rachel I. and Nellie E. Mr. Murdock is a member of the order of Odd Fellows, and is Grand Patriarch in the State organization; he is also a member of the G. A. R., and was the first Com- mander of Post No. 75, at Fairbury. He is one of the stanch and reliable Republicans of Livingston County, and has frequently served as a delegate to State conventions. He can always be depended upon for active and energetic work in behalf of his party. L. FRISBIE, of Pontiac, is the Division Superintendent of the Illinois Central Rail- road. He is a native of Branford, Conn., where he was born on the 1st of September, 1835, and is the son of Hervey and Betsy (Shel- don) Frisbie, who were also natives of Branford. His father was in early days a sailor, and later in life a ship-builder. He became a citizen of Illinois in 1857, and settled in Onarga, Iroqnois County, where he engaged in contracting' and building, and in which place he yet retains his residence. The grandfather was Noah Frisbie, also a native of Con- necticut, who was a fisherman, and was drowned in 18*35. The Frisbies were of English descent. The parents of Betsy Sheldon were Jere and Katy (Lamphere) Sheldon, natives of Connecticut. The father was of English descent, and engaged during his life in farming. The grandparents lived and died in the State of Connecticut. The father of the subject of this sketch had a family of five chil- dren, three of whom are yet living: H. L., our sub- ject; Carrie, Mrs. J. M. Bates, of Gardner, Me.; Sara, Mrs. John Frith, wife of the Circuit Court Clerk, of Iroqnois County, 111. The father is a very ardent Republican. His sou John R. enlisted as a soldier in the 25th Illinois Infantry, a member of Company F, in 1861, and at Missionary Ridge re- ceived a severe wound from which he died one year later at his home. Mr. H. L. Frisbie attended the schools of Bran- ford, New Haven Co., Conn., until he w r as twelve years of age, when from that time until he was twenty-one he was engaged with his father in ship- building. He then followed the sea for two years, and in 1858 came to Illinois and settled in Iroquois County, where he engaged with his father in contract- ing and building until January, 1860. He engaged for two years as a brakeman on the Illinois Central Railroad, when he enlisted in Company D, 113th Illi- nois Infantry, and remained in the service about three years. He was appointed Second Lieutenant, and was, for the most of that time, on detached duty, as Adjutant Quartermaster, and Acting Assist- ant Adjutant General, and participated in the bat- tles of Chickasaw Bluff, Arkansas Post, Vicksburg, and numerous skirmishes. After the war he re- turned to Onarga, Iroquois County, and engaged in business, dealing in lumber and coal, which he fol- lowed for five years, when in 1870 he resumed brc.-iking on the Illinois Central, following that oc- cupation one year. In 1878 he again engaged as freight and passenger conductor. He afterward went to Kankakee, and had charge of the trans- portation connected with the building of the Middle 316 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Division, or the Kankakee ie died in 1870. In 1871 he married for his second wife Miss Charlotte M. Hart, the sister of his first wife. They have had three children : Charlotte F., Carrie L., and Lynde II., born in 1870 and died in 1877. Mr. Frisbie is much interested in literature, and during his life has written a great deal, includ- ing many Christmas and war songs. Among these are "Oh, Bury the Brave Where They Fall," which is appropriately sung on Decoration Day; ''The Songs We Sang on the Old Camp Ground," "Out Wot." and many others. He has been a contributor to the Railway Gazelle and the Railroader. He occupies an elegant residence on Main street, and lias sin-- rounded himself and family with all the comforts of life. He and his family are attendants of the Pres- byterian Church. lie [occupies a prominent posi- tion among the citizens of Livingston County, and is considered by railroad men as one of the nnt ellicient Superintendents in the West. He has by his own efforts and attention to business succeeded in attaining a position in railroad affairs which is the envy of all his as.-oeiates. J "JOHN POWELL, of Pontiac Township, and who is now pa-sing down the sunset hill of I earthly existence, has had little to complain 1 of in the distribution of this world'- g 1-. as he has been quite successful in life and is now in the enjoyment of its creature comforts. The prop- erty which he has accumulated i- the result of his own industry and intelligent efforts put forth in earlier years. He has battled bravely witli what- ever hardships he has had to contend, and has built up for himself a good record as a man and a citizen. Mr. Powell was born in Fayette County. Ohio. Feb. 21, 1814, and is the son of Philip and Isabelle Powell, natives of Kentucky. The Powells are of Knglish descent, but the mother of onr subject was of French-Irish ancestry. Her parents emigrated from Virginia to Kentucky, settling at Boone's Sta- tion in the pioneer days while the Indians were still troublesome and aggressive. Andrew Kelso, a ma- ternal uncle of our subject, was one of the brave characters Of those days, and distinguished himself by shooting down many a treacherous savage in am- bush and during the skirmishes which continued to prevail between the settlers and their natural enemies. He was a cotcmporary of Daniel Boonc and possessed much of the bnwery which distinguished that famous old Kentuckian. About 1808. the parents of our subject removed to Fayette County. Ohio, and were also among the earliest pioneers of that region. They remained in the Buckeye State until 1835, then made one more removal, to Randolph County. Ind., where they spent the remainder of their days, the mother dying five years later, in 1840, and the father in 1859. Of their children, eleven in number, .only two survive. These are John, our subject, and Harper, of McLean County. John Powell was reared principally to farm life and pursued his early studies in the pioneer log cabin of sixty years ago. He was united in mar- riage, on the 25th of December, 1848. with Mi Mary Miller, who was born in Montgomery County. Ohio, April 25, 1814. and was the daughter of Christian and Susannah Miller, natives of Pennsyl- vania and of German descent. Of this union there were born .-even children, six now living and located as follows: Franklin A. is a resident of Thayer County. Neb.; Newman J., of Pontiac; John K., of ( >regon : Sarah J., the wife of Samuel B. Tnrman, of Colorado, an engineer on the Kan-as Pacific Rail- road: Lamvnc is Mrs. J. D. Honeywell, of Monroe Conntv. Wis.. and Susannah I,., the wife of Uriah Springer, of Pontiac Town-hip, this county. Mr. Powell became a resident of Livingston County in 1851. locating first two and one-half miles northeast of Cheiioa. In the spring of 1855 he removed to LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Pontiac Village, where lie resided eight years, and then took possession of the farm which he now oc- cupies on section 24. This comprises eighty acres of valuable land, and he also owns a half interest in a brickyard located thereon. The residence and adjacent buildings are models of convenience and comfort, and the resort of the many friends whom Mr. and Mrs. Powell have gathered about them dur- ing a residence here of more than thirty years. Mr. Powell, politically, is a stanch Prohibitionist, and with his estimable lady, a member in good standing of the Christian Church. Me has served several years as School Director in his district and was formerly a member of the Town Council of Pontiac. In early manhood, while a resident of Ohio, he served as Mayor of Ilollansburg, Darkc County, and has always kept himself well posted upon current events. jfelLLIAM ASKEW, who is a prominent far- mer living on section 34, Owego Township. is a native of Northamptonshire, one of the central counties of England, which is largely de- voted to agriculture and the propagation of heavy black horses, Short-horn cattle and sheep. He was born ou the 28th of October, 1828, and is the son of John and Charlotte Askew, who were natives of England. Eleven children were born to his parents : Fannie, wife of Thomas Southworth. of Noble County, Ind. : Thomas, of Oregon; John, of England; William: Samuel, deceased; Ketnrah. widow of Thomas Knight, of England ; Ann. of England ; Jona- than, of Livingston County; Robert, of Noble County, Ind. ; Ezra, of Livingston County ; Charlotte, wife of Mr. Wilson, in England. Mr. Askew remained in England until he reached manhood, where he received a fair education. He emigrated to America in 1856, taking passage at Liverpool on a >ailing-\cssel, and after an ocean voyage of thirty days landed at New York City, from whence he went direct to Noble County, Ind., where he resided for about eleven years. During the first eight months of his residence in Indiana he engaged as a farm hand at f 12 per month, and sub- .-cqucnUy for two years, accepted employment for $136 per year, at the end of which time he began fanning for himself in Indiana, in which he engaged until the spring of 1867. when he came to Illinois, where he remained in McLean County until 1868, in which year he came to Livingston County, and resided in Rook's Creek Township until the spring of 1886. In that year he settled on his present farm. On the 4th of February, 1864, while residing in Indiana, Mr. Askew was married to Miss Lucy Perks, who was horn in England in June, 1829. She is a daughter of George and Maria Perks, and in, 1861 emigrated to America with a party of friends and landed at Portland, Me., from which place she went directly to Canada, and there re- mained two years. To Mr. and Mrs. Askew have been born three children: Emma E., the wife of John M. Miller, of Owego Township; William P. and Leason M. Mr. and Mrs. Askew both hold act- ive relations with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has served as Steward and Trustee. By assiduously attending to business, good management and close economy, Mr. Askew has become the owner of an excellent farm of 120 acres, which each succeeding year he makes better than it was the year before. So far as public position is con- cerned he has served as Justice of the Peace eight years in Rook's Creek Township, two terms in the same township as School Trustee, and also as School Director for many years. He is a public-spirited man and encourages all enterprises having for their object the improvement of the condition of the peo- ple among whom he lives. Among his neighbors his word is considered as good as his bond. In business matters he adheres strictly to the Golden Kule. L. STRATTON is the possessor of one-half of a section in Long Point Township, lo- cated on sections 5 and 8, which, from little better than its primitive condition, he has trans- formed into a valuable and well-regulated home- stead. The fine residence is pleasantly located and surrounded with handsome grounds, while the barn and other oat-buildings, neat and substantial struct- ures, are highly creditable to the taste and industry 318 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of the proprietor. Many of the fields are laid off with beautiful hedge, which assists greatly in em- bellishing the landscape of that section, and re- ceives due admiration from the passing traveler. The owner of this property is at once recognized as a inan of good education, agreeable and well- bred, and eminently fitted to move among the in- telligent and enterprising people who have given to Central Illinois its enviable reputation. Mr. Stratton was born near the northern bound- ary of Pennsylvania, in Tioga County, Jan. 12, 1826, and is the son of Seymour and Susan (Lowns- berry) Stratton, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of New York. Seymour Stratton was born in 1794, and departed this life at his home in Pennsylvania in 1873, after having reached the advanced age of seventy-nine years. The mother was born in 1803, and passed away several years previous to the death of her husband, in 1865. Their eleven children were named respectively, Lydia, Lafayette, E. L., Harriet, Dithton, Martin, Julia, Ruth, Josephine, Amelia and William. Six are living, and located in Pennsylvania, Iowa, Illi- nois and California. Our subject first pursued his studies in the com- mon schools of Tioga County, Pa., and subsequently attended the academy at Wellsboro nine months, lie was afterward for several years employed in con- nection with a sawmill, and gained a good insight into the lumber business. In May, 1849, after pass- ing his twenty-third birthday, he migrated westward into La Salic County, this State, and later came to Livingston County, where he began setting about the establishment of a future home. One of the first important steps in connection with this was his marriage with Miss Sarah A. Miller, which took place Jan. 17, 1856. Mrs. S. was born in Bradford, Pa., Aug. 1, 1836, and is the daughter of John Wesley and Eliza (Kingsley) Miller, the latter of whom died when a young woman at her home in Pennsylvania. The father subsequently married Miss Jane Clark, of Bradford County, Pa., and they became residents of Illinois, where he died about 1865. Mr. and Mrs. Stratton became the parents of the ( i children whose record is as follows: Lauretta was born Oct. 7, 1858, and died Oct. 5, 1860; Ilattie was born April '1, 1862, and remains at home with her parents; John, born April 29, 1864, died Nov. 15, 1877; Burt, born May 31, 1868, with the younger children remains at home with his parents; Carl was born June 10, 1872, and Kay June 24, 1874. Mr. Stratton in politics votes independently, and is a Senior Warden in the Masonic fraternity, belonging to Chapter No. 112, and Lodge No. 552, at Rutland, while also being connected with the fra- ternity at Long Point. : AMUEL SIMPSON, one of the old war veterans, and now engaged in Nebraska Township, on section 2, in farming and stock-raising, is a native of Muskingum County, Ohio, where his birth took place March 29, 1824. His parents were Philip Alex and Polly (Inmer) Simpson, natives of Virginia, whence they removed to Ohio during their youth, and were mar- ried in the Buckeye State. Philip Simpson was a farmer by occupation, and continued tilling the soil in Mnskingum County, Ohio, until called from his earthly labors about 1863. The mother of our subject passed to her long home while the latter was a mere child and the father was married a second time. Samuel con- tinued in his native State until about twenty-three years of age, then came to Illinois with his brother, and locating in Tazewell County, was there em- ployed as a farm laborer three years. He then changed his residence to McLean County, where he worked seven years and until after the outbreak of the late war. In August, 1861, he enlisted in the 88th Illinois Infantry, and took part in the bat- tles of Missionary Ridge, Chickamauga, Dalton and Resaca. In the last named engagement he was wounded in the left side by a piece of shell. He was rendered insensible for a time, but after re- gaining consciousness, got upon his feet and with difficulty made his way to the hospital. He re- mained there about two months and although only partially recovered, rejoined his regiment in time to participate in the battles of Stone River, Nash- ville, and several other important engagements. He LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 319 fortunately escaped further injury, and continued with the army until after the surrender of Lee at Appomattox. He received his honorable discharge in May, 1865, and returning to his old haunts in McLean County, entered the employ of the same man for whom he had worked the seven years be- fore. Here he remained two years, when he re- moved to his present home. On the 8th of August, 1867, Mr. Simpson took one of the most important steps toward the estab- lishment of a home of his own, this being bis mar- riage with the lady of his choice, Miss Almedia, daughter of Joseph and Lydia (Reese) Butler. Not long afterward he purchased the forty acres of land which he has now brought to a good state of cultiva- tion and upon which stands a neat farm dwelling, a good barn, and the various other buildings required for the successful prosecution of his labors. Mr. and Mrs. Simpson have one child only, a son, George Wesley, who was born Dec. 25, 1871. Mr. S. as part compensation for the injuries received in the army receives monthly a small pension. ^ATHAN TALBOT, a highly respected far- mer of Rook's Creek Township, is a fine illustration of the self-made man. He was thrown upon his own resources very early in life, and has attained to his present position socially and financially solely through his own industry and good judgment. He is the proprietor of a com- fortable homestead on section 5, and has been a resident of this county since a boy nine years of age, receiving a fair education at the common school, and is quite an extensive reader, keeping himself well posted upon current events. Mr. Talbot was born in Woodford County, 111., April 15, 1858. After coming to this county with the family of his father, the latter was removed by death in 1871, and thereafter Nathan, as far as pos- sible, took his place in supporting his mother and the younger children. The family included nine children, and our subject worked by the month for a period of ten years, discharging his filial duties in a manner reflecting great credit upon himself as a son and brother. In due time his labors were rewarded, and he found himself gaining a foothold, and is now canning on farming with his two younger brothers. The father of our subject was of English birth and parentage, and emigrated to America with his parents when a child four years of age. They lived for a number of years in Baltimore, Md., and then emigrated to 'Illinois, locating in Woodford County, as we have stated. The mother was a native of Ohio, and carne to Illinois with her par- ents when a child eight years of age. They located in Marshall County, where she became acquainted with Nathan Talbot, and they were married in 1 849. They resided in Marshall County nine years and then removed to Woodford County, where they located at Scattering Point. The father died in Woodford County. J'lEREMIAH TRAVIS. The ranks of the I men who settled in Illinois in the thirties 1 are becoming perceptibly thinned, and like ' the Old Guard of Napoleon it will not be many years before they will have passed to the unknown beyond. They will be gone but not for- gotten, for the deeds they have done in the body will live after them, and perpetuate their memories without the necessity of " storied urn or animated bust." In the sisterhood of States, Illinois stands peerless, and her position could not have been at- tained had not willing hands and stout hearts per- formed their duties when she was in her infancy, No grander duty can be performed by the histor- ian and biographer than to put into imperishable print the deeds of the pioneers who have devoted their lives to the development and upbuilding of these grand Western States. No matter how hum- ble the factor in these accomplishments may be he is entitled to a niche, and it is with such feelings that we record the events in the life of a pioneer, the subject of this sketch, who is one of the repre- sentative farmers of section 5, Belle Prairie Town- ship. Mr. Travis was born in Middle Tennessee on the 24th of August, 1821, and is the son of Jeremiah and Margaret (Peak) Travis, who were both na- f 320 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. tives of Old Virginia, and have long since passed to their reward. Mr. Travis came to Illinois in the year 1834, with his parents, who located in Belle Prairie Township. He is the owner of 245 acres of No. 1 land, which he entered, securing his title direct from the Government. In his farm- ing operations he has displayed great enterprise and has erected a splendid residence and commo- dious barns and out-buildings. For very many years he has made a specialty of fine cattle, horses and hogs. In 1882 he established a drain tile fac- tory, which has been operated with much success, there being a great demand for the tile of his manufacture. In 1847 Mr. Travis was married to Miss Eunice Moore, who was born in 1826. They have had ten children: Mary M. died at the age of four years; Jonathan died at the age of nineteen years ; Mary M., the second child of that name, is married to Mark Widowfield ; Nicholas married Miss Eliza Deford ; Joan, deceased, was married to Robert Widowfield ; Melinda, deceased, was married to John Master- son; Lemuel L. married Miss Emma Hanks; Richard lives at home, and two children died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Travis are members of the Christian Church, she having united with that body twelve years ago. Mr. Travis is a believer in the Greenback doctrine, and on the subject of finance is diametrically opposed to the doctrines taught by the two old parties. Mr. Travis' early career in Illinois was begun under many difficulties. In 1847 he drove hogs to Chicago, requiring eighteen dnys to make the trip, most of the distance being in slush and mud up to the top of his boots. On these trips he frequently had to cut brush and lay it down for a foundation for a bed to keep him out of the water and mud. On this pile he would place his blankets, and despite rain and storm, slept soundly. On reaching his destination the hogs were slaughtered, and after hanging for twenty-four hours they were weighed and he was paid the sum of 81.50 per hundred- weight. In early times he also engaged in driving cattle and hauling wheat and oats to the Chicago markets, and the prices received for these products were in about the same proportion as that obtained for his hogs. Mr. Travis has lived to see a complete transformation of the condition of things. The distance which required eighteen days to traverse then with a drove of hogs can be made now in four or five hours by rail, and the city which fur- nished so scant a market in 1847 now virtually controls the markets of the world. UGUST _FREUDE, who owns a 160-acre farm on section 20, Pontiac Township, is a native of Prussia, Germany, where he was born on the 1st of April, 1854. He is the son of George and Mary M. Freude, both of whom "were born in Germany, but emigrated to America in the year 1859, taking passage on the steamer at Hamburg, and after an ocean voyage of two weeks landed in New York City. Hearing of the great advantages possessed by Livingston Count}' they bade good-bye to New York and came direct to and settled in Pontiac Township, where the family has since resided. The parents had two children, August, the subject of this sketch, and Otto. The father died on the 23d of September, 1881. He was a devout member of the Lutheran Church, as was also the mother, and during his life gave that church and its ministry a hearty sup- port. The mother still survives, and takes great interest in church affairs. She resides on the home farm with her son. The father was a man who was much respected by all who knew him and lived an honorable and upright life, conscientious in all his transactions. The subject of this sketch received a liberal edu- cation in his native language, and since coming to this country and learning to speak English fluently has been a constant reader of publications in the English language. He was married, on the 1 4th of February, 1880, to Augusta Oelke, also born in Germany, and the daughter of Julius and Minnie Oelke. "Her father is a resident of Nebraska Town- ship. Livingston County. To Mr. and Mrs. Freude one child has been born, a bright little girl named Emma, whose birth occurred on the 31st of Janu- ary, 1881. In connection with farming Mr. Freude also en- gages in threshing grain for the neighboring far- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 321 rners. He is a Democrat in politics, although not excessively active in political matters. He and Ids family are much attached to the Lutheran Church. Mr. Freude's fine farm is in a high state of cultivation, and under his intelligent manipula- tion, produces excellent crops. Both in his farm- ing operations and the business of grain threshing he is meeting with the success he so much deserves. J"l OHN R. PORTER. There is a class of men and women who sustain a peculiar as well as important relation to society, and have much ' to do in molding the destiny of future gen- erations. These are the men and women who teach in the schools of the city and country. They follow a profession peculiar in its requirements. To become a successful teacher, it is not only essential to have :i good education, but a teacher should be charac- terized by a fine sense of distinction hot ween right and wrong, a good judgment of human nature, and a large amount of tact and an evenly balanced tem- perament. The subject of this sketch, although now- engaged in agricultural pursuits, has devoted a large share of his time and attention to the school-room, and it has come to the knowledge of the writer that in the capacity of a teacher he has displayed all the vital requirements of a successful and popular in- structor, gaining the highest esteem of both pupils and parents. Mr. Porter is now a representative fanner of Avoca Township, and resides on section 6. He is a native of Ohio, and was born on the 3d of Julv, 1834. He is the son of David and Elizabeth Porter, and was practically reared to manhood in the State of Ohio, where, by hard study, he received a good education and qualified himself for the profes- sion of school teaching. For many years he taught school iii Ohio and Illinois, and in that profession was eminently successful. His first settlement in Livingston County, 111., was in the year 1863, and he first occupied the farm on which he now resides in 1883. This farm consists of 107 acres of good land, which under the intelligent manipulation of Mr. Porter is made to yield very remunerative crops. Mr. Porter was married in Livingston County, on the 27th of June, 1869. to Rachel S. Scott, who was born on the 26th of July. 1849. She is the daugh- ter of John II. Scott, formerly of Muskinguni County, Ohio, and of whom a sketch appears in this ALBUM. To Mr. and Mrs. Porter have been born seven children, five of whom are living: Cora A., born July 2, 1870; Lillian M., born March 1, 1877; Iva M.. liorn Feb. 17, 1880; Claudy R., born May 14, 1882; Estella M., born Oct. 8, 1884. The names of the deceased children are: Otto R., born April 16, 1872, and died Aug. 1, 1873; and Ar- thur J., bom Sept. 7, 1874, and died March 18, 1879. Mrs. Porter had four brothers in the Union army, as follows : Winfield, Walter M., Wesley and Mahlon. Mr. Porter is a member of the Democratic party, but he is not an active politician, preferring to de- vote the time which politics would require to such matters as would better the condition of the com- munity in which he lives. Mrs. Porter is a member of the Methodist Church, as is also the daughter, Cora A. The family are the center of a large circle of warm friends and acquaintances, and they all take an active interest in whatever may effect the society which surrounds them. Mr. Porter has de- voted his life to the profession of teaching, and farm- ing, and will probably in the future confine himself to the latter occupation. ANIEL BLAKE. One of the men who have given Livingston County its great reputation as a stock-raising county, and as a community of the best farmers of Illinois, is the subject of this sketch, whose stock farm lies on section 1. Rook's Creek Township. Mr. Blake is the son of Joseph and Drusilla (Carpenter) Blake, and was born in Monroe County, Ohio, on the 16th of December, 1838. He received a com- mon-school education in the States of Ohioand Illi- nois. In company with his parents Mr. Blake left Ohio at the age of fourteen, and located in Ottawa, La Salle Co., 111., where he assisted his father in car- rying on the farm until about his twenty-fourth year, at which age he was married to Desaline Earp, of Amity Township, Livingston County, on the f i 322 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 28th of May, 1862. He had purchased eighty acres of land, the west half of the southeast quarter of section 34 in Amity Township, in 1862, locating on it immediately after his marriage. During the next eleven years he sold the first eighty, and bought 245 acres on sections 1 and 12, Rook's Creek Town- ship, to which he has since added until his present possessions comprise 315 acres. His land is all well drained with tile, and the farm buildings are creditable and pleasantly situated. To Mr. and Mrs. Blake have been born thirteen children, eight of whom are living, as follows: Charles W., born Jan. 18, 1863; John Ellsworth, born Sept. 23, 1864, married Nancy E. Brown, of Pon- tiac Township; Francis G., born Oct. 25, 1869; Theron, March 31, 1871 ; Sarah E., March 18, 1873; Ida Pearl, Jan. 6, 1877; Isis F., Dec. 16, 1878; Carrie B., Aug. 12, 1881. The father of Mr. Blake was born in Maine in 1811, and moved to Ohio when a mere lad with his parents, who were natives of Maine, but with their large family moved from that State to Monroe County, Ohio, in covered wagons in 1816. They began the making of a farm in the wilderness, constructing their house of hewn logs. The shoes worn by the family were made by the father, while the spinning and weaving of the goods, and the cutting and making of the garments were the work of the mother's hands. Mr. Blake's grandfather was Daniel Blake, who died in 1842, at the age of ninety years. The maternal grandfather was Robert Carpenter, who settled in Monroe County at a time when the Indians were very nu- merous. On one occasion at least, he was taken prisoner and wounded by these inhuman savages. The parents of Mr. Blake had ten children : Rob- ert married, and lives in Kansas ; the second brother died at the age of twenty-eight; Daniel married, and lives in Rook's Creek Township; Mary Jane, Mrs. Homer Earp, has two children, and lives at Lawrence, Kan. ; Margaret A. is Mrs. D. C. Mc- Clelland, has one child, and resides in Labette County, Kan.; Elizabeth A., Mrs. Samuel Wertz, has five children, and lives in Amity Township; AV infield S. married, and lives in Pontiac; James E. has three children, and lives in Amit3 r Town- ship; John C. married, has three children, and lives in Amity Township; Caroline J. married Samuel Reynolds and moved to Missouri, where her hus- band was murdered, after which she returned to Livingston County, and died in 1887, leaving two children. Mr. Blake was reared a Republican, casting his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, and voting with that party until 1872, when he began to advocate the principles of the Greenback party, to which he has since adhered. He has been a settler of this township, and has also held the office of School Director for eleven years, which position he occu- pied when this sketch was written. He is not a member of any church, but believes that every man should try to do right, living up to the Golden Rule. He is a man of libei'al impulses, and has donated lands on which to erect a school-house and a church, contributing freely to the support of the minister and for all charitable purposes. ATHER II. W. FINCH, the regular Catholic clergyman of Pontiac, is a native of New Orleans, where he was born on the 21st of November, 1853. He is the son of Michael and Mary (Phelan) Finch, natives of Queens County, Ireland, who came to America in 1831, and settled in New Orleans, where they remained until their death in 1879 and 1877. They had a family of twelve children. Rev. Father Finch was educated at the University of Louisiana, and studied theology in Cape Girardean, Mo., and Milwaukee. AVis. He was ordained on the 14th of July, 1876, by Bishop Foley, and served in the capacity of priest in St. Mary's Church, at the corner of Eldridge court and Wabash avenue, Chicago. He afterward went to ( li.-inipaign, where he remained eleven months and then came to Pontiac. His ministrations here have been pleasant and exceedingly successful. Since August, 1883, he has constructed a large brick church that cost $12,000, and has also bought the parochial residence, and paid for it since 1877. lie i- the fir-t Catholic priest to reside permanently in Pontiac. His Congregation now numbers between 400 and 500 members, and besides his regular serv- ice in tills church lie preaches every two weeks at St. Joseph's Church, at Flanagan, 111., which has LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 323 ik about 300 members. This church was first built two and one-half miles in tlie country, but he has had it moved into the village of Flanagan. In ad- dition to all these labors he also preaches to the Cornell Church every four or six weeks. This church lias a membership of from fifty to seventy- five. Occasionally he delivers a sermon at the Re- form School. Father Finch is a man of great enterprise and fine executive ability, and is building up a large mem- bership in Pontiac and vicinity. He is thoroughly devoted to his work, and greatly beloved by his parishioners. His influence is felt very largely throughout the community. He stands high in the t 'Mi-em of his superiors, and will no doubt reach great eminence in the church. Z^ENAS R. JONES, Postmaster, Station Agent, Justice of the Peace, and a large grain dealer at Smithdale, is one of the self-made men of Livingston County, who from a humble beginning in life have fought their way up to an enviable position, socially and financially. Besides his trade transactions which yield him a handsome income, he is the owner of 108 acres of good land, twenty- eight of which form a part of his homestead, while the remainder is farmed by his son. The town in which our subject resides received its name from John Smith, a farmer of large means who came here in the pioneer days. Mr. Jones located here in April, 1870, in which year he was appointed Postmaster and Station Agent. He was born in Champaign County, Ohio, in 1831, and was brought by his parents that same year to Marshall County, this State. They made the journey over- land with teams, camping and cooking hy the way- side, and after their settlement in Illinois experi- enced the hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. Zenas R. received a limited educa- tion, and at an early age was made acquainted with the various employments connected with farm life, and continued with his parents until they passed away. In the meantime he had been married in Marshall County, and carried on farming on the homestead until after the division of the estate. The father of our subject, Justice Jones, was a very prominent man in his day, and the son of Daniel Jones, who owned a fine property in the Buckeye State, but died when his son was a small child. The latter upon coming to the West served as the first magistrate of Evans Township, in Mar- shall County, which position he occupied twelve years, and was very popular, both in business and social circles. He had come to Marshall County before township organization was effected, and aided greatly in its settlement by an enterprising and intelligent class of people. He assisted in the establishment of schools and churches and was the first Methodist Class-Leader in Evans Township, which office he held until his death. He departed this life at his home in Marshall County, at the age of fifty-one years. The mother of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Sarah Warner, a native of Virginia, whence her parents removed in her childhood to Madison County, Ohio, locating near Mt. Vernon. Her father, Joseph Warner, was a soldier of the Revolutionary War, and lived to the age of one hundred and four years. He spent his last days with his daughter Sarah, in Marshall County, retaining in a remarka- ble degree his health and activity. A short time before his death he walked twelve miles across the prairie to Long Point, and when the final summons came, passed away in a short time, apparently with- out pain. To Justice and Sarah (Warner) Jones there were born eight children, namely : Daniel W., Epinetus; Zenas R., our subject; Louisa, Mrs. Wal- ter Cornell, of Amity Township; Matilda, Mrs. J. A. Blondin, of Sedalia, Mo., and Drusilla M. The mother was a true Christian woman of many excel- lent qualities, and spent her last days at the old homestead. Our subject continued under the parental roof until his marriage, which took place in July, 1854, his chosen bride being Miss Julia E., daughter of Andrew and Rhoda A. Stitt, natives of New York, who afterward removed to Michigan, where their daughter, Mrs. J., was born in 1828. Upon reach- ing womanhood she came to this county to visit a friend, and formed the acquaintance of her future husband. Their union has resulted in the birth of six children: John, after reaching manhood, was 324 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. married, and continued on the farm with his father until his death, which occurred Sept. 8,1886; he left a wife and one child. Ira and Dove died in infancy; Frances M. obtained a good education and for some years has been employed as a teacher, in which profession she is highly successful and popular; Edwin B. is at home, as is also Lewis L. Mr. Jones has been an ordained minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church for a period of twenty- five years, and was connected with the Illinois Con- ference six years, four years of this time being en- tirely devoted to ministerial labors. After the outbreak of the late war he enlisted in the 104th Illinois Infantry, in August, 1862, and met the enemy in many of the important battles which en- sued. At Hartsville, Tenn., he was captured by the rebels and taken to Murfreesboro, but was soon afterward paroled and rejoined his regiment. The hardships to which he was subjected, and the wretched fare a large part of the time, brought upon him a disease from which he suffered seven years thereafter and was unable to do any manual labor. He has not yet recovered from the effects, and hardly expects to. Mr. Jones, after his return from the army, en- gaged in general merchandising at Wenona two years, then selling out purchased his present home. In his grain transactions he handles from 25,000 to 40,000 bushels per year. He is a man greatly re- spected by his neighbors, and with his family still remains connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is now Deacon and Class- Leader at Manville. J~~] O1IN C. ANTRIM, a prominent and influen- I tial farmer and stock-raiser, who is well and favorably known as a worthy resident on 1 section 30, Owego Township, is a native of Clinton County, Ohio, where he was born on the 14th of October, 1836. He is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth Antrim, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. The mother at present resides in Nebraska; the father is deceased. The parents were among the earl}- set- tlers of Clinton County, Ohio, where they under- went all the trials and hardships of pioneer life. There were born to them ten children, five of whom are living: John C., William, Philip II., George; Catherine, who is the wife of Edward Cook, of Nebraska. Mr. Antrim was reared to manhood in his native State, where he engaged in work upon the farm, cutting and clearing timber and preparing the soil for the growing of crops until he reached his ma- jority. On the 22d of February, 1857, while yet residing in Ohio, he was married to Annie Hallam. daughter of John and Jane Hallam, of Clinton County, Ohio. They have had born to them nine children, whose names are as follows: Mary E., Mrs. T. H. Wheeler, of Chicago; Rachel A., Mrs. M. T. Hyer, of Fayette County, Ohio: William J. married Miss Sue Carroll, of Oskaloosa, Iowa ; Rox- ana K., John L., Harriet E., Edward M., Carrie A. and Imo. In 1863 Mr. Antrim, with his family, removed from Ohio to Livingston County, and re- sided in Amity Township until 1886, in which year he settled on his present farm on section 30, Owego Township, where he owns 123 acres of well-im- proved land, in the cultivation of which he is meet- ing with excellent success. In the fall of 1864 Mr. Antrim enlisted in the Union army from Livingston County and attached himself to Company H, 44th Illinois Infantry, which regiment was a part of the Army of the Cumber- land. During the time of his service in the army Mr. Antrim participated in the battles of Spring Hill, Franklin, Nashville, and numerous lesser en- gagements. After about a year of faithful and conscientious service he was honorably discharged from the army on the 16th of June, 1865. Upon his discharge he returned to Livingston County, where he resumed his agricultural pursuits, which he has since industriously followed, and by work- ing early .and late and husbanding his resources he has succeeded to such an extent that he owns 240 acres of excellent land in Amity Township, besides his farm in Owego Township. Both of these farms are very valuable, and under the intelligent man- agement of Mr. Antrim are very productive. He takes considerable interest in all matters relating to Jive-stock, and in this line of his business has accomplished much. 4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Our subject devotes but little attention to po- litical matters, 'so far as the stereotyped doctrines of the old parties are concerned, and is independ- ent enough to cast his ballot for the men who will faithfully discharge the duties of the office con- ferred upon them regardless of the name of the party to which they belong. He is upright in his business transactions, meriting and receiving the esteem of his neighbors. (!fpS>HOMAS McCASHLAND, a worthy agricult- urist of Livingston County, which calling he has followed the most of his life, may be found on section 7, Avoca Township, where he is pleasantly situated. He belongs to that class of men who have devoted their lives to beautifying and turning to the use of man what Nature has so bountifully provided. In all respects he is a rep- resentative citizen, and a model of that class of enterprising farmers who have accomplished so much for Livingston County. Mr. McCashland is a native of Montgomery County, Va., where he was born Nov. 30, 1827. He is the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth McCashland, the father a native of Ireland, while the mother was born in Virginia. At about three years of age he accompanied his parents when they left his native State and emi- grated to the West, settling in Wayne County, Ind., where they were early pioneers in the White- water Valley. The father has been married twice, and of the children born, twelve in number, five are still living, whose names are as follows : Benja- min, Henry ; Mary A., Mrs. Robert Pilcher; Namon and Thomas. Thomas McCashland, the subject of our sketch, was reared to manhood in Wayne County, Ind., where he received a limited education, and was united in marriage, on the 30th of January, 1850, with Miss Rachel Thomas, who was born in Union County, Ind., on the 29th of August, 1827. She is the daughter of John and Margaret Thomas. natives of Kentucky and Indiana respectively. They were early settlers in Union County, where they lived many years. Mr. and Mrs. McCashland are the parents of five living children, as follows: Henry M. ; Mary A., Mrs. John Morrison, of Pon- tiac ; Cora A., Mrs. George Tate, of Avoca Town- ship, and Lillie, who is now attending the High School at Pontiac, where she will graduate next June, and is an accomplished teacher of music. The names of the deceased children were: Roxy R., Florence R., Delia O. and Etta I. In I860 Mr. McCashland, with his family, moved from Indiana to Livingston County, and for a short time resided about four miles northwest of Pon- tiac. Thence he removed to Avoca Township in 1875, and settled on the farm which he at present occupies. This farm consists of forty acres of well-improved land, on which he has erected suita- ble and substantial buildings. Mr. McCashland is in the fullest sense of the term a self-made man, what he has being earned by hard and persistent work, and retained unincumbered through economy and good management. In his political affiliations he votes with the Democratic party, although he is not an active politician. In consequence of the interest he takes in matters pertaining to educa- tion he has been chosen to fill the responsible posi- tion of School Director during the^last fifteen years. Mrs. McCashland is an ardent member of the Lode- rnia Methodist Episcopal Church, and in the affairs of the congregation performs her part well. The family occupy an enviable position in the society of Avoca Township, and are active participants in its affairs. C. STUDLEY, who is engaged as a merchant and real-estate and collecting agent at the village of Flanagan, in Nebraska Township, is the son of William and Eunice (Timberman) Studley, and was born in Neponset Township, Bu- reau Co., 111., on the 19th of December, 1855. His father died when he was but eight years of age, leaving a family of several children, who earl}' had to assist their mother in making a living. Our subject was reared on a farm until the age of thirteen, when he engaged with Austin Barnum, a cousin of P. T. Barnum, the great showman, in a liver}' stable, on the condition that his work should pay for his board while he attended school. This arrangement continued through three winters, and i ' ' 326 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. during that time he worked one summer in a brick- yard, and two on Ins. uncle's farm. At the age of seventeen he began attending the graded school, where he remained for about two years, in the mean- time taking private instructions in order to fit him- self for entering college. When he was eighteen years of age upon a first examination he obtained a first grade certificate, and taught school one year. He then entered the University of Illinois at Cham- paign, where he remained one year, and then en- gaged in school teaching another year in order to provide himself with means for the purchase of the necessary books and clothing to continue his col- lege studies. After one more year in college, he again taught school one year in Livingston County, and the following summer began the study of law. In the fall of that year he went to Ann Arbor, Mich., and entered the law department, where he remained about one year, when, on account of ill- health, lie was compelled to retire from school. He then began studying law in the office of S. S. Lawrence, but his health continuing poor he was obliged to abandon the study. On the 7th of October. 1879, our subject was mar- ried at Bloomington, III., to Cora A. Herold, daugh- ter of Amos (Jobs) Herold. During the following winter he taught school, and in the spring went to Iowa, where he and his brother, C. M. Studley, pur- chased 160 acres of wild laud and made some im- provements on it. In the following fall he sold out to his brother, and went to Wright County, Iowa, where he purchased eighty acres of land, and taught school that winter. In the meantime his wife had returned to Illinois on account of ill-health to re- main during the winter. In the spring of 1881 Mr. Studley returned to Illinois, where he taught school three months. In August, 1881, he moved into Flanagan, where he taught the village school five days in the week, worked in the lumber-yard on Saturdays, and kept books during the evenings. In the following spring he worked at carpentering, but soon discontinued business and began clerk- ing for Murphy Brothers, driving their wagon a portion of the time. At the end of the year the Murphy Brothers closed out their business, and Mr. Studley was temporarily thrown out of employ- ment. At the suggestion of a friend he invested in a stock of flour and feed, and from this start he has gradually worked up a good trade. In politics Mr. Studley is a Democrat. He has held the offices of Village Trustee and School Director. When he was elected to the latter office, the school-house stood about one mile from the village, and two Directors were opposed to removing it, but within six months the location was changed, and before his term expired, the new house, costing about $3,000, was paid for. In 1885 he was elected Justice of the Peace with only seven opposing votes out of 167 cast. He has been Treasurer of the village for two years, and holds that place at the time this sketch is written. Mr. Studley is the fourth in a family of six chil- dren: Clarence M. is married, is a farmer at Web- ster City, Iowa, and has four children ; George M., married, is a farmer at Webster City, Iowa, and has one child ; Charles M. is an Iowa farmer, and has no children; Maria, Mrs. Hiram Thompson, has five children, and lives in Iowa; William T. is unmar- ried and lives with his mother in Iowa. William Studley, Sr., the father of our subject, was born in Yorkshire, England, in the month of October, 1824, and came to America with his parents, William, Sr., and Ann (Chapman) Stud- ley, when he was about seven years of age. The father located near Jacksonville, III., where he followed farming, and at which place he enjoyed an intimate acquaintance with Abraham Lincoln. Leaving Jacksonville they moved to Stark Count}', which was then a wilderness, and "squatted" in Osceola Grove at about the close of the Black Hawk War. In about one year they sold their property, and moved into Bureau County, and were the first settlers in the township, their nearest neighbors be- ing eight or ten miles distant. The farm on which they M'tiled in Bureau County is still owned in the Studley family. The father of our subject was married in 1848. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company H, 93d Illinois Infantry, and was under (Irani at Vieksburg, where he contracted a disease, and after returning home, was discharged and died on the 2d of May, 1864. Our subject's paternal grandfather, William Studley, Sr., was born in York- shire, England, Dec. 1, 1788. He was in the Brit- ish service fourteen years, and was a member of the i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 327 ' ! Home Guards at the time of the war with Napo- leon. He was married about 1820, came to this country in 1831, and died in October, 1878. Our subject's great-grandfather, George Studley, mar- ried a Miss Coultis, during the war of the Revo- lution. To Mr. and Mrs. Studley have been born two children : Leora Ethel, at Webster City, Iowa, Aug. 17, 1880; and Claude Melville, in Flanagan, Aug. 2, 1883. So far as home surroundings are con- cerned, Mr. and Mrs. Studley are very pleasantly situated. His business affairs are in such a pros- perous condition that the}' are enabled to live com- fortably, and provide liberally for those dependent upon them. Besides merchandising, Mr. Studley is largely engaged in buying and selling real estate, and acting as collecting agent, in all which lines of business he has been successful. H. JENKINS, Supervisor of Pontiac Town- ship, Deputy County Clerk, Notary Pub- lic, and Insurance Agent, it will readily be surmised is one of the wide-awake and enterprising citizens to whom Livingston County is indebted for its present status in one of the most prosperous commonwealths of the West. He is a native of Ohio, and came to Illinois in 1859. He was born in Miami County, Ohio, Jan. 11, 1846, and is the son of Samuel R. and Mary (Frederick) Jenkins, also natives of the Buckeye State, where they ranked among the most desirable members of the farming community. The father of our subject, in September, 1859, left his native State and migrat- ing westward settled in Esmen Township, this county, where he purchased eighty acres of land, and remained upon it until 1869. He then re- moved to Iroquois County, where he still resides. The Jenkins family is of Welsh ancestry, and came with William Penn to America, settling- in Pennsylvania. On the mother's side the Fredericks were of German descent. The paternal grandfather of our subject, David Jenkins, was born in South Carolina, whence he removed to Ohio at an early day, where he became a prominent citizen, and be- sides the duties of looking after an extensive farm, also officiated as Justice of the Peace for many years. He died in Miami County about 1856. His son Samuel, already mentioned as the father of our - subject, in middle life identified himself with the Republican party, and belonged, with his estimable wife, to the Methodist Episcopal Church. The household circle embraced eleven children, seven I now living, namely, Rebecca A., Isaac R., William i H., Nancy E., Olive A., Samuel K. and Daniel W. They are considerably scattered, two living in St. Paul, Minn., one in Dakota and the others in this State. Our subject was reared on his father's homestead among the Ohio hills, and after the manner of most farmers' boys attended school in winter, and assisted on the farm in summer. He thus ap- proached manhood, and in the meantime occurred the outbreak of the late Rebellion. He came with his father to Illinois, and on the 30th of December, 1863, enlisted in Company C, 39th Illinois In- fantry, and for eighteen months experienced the vicissitudes of a soldier's life. He met the enemy in many important engagements, namely, Drewry's Bluff, Strawberry Plains, Darby Town Cross Roads, and in various minor engagements and skir- mishes. At the first mentioned place he was shot through the neck and shoulder, and after two months' confinement in the hospital received a thirty days' furlough. Oct. 13, 1864, at Darby Town Cross Roads he was shot through the leg above the knee. He received his honorable discharge May 18, 1865, and after spending a season on the farm, repaired to Chicago and took a six months' course in Bryant & Stratton's Business College. His leg by reason of the wound had continued troublesome, although he hoped to save it. He suffered with it until the 18th of May, 1868, when he gave up all hope of recovering from the wound, and ampu- tation was accordingly performed by Dr. Charles M. Clark, of the Soldier's Home, in Chicago. In December following, Mr. Jenkins was ap- pointed Deputy County Clerk, and remained in the discharge of his duties at Pontiac until 1874. For two years afterward he was engaged in keeping hotel, and then in T876 was elected Circuit Clerk, which position he held four years, and was then appointed Deputy Circuit Clerk, serving until Jan. 328 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1, 1885, when he was appointed Deputy County Clerk, and the following year elected Supervisor of Pontiac Township. He received his commission as Notary Public from Gov. Oglesby in 1883. The wife of our subject was formerly Miss Bessie Van Scoy, and their wedding took place at the home of the bride's parents, Dec. 21, 1880. Mrs. Jen- kins is a native of Ohio, and the daughter of James W. and Margaret (Wiles) Van Scoy, natives re- spectively of Ohio and Virginia. They came to Illinois in 1868, and are now residents of Pontiac. Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins have one child only, a son, Charles L. They occupy a comfortable and taste- ful residence at the intersection of Mill and Liv- ingston streets, and number their friends among the most cultivated people of the city. ED DEN M. JOHNSON is a member of the firm of Johnson & Renoe, publishers and proprietors of the Free Trader- and Observer, at Pontiac. Our subject was born in Monroe County, W. Va., May 11, 1845, and is the son of Morris and Minerva (Ellis) Johnson, natives of the same county, where the father, during his early manhood, was engaged in mercantile pursuits. In 1856 he disposed of his property in the Old Dominion, and coming to Pontiac followed mer- chandising, and also engaged as. a farmer and stock dealer. He was successful in business, and retired upon a competency. His death occurred May 7, 1886. The father of our subject was largely connected with the business interests of Northern and Central Illinois, and a prominent stockholder in the bank at Bloomington, 111. He put up two store build- ings in Pontiac and a fine residence on the south side of the Vermilion River. He watched with unalloyed interest the growth and prosperity of his adopted State, and did much toward encouraging the various worthy enterprises which at that time were being instituted in connection with the build- ing up of Pontiac. He was Democratic politically, and socially w:i> a member of the Masonic frater- nity. The parental family included two children only, our subject and his sister, Eunice J. The latter married E. A. McGregor, of Pontiac, and died in 1886, leaving three children Bernice, Ellis and Lewis. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Jacob Johnson by name, was. like his son and grandson, a native of Monroe County, W. Va.. whence he re- moved to McLean County, 111., with his family in 1856. He continued farming, and died in McLean County in 1873. The maternal grandfather, Will- iam Ellis, was also a native of Monroe County, W. Ya., and a farmer by occupation. He spent his entire life in his native State, his death taking place about 1875. Our subject pursued his early studies in the schools of Pontiac after the removal of his parents to this State, and when eighteen years old entered Wesleyan University at Bloomington, from which he was graduated in 1867. Afterward he repaired to Ann Arbor, and entered the law department of Michigan University, where he took a full course and was admitted to the bar in 1869. He, how- ever, had had his attention called to newspaper work, and as it seemed to coincide with his tastes and inclinations, he purchased the Free Trader, and has since conducted it in a manner creditable to him- self and satisfactory to all concerned. He is of a practical turn of mind, and usually succeeds in whatever undertaking his judgment approves. Mr. Johnson has wisely invested his capital in real estate, which embraces farms in this county and property in the town, besides his office material. His land is cultivated by lessees. He was instru- mental in the organization of the Pontiac Union Coal Company, of which he became President, and which gives employment usually to sixty or eighty men. He is a stockholder in the National Bank, and has been identified with many important move- ments contributing to the best interests of the city. He was twice elected Mayor, has served as Super- visor of Pontiac Township, and was a member of the Board of Education. Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party, and socially is a member of the Masonic fraternity. Mr. Johnson was married, Dec. 8, 1809, to Miss Carrie M. Saxton. Mrs. Johnson was born in Huntingdon, Pa., Oct. 9, 1847, and is the daughter of James and Elizabeth Saxton, natives of Penn- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 329 i; sylvania. Of her union with our subject there have been born two children Mary E. and Beulah J. Their home, located on the South Side, is the resort of the intelligent people of the city, and its inmates are surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. UDOLPII WARNER. It is said that life is a lottery, and that all cannot draw prizes. Be that as it may, the man who was born in a foreign land and crosses the ocean to this country in his youth, knowing nothing of the language or customs of the people of America, casts his lot as he would invest in a lottery ticket, with the odds against him. And yet it is a notable fact that those sturdy people who emigrate from Germany to this country nearly always succeed in their undertakings. If they engage in trade and traffic they prosper, and if they till the soil they make it produce and blossom as the rose. Of this class of men is the subject of our sketch, a farmer and stock-raiser on section 3G, Rook's Creek Town- ship, who was born in Germany on the 18th of No- vember, 1844, and is the son of John and Minnie (Peters) Warner, who came to this country in 1853, first locating in New York, where they re- mained about five years, and then moved to Chi- cago. From Chicago they moved to Will County, where they remained until 1848, and then settled in Rook's Creek Township. The subject of this notice was the sixth in a fam- ily of thirteen children, five of whom are now liv- ing: William, the eldest, is living in Germany; Rudolph; Albert, married, has one child, and lives in Livingston County; Lecetta, Mrs. George Howe, has two children, and lives in Livingston County; Emma is unmarried. The father of Mr. Warner was born on the 14th of March, 1811, and his mother \va> born on the 25th of December, 1813. They were married in 1836, and he died on the 28th of March, 1879. The early education of Mr. Warner was rather limited, on account of the lack of edu- cational facilities during his boyhood. His first Presidential vote was cast for Gen. U. S. Grant in 2, and he has continued to support the Repub- lican ticket since. He is a member of the United Brethren Church, having been a leader in the class meetings of that denomination, and has held the -office of School Trustee for six years, and School Director for several years. Mr. Warner was married to Miss Caroline Fugar, on the 19th of February, 1874, and they are the parents of two children: Henry, born on the 15th of May, 1878, and George, born on the 16th of February, 1880. Mrs. Warner was born in New Jersey Sept. 26, 1857, and was brought to Will County by her parents in 1858. Her father was a native of Germany, born on the 18th of February, 1829, and came to this country with his mother in 1852, his father having died in Germany in 1832. The mother, Margaret Zibbet. was a native of New Jersey. Mr. Warner has been successful as a farmer and stock-raiser, and besides bringing his farm up to a high state of cultivation, has been able to construct commodious buildings for the accommodation and comfort of his family. His barns and out-build- ings are ample for the shelter and protection of his live stock. S DWIN V. JOHNSON, one of the pioneers of thirty years ago, is now the owner of /JL^ one-quarter of section 20, in Owego Town- ship, upon which he settled in 1883, having for- merly resided on section 16. He may properly be classed among the self-made men of Livingston County, as he commenced in life comparatively without means, and has by his own energy and per- severance, become the owner of a good property. He also struggled with the disadvantages of a lim- ited education, but he availed himself of such op- portunities as were afforded, to keep himself in- formed upon matters of general interest, and is numbered among those who encouraged the estab- lishment of schools and the other enterprises cal- culated for the advancement and welfare of the people. He was Director in his district for many years, and served as Road Commissioner, besides occupying other local offices. Our subject was born in Herkimer County. N. Y., July 28, 1824, and is the son of Dorastus and \ ' ! i 330 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Bethsheba Johnson, who were of New England birth and parentage, and reared a large family of children, of whom only the following now survive, viz., William, Edwin V., Dorus, Samuel and Ce- linn. This branch of the Johnson family is of Scotch ancestry, the first representatives of whom in this country settled in New England during the Colonial days. Dorastus Johnson, in 1834, re- moved from Herkimer to Cattaraugus County, and thence six 3'ears later to Warren County, Pa. Here our subject reached his majority, but he subse- quently returned to his native State and was mar- ried in Chautauqua County, in 1852, to Miss Susan Holtnan. Of this union there were born seven children, namely, Laura, Mrs. Burt Nichols, of Minnesota; Emma, Mrs. John Derry; Huldah, Mrs. John Brown, and Mary, Mrs. Kenry Finhold, all of this county; George E. married Miss Laura Phillips; Calvin and Effie are at home with their parents. Mr. Johnson came to this county in 1857, and since that time has been a resident of Owego Township. Considering the fact that he com- menced at the foot of the ladder, dependent upon his own resources alone, and that he is now the owner of valuable property, it is hardly necessary to say that he labored persistently for many years, and always made it a rule to live within his income. He possessed those qualities which at once com- mended him to the people around him, whose es- teem and confidence he has enjoyed since the time of his arrival on prairie soil. His children have been carefully reared and well educated. Those married are settled in comfortable homes, and the younger ones remaining with the parents are being carefully trained for their future position as mem- bers of an unusually intelligent community. Mr. Johnson generally votes the straight Republican ticket, but when there is a Greenback candidate in the field, he gives to the latter his preference. Socially, he belongs to the I. O. O. F., being a member of the Poutiac Lodge. George E. Johnson, the eldest son of our sub- ject, occupies the old homestead on section 16, which comprises ninety acres of fertile land, and upon which his father first settled on coming to Livingston County. He was born Sept. 28, 1802, and was reared after the manner of most farmers' sons, becoming useful upon the farm at an early age, and during the winter seasons pursuing his studies at the district school. Not long after pass- ing his twenty-first birthday, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Laura Phillips, who is the daugh- ter of William R. Phillip*, a pioneer of Livingston County. Her mother was formerly Miss Mary Rusk; both are now deceased. George Johnson bids fair to follow in the footsteps of his father, possessing the same qualities of thrift and industry, and is carrying on his agricultural operations after the most approved modern methods. He has al- ready attracted considerable notice as one of the most promising young men of his community. He affiliates with the Republican party, and is School Director in his district. eHARLES YOUNGER. Among the younger farmers and newer citizens of Livingston County, none have made a fairer start than the subject of this sketch, and his prospects for the future are bright indeed. An eighty-acre farm, well managed, and cultivated with method and sys- tem, is as profitable as one of double that size that is conducted in a haphazard manner, and it is need- less to say that Mr. Younger's farm is one of the most productive in the county. Everything about the place denotes system and regulation, there be- ing a place for everything, and everything in its place. Since his advent in the county the subject of this sketch has popularized himself with its citi- zens, and is rated among the enterprising men of the county. His farm is located on section 33 of Avoca Township. Mr. Younger is a native of Woodford County, 111., and was born on the 8th of February, 1848. He is the sou of Benjamin and Lodemia Younger, the latter of whom is deceased. His father was a native of Pennsylvania, and when ten years of age accompanied his parents when they moved to Ohio and settled near Salina, where they remained until he grew to manhood. They then came to Illinois and settled near Washington, Tazewell County, and after remaining there for several years removed to RESIDENCE OF P. F. REMSBURG.CHATSWORTH.ILL. RESiDENCEor EMMET R.SUTTON^SEC. 34. PLEASANT RIDGETP. ELEVATOR OF SEARING AND MESSLER,CHATSWORTH,!LL. later. Their household included eleven children, of whom the. following survive, namety. Henry J., of our sketch; John, a resident of Highland County, Ohio; Alexander, who is farming in In- dian Grove Township, this county; Eleander, of Sunnier County, Kan.; Maria, the wife of Daniel Street, of Avoca Township, and Emma, Mrs. Wile3 r Sparks, also of Avoca Township. The father of our subject was a millwright, a trade which he followed all his life, allowing his boys to do most of the farming. He put up the machine^ 7 in the first mill built at Pontiac, and built the seats^of the first court-house there. He possessed great energy, and was a man of integrity and one in whom the people had entire confidence. In his death Livingston County lost one of her most worthy pioneers and public-spirited citizens. The subject of our sketch was reared to man- hood in this county, receiving the meager advan- tages of its common schools. He remained under the parental roof until his marriage, which took place in the spring of 1851, his bride being Miss Mary J. Popejoy, who was born in Tippecanoe County, Ind., Sept. 27, 1832. Mrs. DeMoss is the daughter of Nathan and Mary (Gregory) Popejoy, natives respectively of Kentucky and Ohio. When six weeks old she was brought by her parents to this county during its early settlement. They resided for two years on the farm now owned by Philip Rollins east of Pontiac, and thence removed to section 25, in Avoca Township, where the mother died in 1846, and the father the year fol- lowing. The children of Mr. and Mrs. DeMoss, six in number, were named respectively, Levi L., Theo- dore M., Edward W.. Henry B. ; Margaret M., the wife of Lewis Carter, of Pleasant Ridge Township, and Isadora, Mrs. Edward Skinner, of the same township. Mrs. DeMoss was the fourth of ten children, of whom four are living, namely, John W., Theodore M., Hiram G. and Mary J. The property of our subject includes 106 acres of good land with a comfortable residence and all other suitable farm buildings. He has been prin- cipally employed in attending to his own concerns, and has, therefore, uniformly met with success in his farming and business affairs. He supports the principles of the Democratic party, and has served us School Director in his district several years. He also occupied the same position while in Pleas- ant Ridge Township. BRAHAM H. STATES, a resident of this county for the past nine years, is carrying on the manufacture of tile at Long Point, where he has all the buildings and machinery necessary for the successful prosecution of this in- dustry. He probably operates on a larger scale than any other gentleman in this section, and turns out an excellent product which obtains ready sale throughout the county and elsewhere. His factory buildings and his residence, with its surroundings, occupy nearly six acres of ground. The dwelling is a neat and substantial structure, and with its out- t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 335 , , buildings forms a complete home, which in all its appointments suggests the outlay of ample means and the exercise of refined tastes. Our subject, who is the son of Daniel and Ann (Krews) States, was horn in Bucks County, Pa., Jan. 19, 1833. His parents were also natives of the Keystone State. The father was a farmer by occupation; the mother died early in life, in 1839, when our subject was a lad but six years of age. He was afterward taken to Maryland to live with an uncle, with whom he made his home five years, and then, on account of ill-usage, ran away and went to sea. He was a sailor for twelve years thereafter; has twice crossed the ocean, and been the witness of strange sights and strange peoples, thereby gaining a rich experience and a close in- sight into the manners and customs of people in various portions of the globe. After Mr. States had resolved to settle down on terra firma, he first located in Ohio, where, in 1856, he became a resident of Clinton County. He there made the acquaintance of Miss Louisa Johnston, the result of which was his marriage, Oct. 27, 1857. Mrs. States is the daughter of Stephen and Jemima Johnston, and was born in January, 1838. The young people began life together in Libert}', where they remained until the outbreak of the late war. Soon after the first call for volun- teer troops, our subject enlisted in Company B, 149th Ohio National Guards, being stationed for a time at Ft.^McHenry, Baltimore, and thereafter go- ing to the front. He was at the battle of Fred- erick, Md., and at Charleston, and in the engage- ment at Frederick, Aug. 17, 1864, was captured by the rebels. Four days later, ^owever, he made his escape by crawling into a ditch, and secreting himself until they took their departure from that region. He was ten da}'s in reaching his regiment which was quartered at Snickers' Gap, and in the meantime was kept alive by the kindness of negroes who supplied him with food. The leaden bullets afterward whizzed by his ears at Strasburg, Va., but he escaped unharmed and received his honor- able discharge at the close of the war. Upon his return from the army Mr. States lo- cated in Clinton County, Ohio, and engaged for a time in the manufacture of tile and brick, when he came to this county in 1878. To himself and his estimable lady have been born the following- named children: Stephen E., a stenographer and type- writer in the office of the S. F. 11. R. at Strea- tor; Amie L., wife of Daniel Mills, formerly of Long Point, and the mother of two children Roy and Glenn; they are now residents of Barton County, Mo. Louis A., an engineer and machinist, makes his home with his parents. The younger ones are Mary A., George E., Maude S. and Aerl H. Mr. States with his wife and their two eldest daughters and one son, are members in good standing of the Christian Church at Long Point. Mr. S., politically, is one of the most reliable mem- bers of the Republican party, and greatly inter- ested in the success of the prohibition movement. He possesses all the elements of good citizenship, and has contributed no little toward building up the business interests of his community. AMUEL SCHLOSSER. Illinois is indebted for her grand and rapid development very much to natives of Pennsylvania, who had the courage to settle here while it was a wilderness inhabited by Indians. Wherever a nu- cleus of Pennsylvanians were gathered the country has been made to approach very near to perfection, so far as improvement of the land and its cultivation is concerned. Although the subject of this sketch did not be- come a citizen of Illinois while yet the Indians held possession of a large part of the State, he be- came a citizen early enough to be a pioneer in every sense of the word. He was born on the 6th of September, 1820, in Adams Count}', Pa., and is the son of John and Mary Schlosser, also na- tives of that State. The grandfather, Conrad Schlosser, was a soldier in the American Revolu- tionary army and fought under Gen. Washington. The grandfather was the progenitor of the Schlos- ser family in America, and after the close of the Revolutionary War he settled in Adams County, Pa., and afterward in his declining years removed to Preble County, Ohio, where he died. There were born to John and Mary Schlosser seven chil- < * 336 LIVINGSTON Cor NT Y dren, four of whom are living Moses, Jonas, Sam- uel and John. The parents were pioneers of Preble County, Ohio, where they both died. Mr. Schlosser spent his boyhood days in Preble County, attending the district schools as opportu- nity permitted, and succeeded in securing an average education. lie was married, on the 16th of May, 1839, to Eliza Ebersult, who was a native of Ohio. To them eight children have been born, five of whom are living, as follows: Elijah; Sarah, wife of James McCoy; Thomas; Mary, Mrs. Eben- eztT Colkins, and Emeline, Mrs. Wilber Tallman. Mr. Schlosser came to Livingston County in 1854 and settled in Pontiac Township, where lie still resides on section 6. His excellent farm con- sists of 126 acres, and is cultivated in such a man- ner as to produce very remunerative crops. What- ever Mr. Schlosser can call his own has been secured through his own unaided efforts. His polit- ical proclivities are Republican, and he gives the men and measures of that party a cordial support. He is liberal in his views on all questions of local concern, and takes an active interest in everything that will benefit and elevate the members of the community. ber. RS. ELIZABETH (KOMER) FROBISCH, who resides on a farm on section 31, Rook's Creek Township, was born near Bern, Switzerland, on the 14th of Novem- 1824. The canton of Bern, in which she was born, is the most populous in the Confedera- tion, and the city of Bern, near which her birth- place lies, is the finest in all Switzerland, and one of the most handsome cities in Europe. It is built entirely of freestone, and is remarkable for the ar- cades formed by the houses in all its principal streets, and for its numerous fountains, many of which are ornamented with curious sculpture. !t has a Gothic cathedral, a university, an observa- tory, a public library, a musfiim, an arsenal and a mint. In all its aspects it is one of the most inter- esting of European cities. Mrs. Frobisch is the daughter of John Koim-r and Elizabeth (Matthias) Komer, the youngest of their five children; her sisters and brothers are Barbara, John, Farina (now called Fannie) and Mary. Barbara was married twice, her first hus- band being George Cook, and her second John G. Frobisch; she lives in Monroe County, Ohio. John married Susan (Josser, and lives in Belmont County, Ohio; they are the parents of four children. Fan- nie married Jacob Steiner, and lives in Butler County, Pa. ; she has nine children. Mary married John G. Frobisch, and had one child, William, who has been twice married and lives in Monroe County, Ohio; she died in Ohio in 1862. Mrs. Elizabeth Frobisch carneto this country with her parents in 1831, and settled in Belmont County, Ohio. She was married, at Steubenville, Ohio, to John M. Frobisch on the 1st of February, 1849, the Rev. Dr. Holmes, officiating. There they farmed until 1863, when they moved to Marshall County, 111., where they lived about five years and then moved to Livingston County, and bought a half section of land on which she now lives, with those of her children who are not married. Her father was born in 1776; her mother in 1786. Both died in 1861. John M. Frobisch, the husband of our subject, was born in November, 1823, and died Oct. 24, 1869. He was born in Saxony, and came to the United States when he was about twenty-one years of age. His father was John G. Frobisch, who made two visits to this country, but died in Saxony. Mrs. Frobisch is the mother of a large family, as follows: Mary R., born Nov. 5, 1849, in Monroe County, Ohio, is unmarried and lives with her mother; James, born Jan. 16, 1851, in Monroe County, Ohio, was united in marriage with Caro- line Pampel, April 1, 1874, lives in Livingston County, and has six children living: George, born Aug. 8, 1853, in Monroe County, Ohio, is unmarried and lives in Colorado: Michael, born on the 5th of April, 185"), died on the 20lh of Novem- ber, 1881, in Adair County, Iowa; Fannie, born Feb. 4, 1857, married George W. Anderson, Feb. 10, 1878, lives in Pike Township, Livingston County, and has three children; Louis, born March 25, 1859, is single and lives at home; Charlotte, born April 2, I860, married Lucas H. Brown on the 29th of September, 1882, lives in Rook's Creek LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 337 Township, and has two children ; Jacob, born Feb. 10,1862; John, born March 10, 1864, in Marshall County. 111.; Edward, born Oct. 24, 1866, in Mar- shall County, 111. The last three mentioned arc living at home. The religious belief of the ancestors of Mrs. Frobisch was according to' the doctrines of the Lutheran Church, but in later life her brother was a Presbyterian and her mother became a Methodist. The children differ in their religious belief, and all the political parties are represented among the boys. ^^. EORGE B. KOONTZ, a most thorough and skillful young farmer of Reading Township, owns one of the best conducted farms in that locality, consisting of eighty acres on section 7. This he has brought to a high state of cultivation, and has a beautiful residence, flanked by a good barn and other convenient out-buildings. He keeps a choice assortment of live stock, and his farm machinery comprises implements of the latest im- proved pattern. In connection with his farming operations he runs a threshing-machine, and is a wide-awake business man, always willing to add to his income either by downright hard labor or any other honest means. He is unmarried. Mr. Koontz is a native of Westmoreland County, Pa., and was born March 3, 1862; he is the son of J. C. and Martha (Weaver) Koontz, who were also na- tives of the Keystone State. The father was born in 1830, and came to the West in 1866. His death took place in La Salle County in 1881, in a most distressing manner, he being run over by a train of cars. The mother of our subject is the daugh- ter of David and Mary Jane (Dougherty) Weaver, and became the wife of J. C. Koontz June 23, 1857. The parental household included the following children: Margaret, now the wife of A. Cossel, is the mother of nine children, and now a resident of Reading Township ? Susan, who has been twice married, is now the wife of William McGraw, of Pennsylvania, who is a machinist and foreman in a car manufactory; Martha is the mother of our subject; Sarah married Jacob Chain, a stock dealer of Collinsville, Pa., who is now deceased; Albert died in Ottawa, La Salle Co., 111., Nov. 18, 1866, when a young man twenty-three years of age; Nicholas, a resident of Cloud County, Kan., is mar- ried and the father of five children ; Rebecca, the twin sister of Nicholas, lives in Pennsylvania. Mrs. Mary Jane Weaver died in 1852, and Mr. W. was married again and became the father of two more children. To J. C. and Martha Koontz there were born seven children: William, born July 24, 1859, died in this county Nov. 7, 1875; George B. is our subject: A. Weaver, born Aug. 30, 1866, is farming in Buena Vista County, Iowa; Charles was born Nov. 10, 1868; Lura, Sept. 6, 1871; Harry, Dec. 20, 1874, and Grace, June 23, 1880. These remain at horiie with their mother. Our subject, although a public-spirited citizen, takes very little part in politics, further than to at- tend the general elections and cast his vote in sup- port of Democratic principles. ERRITT R. SWARNER, an energetic and enterprising stock farmer, who operates eighty acres of land on section 25, New- town Township, is a native of Indiana, and was born in Warren County on the llth of December, 1855. He is the son of William and Rebecca (Spinning) Swarner, the former of whom was born in Perry County, Pa., Oct. 13, 1826, and went to Indiana in 1847. He is the son of Henry Swarner, who was born in the year 1793. The mother of our subject is the daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Spinning, and was born in Fountain County, Ind., on the 7th of October, 1827. They were married in the latter-named State on the Gth of December, 1849. In 1851 the father took a trip to California, and was gone about one year. He went by the overland route across the plains, and returned on a vessel by the way of New York City. To William and Rebecca Swarner were born nine children : Mary E., born Aug. 30, 1850, married E. C. Campbell, and lives in Iowa; Charles H.. born April 15, 1853, lives in Holt County, Neb. ; Bfcines, born Jan. 20, 1854, died in infancy; Mer- 338 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ritt R. i* the subject of our sketch; Sarah A., born Sept. 1, 1857, is the wife of Virgil Waldron, and lives in Blackstone, this county; William E., born Sept. 18, 1859, resides in Colorado; Milton F.. born Oct. 20, 1861, lives in Livingston County; John L., born Nov. 29, 1863, lives in Nebraska; Frank, born May 18, 1866, died in infancy. The father and mother now reside on the home place with our subject; both belong to the Christian Church, and are sincere and earnest in their re- ligious professions. The father came to Illinois from Indiana in 1868, and located in this township, where the subject of this sketch has resided all his life and where he received his education. On the 2d of January, 1881, Merritt R. Swarner was married to Miss Addie Applegate, the cere- mony being performed by Rev. R. Dunlevey. They have had one child, named Elma M., who was born April 11, 1883. Although Mr. Swarner is yet a young man he has made excellent progress in his business, and stands to-day as one of the most enterprising farmers and stock-raisers of Newtown Township. The farm is under a good state of cultivation, is well fenced and drained, and is above the average in productiveness. E WITT C. STOCKHAM. "Peace hath its victories no less renowned than war," and the subject of this sketch has achieved victories both as a private citizen in peace and as the valiant soldier in war. One of the por- tions of this sketch of which our subject can justly feel proud, is that which records the part he took in the war for the preservation of the Union, and which resulted, not only in maintaining the Union intact, but in destroying the curse of human slav- ery in this Republic. The subject of this sketch, a model farmer and stock- raiser on section 30, Avoca Township, is a native of LaSalle County, 111., and was born on the 5th of June, 1842, and is a son of Joseph Stock- ham, a native of Lake County, Ohio. His mother died when he was but eighteen months old. Ills great-grandfather was of Welsh descent, and lived to the extraordinary age of one hundred and six years. The father of our subject settled in LaSalle County in 1826, being one of the early pioneers of that county, and there resided until 1861, when he removed to Nebraska, and soon after died. DeWitt C. Stockham spent the days of his bo3'-' hood in LaSalle County, and in the common schools obtained what education he could. When about twenty years of age the war between the States of the Union was inaugurated by the secession of nearly all the Southern States. On the 29th of August, 1861, when the people began to realize that the war would be a long one, and the struggle between the North and the South a desperate one, young Stockham saw that his duty lay in the direction of the army. He enlisted in Company K, 8th Illinois Cavalry, and served faithfully and honorably until every soldier of the Confederate army was either killed or surrendered as a prisoner of war. During his term of service he was mostly in the Army of the Potomac, and participated in all those campaigns which have become as world famous as the campaigns of Napoleon. The list of engagements in which his regiment participated shows at once the proud position it occupies in the history of the grand Army of the Potomac. The list is as follows: Malvern Hill, Gettysburg (which battle was opened by his regiment, the subject of this sketch being one of the front line of skirmish- ers in the beginning of the battle), Antietam, Sharpsburg, the noted cavalry fight at Fredericks- burg, and many others of equal magnitude in the number of men engaged and lives lost. He was honorably discharged July 18, 1865, and imme- diately after returned to Illinois, when in the win- ter following he came to Livingston County, and settled in Avoca Township shortly after. He now owns a good farm of 120 acres of well-improved land. Mr. Stockham was married in Fairbury, on the 12th of March, 1868, to Sarah J. Zook, a native of Montgomery County, Ind., born May 28, 1840. She is the daughter of Solomon and Clarissa Xook, natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey re- spectively, both of whom are dead. They have two children: Thomas E., born Dec. 31, 1S72. and Edward. Dec. 21, 1877. Mr. Stockham is a Re- publican in politics, and through the respect of his LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 339 fellow members of that party, and the citizens generally, he was elected for a term of two years as Road Supervisor of his district, and is now serving his second term as School Director, for which position he is peculiarly fitted, on account of his interest in the welfare of the schools. He is a self-made man, and whatever he possesses of this world's goods has come to him as the result of industry, perseverance and good management. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and engages actively in church work, having served as Sunday-school Superintendent and Class- Leader for a considerable time. Whatever has a tendency to better the condition of the com- munity or forward the progress of the county and township, meets with his warmest approval and support. \ERNHARD STROBEL. Among the many citizens of Livingston County who have been contributed by Germany, none stands fairer in reputation, nor has been more suc- cessful for the opportunities enjoyed than the sub- ject of this sketch, who is a farmer on section 19, in Avoca Township. He is a native of Wurtem- berg, Germany, born on the 20th of August, 1820, and is the son of Jacob and Laura Strobel, who were also natives of Germany. Of the five chil- dren born to his parents the following named are now living: George, in Germany; Clara and Bern- hard. The last was reared to manhood in his na- tive country, and received, as do most of the chil- dren of that country, a good education in his na- tive language. In 1850, at the age of thirty, he concluded to emigrate to America, and after land- ing in New York, proceeded to the State of Penn- sylvania, where, for nearly eight years, he was em- ployed in the iron-ore mines, in which occupation he earned the money' which gave him his start in this country. On the 10th of April, 1855, our subject was married to Theresa Miller, who was born in Ger- many on the 25th of February, 1825. She was the daughter of Sebastian and Victoria Miller, both of whom were German by birth. Her parents hud seven children, six of whom are living: Anthony, in Baltimore, Md.; Theresa; Pauline, a teacher in the public schools of Livingston County; Min- nie, wife of W. W. Wagner, of Eppard's Point Township, also a teacher; Maggie, a public-school teacher; Emma, at present attending the Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind. In the spring of 1857, with his family, Mr. Stro- bel came to Livingston County and settled on his present farm, which consists of ninety acres, eighty of which are under a high state of cultivation, and on which he has erected appropriate buildings for the comfort of his family, the protection of the products of the farm and shelter of domestic ani- mals. He is eminently a self-made man, as what- ever he has accumulated has been through his own industry, perseverance and economy. He is a Re- publican in politics, and does what he can in a humble way to further the interests of his party. For the past fifteen years he has served in the ca- pacity of Director of Schools, and in that position has done much to elevate the educational standard of his district. He has always been a friend of educational interests, and believes in the most lib- eral management of the schools. He and his wife are both members of the Catholic Church, and are constant in their devotion. They are honored members of society, and enjoy the confidence and esteem of the entire community in which they re- side. CR FOTHERINGHAM. This enter- terprising young farmer of Union Town- ship is starting out in life under the most favorable auspices. He is the only son of a prosperous citizen, and the owner of a fine tract of land given him by his father. This is located on section 14, and is embellished with a neat residence, a good barn and other out-build- ings. Mr. F. was reared to habits of industry, and is looked upon as one of the future agricultur- ists of this section, who is bound to make his mark. Our subject was born in LaSalle County, this State, Dec. 6, 1857, and is the eldest of two children, the offspring of David and Alice (Scott) Fotheringham, natives of Scotland. They emi- t. 340 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. grated to America in 1851, settling at once on a tract of land in La Salle County, where the father opened up a good farm, and where they still re- side. The paternal grandparents of our subject were Peter and Marion (Anderson) Fotheringham, also of Scotch birth and parentage, who spent .their entire lives upon their native soil. On the mother's sfde his grandparents were James and Mary (Atchison) Scott, of the same country, where they lived and died, and the male members of which family were for generations back tillers of the soil. David Fotheringham is largely engaged in farming and stock-raising, and possesses all the substantial and reliable traits of his ancestors. Our subject spent his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, becoming famil- iar with the various employments of rural life and receiving his education in the district school. He continued under the home roof until twenty-seven years of age, and then, as a first step toward the establishment of a home of liis own, was united in marriage with Miss Jane Wyllie, the wedding tak- ing place at the home of the bride in Union Township, March 7, 1884. Mrs. Fotheringham was born in La Salle County, Sept. 3, 1864, and is the fourth in a family of six children belonging to John and Margaret (Hamilton) Wyllie. Her parents were also natives of Scotland, and are numbered among the well-to-do and reliable citizens of this county. Their names will be found as subjects of a biography pre- sented elsewhere in this ALIII M. Our subject and wife began life together upon the farm where they now live, and in addition to the quarter section here, Mr. Fotheringham oper- ates eighty acres belonging to his wife. Their union has been blessed by the birth of one child, a son, David H., who came to the household Sept. 1 8, 1887. Mr. F. votes with the Republican party although not particularly interested in political matters. He is willing, however, to give his at- tention to important matters respecting the welfare of his community, and lias consented to serve as School Trustee in his district. He takes pride in his farm and stock, and his homestead forms one of the most attractive spots in the landscape of Union Township. JnOHN N. WOLF. Following is given a j brief sketch of a representative of a class of i foreign-born citizens who brought the thrift 1 and energy, which were their only heritage in their native land, to this country of great possi- bilities, and have accomplished so much under the influence of the institutions of America. This gentleman, besides coming to a country where the language and customs were wholly different from those of his native land, was deprived of the ten- der attentions and care of parents in his youth. Thus early left dependent upon his own resources, he has made a gallant struggle, and it is a pleasure to record in this ALBUM, which contains the biog- raphies of so many of the good people of Living- ston County, the events which have led up to his success. Mr. Wolf is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 16, Owego Township, and is a native of Germany, where he was born on the 28th of March, 1829. When eight years of age he became an orphan, and was early thrown upon his own resources. His ed- ucation was obtained in his native country, and in his native language, and included all the ordinary branches taught. In his younger days he followed the occupation of a cooper for a time. At the age of twenty-seven, in the year 1856, he emi- grated to America, taking passage at Bremen in a sailing-vessel, and after an exceedingly rough voy- age of forty-two days, landed in New York City. He did not linger there, but proceeded at once to the West and located near Peru, La Salle Co., 111., where he engaged in farming until 1864, in which year he settled in Livingston County, locat- ing on the farm he at present occupies on section 16, Owego Township. He first bought eighty acres of land, which he improved, and which is now one of the model farms of the township. In October, 1856, Mr. Wolf was married to Mar- garet Apel. a native of Germany, who was born on the 20th of January, 1839, and is the daughter of Henry and Christina Apel, with whom she came to America in 1857. To them have been born eleven children, ten of whom are living: Henry; William; Charlotte, Mrs. W. Ellis; Minnie, Mrs. Robert Al- geo; John; Gustena; Christopher; Mar}' ; Eliza- beth and Clara. The name of the deceased child LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 343 1 was Michael. Mr. and Mrs. Wolf are both mem- bers of the Lutheran Church, in which he has served as an Elder. They both take an active interest in church matters, and are generous in their contri- butions to aid and encourage all moral and relig- ious agencies. Mr. Wolf acts with the Democratic party, but is not an active politician. For several years he served as a School Director, and whether as an officer or a citizen, takes great interest in ed- ucational matters. He is a progressive man in his ideas, and a citizen of which any township may well be proud. EORGE W. PATTON, attorney at law, of the firm of Strawn it Patton. located at Pon- tiac, in 1883 moved from Fail-bury to Pon- tiac, and at once became associated with his pres- ent partner. The partnership has proved a MTV sat- isfactory one. and almost inimediati'ly the firm took a front rank in the profession, us represented in this rounty. Mr. Patton possesses those qualities of mind which eminently fit him for the business he has so aptly chosen for a life calling, and within the comparatively short time since he was admitted to the bar has secured for clients some of the most prominent citizens of this county, and largest corpo- rations of the State. He is a close student, care- fully looks up his cases, and works conscientiously and with all his ability in the interest of his client. Being an excellent judge of human nature he is sel- dom placed at a disadvantage in any legal couU->t in this essential particular. He is likewise an enter- prising and valued citizen of Poutiac, and has the interest of the public at heart. Such men are in- valuable to any community. Our subject is a native of Greene Count}'. Pa.. and is a sou of Samuel R. and Jane Patton, nee Haines, also natives of the Keystone state. Samuel R. located in Green Township. W Iford Co., 111., in 1S/S4. where he carried on farming success- fully for many years and then retired from active labor. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Rev. James Patton. was a native of Maryland and the son of Rev. John Patton of the xnne State, a dived descendant of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Mr. Patton's great-grandparents on the maternal side were from the Emerald Isle, and settled in Pennsyl- vania in the Colonial days, the great-grandfather serving six years as a soldier under Gen. Washing- ton. The subject of this sketch has five sisters living Elizabeth Moms, Lueinda Cams, Margaret Edwards, Catharine Barnard and Martha E. Taylor and one brother, John L., a successful farmer and stockman residing on the old homestead in Woodford County. Mr. Patton was reared on the farm until he attained to his majority, receiving a good common-school education, and subsequently attending the State Normal University at Bloomington for three years. Afterward he engaged in teaching school at Secor and El Paso. 111. He read law with Hay. Greene & Littler, at Springfield, 111., and was there admitted to the bar b_y the Supreme Court. Mr. Patton was married, Sept. 20, 1877, to Miss Flora E. Cook, a native of Wayne County, Ind., and a daughter of James and Lueinda Cook. They have one child, Marie Patton, born July 7, 1883. Mr. Patton is a strong Republican in politics, and belongs to the Masonic fraternity, in which he is a Knight Templar. He is attorney for the C. & A., the I. C., and the C., S. F. & C. R. Rds., the Pontiac Union Coal Company, and also for the Board of Supervisors of Livingston County. Among his rel- atives now living and bearing his patronymic, there are three ministers, two physicians and three lawyers, one of the latter being now a Republican Member of Congress from Pennsylvania. It is with pleasure we present the portrait of Mr. Patton in this work, knowing that it will be highly appreciated by his many friends. Q- TANQUARY, attorney-at-law, Pontiac. In Mr. Tanquary we find an excellent ex- ample for young men just embarking in the field of active life, of what may be accomplished by energy, prudence and industry. He relied almost entirely upon his own efforts for an education, and up to his seventeenth year had only such ad- vantages as were offered by the common schools of the neighborhood in which he lived. He com- menced teaching when eighteen years of age, tcaeh- f i 344 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ing in the winter terms, and attending school and working on the farm the remainder of the year. The subject of our sketch is a native of Mar- shall County, 111., and the only child of James and Lucinda C. (Watkins) Tanquary, natives of Ohio, who were married in Marshall County in 1853, where N. CJ. was born in 1854. He has two half- brothers, William R., and David R., children of his mother by a former marriage. James' parents were William and Elizabeth (Shackeford) Tanquaiy, na- tives of Ohio. The Tanquarys are of French de- scent; his great-grandfather came from France in the early settlement of Maryland and took a grant of land, partially surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay. This land is still known as Tanquary's Neck. The father of Lucinda C. Watkins was David, a native of Ohio, and of Scotch-Irish descent, who was engaged in farming. James came to Illinois in 1853, settling near Lacon, Marshall County, and is one of the extensive farmers and substantial men of the county. He and his wife are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and he has been a Class- Leader for many years. In politics Mr. Tanquary has always affiliated with the Republican party. The subject of this sketch lived upon the farm with his parents until he was twenty-three years of age, attending the common schools in his early youth when not engaged in working on the farm. He commenced teaching at a very early age, at the same time studying law, beginning when in his eighteenth year. In 1881 he took one year's course in the law school of Iowa City, and was graduated in the spring of 1882. In the fall of the following year he located at Pontiac, Livingston County, and has since been engaged in the practice of law. Like his father he is a Republican, and in 1885 he was elected City Attorney, and is now serving his sec- ond term, the last time being elected on the Tem- perance ticket. Mr. Tanquary was married in 1878 to Miss Lil- lian Neal, daughter of Samuel and Asenith (Malh- ews) Neal, natives of New Hampshire. Her an- cestors were Scotch and came from the mother country early in the settlement of New Hampshire, bringing with them a grant to land, on which land they settled. Her great-grandfather was born on the ocean while his parents were en route for America, and was called Moses. Moses Neal gave his attention to the study and practice of the law and took an active part in politics; he was for thirty years Speaker of the House in the State of New Hampshire. The parents of Mrs. Tanquary settled in Peoria County in 1830. Mr. Tanquary has three children Gracie, Ru- berta and Neal. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Aside from be- ing one of the most successful attorneys of the Livingston County bar, our subject has accumu- lated considerable property, being mostly real estate located in Livingston and Marshall Counties. Jl ACOB DOWHOWER, who occupies a prom- | inent position among the agriculturists of j Livingston County, is comfortably located I on section 24, in Owego Township, where he took up his abode in the spring of 1884. Here he has eighty acres of good land, and is numbered among the skillful and progressive farmers of Cen- tral Illinois. Our subject was born in Sandusky County, Ohio, May 8, 1838, and is the son of Jacob and Mary (Shire) Dowhower, natives of Pennsylvania. The paternal ancestors were of German descent. To the parents of our subject there was born a large family of children, of whom but two are now liv- ing, namely, Jacob and David. Jacob was a youth of sixteen years when his parents removed from the Buckeye State to Wisconsin, where they resided until about six years ago, when they returned to Ohio, where the mother departed this life in 1880 ( and the father in 1881. Our subject upon coming to Illinois located first in Bureau County, where he resided until 1867. Thence he removed to a point near D wight in this county, where he engaged in farming a year, and after a short sojourn in Saune- min Township, where he owned eighty acres, came to Owego, which he purposes making his permanent home. Mr. Dowhower, while a resident of Bureau County, was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Rider, their wedding taking place at the home of the bride, in September, 1861. Mrs. Dowhower was LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 345' born in New York State, July 3, 1844, and is the daughter of John and Kate Rider, who came to Bureau County, this State, when their daughter Eliza was a child eight years of age. They were among the earliest settlers of that region and ex- perienced all the vicissitudes of pioneer life ; they are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Dowhower are the parents of one child only, a daughter, Hattie, who was born Feb. 17, 1877. Our subject is Re- publican in politics and has served as Director in School District No. 6 for a period of three years. Socially he belongs to the I. O. O. F. Although receiving but a limited education himself, he stoutly maintains that the establishment of schools is a matter which should receive the first attention of any community. To this end he has been will- ing to give his time and attention, and has in other directions indicated the bent of his mind in regard to the general welfare of society. He and his estim- able lady number their friends by the score in Owego Township, of which he is destined to become one of the leading men. Mr. Dowhower since com- ing to Livingston has been very successful in all his undertakings, and promises to be one of Living- ston County's solid men in the near future. In religion he is liberal in his views, attending and as- sisting all the -Evangelical Churches. (7 INCOLN HAMLIN TUTTLE, farmer and I (fjt school teacher of Rook's Creek Township, jiLW. owns and occupies a good farm on section 20, and is numbered among the wide-awake and representative men of that locality. He is a native of this State, having been born in Sparland, Mar- shall County, Sept. 6, I860. Seven years later his parents removed from town to the farm but he pursued his education in the Sparland High School, lacking one year of finishing the full course. Mr. Tuttle when fourteen years of age removed to Livingston County with his parents, who lo- cated on a farm in Rook's Creek Township, where he was employed in rural pursuits until 1878. He then entered the State Normal University, spending several terms in study, and upon returning home prepared to follow the profession of a teacher. His first experience was in Pike Township, District No. 3, and he was thus occupied until 1883, in different places in this county. He then took up the study of law in the office of H. H. McDowell, and in due time was fully qualified for admission to the bar. His inclinations, however, lay in other channels, and he consequently did not apply for permission to practice as an attorney. Mr. Tuttle when a boy nine years of age met with an accident which nearly proved fatal. While riding on horseback he was practicing on a peculiar halter knot which his father had taught him, and had fastened the strap about his leg. The horse became frightened and starting suddenly threw him, and dragged him through the timber until the strap was broken by the horse go- ing on one side of the tree and throwing the boy the other side. He was considered beyond recovery when picked up, but under good care he survived. Subsequently, on the 21st of June, 1887, while endeavoring to board a moving train,, he fell and his right femur bone was broken in two places. From this he has recovered very slowly. . Our subject is the eldest of a family of four children. The names of the other three are : Lois S., born Feb. 2, 1868; William A., Aug. 5, 1872; Carrie E., Aug. 20, 1875; the three eldest were born in Sparland and the youngest in this county. The father. Samuel B. Tuttle, a native of Steuben County, N. Y., was born Feb. 25, 1832, and was the youngest of his parents' family. When he was a mere child they left the Empire State and located on a farm in Monroe County, Mich. He received a good education, completing his studies in Hills- dale College, and for ten years thereafter followed the profession of a teacher in Michigan, Ohio, Indi- ana and Illinois. In 1856 he went to Kansas, and was associated with John Brown in the troubles brought on by the agitation of the slavery ques- tion. This over, he returned to Illinois, locating first in Peoria, whence he removed to Sparland, Marshall County. In the latter place he was united in marriage with Miss Emma Swift, Dec. 25, 1859. Mrs. Tuttle was born Jan. 20, 1839, and like her husband was also a native of New York State. Her father, Philander Smith, was born Feb. 7, 1800, and married Miss Arzilla Agbert, born July 11, 1802. They emigrated from New York to Illinois in 1844, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i and located in Marshall County, where they spent the remainder of their lives. The paternal grandfather of our subject, John Martin Tuttle, was born near New Haven, Conn., in 1788, and when quite young removed with his parents to New York State, where he afterward en- gaged in Itiraberipg, and participated in the War of 1812. He was first assigned as a scout to the Middle Division, and was afterward transferred to the Western Division which was under the com- mand of Gen. Harrison. At the battle of the Thames he was appointed messenger to carry orders from Gen. Harrison to Col. Johnson, or- dering the charge upon Tecumseh. Grandfather Tuttle was present at the charge and witnessed the death of the great chieftain. He married Miss Rhoda Palmer, daughter of Gideon Palmer, of Greene County, N. Y., whose family was largely represented in that part of the State. John Tuttle subsequently removed West to Michigan and served as Sheriff of Monroe County two terms. Our sub- ject took possession of his present homestead in 1875. SULLIVAN, since the spring of 1876, has been a resident of Cornell, where he owns a snug home and an acre of land. He is spoken of as an honest, energetic, hard- working and highly respected citizen, and ranks among the representative business men of the town. He possesses inventive genius, and has a patent on a novel wagon-box catch, for which he has refused the sum of $7,000 from an Eastern capitalist. Aside- from perfecting his invention he has been principally engaged in blacksinithing. Our subject was -born in Lucas County. Ohio, in 1839, and is the son of Daniel and Mary (Dugan) Sullivan, who were natives of Ireland. When he was quite a boy, John came to Michigan with his parents, and served a thorough apprenticeship at blacksmithing. He is an expert workman and a natural mechanic, and has. worked at his trade in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and New York. The wife of our subject was formerly Miss Phebe, daughter of Dennis and Wilis Heath. She was born Oct. 14, 1844. They were married in Oil City, Pa., July 2, 1865. After marriage they located in Venango County, Pa., where Mr. Sullivan followed his trade until becoming a resident of Cornell. Our subject and his wife have become the parents of five children living, named respectively, Burton C.. Winnifred C., Kate, Franc and Edward. Two little ones were laid away in early graves, namely, Mary Alberta, who was born Sept. 26, 1867, and died April '.), 1868, and Nellie, who died when two years and eleven months old. -><>C^ iiS~ *- I AMES P. MORGAN, one of the most hon- ored pioneers of Livingston County, came to Illinois in the spring of 1854, and for a period of more than thirty years has tilled the soil and watched with intense satisfaction the development of Central Illinois. He comes from a race of people renowned for their courage and en- terprise, being the son of James and Elizabeth (Rob- erts) Morgan, natives of Carlisle, Pa., the former the first white settler who crossed the Allegheny Mountains to the West. He located at a point not far from where now stands Morgan town, in Virginia, and which was named after the family. James Morgan first purchased a tract of land near Olli- pliant's Iron Works, where he resided for a time, then removed to Greene County, Pa., of which he was a resident many years. He subsequently settled across the line in Virginia, six miles below Wheeling, where the death of both parents took place, the mother passing away in December, 1856. James Morgan survived his wife nearly thirty years, and died in 1885. . The father of our subject was one of a family of six children, three boys and three girls, who were named respectively, Nathan, James, William, Polly, Ruth and Sarah. He became fa- miliar with farm pursuits early in life, which he was content to follow until its close. The parental family of our subject included eight children, only three of whom are now living. James P. was born in Fayctte County, Pa., Sept. 30, 1802. He spent his early life amid the quiet scenes of farm life in Pennsylvania. Branching out somewhat from the regular routine, and having a taste for books and newspapers, he in 1827 became LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 347 connected with the printing business at Waynes- burg, Pa, and continued a printer thereafter for a period of about twenty years. He understands the business of conducting' a first-class country newspa- per, having officiated as both compositor and editor, and still retains his interest in the "'art preserva- tive." He cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. Jackson, and voted for the old hero for President three times afterward. When Mr. Morgan came to this section of country in 1854 wild game of all kinds was plentiful, and he has seen as many as 100 deer in a herd. The pioneers usually set aside Saturday as a general hunting daj r , when they went out and secured their game for the week. These occasions were the source of considerable hilarity, and the hunters uniformly met with success and kept their families supplied with the finest of wild meats. .lames P. Morgan was married in 1834 to Miss Nancy Bradley, daughter of William and Mary (Gorman) Bradley, natives of Ireland. Of this union there were the following children: William was born July 5, 1835; Elizabeth, Sept. 80, 1837; James P., Jr., Oct. 30, 1838; Ann Eliza, Nov. 28, 1840: Charles, Jan. 5, 1843; Thomas, Sept. 21, 1844; Nathan, July 26, 1846; Margaret, Oct. 19, 1847; Rebecca, Dec. 27, 1848, and John, Nov. 10, 1850. William is married and has a family of twelve children; he is farming in Cowley County, Kan. Elizabeth died when young; James P. is married, and a resident of Crawford County, Kan., where he is engaged in mercantile business; Ann Eliza is the wife of Charles Lonsberry, of Long Point Town- ship; Charles resides in Independence, Montgom- ery Co., Kan., is Marshal of the city, and one of the respected business men of the place; he is married and has three children. Thomas died when about four years old. Nathan located in Stonewall, Col., where he engaged as a merchant, and was shot on the 2('ith of December, 188(!. The assassin was a young man who went into the store where he was and ordered him to hold up his hands. Al- though the destined victim had a revolver, the young man fired before he could use it. The thief and murderer was afterward captured, but had re- ceived a fatal wound and died in a short time. Nathan Morgan left a widow and two children to mourn their loss. Margaret became the wife of Jerome Blair, of Michigan, and they located in Cowley County, Kan, where they are farming, and are the parents of two children; Rebecca died when an infant; John is farming in Long Point Township; he married a Miss Wheeler, of Long Point Township. James P. Morgan, our subject, is the owner of eighty-two acres of fine farming land, besides town property at Long Point, which includes thirteen lots, in the midst of which he resides in a handsome and comfortable home. The residence is not far from the Chicago, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad depot. It is supplied with all the modern conven- iences, and both within and without gives evidence of cultivated tastes and an ample supply of this world's goods. Mr. Morgan has been quite promi- nent in local affairs, and was one of the first County Supervisors, which position he occupied six years. He was County Judge from 1857 to and including 1858, and has been Justice of the Peace for twenty years or more. In early life lie identified himself with the Democratic party and has stoutly main- tained its principles since that time. Socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. As a citizen he has contributed his full quota toward the building ui> of Long Point Township. He is held in the highest regard, and is particularly noted for his kindly disposition, while his ample fund of inform- ation constitutes him a most intelligent gentleman with whom to converse. i ICHARD STBATTON has been a resident of Avoca Township for the past twelve years. He is in possession of 179 acres of Jland on section 29, and besides general farming, is largely engaged in stock-raising, in which he has met with more than ordinary success. He has been a resident of the Prairie State for nearly a half century, having been brought here by his parents when a child three years of age. Our subject was born in New York City, Dec. 30, 1835, and is the son of William and Sarah (Clay- ton) Stratton. natives respectively of Ireland and '348 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i New Jersey. The mother was of excellent German ancestry, her grandparents who emigrated to the United States, being among the prominent and substantial settlers of New England. William Stratton departed this life at his home in Peoria County about 1877. The mother is still living on the old homestead there. Richard Stratton was the third son of his parents, whose household included eleven children. lie was reared to manhood on the farm in Peoria County, and received his education in its pioneer schools. Upon coming to this county in 1870, he resided about five years in Eppard's Point Township, and thence removed to his present farm. The improve- ments which we see around him to-day, the finely cultivated fields and substantial buildings, are the result of his own industry and perseverance. He has labored early and late in the effort to construct a desirable homestead, and the passer-by will con- cede that he has succeeded in a manner which should be entirely satisfactory to all interested. He was thrown upon his own resources early in life, and may consequently be termed a self-made man, while he is certainly a member of his community of whom his fellow-townsmen have the best opinion. The lady who has been the close companion of our subject for a period of fifteen years, was for- merly Mrs. Mary Wagenseller, of Juniata County, Pa., whom he married Feb. 7, 1873. They have no children. By her first husband Mrs. Stratton be- came the mother of two children Harry W. and Juniata W. Our subject, politically, is a reliable Democrat, and in the pleasant home which he and his wife have together labored to build up, they dis- pense a generous hospitality to a large number of friends. ORGAN THOMAS owns 160 acres of land on section 17, Newtown Township, but, af- ter a long and busy life, he has retired from active work, and is now enjoying the fruits of his labor. He was born in Wales Sept. 13, 1812, and is the son of Jenkins and Mary (Williams) Thomas, also natives of Wales. The father lived until he was eighty-four years of age, and the mother died when she was eighty-seven. They were the parents of four children, whose names are as follows : Thomas, Eleanor, Rees and Morgan. Morgan Thomas lived in Wales with his parents until 1840, receiving such education as the ordinary schools of that country afforded, and also learning the rudiments of farming, and the practical details of coal mining. In the year 1840 he came to America, landing at New York City, -from which lie proceeded to Pennsylvania, where he engaged in sinking and superintending coal shafts. He remained in Pennsylvania engaged in that busi- ness, excepting while on a trip to St. Louis, Mo., and to Leavenworth, Kan., for about ten years. Upon his return from the West, he remained but a short time in Pennsylvania, and then came to Illi- nois, where he settled in La Salle County, near the town of Streator. Removing thence in 1868, he came to Livingston County, and settled upon the 160-acre farm which he now owns. In March, 1850, Mr. Thomas returned to Pennsylvania, where he was married to Mrs. Margaret Cozad, formerly Miss Margaret Moore. She was the daughter of James and Jane (Johnson) Moore, natives of Scot- land and England respectively, who came to Amer- ica after their marriage, and were early settlers in Pennsylvania. They were the parents of five chil- dren, named Hugh, Margaret, James, Sarah and Matilda; they are all living. James is residing in West Virginia, and the others in Pennsylvania, ex- cepting Margaret, the wife of our subject. Margaret first was married to Jacob Cozad, and by this union were born three children Mary Ann, Thomas and Leonard. Mary Ann lives in Minnesota, Leonard in West Virginia, and Thomas in Streator, 111. Af- ter the death of Mr. Cozad, Margaret became the wife of our subject. Of the marriage of Mr. Thomas and Mrs. Cozad have been born two chil- dren Ellen and Elmer. Ellen is the wife of Sam- uel Tidabeck, a native of New York State; they have four children John, William, Margaret and a baby unnamed. Elmer resides at home with his parents, and is crippled in one knee, caused by a cut with an ax when he was a child. Mr. Thomas has retired from active life, and his ! :i nn is managed by his son-in-law and son. Dur- ing his entire life Mr. T. has been an active man, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 319 , J and has been measurably successful in all his un- dertakings. He has been a citizen of Livingston County for about twenty years, and during that time has firmly established himself in the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. i REX. Ten years is a tender age at which to commence buffeting one's way through life, and where one succeeds who be- gins at that nge hundreds fail and fall by the wavside. The boy who is then thrown upon his own resources and reaches anything like independ- ence bv the time he arrives at the prime of man- hood, is deserving of much commendation for his pluck and perseverance. While the writer does not. desire to be fulsome in any sense he can commend to boys and young men the career of the subject of this sketch, who was left an orphan at the age of ten years. Mr. Rex, who was a farmer for many years, but now a resident of Fairbury, was born on the 6th of April, 1844, in Greene County, Pa., and is the son of Charles and Mary (Hickman) Rex, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was a farmer by occu- pation, a member of the Presbyterian Church, and an old-line Whig. During his life he accumulated considerable property, which included about 600 acres of land. He was "born in Pennsylvania in the year 1800. and died in that State in 1854. There is a remarkable coincidence of dates in the birth, life and death of the parents of Mr. Rex. The mother was born in the same year as the father, and they both died in the same minute and hour, of the same disease, and are botli buried in the same grave. At their death they left five children Margaret, Eliza- beth, Peria, George, and John, who was the young- est of the family. Mr. Rex was married on the 31st of December, 1865, to Miss Mary A. McMinn. the daughter of Thomas R. and Elizabeth (Pollock) McMinn, who were natives of Pennsylvania. The father died in 1886, and during his life was a saddler by trade; the mother is Still living. Mr. Rex received a tol- erably fair education in the common schools, but at the age of ten years began to support himself, and for a considerable time earned what money he could at working by the month on the farm. In 1862, when eighteen years old, he enlisted in the loth Pennsylvania Cavalry, in which he was assigned as a private to Company C, and with which he served for three years, participating in the battles of An- tietam, Md., Stone River, Tenn., on the march from Nashville to Atlanta, was with Gen. Stoneman in his raid through Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina, and marched through Alabama to Nash- ville. His discharge from the army bears date July 3, 1865. Upon his discharge from the army Mr. Rex returned to Pennsylvania on a visit. In 1880 he came to Livingston County, and moved upon the farm which he now owns, consisting of 1GO acres on section 17. Mr. and Mrs. Rex have five children Lizzie M., Willie M., Annie M., Maggie and Tressa. In 1886 Mr. Rex moved to the town of Fairbury, where he has been engaged in the dairy and creamery busi- ness in connection with his farm operations. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and the only interest he takes in politics is in the cause of prohibition, of which he is an earnest and ener- getic advocate. In his business affairs he has been eminently successful, and in his later venture, in Fairbury, especially so. There have been wonder- ful improvements in the dairy and creamery busi- ness within the' past few years, and Mr. Rex has kept abreast of the times in all of them. His farm furnishes him ample facilities for feeding and car- ing for cattle, and the products of his dairy can be relied upon as coming from healthful sources. [?AMES TAPPER, a thrifty English farmer of Owego Township, owns a fine property on section 22, including 280 acres of valu- able land, a substantial residence with a good barn and other suitable out-buildings, a goodly assortment of live stock, and the extensive mod- ern machinery required by the progressive agri- culturist of this day and age. Mr. T. has willingly availed himself of whatever would tend to beau- tify and increase the value of his country home. 350 LIVINGSTON COUNTY which has now become one of the most attractive spots in the landscape of Livingston County. Our subject, a native of Devonshire, England, was born March 10, 1835, and is the son of John and Sarah (Casey) Tapper, also of English birth and parentage. He had three elder brothers, and was reared with them in his native country until nineteen years of age, when he set out alone on a voyage to the New World, where he hoped to bet- ter his condition in life. After landing in New York City he made his way to Albany, where he was employed as a laborer one year, then came to Illinois, and for two years afterward was a resident of Grundy County. His next abode was in Peoria County, where he resided several years and thence, in 1867, migrated to Livingston, which has been his home now for a period of twenty years. He had, during these years, lived economically, and landed here with a snug little sum of money which he in- vested in a quarter section of uncultivated land, from which he at once proceeded to build up a permanent homestead. The dwelling which first constituted a shelter for his family was a small frame structure, which they occupied for a few years, and which then gave place to their present more modern residence. He afterward added 120 acres of land to his first purchase, which he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, and which produces in abundance the choicest crops of the Prairie State. He can look around upon his pos- sessions with the satisfaction that he owes no man anything, and that he has received few favors and no assistance financially. Mr. Tapper's early education was extremely lim- ited, but he has kept himself well posted upon mat- ters of general interest, and is in all respects an in- teresting man to converse with. He believes in the establishment and maintenance of schools, and all the institutions which will give to the young those advantages which will enable them to become useful and intelligent members of the community. Upon becoming a voter he identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he has uni- formly sustained since that time. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church and recognizes the im- portant influence of Christianity upon a people and a community. Mr. Tapper, after reaching his twenty-fifth birth- day was united in marriage with Miss Jane Ander- son, in 1860, at the home of the bride in Akron, 111. Mrs. T. is a native of this State, and the daughter of William and Jane (Hull) Anderson, the latter of whom is deceased, and the former re- sides in Peoria County, 111. Of this union there have been born four children, three living, namely, Sarah, who married Byron Ocean, and resides in Owego Township; Charlotte and Susan, who re- main at home with their parents. LBERT FRANCIS, a highly respected member of the farming community of Forest Township, and located on section 10, has been a resident of Livingston County since a boy twelve years of age. He is now a gentleman in the prime of life, of excellent habits and good business education, and is the owner of a good homestead comprising 1 47 acres of land, with neat, suitable and convenient build- ings. He keeps good horses and cattle, and avails himself of all the modern methods of agriculture, in order to preserve his record as an enterprising and valued factor in a community of more tliau ordinary progress and intelligence. Our subject is the youngest son of John and Margaret (Ross) Francis, natives of Ireland and Ohio respectively, who located after their marriage in Brown County, Ohio, where Albert, 'our sub- ject, was born Aug. 1, 1848. The elder Francis operated a farm in that county until 18<>0, when he determined to try his fortunes in the West. He came directly to this county and took up a tract of land on section 10 in Forest Township, where he built up a comfortable home. Young Francis continued with his parents, becoming thoroughly familiar with the intricacies of farming, which he chose for his vocation in life. After passing his thirtieth year, July 11,1 883, Mr. Francis was united in marriage with Miss Cynthia, daughter of James F. and Eda (Moore) Earnheart. Mrs. F. was born in Avoca, this county. Dec. 25, 1 sf)U. Her parents, who were respectively natives of f ts RESIDENCE OF ALBERT FRANCIS, SEC. 10. FOREST TOWNSHIP. KELLOGG BRO'S STOCK FA RM.SEC.fi. PON TI AC TOWNS HI P. t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Ohio and Tennessee, came to Illinois in the pioneer days, and located in Indian Grove Township, where they were married and lived a number of years; they are now living in retirement in Fairbury, 111. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Francis re- paired to their present home, where they have since remained, and where their two children, Irma Mildred and Howard Milton, were born. They are members in good standing of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Forest, with which they have been connected for several years, and are among its most liberal and cheerful supporters. Mr. Fran- cis is a strong Republican, and has held the local offices of his township. His wife is a most esti- mable and amiable lady, highly intelligent and well educated. She taught school for a period of eight years in Fairbury, and one year at Forest. Mr. Francis, in partnership with his brother Joseph, from 1876 to 1886, engaged quite exten- sively in the manufacture of brick and tile, their factory being the first of its kind established in Livingston County, Much of the land in this sec- tion having now been drained and fitted for the raising of crops, the demand for this product has decreased in a proportionate degree, and they have, during the past year, done but little in this direction. A handsome lithographic view of Mr. Francis' residence is shown on another page of this work. tRUMAN M. KELLOGG, of the firm of Kel- logg Bros., prominent stock-traders of Pon- tiac Township, who have a fine tract of land on section 8, where he has been operating suc- cessfully for about nineteen years, is recognized at once as a gentleman of good business capacities and excellent education, and with his brother, is the proprietor of 320 acres of land, well stocked with good grades of cattle, horses and hogs, prin- cipally, however, of the former. Our subject is a native of Oneida County, N. Y., and was born Oct. 7, 1835. His parents, Truman and Melinda (Marsh) Kellogg, were natives of the same county, of which his paternal grandfather, Tru- man Kellogg, was a pioneer settler. The family is of English origin, the first representatives in this country being three brothers who crossed the ocean about 200 years ago, and located in New England. Their descendants have mostly lived there, a few of them, however, going into the Middle States and to the South. Truman, our subject, was the fourth in a famil3' of four children, three of whom survive, namely, himself, his brother, Nathan N., and a sis- ter, Cornelia, the wife of D. C. Mason, of Joliet, 111. Mr. Kellogg was reared in his native county, where he remained until a youth of seventeen years, in the meantime receiving his education under care- ful instructors. Upon leaving the parental roof, he migrated to Chicago, 111., and was a resident of that city for about twenty years, following the pro- fession of a civil engineer. He was assistant civil engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, located at Chicago as division engineer, and super- intended the construction of the Lake Shore Harbor, which is connected with the road, and was one of the important enterprises of that day. In the spring of 1872, determined upon a change of location and occupation, he came to this county, and invested a part of his capital in a stock farm in Pontiac Town- ship, which he and his brother Nathan have man- aged very successfully for the last fifteen years. Their stables include Hambletonian and Kentucky horses, and some of the finest specimens of the kind sold in this county have passed from their hands to purchasers from all points of the compass. Nathan M. Kellogg, a brother of our subject, was also born in Oneida County, N. Y'., June 24, 1829. He was there reared to manhood, and received a good education. From his early boyhood he seemed content with the employments of the farm, lie came West in 1868, and in 1871 settled per- manently on the farm which is now the property of Kellogg Brothers. He has for many years been an excellent judge of live stock. He has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving as Commissioner of Highways, and voting the straight Democratic ticket at general elections. The farm is supplied with a comfortable residence and other good build- ings, and the brothers dwell together, their house- keeping being done by hired help. We have pleasure in presenting on another page ' 354 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of this ALBUM, a view of their residence, as repre- sentative of the buildings of this section of the country. AMUEL L. MORRISON. The subject of this sketch is an illustration of the wide difference between the beginning in the lives of the fathers who were the pioneers in the early settlement of Illinois, and that of the sons who are now taking their places. The father of Mr. Morrison came to Illinois ata time when the wild prairie grass grew everywhere, and when the rude cabins of the inhabitants were few and far be- tween. With his own hand he helped to break the prairie and make corn grow where grass had held sway for centuries. In this work he persevered, ss did others, until Illinois has become a great agri- cultural State. His sons, who are now all settled in life, know nothing by actual experience of the hard- ships of the pioneers, but they have inherited the energy and enterprise of the pioneer fathers, which they display in the prosecution of their farming operations. Although the young farmers find farms already improved for them, they do not relinquish their efforts to further improve and utilize the re- sources so bountifully bestowed by nature. Fol- lowing in the footsteps of a father who became famous in the same vocation, the subject of this sketch is a progressive farmer and stock-raiser of Avoca Township. Mr. Morrison is a native of Livingston County, where he was boru on the 1 8th of December, 1 860, and is the son of Joseph C. and Naomi Morrison. Further mention of the father is made in the biog- raphy of Albert J. Morrison, of Avoca ^.Township, and the mother is deceased. The subject of this sketch has always lived in Avoca Township, where he attended the schools until he became of age, and received a good education. With the exception of being engaged with his father in importing and dealing in Norman horses at Pontiac, he has always been occupied in agricultural pursuits, in which he has displayed considerable enterprise, and avails himself of modern and progressive methods. His farm consists of eight}' acres of well-improved land, on section 5. Avoca Township, on which he has erected an excellent class of buildings. On the 4th of September, 1884, Mr. Morrison was married to Miss Jessie E. Ferris, daughter of Prof. G. W. Ferris, the present efficient Superintendent of Public Schools of Livingston County, a sketch of whom appears in this Auiru. Mr. and Mrs. Mor- rison have been blessed with one child, a bright- eyed baby named Claude H., born July 10, 1887. Mrs. Morrison is a lady of excellent education, and much culture and refinement. During a consider- able time she attended the Normal School located at Morris, 111., and for six years was engaged in teach- Mr. Morrison is an enthusiastic 3 - oung Repub- lican, to which party he contributes both of his time and means, when they are necessary to secure its success. He is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and he and his wife are active members of society, in which they are general favorites. Mr. Morrison identifies himself with the material affairs of his township, and encourages and supports every measure calculated to advance its prosperity. E KERR, a prominent and influential member of the farming community of Pon- tiac Township, has in a great measure re- tired from active labor, and is enjoying the compe- tency which he has accumulated and the comforts of a beautiful homestead on section 2. His prop- erty includes 330 acres of good land, with suitable farm buildings, a choice assortment of live stock, and all the necessary implements for the successful prosecution of agriculture. Mr. Kerr was born in Miami County, Ohio, Dec. 2,0, 1824, and is the son of James and Sarah (Thompson) Kerr, natives respectively of Virginia and Pennsylvania. The Kerr family is of Scotch ancestry, and on the mother's side our subject is of English descent. His grandfather, George Kerr, fought during the early troubles with the Indians, and James, the father, participated in the struggle of 1812, and was one of those who were surren- dered under Gen. Hull at Detroit, Mich. The par- ental household included twelve children, five now t i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 355 surviving, namely: Hanford N., of Wyandotte, Kan.; George, our subject; Rebecca A., the wife of Harry Houston ; John and Perry ; the latter three are residents of Miami County. The parents of our subject were early pioneers of this region, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They built up a home in the wilderness, and endured all tin- hardships and privations incident to settlement in a new country. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native county, and received a limited education, but being fond of his books he pursued his studies during his leisure hours after leaving school, and has always kept himself posted upon all matters of general in- terest. He is one of the best natural mathematic- ians to be found, which talent has been of great service to him in his busy career, and in which he has been obliged to depend upon his own sound sense and good judgment. Mr. Kerr was married in Miami County, Ohio, Nov. 26, 1844, the lady of his choice being Miss Susanna Kessler, who was also a native of that county, and born March 1, 1825. Her parents were John B. and Susanna (Fiece) Kessler, the for- mer a native of Virginia, and the latter of Pennsyl- vania. Her maternal grandfather was of Holland descent, and after emigrating to this country, served as a soldier in the War of 1812, being under tin- command of Gen. Jackson. Mr. and Mrs. Kessler settled in Miami County at an early period in its history, and there became the parents of twelve children. Our subject and his wife became the parents of eight children, three now living, namety: Eliza- beth, the wife of C. D. Withrow, of Kansas City, Mo.; Heni'3' M. and John B., who are located on the homestead. Mr. Kerr came to this county in the spring of 1856, but eight months later returned to Ohio and remained six years. In the mean- time, however, lie had not abandoned his original intention of locating in Illinois, and now came back and secured possession of his present farm, where he has resided the greater portion of the time since. In the meantime his children surviving him have grown up around him, and he has given each a good education and a fair start in life. He has always been a hard worker, and owes his present position, socially and financially, to his own efforts. Politically, he votes the Democratic ticket, and has always been the encourager and supporter of those measures calculated for the advancement of his fellow-citizens. Both Mr. and Mrs. K. are members of the Pres- byterian Church, in which our subject has officiated as Elder for more than thirty-five years. He has been frequently solicited to accept official positions, but has invariably declined, preferring to confine his attention to his family and farm. RIN W. JONES. If the character of the country which has attained so high a standard during the past few decades is to be main- tained, a great responsibility devolves upon the young men who must take the place of those whose hands have shaped and molded affairs. Owing to the intelligent and advanced education of the par- ents of to-day, a generation of worthy successors to them has been raised up and is ready to take their places. In the hands of the young men of to- day the future of the country will be safe, and par- ticularly will this be so because of those who are natives and to the manor born, for they are more intimately acquainted with the requirements of the times. When the exercise of citizenship is coupled with intelligence, there is no mistake' in predicting that the future of the country's welfare is assured. One of the young men on whose shoulders is be- ginning to rest the responsibility of the present is the subject of this sketch, a farmer and stock-raiser on section 14, Owego Township, and who is a native of Le Roy, State of New York, where he was born on the 29th of March, 1855. lie is the son of William and Mary Jones (of whom a sketch appears in this work), who were early settlers of Owego Township. When quite young he accompanied his parents when they came to Illinois, and thi> State has been his home ever since, where his younger days were spent in work upon the farm, during the fanning seasons, and attending school during the winter months, in which he obtained a good education. On the 5th of March, 1884, Mr. Jones was mar- ried to Miss Jennie Kerr, of Bloomington, 111. LIVINGSTON COUNTY". is a native of Scotland, and daughter of James II. and Sarah J. Kerr, of Hoomington, 111., who were also natives of Scotland. Mrs. Jones and lier mother eanic to America in 1872. Mr. Kerr having preceded them several years. This young couple have made an excellent start in life, Mr. Jones having purchased eight}' acres of land with the proceeds of his labor and good management, a considerable portion of which was accumulated before marriage. He and his wife are intelligent and educated people, and for years he has taken an active interest in associations for the advancement of good literature and the cul- tivation of literary tastes. lie is not a political par- tisan, and indeed politics have never interested him to the extent of causing him to become attached to either of the old parties. ANIKL STRKKT. If one could obtain a bird's eye view of Illinois before it was in- habited by white people and then suddenly look upona picture of the State, showing its present magnificent improvement, dotted all over with cities and towns, crossed and recrossed by rail- roads. all the land intervening between the towns covered with farm houses and barns, lie would real- ize a change in scene before which would pale into insignificance any transformation ever witnessed. The subject of this sketch has been a witness of such a transformation in that section of the county in which lie has lived, lie has seen improvements grow up where wild wastes of prairie existed, and spjendid farms made of land which from the beginning of time had been given over to the rank growth of nature, and within his experience the whole State has attained its splendid state of perfection. Mr. Street is a farmer of Avoca Township, and resides on section 10. He is a native of Mnskin- gum Comity. Ohio, where lie was born on the 13th of March. 1831, and is the .-on of Jacob and Tacey Street, both of whom are natives of Pennsylvania. Hi- paternal ancestors were of English, and his ma- ternal ance-tors of (ieniian descent. In his twenti- eth year he accompanied his parents when Ihey re- moved to Putnam County, 111., and resided there about two years. Hoth of his parents died in Mar- shall County. 111. To them were born eight chil- dren, live of whom are living: Daniel: Robert M.. in Iowa: Ann. Mix Aaron Axline. of Wenona, 111.; Ile.-ter. Mrs. Chauncy Claylord. of Missouri County. Kan.: Amanda. Mrs. (leorge Dean, of Maryland. When a boy Mr. Street learned the trade of a potter. which occupation he followed for about live years, and has devoted the remainder of his time to farm- ing. He came to Livingston County in the spring of 1857, where he has resided ever since. lie owns a farm of fifty acres, which was in its primitive con- dition when he became possessed of it, but within a few years afterward he had reduced it to a condition of splendid cultivation. On the 23d of December, 1860, Mr. Street was married to Maria DeMoss, daughter of James and Margaret DeMoss, who were pioneer settlers of Livingston County. They have had but one child, a daughter named Luella, who was born on the 3d of August, 1863. Mr. Street has always acted with the Republican party, from a sense of conscious- ness of duty, without the expectation of ollice or other reward. In an otlicial capacity he has served the people for three years as School Director, and his administration gave g 1 satisfaction. He heartily seconds and endorses all movements for the betterment of society, and in such matters has been generally a leader. ARTIN M. TRAVIS. Some men there are whose lives cannot be written without in- terweaving into the storj- of their incom- ings and their outgoings the history of another life that of the wife. This is peculiarly and beautifully so in the instance under considera- tion. Here is a man nearly seventy-seven years of age who has been married to the woman of his choice nearly half a century half a century within itself an average lifetime. What he has accomplished within that time has been with and by the aid of her who has been the sharer of his joys and sor- t When men and women married fifty years ago , the surroundings were entirely different from the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 357 1 weddings of to-day. There were no railroads nor any of the inventions that have revolutionized commercial as well as social affairs. Marriage meant hardships, denials, troubles, slow progress in the accumulation of wealth in an undeveloped country where luxury and many of the ordinary comforts of life were unknown. To the wife it meant much labor, great sacrifice of personal comfort, the exercise of unshrinking courage, and in addition it devolved upon her in the adjustment of the laws of nature to be a staff of inspiration on which the husband might lean when the clouds of adversity hovered over him the darkest. Mr. and Mrs. Travis, in the battle of life, stood shoulder to shoulder, and ever clasped hands in the mutual en- deavor to improve and elevate their condition. Mr. Travis met with a great bereavement in the death nf liis beloved wife, who passed to her reward Oct. 27, 1887, after an illness of about four weeks. Mr. Travis is a pioneer of Livingston County, whose farm is located on section 5, Belle Prairie Township. He was born on the 4th of July, 1811, in Overtoil County. Tenn., and his parents were Jeremiah and Margaret (Peek) Travis, natives of Georgia and Virginia respectively. The father was born in 1788, married in 1807, came to Illinois in 1834, and died in 1871. The mother was two years his senior and died in 1872. The father was a chair and spinning-wheel maker by trade, but de- voted considerable of his life to the occupation of a farmer. When they removed to Illinois their mode of transportation was by a wagon drawn by oxen, which made their travel necessarily slow. They were the parents of eight children Susanna, Annie, Martin, John, Pollie, David, Jeremiah and Nancy. Four of these are now living. The subject of this sketch was married, on the 14th of December, 1837, to Miss Eliza Thompson, who was born on the 31st of March, 1814, and was the daughter of John B. and Mary (Steers) Thomp- son, natives of Kentucky. The father was boni in 1788, and died in 1882; the mother was born about the same date and died in 1873. They came to Illinois and located in McLean County in the year 1829, where they remained until the occurrence of his death. They were the parents of ten chil- dren Eli/.a, Johnson, William, Simpson E., James, Lilliard, Serena, Elizabeth, Washington and Mary. Mr. Travis came to Illinois in 134, accompany- ing his parents. His boyhood days and early man- hood were so thoroughly devoted to the service of his parents on the farm that he never had an op- portunity to attend school for even a single day. At the age of twenty-three he began the struggle of life for himself, and entered forty acres of tim- ber land, subsequently purchasing forty acres and then 160 more. His farm now consists of 195 acres of well-improved land, on which is a com- fortable and commodious residence. Although he is now in his seventy-seventh year, the latest demonstration of his astonishing vitality was re- covering his two-story house with shingles, entirely unaided. Beginning life without any means what- ever, through his own industry and the unflag- ging aid and devotion of his wife, he accumulated lands and means enough to make him thoroughly independent during the balance of his days. Mr. and Mrs. T. had born to them the following children : Mary A., Rachel, John D., Adeline and Francis; besides three deceased, viz: Elizabeth, at the age of eighteen ; Serena, at twelve, and Minerva, at thirty-three. Mrs. Travis for very many years was a de- voted and consistent member of the Baptist Church. Our subject has twenty-five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Mr. Travis has been a life-long Democrat and refers with great satis- faction to the fact that he cast his first Presi- dential vote for Gen. Andrew Jackson. r *OSEPH J. TRULLINGER. The histories of Indiana and Illinois so far as they relate to the hardships'and privations of the early pioneers are so nearly identical, that a man born in Indiana at the beginninguf the thirties, ex- perienced as bard a beginning as the man who was born or first settled in Illinois at that time. In both States the conditions fifty or sixty years ago were such as to test the mettle and make-up of the men and women who cast their lot either by birth or settlement in either State. At that time transporta- tion was by wagons drawn by horses or oxen over 4 358 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i roads which ran through a wilderness or vast ex- panse of prairie, and for half the year were utterly impassable. Steam had not yet been utilized to facilitate overland travel, and the mails were few and far between in their arrivals and departures. Compared with the present era those were truly slow coach days, but the people were perhaps as content and as happy as they are to-day. The subject of this sketch is a representative pio- neer of Avoca Township, and a native of Fountain County, Ind. He was born on the 19th of October, 1831, and is the son of Jacob and Mary Trullinger. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, and the mother was born in the State of Maryland. He re- ceived a rudimentary education in the early schools of Fountain County, which at that time afforded very limited advantages. Mr. Trullinger was first married, on the 5th of, December, 1852, to Mary- Foster, a native of Ohio, who shared the joys and sorrows of her husband until the 4th of August, 1886, when she passed to her reward. On the 17th . of March, 1887, Mr. Trullinger was united in mar- riage to Mrs. Sarah C. Spencer, a native of Ten- nessee. Mr. Trullinger has always been engaged in the vocation of a farmer, and largely depended upon his own resources. His father died when he was an infant, and his mother in 1872. In 1856 he came from Indiana to Livingston County, and purchased forty acres of land, to which he has added forty acres more, making an excellent eighty-acre farm, which is well improved. On one of the forty-acre tracts there are 747 rods of tile, and the entire farm is enclosed with a good hedge fence. When Mr. Trullinger came to this county, he practically had nothing to begin on, and his success, which has been measurably good, is wholly' attributable to his industry and good management. Being Republican in politics, and one who takes an active part in local political affairs, Mr. Trullin- ger has been chosen as School Trustee of the town- ship for three years, and also served as School Director for several years. lie takes great interest in the affairs of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has for eight years been Recording Steward and for a considerable time a Class-Leader. Sun- day-school Superintendent and Church Trustee. He was one of the first to inaugurate the movement which culminated in building the Lodcnia Method- ist Church and parsonage, and to that enterprise his contribution was quite liberal. His course in this matter fully illustrates his public spirit and liberal mind. He is a representative citizen of the township, and enjoys the esteem and respect of the citizens thereof. His life has been a busy one, and its results are such as to be satisfactory to him in his declining years. eilRISTOPHER C. LEONARD is largely en- gaged in farming and stock-raising on sec- tion 34 in Newtown Township, where he owns 100 acres of good and well-improved land, besides forty acres in Amity Township. He was born in Bradford County, Pa., on the 26th of April, 1836, and is the son of Edmund D. and Elizabeth (Rem- ington) Leonard. lie lived in Pennsylvania with his parents until about eleven years of age, at which time they moved to Du Page County, 111., going by water to Chicago, and thence by teams. Mr. Leonard began to attend subscription schools at the age of three years, and continued until his parents moved to Illinois, after which he only attended dur- ing the winter months. The parents remained in Du Page County about seven years, and then came to Livingston County, transporting their effects in wagons drawn by oxen. They located on section 33, Newtown Township, where the father entered land from the Government, and resided until his death (see sketch of Mrs. Leonard). After coming to this county the subject of our sketch attended school for three winters, when he left home at twenty-one years of age and lived in Amity Town- ship for a time, working on the land where the vil- lage of Cornell now stands. After living in the various portions of the county he permanently lo- cated in Newtown, in 1873. Mr. Leonard was married, Feb. 4, 1858, to Mary Mason, daughter of Enoch and Kli/.alieth (Shinn) Mason, native's of New Jersey. The great-grand- father Mason was of Irish de-cent, and Elizabeth Shinn's parents were German. Enoch was born in Galloway Township, Gloucester Co., N. J.. July 25, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 359 1*04, mid was there man-led, Aug. 28, 1825, to Elizabeth Shinn, who \v.-is born June 18, 1805. To thi'in were born eight children, three of whom are living: Mary, the wife of our subject; Martha and George. .Martha was born March 7, 1847, and was married, Sept. 20, 1866, to Orlando E. Hart; he died in 1869, and she was married to William S. Brown in June, 1871, and they live in Nebraska. George W. was born July 11, 1845, and resides in Western Iowa. The deceased members of the fam- ily are: Hannah, bom June 29, 1829, died Sept. 4, 1832; Naomi, born June 10, 1831, died Aug. 14, 1832; Henry, born June 6, 1833, died Sept. 6, 1838; Elizabeth, born Oct. 10, 1836, died Aug. 26, 1858; Charles W., born April 5, 1843, died July 20, 1873; he was married to Emily M. Wilbur March 7, 1869, and enlisted in Company A, 129th Illinois Infantry, Aug. 2, 1862. His health becom- ing impaired he was discharged at the end of the first year, and lived at home one year, when he was drafted and taken to New Orleans, where he served until the close of the war. After his return home he was married and became the father of two chil- dren, named Idele May, born Dec. 16, 1869. and Chester Allen, May 13, 1872. lie died suddenly at his home while walking from the pump in the dooryard to the house. Emily, his widow, was again married, Nov. 5, 1885, to Joshua A. Mus- grove, and lives in Kansas. The mother of these childreirdied Jan. 4, 1868, and Enoch Mason was again married Feb. 21, 1869, the woman of his choice being Sophia Wilbur. She died June 30 1873, and her husband followed her Sept. 12, 1874. Mary, the wife of our subject, was born Aug. 6, 1838, in Monroe Count}', Mich., and her parents came to Illinois in 1850, and located in Newtown Township, where they resided at the time of their death. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard were married in the house in which they now live, and are the parents of the following-named children: Olivia, born Oct. 22, 1858: Lawrence, born Nov. 20, 1859, died Aug. 21, 18(30; Emily A., born May 31, 1861, married John Weideman, of Newtown Township, and has three children ; Edwin, born June 18, 1866; Clora A., Feb. 26, 1868: Ira G., Nov. 16, 1869; Andrew, Jan. :, 1872: Franklin ('., Oct. 18, 187:!, and Fred- erick G., Dec. 12, 1875. Christopher C. Leonard enlisted in Company A, 12'.lth Illinois Infantry, Aug. 2, 1862, under C'apt. John A. Hoskins, at Pontiac, and during his term of service participated in several of the larger en- gagements, receiving his baptism of fire at the bat- tle of Buzzard's Roost, in Georgia. At the battle of Peach tree Creek he received a slight injury, from which he soon recovered. He was with Sherman during his Atlanta campaign ami in the march to the sea, participating in the capture of Savannah, and the battle of Bentonville. He was mustered out in Washington City June 8, 1865, and received his discharge papers in Chicago June 1 7 of that year. He immediately returned to his home in this county, and resumed the occupation of farm work. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are honored members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and devote con- siderable of their time to matters intended to ad- vance the best interests of the congregation. In politics Mr. Leonard is a stanch Republican, and can always be depended upon to watch over and care for the interests of that party. LE PETERSON, of Sunbury Township, is one of the most enterprising representatives of his nationality in Livingston County. He bears the reputation of a praiseworthy and in- dustrious citizen, one who attends strictly to his own concerns, and has thereby made a success both as a farmer and business man. He has been a res- ident of Illinois for over twenty years, and located upon a tract of land which had only been partially cultivated, and which he has transformed into one of the finest homesteads in Sunbury Township. Mr. Peterson was born in Stavanger, Norway, July 4, 1830, and is the son of Peter and Anna Peterson, natives of the same country, who there spent their entire lives. He attended school dur- ing his childhood until fourteen years old, and at the same time assisted his father on the farm. The agricultural operations of the Norwegian farmer in his own country are very different from those of the present agriculturists of the Prairie State. The implements are of rude construction, and the tiller of the soil in a country not exceedingly fertile has r 360 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. to contend with many disadvantages. The parents of our subject were people of modest means, and Ole, when a youth of sixteen, left the parental roof and started out in life for himself. He received, for hard work, rather poor fare, the munificent sal- ary of $10 per year, and a piece of cloth for a suit of clothes. Young Peterson had always been a serious and reflective youth, and not being satisfied with his prospects and condition in his own country, de- termined to set sail for the New World, stories of which frequently reached him from across the wa- ter. Accordingly, on the loth of May, 1860, he set sail from the port of Stavanger accompanied by his wife and child, he having been married in 1859. After a voyage of six weeks they landed in the city of Quebec, Canada, whence they came directly to the States and at once set out for Illinois. Mr. Peterson landed in Ottawa with $15 in his pocket, but soon found employment upon a farm at $18 a month a vast improvement upon the sum he re- ceived for the same labor on his native soil. He lived economically, and with the help of his excel- lent wife, in the course of two years bought a little herd of cattle, and hiring a cheap man to look after them, continued working as before until enabled to secure a tract of land. Mr. Peterson decided to locate in the northern part of Livingston County, which at that time was mostly open prairie, especially the districts including the townships of Nevada and Sunbury. This made a good range for stock, and Mr. P., bringing his cattle hither, still continued hiring them herded, and rented a tract of land upon which to raise corn and wheat. He operated upon rented land three years with excellent results, and then purchased eighty acres, which forms a part of his present homestead. For this he was to pay $1,280. He paid $320 cash, and gave his notes for the balance. One of his first duties was to put up a shelter for his family, and upon the completion of tin* he en- tered at once upon the cultivation of the land. He was successful from the beginning, the seasons proving favorable and the soil yielding plentifully to his worthy efforts. He invested his surplus cap- ital in additional land, buying eighty acres adjoin- ing, so that he now has a quarter section, and all in a fine state of cultivation. It is enclosed with neat and substantial fences, and the farm buildings will bear comparison with anything of the kind in this part of the county. In 1803 Mr. P. pur- chased a pair of colts which he has worked upon his farm ever since, and now, although twenty- seven years old, they retain many of the skittish ways of their 3'outh, giving evidence of the care and kindness with which they have been treated since coming into the possession of their present owner. It is hardly necessary to say that Mr. Pe- terson will never part with these old friends who have served him so long and so faithfulty. The wife of our subject was, in her girlhood, Miss Bertha Johnson, and became the mother of six children : Annie was born in 1861 ; Tillie, in 1863; Peter, in 1 865 ; Bertha, in 1 868 ; Lena, in 1 87 1 ; John, in 1879. The mother, after remaining the faithful and affectionate companion of her husband for a period of over twenty years, departed this life at her home in Sunbury Township in September, 1881, and her remains were laid to rest in Sunbury Cemetery. Mr. Peterson was subsequently mar- ried to Miss Inger Rasmusson, of Esmen Township, their wedding taking place at the home of the bride. The present wife of our subject was born in August, 1835. Mr. Peterson was reared in the doctrines of the Lutheran Church, to which he still loyally adheres, and although interesting himself comparatively little in politics, uniformly supports Republican principles, and votes upon occasions of general elections. EMERY WESTEHVKLT, accountant, and at present book-keeper and assistant cashier for j, - Beach - do and successful farmers of Waldo Town- ship, and a gentleman who has attained suc- cess in life through industry and economy, is the subject of this sketch. He is at present engaged in the calling which he has followed the greater por- tion of his life, and in addition to the cultivation of the cereals is devoting considerable time to stock-raising on his farm, which is located on sec- tion 32. He is the son of Jehu C. and Anna (Nibbs) Stoker, and was born in Mason County, Ky., on the llth of March, 1827. His parents were natives of Kentucky, and of good English de- scent. They had six children, of whom our sub- ject was the second: Mary, born Jan. 26, 1824, married Eli Stephenson,and died leaving one child ; Martha E., born April 13, 1830, married Eli Ste- phenson, the husband of her deceased sister; they live in Kentucky and have several children. Cyn- thia A., born Feb. 19, 1833, married James M. Mitchel, has seven children, and lives in Gridley; Sarah B., born Jan. 3, 1836, married Rev. J. A. Windsor, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and has two children; John P., born Feb. 28, 1840, en- listed in the army in 1861, and lived but a few months, dying of measles in Bowling Green, Ky. Mr. Stoker was reared on a farm, during which time he received a fair common-school education. He remained under the parental roof, assisting his father in the management of the farm until he was twenty-five years of age, when he concluded to try his fortunes in California, and made the journey to that State by way of the Isthmus of Darien, which required about one month's time. While he was on board the vessel, he had an attack of measles, from which he recovered very slowly, and which left him in impaired health for about one year. He remained in California for about three years, and during that time was engaged in mining. Al- though he did not amass a fortune in his mining operations, he accumulated more-money there then he could have done by labor in the same length of time in Kentucky. In 1856 he returned to the latter-named State, where he remained until the spring of 1857, when he came to Illinois and set- tled in Livingston County, where he purchased 160 acres of land, on which he lived for about three years. On the 2d of May, 1860, our subject was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Jewett, daughter of Parker and Mary (Cochran) Jewett, of Livingston County. In 18U1 he sold his farm to the man of whom he formerly purchased it, and lived upon a rented farm for one year. The following year he pur- chased eighty acres upon which his present home ' t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 363 stands, and since then has purchased forty acres upon section 33. Mr. and Mrs. Stoker became the parents of two children George P., born Aug. 21, 1861, and May B., May 1, 1863; both live at home. Mrs. Stoker was born near Belfast, Me., on the llth of November, 1832, and died on the 17th of May, 1887. The father of Mrs. Stoker was born at Thetford, Yt., May 28, 1807, and the mother June 16, 1805, in Belfast, Me.; they were both of English descent. Their marriage occurred on the 27th of December, 1831, at Belfast, at which Rev. Ferris Fitch was the officiating clergyman. Mr. Stoker cast his first political vote for Frank- lin Pierce for President, but since the war of the Rebellion he has constantly voted the Republican ticket. Since 1863, which is now nearly a quarter of a century, he has been custodian of the school fund, and it is worthy of mention that there has never been a dollar of the funds gone astray. He is a member of the Congregational Church in Grid- ley, and has for man}' years served as its Trustee. He is a man about six feet in height, weighs about 180 pounds, has grey eyes, and his hair was auburn before it turned grey. He is a man of generous and social disposition, and readily makes friends who never desert him. ffiOHN A. CAVANAUGH, Nevada's merchant prince, belongs to the nationality which has contributed largely to the advancement of the business interests of this section. He was born in County Galway, Ireland, Sept. 25, 1845, and is the son of Patrick Cavanaugh, a native of the same county. His paternal grandfather, John Cavanaugh, was born in County Wexford, whence he moved to Galway early in life, taking up his abode at his beautiful rural home, afterward known as Knava, near the village of Eyrcourt, where his death took place in 1850. Patrick Cavanaugh grew to manhood in his na- tive count} r , and in 1844 married Miss Mary, daugh- ter of John C'oyle, a fanner and magistrate for- merly of County Clare. The latter died in 1848 at the age of sixty-eight years. In the spring of 1852, when our subject was but a lad of seven years, his parents decided to seek their fortunes on this side of the Atlantic. They embarked on a sailing-vessel at Liverpool, and after a voyage of five weeks landed in the city of New Orleans. Eighteen months later they removed to this State, and located in LaSalle County. The father pur- chased a tract of wild prairie land in Eagle Town- ship, put up a dwelling, and entered industriously upon the improvement and cultivation of his pur- chase. As the result of industry and perseverance, he in due time found himself the owner of a beautiful farm of 400 acres, with all the appurtenances of a first-class country home. This he sold in 1874, and retiring from active labor, took up his residence with his son, our subject, in Nevada, where, with his estimable wife, he is spending his declining years in the ease and comfort to which he is justly entitled. Our subject, being the elder child, and only son of his parents, the family consisting of but two children, himself and one sister, now the wife of Thomas Scaulan, Esq., a real-estate agent and loan- broker of Rock Valley, Iowa, his duties in the building up of a new home were necessarily press- ing and laborious ; and hence it was that at the age of eighteen his education consistd of but a moder- ate knowledge of the rudiments acquired at the dis- trict schools of Eagle Township. Circumstances being now favorable to his aspirations, he was per- mitted to attend the Christian Brothers' School at LaSalle during a portion of the years 1864-65, still continuing to assist his father in the cultivation of the farm. In the fall of 1868, he resolved to abandon farming and become a merchant, and pre- paratory to doing so, he repaired to Chicago and entered Bryant & Stratton's Business College, for a business training, from which he was graduated in the spring of 1869. For nearly a year thereafter he was engaged in book-keeping for a wholesale grocery house. He then returned to the farm. On the 4th of October, 1870, Mr. Cavanaugh married Miss Kate O'Leary, the youngest daughter of a wealthy and respected farmer of Grundy County. With his bride he staid on the old home- stead until the fall of 1872, when he came to Ne- vada and engaged in the grain business, building a large and substantial elevator, and a handsome and 364 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i commodious ofBce. Two years later he purchased a general stock of merchandise, to which he has been adding until he has now an immense and well- selected stock, that would do credit to any town in the county. Mr. and Mrs. Cavanaugh are the par- ents of nine children, namely, Clarence Emmet, Ed- mund S., Clement J., Constance L., John A., Flor- ence Emily, Celesta A., Irene M. and Gertrude A. Clarence, though but sixteen years of age, is Prin- cipal of the town school, while the others, except the two youngest, are among his pupils. That Mr. C. is a man of but ordinary calibre, must not be inferred from the fact that Nevada is b;;t a small village, on the contrary, he is possessed of superior abilities, such as befit a man for the front rank in any community. He is considered an authority in educational matters, having written many able articles on the subject of education. J" OHN AUGUSTINE, Justice of the Peace, farmer and stock-raiser, located on section 17, Owego Township, is the owner of eighty acres of finely improved and cultivated land, provided with a substantial residence, from which may be obtained a fine view of the surrounding country. Our subject is one of the enterprising and progressive farmers of Livingston County, who has made the most of his opportunities, and taken advantage of modern progress. His barn and out- buildings are of good description, and finely Mr- ranged for the shelter of stock and storing of grain. He has a fine lot of high-grade cattle and horses, and everything about the premises indicates the supervision of an enterprising and intelligent man. Mr. Augustine is a native of Lancaster County, Pa., the date of his birth being Jan. 27, 1833, and he is a son of John A. and Ann (Miller) Augustine, natives of Germany and Pennsylvania respectively. The father emigrated to America when he was fif- teen 'years old, and settled in Pennsylvania, where he married and reared a family. lie was the father of twelve children, nine of whom are living at the time this sketch is written : Martin, Andrew, Sam- uel, John, Henry. Susan : Mary, the wife of John Carson: Christie A., the wife of B. W. Benedict, and Mattie. Those deceased are Elizabeth, Jacob and Michael, the two latter having lost their lives in the late C'ivil War, in which they were engaged as I'nion soldiers. Jacob enlisted in Fulton County, 111., went out as a C-aplain, and was killed at Ken- nesaw Mountain while acting in the capacity of Colonel, not having at that time received a com- mission for that rank, which had been issued by the Governor. The other son, Michael, also enlisted in Fulton County, and was killed at Mission Ridge. Another son, Henry Augustine, of Normal, 111., also enlisted in Fulton County as a private, rose to the rank of Captain, and served four years, contin- uing in the service until the close of the war. The subject of this sketch was reared to man- hood in his native county, and was given a liberal education, reaping the benefit of the advantages afforded in the admirable schools of Lancaster County. When nineteen years of age he began the trade of a blacksmith, which occupation he followed about eleven years. On the 14th of August, 1856, in Pennsylvania, he was married to Susan Duke, who was born in Lancaster County, that State, on the 19th of October, 1837; she is a daughter of Adam and Catherine Duke. The former is de- ceased; he was a soldier in the War of 1812; her mother at present resides in Missouri. The pater- nal grandfather, John Duke, was an Englishman by birth, and settled in Pennsylvania. To Mr. and Mrs. Augustine six children have been born: Charles F., deceased; Violetta, the wife of Albert Morrison ; Emma L. ; Lewis E., deceased ; Alvaretta and John A. In 1856 Mr. Augustine emigrated to Illinois, where he resided in Fulton County until he came to Livingston County in the spring of 1869, and located on section 18, Owego Township, where he remained until 1875, in which year he settled on section 17, where he now resides: his farm consists of eighty acres of land, upon which lie has intro- duced all modern conveniences. At present he is Assessor of Owego Township, in which capacity he has served for thirteen consecutive years. In 1880 he was the Census Enumerator for the township. For many years he has been serving as Justice of the Peace in that township. In political matters I he acts with the Republican party, and is also a 1 f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 365 strong advocate of temperance, which he enthusi- astically advocates. In religious matters he knows no creed, nor does he belong to any church ; he is a Free-thinker in all that the title implies, but en- deavors to act up to the precepts of the Golden Rule, lie and his family enjoy the respect and con- fidence of all by whom they are surrounded, and their friends number all who know them. TSSELL BROS. "Behold how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." It is both pleasant and beautiful to see broth- ers dwelling together in unity, not only in social but business matters. The Russell brothers, Fra nk T. and George W., finely illustrate the amicable way in which brothers should stand together in the affairs of life when they have opportunity. George W. Russell, the younger brother, and a farmer of Pontiac Township, is a native of Greene County, Ohio, and was born on the 26th of Septem- ber, 1847. He is a son of William R. and Harriet Russell, both of whom are natives of Virginia. Adam Russell, a grandfather of George, was a sol- dier in the War of 1812. The Russell family is of Scotch descent; their grandfather settled in Greene County in 1810. George Russell came with his parents to Livingston County in 1869, and settled in Pontiac Township on >ection 30, on which the parents lived until the father's death, which took place in 1871, and the mother's in 1875. They had seven children: Jane is the wife of Harvey Strain. of Greene County, Ohio; Mary : Adam, of Shelby County, Ohio; Frank T., George W., William E.. of Shelby County, Ohio, and Ada. The father was an Elder in the Presbyterian Church for forty years. always taking an active part in the affairs of that church. He was Republican in politics, and a man who wa> universally respected. George W. Russell, one of the linn of Russell Bros., who are now owner> and managers of a farm of eighty aero in Pontiac Township, was reared to manhood in Greene County, Ohio, where he re- ceived a common-school education, and then came to Livingston County in 186. On the llth of October. 1877, he was married to Jennie Living- ston, daughter of Isaac Livingston, of McLean County. They have had one child. William R., born July 8, 1878, and on the 17th of July, the same year, his wife died. Frank T. Russell, the older brother of the firm of Russell Bros., is also a native of Greene County, Ohio, and was born on the 7th of October, 1844. He has followed the oc- cupation of a farmer all his life, in which he has been engaged in Livingston County since 1868. Both of the brothers are Republican, and vie with each other in their devotion to that party. They are both public-spirited, and in favor of everything that will improve the county and elevate society. rr^5)DWARD WHALEN, successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 7, in Rook's Creek Township, has been a resident of this county since a child not two years of age. He is a native of Ireland, born in County Carlo w, Oct. 12, 1847, and two years later his parents emi- grated to the United States, locating first in Ottawa, LaSalle County, where they remained until the boy was nine years old. In 1854, during the Know- Nothing excitement, when he was about seven years of age, some of his schoolmates who had heard their parents talk about the "hateful foreigners" took a rope and hung him to a stake-ancl-rider fence, and but for the timely interference of an elder brother the result would have been fatal. Young Whalen pursued his studies in the com- mon school, and after reaching his majority crossed the Mississippi to view the country, but staid only two months. In 1872 he went to Minnesota on ac- count of his health, remaining in the North six months and being greatly benefited. After his re- turn to Illinois he was married, April 11, 1875, to Miss Ellen, daughter of Felix and Ellen (Hughes) Sherry, the mother a distant relative of Bishop Hughes, of New York. The wedding took place at the home of the bride in Nebraska Township, the Rev. Mr. Handley officiating. Of this union there have been born three children, namely, Felix E., April 24, 1876; Edward J., Oct. 27, 1877, and Mary E.. Jan. 30, 1870. Mr. Whalen has served as School Director six years, and usually votes the i 366 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. straight Democratic ticket, although he reserves the right of a free American citizen to vote otherwise if he considers it best. He is an active member of the Catholic Church, and in all respects a highly respected citizen. Mrs. Whalen was the sixth in a family of nine children born to her parents. The latter are both dead; the mother died Nov. 2, 1867, the father Nov. 18, 1859. Her eldest sister, Mary, was first married to Peter Conly, and became the mother of one child, a son, James, now a resident of Flana- gan. After the death of Mr. Conly she married John Flanagan, and of this union there were born four children. The mother died in 1872, and is buried at El Paso. Arthur Sherry is married and has six children : James is single and a resident of Livingston County; John remains in his native Ire- land, and is the father of a family; Patrick is un- married and a resident of this county ; and Annie, also unmarried, is housekeeper for her brother James in Nebraska Township. OHN J. TAYLOR, who is largely engaged in the real-estate, banking and milling busi- ness in Fairbury, was born on the 1 7th of July, 1818, in Melton, Saratoga Co.. N. Y., and comes of Scotch stock, his grandfather being- John Taylor, who emigrated from near Edinburgh, Scotland, to this country in 1785. His first loca- tion was at Boston. He was a ship captain and followed the sea for many years, eventually losing his life on the ocean. His widow settled near Sara- toga Springs, N. Y. The name of the father of our subject was George AV. Taylor, who was born in Boston, Mass., and was the third son of the family. He obtained an excellent education in his youth, and became so proficient in mathematics and nautical studies that he was able to command a vessel, and followed the ocean for fifteen years, but gave up that vocation at the earnest request of his wife, Harriet L. Du- persoy, and adopted farming as his occupation, which he made a success. He resided in the State of New York during his life, and died in 1881. Having been economical he succeeded in accumu- lating about $20,000. His wife was of French- English descent, and was born in 1795, and died in 1837. She was the mother of three children: George C., who married Uretta Bentley ; John J., our subject, and Mary L., who married O. II. P. Nash. After obtaining a liberal education in the com- mon schools of his native town Mr. Taylor came to Illinois in 1851, and entered Lennox Academy, where he remained two and one-half years. He is a pioneer in the real-estate business, and during his early residence in Illinois entered about 11,000 acres of land, and ultimately disposed of it at ft good profit. He has pursued this business to a greater or less extent ever since. In 1866 he en- gaged in the banking business by opening a private banking institution. In 1871-72 he assisted in establishing the First National Bank in Fairbury, and became one of its Directors. The capital of this bank is $50,000, and it has the entire confi- dence of the community. At the time this sketch is written Mr. Taylor is the possessor of 800 acres of the best land, which is divided into five differ- ent farms of 1 60 acres each, and every one is being placed under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Tay- lor has twelve acres of land in Fairbury, on which he has erected one of the finest dwelling-houses in the town. He is what might be called well-to-do, as his assets of real and personal property probably foot up to $200,000. He is very largely interested in the milling business at Quincy. His mills were destroyed by fire, but he has rebuilt them at a cost of about $100,000; they contain all the modern roller improvements, and have a c.-ipacity of 1,200 barrels per day. John J. Taylor was married, on the 15th of Feb- ruary, 1855, to Hannah E. Cary,a native of Bruns- wick, Me., who was born Jan. 19, 1828, and is the daughter of James and Mary (Oakman) Gary. lies father was a manufacturer of clocks and was a very tine mechanic. A Mr. Dennison, an appren- tice of his, was the first man to make a watch by machinery, and during their lives they were fast friends. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor are the parents of three children: Mary L. married Lester H. Strong, and lives in Ottawa, 111.; Alice E. and James C. Our subject and wife attend the Presbyterian f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 3(i7 Church. He is a thorough-going Republican, and puts forth his best efforts in political matters for the success of that party, although he never neg- lects his business affairs for polities. Mr. Taylor is handling his affairs successfully and profitably. In his business relations he is always found to be a man of strict integrity, honorable and fair in all his dealings, doing unto others as he would they should do unto him, and thus merits and receives the approval of his friends and acquaintances. I NICHOLAS WEIHKRMILLER. A large )// proportion of Avoca Township is under Z&) cultivation by the thrifty and industrious German fanner. This nationality has had much to do with the building up of the great West, and the subject of this sketch is performing his part as an enterprising citizen on a snng farm on section 25 of the township mentioned. The early part of his life was spent in the Province of Bavaria, Germany, where he was born May 4. 1856, and from which he emigrated to the United States in the spring of 1872. The parents of our subject, George and Maggie (Heinline) Weihermiller, were natives of the same Province as their son, and of German ancestry for generations back. Nicholas was the fourth of the family, and commenced his education when a little lad six years of age. At the age of fourteen he had completed his studies, and two years later with the enterprise for which he has always been dis- tinguished, started out by himself to seek his fort- unes on another continent. He embarked in a sailing-vessel at Bremen, and after a voyage of two weeks, set foot on American soil, proceeding at once from New York City directly for the West. For several years thereafter he was a resident of LaSalle County, this State, whence he came to Livingston County in 1877. Mr.' Weihermiller commenced life in this county as a farm laborer, working two years in Pleasant Ridge Township, after which he farmed there on rented land two years longer. lie took up his resi- dence in Avoca Township about 1880, locating on his present farm where he has since resided. His property includes eighty acres of good land, and the improvements which the passing traveler be- holds are the result of the industry and enterprise of the proprietor. Besides his home farm he owns eighty acres in Iroquois County, which is operated by a tenant. This also has good buildings, and upon his homestead is a creditable assortment of live stock, and all the necessary machinery for lessening labor in producing and garnering the chojcest crops of the Prairie State. Considering the fact that Mr. Weihermiller came to Illinois with a cash capital of sixty-three cents in his pocket, the progress which he made should be en- tirely satisfactory to himself and those interested. The lady who presides over the domestic affairs of our subject, and takes the warmest interest in his success, was in her girlhood Miss Louisa Metz, and she became his wife on the 2d of January, 1878. Mrs. W. was born in Woodforrl County, Aug. 28, 1858, and is the daughter of Frederick Metz, one of the most thorough farmers and highly resp?ctectively, Ira, Margaret, Rachel, Mary, Joseph, Rebecca and Caroline. Of these Mary is deceased, and the others reside in Nebraska, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Our subject remained under the home roof until after reaching his twenty-fourth year, and was then married in his native county to Miss Elizabeth Pat- ton, in December, 1848. The year following they came to Illinois, locating first in Bureau County, where Mr. Morris worked splitting rails, at $11 per month. He shortly, however, embarked in the same business on his own hook, continuing in Bureau County until the fall of the year, when he removed to Wood ford and farmed upon rented land for ten years. lie saved what he could of his income, and in 1*60 came to Livingston County and purchased eighty acres of wild land, which he in due time transformed into his present beautiful and valuable farm. It i.- in all respects a forcible illustration of what may be accomplished by industry and perse- verance. and the people around him who have known him long and well, all agree that he has no more than he deserves. Mrs. Morris, like her husband, is a native of Pennsylvania and was born Oet. 16. 1*30. Her parents were Samuel and Jane (Ilaynes) Patton, also natives of the Keystone State, whence they removed to Illinois in 1851. The mother departed this life some years ago in Woodford County; the father is living and resides there upon the old home- stead. Our subject is a valued member of the New- School Baptist Church, and politically is a Jack- son ian Democrat. LBERT HOFFMANN, who has traveled ex- tensively in this country and Europe, has chosen farming and stock-raising for his occupation, and is now located on a 160-acre farm on section 33, Pleasant Ridge Town- ship. He was born in Thuringia, Germany, May 26, 1834. When a boy he learned the trade of a weaver, at which he worked for a short time in the old country. lu 1853 he emigrated to America and found employment by the month on a farm in New Jersey. For three years he continued at this employment at $5 per month, and at the end of that time he came to Illinois and located in Bureau County, where he worked by the month for ten years. In 1867 Mr. Hoffmann came to Livingston County, and purchased eighty acres of laud in Pleasant Ridge Township, for which lie paid 115 per acre, and to which he has since added eighty acres more. When he purchased this land it was in an unbroken state, but by diligent work he has put it in a condition of excellent cultivation. His farm buildings are of first-class quality, the barn being 40x60 feet in dimensions. Like very many of the fanners of Livingston County, Mr. Hoffmann is largely engaged in raising stock, and at the time this sketch is written has twenty-two fine horses and a large herd of Durham cattle on his farm. He takes great pride in the stock department, and has earned a reputation co-extensive with the county as a model stock-raiser. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 371 On the 6th of March, 1864, Mr. Hoffmann was married to Miss Helen Stahly, who was a na- tive of Germany, born Oct. 22, 1844. She is the daughter of Peter and Kate (Gingerick) Stahly, natives of Germany, the former born in 1813, and died in 1889; the mother was born in the. same year, and is still living. They were the parents of three children Eli/a, William and Helen. To Mr. and Mrs. Hoffmann have been born six children, whose names are as follows: Arthur, Johanna, Ernest, Bertha, Edgar and Katie. Mr. Hoffmann is a member of the Republican party, which he joined upon his advent into this country. . He is a man who takes great interest in all matters relating to education, and for that reason has been selected as School Director for his district. In 1878 he made a return visit to Europe, taking an extensive trip through the greater portion of that country. He traveled ex- tensively in Russia, being on the road from May till September, and visited all places of interest, in- cluding the spot where Alexander the Second was killed in St. Petersburg, Russia. He made a trip up and down the River Rhine, and in the month of September returned to his home in Illinois, feeling that he had been much profited by his visit abroad. He is a man of extensive reading, which, coupled with his wide experience as a traveler, makes him a very entertaining man in conversation. He and his family occupy a prominent position in the so- ciety of Pleasant Ridge Township, and a visit to their home is always agreeable. We present on an accompanying page of this work a view of Mr. Hoffmann's residence. yiLLIAM F. EIKLOR, who is accredited with the ownership of one of the finest farms in Belle Prairie Township, makes a specialty of dealing in cattle, purchasing and shipping to the Eastern markets. He also breeds considerably, and altogether handles large numbers annually. His property includes 150 acres of valuable land, which he has brought to a high state of cultivation, pro- viding it with handsome and substantial buildings and all the accessories required by the intelligent farmer of the nineteenth century. As a citizen and member of his community he is considered one of the most reliable men of his township, prompt to meet his obligations, and possessing all the quali- ties which commend him to an appreciative and in- telligent class of people. Our subject was born in Erie County, Ohio, Aug. 2, 1838, and is the son of William F. and Jeanette (Cane) Eiklor, natives of New York State, and the former of German ancestry. The father was born in 1815, and died in McLean County, this State, in January, 18GC. He spent his childhood and youth in his native county, whence he emigrated to Ohio and there learned the trade of a blacksmith and ma- chinist, which he followed through life, preparing principally the iron work for vessels, including schooners and steamboats. He established in busi- | ness for himself at Huron, and employed a goodly number of workmen during the busy seasons. He was a skilled mechanic, and although receiving but a common-school education, became a man whose influence was sensibly felt in his community, of which he was a highly respected member. The mother was born in 1818, and was married in the spring of 1836; she is still living, and makes her home with her children. Although quite aged she is a healthy and vigorous lady, possessing the ad- mirable constitution of her Irish ancestors. Both parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. They came to Illinois in 1847, and Mr. E. took up a tract of land in Cropsey Township, McLean County, which remained in his possession until his decease. The home circle in- cluded a large family of children, of whom Will- iam F., our subject, was the eldest. The others were named respectively, James, Alonzo, Joseph B., Rebecca J., Louisa, Frederick B., Cecelia, John, Edward II., Jay and Jeanette. Our subject was a lad nine years of age when his parents came to Illinois. He remained under the home roof until after reaching his twenty-first ! j'ear, when he was united in marriage with Miss So- phronia Olmsted, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride Jan. 18, 1858, Rev. John Elliott, ' of the Presbyterian Church, officiating. Mrs. Eik- lor was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., Feb. 27, 1830, and is the daughter of Caleb and Samantha 372 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. (Wagner) Olmsted, also natives of the Empire State. Her father was born in 1812, and came with his family to Illinois in 1846, locating in DeKalb County, where he engaged in fanning and became quite wealthy. His death took place at the home- stead there in July, 188C. The mother was born in 1814, and survived her husband less than a year, her death taking place in February, 1887, at Genoa, DeKalb County. She is affectionately remembered by her children as a lady possessing nil the desirable qualities of a wife and mother, and was a devoted Christian and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. The parental family in- cluded eleven children, namely: Andrew, Alfred, Chester, Lester, Henry, Sophronia, Caroline, Helen, Emeline, Ella and Emma. The two children of Mr. and Mrs. Eiklor are Will- iam A., who was born Feb. 25, 1859. married Miss Susan Blnndy, and is now occupied in farming in Cropsey Township, McLean County; and Eunice S., who was born Feb. 16, 1865, and died when an interesting child of seven 3'ears, Sept. 12, 1872. Our subject and his wife are members in good stand- ing of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Cropsey, and politically, Mr. E. uniformly votes the Repub- lican ticket. As representative of this section of country we refer to the view of Mr. Eiklor's residence on an ad- joining page of this ALHUM. 1 IONATHAN G. MOORE, the well-known farmer and stock-raiser, whose farm is lo- cated on section 33, Indian Grove Town- ship, has been boy and man a resident of Illinois, and in fact of this township, where tie was born and where he has lived for over half a century. In that time he has seen the State grow from wildness to sparsely settled neighborhoods, which have grown to a thickly peopled common- wealth dotted over with populous cities, and rami- fied in all directions by railroads. The rise and progress of Illinois during the last half century has been one of the marvels of the West, and affords a gratifying comparison with the advancement of all other portions of the New World. No class of men have had more to do with this remarkable progress than those who transformed the vast expanse of raw prairie into farms many of which are beautiful and fertile as gardens. It happens in this instance that both father and son share in the honors that crown the pioneers, who have lived to see, on every side, the happy results of their handiwork. Richard Moore, the father of the subject of this sketch, residing on his farm on section 2'J, Indian Grove Township, is one of the original settlers of this State. He was born in Buford County, N. C., on the 31st of May. 1810, and accompanied his parents when they moved to Tennessee in the fall of the year 1818. His removal to Illinois occurred in 1830, and his settlement in Indian Grove Town- ship dates from 1832. In the year following he visited Chicago when the stores of that city con- sisted of six log structures. On the 12th of Octo- ber, 1828, Richard Moore was married to Perlina Phillips, a native of Alabama, where she was born on the 25th of April, 1810, but was reared to womanhood in the State of Tennessee. They :ire the parents of a large famity, as follows: Elizabeth, Sarepta J., Jonathan G., Sarah A., Nancy, Melinda, Martha, Hannah, James R., John M. He is of Ger- man and Welsh descent, while Mrs. M.'s ancestors were Irish. His father was born in North Carolina, and died in 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Moore are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years have taken an active interest in the congregation to which they belong. The farm on which they have lived so long consists of 160 acres, and it has been cultivated to the best advantage, lie gives his political adhesion to the Democratic party, and for years has been constant in his fealty. Jonathan G. Moore, the subject of this sketch, was born in Indian Grove Township on the 2bd of November, 1835, and grew to manhood on his father's farm, sharing the hardships and privations incident to the primitive life of those days. He took advantage of such school facilities as were then afforded and succeeded in obtaining a fair education. As soon as lie was capable he took charge of the home farm, the father being in ill- health and of defective hearing, and managed the place so that it proved remunerative. Mr. Moore was married, Dec. 24, 1862, to Miss Rosann Ilight, T f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 373 a native of Pennsylvania. She was born in 1838, and is the daughter of David and Catherine Hight, who were Germans by birth. One child lias been born to them, a bright-eyed girl on whom they have conferred the name of Laura E. Mrs. Moore is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and takes a deep interest in its affairs. Mr. Moore is independ- ent in his political opinions, and does not yield any allegiance to either of the old political organi- zations. He owns a farm of ninety -six acres, fifty- six of which are under excellent cultivation, while the remainder is used for pasture. J"?OHN M. ZOOK. Natives of Pennsylvania [ are numerous in Livingston County, and i wherever a Pennsylvania!! is found a thrifty ' farmer can be named. The original set- tlers of Pennsylvania were a hardy class of men and women, who were not only noted for their thrift and excellent ability as managers, but for their intelligence. When one can trace his an- cestry back to a generation or two of Pennsylva- nians he can establish beyond dispute the pedigree of good stock. The subject of this sketch is a Pennsylvania!}, as was his father, which largely accounts for his success in life, having grown from a very unpromising beginning. When a man be- gins on nothing and attains to that point which makes him independent, he is deserving of credit, and is generally awarded it. Mr. Zook has de- voted himself assiduously all his life to the work of making a home, which should be a comfort to him and all those dependent upon him, and he has succeeded. He is now a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of Avoca Township, where he is lo- cated on section 33. He is a native of Greene County, P,a., and was born Aug. 17, IHijij. and is the son of Solomon and Clarissa Zook, natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey respectively. His paternal ancestors were of German descent, and on the mother's side of German and Yankee origin. His maternal grandfather, John M. S perry, was a soldier in the War of 1812. When three years of age Mr. Zook's parents re- vcd from Ohio to Montgomery County, Ind., where the father engaged in farming, and died about the year 1849. Our subject was reared to manhood in Montgomery County, Ind., on a farm, where he received but a limited education, on ac- count of the inability of his parents to pay for tuition, and the necessity of his performing much work upon the farm. He came to Livingston County, 111., in 1854, and for a number of years farmed as a renter. At the time he arrived in this county his cash capital amounted to $1.25, and vvitli that small beginning he began life. He has been successful in his business affairs, and now owns a very excellent farm, the products of which yield him commensurate returns for the labor bestowed and the money invested. Mr. Zook was married, on the 2d of March, 1865, to Sarah F. McDowell, daughter of Thomas Mc- Dowell, of Fairbury, 111. To them have been born five children, four of whom are living Jes- sie, Edward, Harry and Roy. The name of the deceased was Thomas. Mr. Zook is independent in political matters, voting for the best man for the office, regardless of party. For several years he satisfactorily discharged the important duties of School Director, and in that capacity showed con- siderable ability. He and his excellent family stand well in the estimation of all their neighbors, and whenever occasion requires respond cheer- fully and promptl}' to all calls which appeal to their generosity. As a farmer Mr. Zook is modern in his methods and enterprising in his undertakings. His success testifies to his energy and good man- agement. ARON WEIDER, So far as relates to resi- dence, the man who was born in Ohio and re-ided there until nearing his majority, then became a citizen of Indiana until his marriage, and afterward a resident of Illinois, can boast of citizenship in three of the greatest Western States. Ohio people are good people wherever you find them. The adopted Indianian is distinguished the world over as a rugged, honest man, while he who has lived long enough in the Prairie State to lie an Illinoisan.'in fact ha.- acquired about the best citizenship that one can boast of. In these declara- t t 374 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. tions we have outlined the men among whom Mr. Weider can be classed, as the facts of his liirth and life as revealed in the following sketch will show. Mr. Weider is a native of Ross County, Ohio, where he was born on the 9th of October, 1822. lie is the son of George and Patience (Ford) Wei- dcr, who were natives respectively of Pennsylva- nia and New Jersey, and were both of German ori- gin. The paternal grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and the father served in a like capacity in the War of 1812. He was the fourth son in his father's family, and was reared in Ohio until his eighteenth year, when he accompanied his parents when they removed to Tippecanoe Count}', Ind. On the 2d of May, 1854, Mr. Welder was mar- ried to Matilda Tanner, a native of Montgomery County, Ohio. They have had seven children, of whom five are living: Blanche, Mrs. A. M. Bentley, of Owego Township; Clara; Jessie F., Mrs. D. M. Phillips, of Nebraska: Metta and Alfred G. In 1856 Mr. Weider came to Livingston Count}- with his -vife and one child, and after residing in various parts of the county finally settled on the farm which he is now occupying, on section 1G, Avoca Town- ship, in the year 1877. This farm consists of 120 acres, every foot of which is available for cultiva- tion. The subject of our sketch is an enthusiastic mem- ber of the Republican party, which upon several occasions has chosen him to serve the people in some official capacity. For one year lie was Col- lector of Avoca Township, and is at present As.-o- sor. He served for many years as District School Director, and for four years in the responsible posi- tion of Treasurer of Livingston Count}', in all of which various positions he has discharged the du- ties which devolved upon him to the satisfaction of all the people. He is a member of Fairbury Lodge, A. F. ;ir Reading, and on the 18th of December. 1886, became the parents of a son whom they named Edward Nelson, and who is now a bright child one year old. About 1878 Mr. Arnold identified himself with the Masonic fraternity, and politically Drives his sup- port to the Republican party. He has served as School Director in his district for several terms, and is numbered among the quiet, steady -going citi- zens, with whom the interests of the community are always safe, and who have contributed their full quota toward its welfare and progress. RS. EMELINE QUEST. In all countries where men possess gallantry women play an important part in affairs, and in this country, to the honor of the laws and the customs be it said, women are the equal of men in all rights and privileges, excepting- the rights to vote and hold office, and it is possible that these rights woidd be conferred if it could be made ap- parent that the majority of the women so desired it. As it is. the influence of women as wives, mothers and sisters, is all potent, and wherever they have assayed to fill positions requiring tact and ability they have been successful, whether in professions or in the callings requiring talent of an executive order. Among the many biographical sketches found in this ALBUM space is given to none more cheerfully than to the subject of this sketch, who is an old settler of Livingston County, and resides on section 30, Avoca Township. She is a native of Vermillion County, Ind., and was born on the 21st of October, 1838. She is a daughter of Minor and Elizabeth (Lawrence) Rogers. Her father was born in New England and her mother was a native of Ohio. When Mrs. Quest was about ten years of age her parents emi- grated from Indiana to Livingston County, and were among the very early settlers of Avoca Town- ship. Her father died in July, 1886, and the mother still resides in Avoea Township, with Mrs. Armilda Carson, her youngest daughter. She has passed threescore years, and much of her life has been spent as a pioneer, enduring all the privations and hardships of an earl}' residence in Indiana and Illinois. Mrs. Quest's father was one of the repre- sentative pioneers of Avoca Township, and \v:is a man of large acquaintance. He was universally esteemed and respected for his many good qualities, and when he died his loss to the county was severely felt. Mrs. Quest was reared to maturity in Livingston County, and availed herself of such opportunities and advantages as were afforded for obtaining a common-school education. Her first marriage oc- curred on the 1st of May, 1861, her husband being Matthew Clark, a native of Ireland, and this union resulted in the birth of four children, as follows: Lizzie, formerly a successful school teacher, and now the wife of Robert Main, of Avoca Township; Annie, John and Fannie. Mr. Clark was a Repub- lican in politics, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in both of these organiza- tions he took a deep interest and played an active part. He died on the 5th of December, 1878. On the llth of January, 1885, Mrs. Clark was married to her present husband, Charles Quest, a native of England. She is the owner of an excellent eighty-acre farm, which is highly improved, well drained and fenced, and contains good buildings. She is a highly respected member of society, and is prominent in all good works which are projected in her neighborhood. She stands deservedly high as a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and enjoys the respect and esteem of all who kin >\\ her. HARLES M. JOHNSON, one of the steady, reliable men of Indian Grove Township, has. by a conservative business course and econ- omy, surrounded himself and family with the com- forts of the world. He belongs to that sturdy class of men who accomplish their aims by substantial progress, always making sore of a foothold before taking the next step. Such men are always gain- ing headway, slow though it be sometimes, but never moving backward. Mr. Johnson has the care and management of a splendid 120-aere farm LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 377 i on section 17, Indian Grove Township, where, in addition to general farming, he engages to a con- siderable extent in raising live stock. Charles M. Johnson was born in Oswego County, N. Y., on the 13th of August, 1848. He is a son of Franklin I. and Mary A. (Wightman) Johnson. The father was born on the 2d of December, 1 820, in New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N. Y., his parents being Franklin and Hopey (King) Johnson. Our subject's mother was born in Oswego County, N. Y., Oct. 24, 1821, and was the'daughter of William and Hannah Wightman. To Franklin I. Johnson and wife were born four children: George, who died in infancy; Charles, the subject of this sketch; Frank D. and Addie, the latter dying at the age of thirteen years. The father now resides at Fair- bury, where he is enjoying his later years in the midst of comfort and plenty. The mother, who was a woman of many very excellent traits of char- acter, and one who led a consistent Christian life as a member of the Baptist Church, died on the 21st of November, 1884. The subject of this history lived in his native State but a short time, his parents emigrating to Fulton County, 111., when he was quite young. In 1861 they removed to Peoria, and there Charles M. attended the city schools and acquired a good education. Later he employed himself in his fa- ther's pottery, and continued to reside in Peoria until the family came to this county, when he ac- companied them. Locating with his father on the IGO-acre farm three miles south of Fairbury, he there lived, and labored early and late for the good of the household. Subsequently this farm was sold and 240 acres purchased. This was divided into equal parts, and our subject is now living upon one, and his brother Frank upon the other. Both farms are supplied with fine residences, and our subject is meeting with success in the prosecution of his chosen calling. On the 12th of February, 1878, was celebrated the marriage of Charles M. Johnson and Miss Dora Kenney. Mrs. J. was born on the 25th of October. 1851, in the State of Maine, and is the daughter of Edwin and Phidclia (Baker) Kenney, natives of the same State, and both now living. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have no children. They are - 1111-111- bers in good standing of the Baptist Church at Fairbury, and Mr. J. has held the office of Treas- urer in the Sunday-school for several years. He is highly respected in his community, and numbered among its reputable and worthy citizens. OHN II. SMITH, farmer, stock-grower and grain-dealer, also engaged in the manufact- ure of tile, is one of the wide-awake and en- terprising men of Pontiac Township, and the owner of a good property on section 24. His farm operations have been successfully conducted since he took possession of the valuable land now in- cluded in his homestead, and in the manufacture of tile he is the leader in this section of the country. The works are located near the city limits, and in the busy season furnish employment to eighteen men. He not only controls the local trade, but ships to various points outside. The boyhood and youth of Mr. Smith were spent in the State of Pennsylvania. He was born in Centre County Aug. 12, 1840, and when a child of seven years removed with his parents to Hunting- don County, where he was reared to manhood and pursued his studies in the common schools. His parents, Jacob and Lydia Smith, were natives re- spectively of Union and Centre Counties, and spent their entire lives in their native State, the former passing away Dec. 25, 1880, and the latter in 1869. They pursued unobtrusively the lives of peaceable citizens and worthy members of society, and both were connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject, when a 3'outh of seventeen, began learning the carpenter's trade, which he followed eleven years. In 1863 he migrated to Oil City, Pa., where he operated three years, having a well of his own and opening up sixteen wells for other parties. This speculation was fairty successful, but he finally resolved to make his permanent home in the West. After passing his twenty-second year he was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Duff, the wedding taking place at tlie home of the bride in Hunting- don County, Pa., Dec. 30, 1862. Mrs. Smith is the daughter of Charles and Eliza (Cunningham) Duff, t 378 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of Huntingdon County, Pa., and by her union with our subject became the mother of three children Elizabeth. Win n if red and Charles C. Mr. and Mrs. Smith remained in their native State six years after their marriage, when they emigrated to Illi- nois, and Mr. Smith purchased the land included in his present homestead. He began life dependent upon his own resources, and the result is a fine illus- tration of what may be accomplished by persever- ing industry. On his arrival in this county he owed a debt of $62, which, however, he liquidated in a short time, and by the exercise of the closest economy, in due time found himself upon his feet and on the highway to prosperity. The parents and grandparents of Mrs. Smith were all natives of Pennsylvania, and her paternal grandfather was of Scotch-Irish descent. Her par- ents came to Illinois in 1866, settling in Pontiac Township, this county, where the father died Sept. 12, 1873, and the mother July 13, 1887. They were people highly esteemed by their neighbors, and members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. n- IMON BRINKMANN. The beautiful farm which occupies a quarter of section 33, in Rook's Creek Township, eliciting the ad- miration of all passers-by, is the property of the gentleman whose name stands at the head of this sketch. He has obtained it through his own plodding industry, as he was early in life thrown upon his own resources. From working as a farm laborer, he has become a man of property, and a citizen greatly respected as one of the men con- tributing his full share to the progress and develop- ment of Livingston County. Mr. Brinkmami spent his childhood in the Father- land, where his birth took place in the Province of Dctmold, Oct. 24, 1839. He is the son of Karl and Sophia (Drachmeir) Brinkmann, also natives of (Jermany, who emigrated to the United States in 1853, the year following the arrival of their son here. Karl Brinkmann w;is born in 17KIJ, and died at his home in Mason County. 111., in 1863, being sixty-seven years of age, while his wife, Sophia, commenced life in the year 1806, and passed away in 1861. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Louis Brinkmann, spent his entire life in Germany, as also (lid August Drachmeir, the maternal grandfather. The subject of our biography was the third in a family of five children who all came to this country with their parents. He has a half-sister who was married and remains in Germany. His own broth- ers and sister were : Frederick, who was married but died without children; Henry, who died and left two children; August, a resident of Independ- ence, Kan., and the father of eight children; and Sophia, the wife of John Myers, the mother of nine children, and a resident of Mason County, 111. Simon was nineteen years of age when he came to America, where two brothers had preceded him. He joined them in Mason County, and after oc- cupying himself as a farm hand one 3 r ear, took charge of his brother's farm in that place. The 3'ear following he was married, Nov. 18, 1862, to Miss Mary, daughter of Herman and Henrietta (Bulk) Uthmiller. The young people commenced housekeeping on a rented farm where they con- tinued seven years, when they purchased the land which they now occupy, and have brought to a fine state of improvement. The lowland has been thoroughly drained with tile and they have a good residence and all other necessary buildings for the shelter of stock and the storage of grain. Their home has been brightened by the birth of nine children, all at home with their parents. Sophia, the eldest daughter, was born Jan. 14, 1864; Loue, Dec. 31, 1865; Frederick, April 13, 1867; Henry, Sept. 21, 1871; William, May 22, 1874; Matilda, March 24, 1878; Simon, Oct. 21, 1880; Mary, Jan. 30, 1883; Anna, Dec. 5, 1885. Mrs. Brinkmann was the second in a family of three children born to her parents. Her brother William is unmarried and lives in Mason Count}': Elizabeth, the wife of George Behm, has seven children and lives in Havana, 111. Upon occasions of important elections Mr. Brinkmann casts his vote with the Democratic party, but in local affairs Minis to support the man best qualified for office. He h;is served as School Director eight years in j n C/l o m o n > o Co z > z CD O CO I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 383 this township, but further than this has steadily declined becoming an office-holder. He was reared in the doctrines of the Lutheran Church, and loy- ally adheres to the religious faith of his parents. v FRANKLIN M. EADS is a representative of the family from which sprang James B. Eads, the noted civil engineer who has made his name famous in his connection with the navigation of the Mississippi. The subject of our sketch is one of the most prosperous farmers and stock-growers of Indian Grove Township, and owns a fine body of land on section 26, and also 193 acres in Belle Prairie Township. He was born in Morgan County, this State, Dec. 28, 1833, and is the son of John and Jane (Anderson) Eads, natives respectively of Maryland and North Carolina. When but a lad John Eads removed to Lexington, Ky.. with his parents, and there learned black- smithing and followed the trade for forty or fifty years. He came to Illinois in 1828 or 1829, set- tling first in Jacksonville, Morgan County, where he resided until 1832, when he removed to a farm twelve miles southeast of the city, where, with his family, he spent the remainder of his life. His death took place about 1859, and that of his widow in about 1881. The mother of our subject, Jane Brandon An- derson, was born five miles from Salisbury, Rowan Co., N. C., Oct. 5, 1796, and died at his residence, five miles south of Fairbury, April 15, 1881, at the age of eighty-four years, six mouths and ten days. She was the third child of Thomas and Martha (Dickey) Anderson, and her paternal grandfather, Isaac Anderson, was one of the original settlers of Rowan County, N. C., and married Miss Sarah Farmer. The first husband of Jane Brandon was Ezekiel Turner, and her second John Eads, Sr., of Jacksonville, Morgan Co., 111., to whom she was married Sept. 18, 1828. Our subject remained under the parental roof until a youth of nineteen years, receiving a com- mon-school education and being trained to habits of industry and economy. Then, under the in- struction of an elder brother, who was located in the small village of Waverly, he took up the trade his father had so long and industriously followed. After an experience of about ten years in the shop he turned his attention to fanning, and has since been energetically engaged in tilling the soil. He has been greatly prospered in his labors, and from the time of his first purchase of a quarter section of land he has accumulated until he is now the pro- prietor of 515 acres, all under a good state of cul- tivation. His stock-raising operations have been extensive, and his stables include imported Clyde horses and Short-horn cattle. As a breeder of horses he has attained an enviable reputation, and with his cattle has followed the practice of Mr. Haaf, of Henry County, 111., that of sawing the horns off close to the head. This he esteems a humane procedure. He has also added sheep-rais- ing to his other interests, and as might be expected, keeps the best grades. His residence and farm buildings are of excellent description, and every- thing about the premises indicates thrift and in- dustry of no mean order, and we are pleased to present a full-page view of them as a representative farm estate of Livingston County. After reaching his twenty-third year Mr. Eads was united in marriage with Miss Esmeralda Pat- ton. The wedding took place at the home of the bride in Woodford County on the 31st of May, 1857. Of this union there was born one child, a son, Willie E., who died when five mouths old. The wife was called to the other world in 1868. The second wife of our subject was Miss Minerva Travis, to whom he was married Feb. 13, 1873. She became the mother of three children, namely : Laura, who died in infancy; Dora M., who was born March 15, 1875, and Lester E., Jan. 22, 1877. The mother of these children died at her home in Indian Grove Township in 1877. The present wife of our subject was formerly Mi's. John (Thompson) Hougham. This marriage resulted in the birth of one child who died in infancy. Mrs. Eads was born in McLean County, this State, Aug. 27, 1846, and is the daughter of Simpson E. and Narcissa Thompson, natives of Kentucky, and now living in McLean County. Mr. Eads has held the various offices of his town- ship and officiated as Deacon in the Christian t. ^tr 4 ;),s4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Church for eight years, and has recently been made an Elder. He meddles little in politics and is a strong Prohibitionist. Mrs. Eads united with the Christian Church in about the year 1864, and has ever since been a worth} 1 member. In Livingston County may be found many highly cultivated and well equipped farms, and some of the most advanced and enterprising farmers in the State. While it may be classed among the very leading agricultural counties of the Northwest it takes an equal rank among the counties more es- pecially devoted to raising fine stock. Here both the tilling of the soil and the breeding of farm animals are practiced after the most modern and scientific principles. The pioneers in these "ad- vanced methods are rendering invaluable service to the community about them. They are men of skill, foresight and enterprise. Among the leading men of the county in both branches is Mr. Eads, the gentleman whose life is briefly outlined above, and it is with pleasure that we present his portrait in this volume. ENRY ARTHUR SWIFT, dealer in hard- ware in the town of Dana, LaSalle County, just over the line dividing that and Living- ston Counties, is a native of the State of Illinois, and was born on the 14th of February, 1859. He is the son of Robert S. and Sarah H. (Smallwood) Swift. He remained with his parents attending the common schools until fourteen years of age, where he made such progress in his studies that at the age of seventeen he began to teach in the village of Reading, Reading Township, Living- ston County, and alternated his time between teaching and going to school until July, 1885, at- tending school at Valparaiso, Ind., about fifteen months, during which time he completed the busi- ness course of that institution. In that month lie engaged in the hardware business in the town of Flanagan. On the 20th of October, 1885, Mr. Swift was married to Lunette Hakes, daughter of Alfred B. and Marion (Howe) Hakes, natives of New York. Mrs. Swift is a native of Illinois, and they have 4* had one child born to them, 6n the 20th of January, 1887, upon whom they have conferred the name of Maudie Roe. Mrs. Hakes was born on the 3d of August, 1835, and is the mother of nine children, eight of whom are living. Their names are as fol- lows: Jared is married to Miss Elizabeth Clcgg; they have a family of four children, and are en- gaged in farming in Livingston County. Anthony I. married Miss Mary Belt, and is a farmer by oc- cupation; they have three children, and live in Logan County, Kan. Lunette, Mrs. Henry A. Swift, was born Dec. 16, 1863; Annie M. was born in 1858, and died in February, 1859; Mary Jane, Edgar, Arthur, Cora May and Hettie, all at home. At the time this sketch is written, Mr. Swift is engaged in the hardware trade in the town of Dana, LaSalle County, and carries a general line of shelf and heavy hardware. He has been located in Dana since the 1st of March, 1886, and has drawn to himself an extensive trade from the surrounding country. He owns the house and lot where he lives, and also the business house and lot where he conducts his business. He and his wife are mem- bers of the Methodist Church, in which they take an active interest. In politics he votes and acts with the Republican party, and is a strong advo- cate of the prohibition of the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. Mr. Swift is a young man who has developed ex- cellent business qualifications, and those who know him predict for him a bright future. He possesses the three great requisites for success honesty, in- dustry and economy and stands high among the business men of Dana, and of the two counties wherein lies his trade. "OHN VICKERY, well known throughout Nevada Township as one of its most exten- sive and successful farmers, was born on the other side of the water, and has traveled over a large portion of this continent, having so- journed in twenty-one different States. He pos- st'-ses more than ordinary intelligence, and has LIVINGSTON COUNTY. .8854 made the most of his opportunities for seeing life and becoming acquainted with the various phases of human nature. He has always been active, and known no greater pleasure than that of a stirring- business life, in which both hands and brain may be employed. The early home of our subject was in Devon- shire, England, where his birth took place Oct. 1, 1824. He was reared not far from the vale of Ex- eter, noted for its rich and beautiful stretch of country, and which forms such a strong contrast to the rugged coasts of the Bristol Channel, which upon the contrary, is broken and diversified, being in some places wild and sterile, and in others re- markable for fertility. The famous cattle prized so highly in America, the red Devons, originated in this county, and Dartmoor, also within its limits, feeds large numbers of small ponies, which, accord- ing to their size, possess remarkable strength and endurance, and are used largely in the mines. Our subject passed his childhood and youth upon the farm of his father, Christopher Vickery, a native of Cornwall, and the descendant of a line of excellent ancestry who were mostly engaged in farming pursuits. The father of our subject spent his last years in Devonshire, and the homestead still remains in the family, being now the property of his grandson, Thomas Vickery. Christopher, although fond of country life, engaged consider- ably in trade, and also dealt largely in live stock. His wife, the mother of our subject, was formerly Miss Elizabeth Hodge, a native of the same county as her son, and the daughter of Thomas Hodge. She departed this life not far from the place of her birth, where she had always lived, in the spring of 1828, and had been the mother of four children, one of whom died in infancy; Thomas still resides in England ; Elizabeth came to America, became the wife of Charles Vole, and died in Vienna Town- ship, Grundy County, this State, about 1850. Mr. Vickery attended school quite steadily dur- ing his childhood and youth, and subsequently em- ployed himself in assisting his father around the homestead, and also learned the butcher's trade. He remained in England until nearly twenty-one years old, but his busy brain had for some time been devising a scheme whereby he might better his condition in life. On the 12th of July, 1845, he proceeded to Plymouth and embarked on a sail- ing-vessel bound for America. After a voyage of six weeks and four days, he landed at Quebec, Canada, whence he proceeded directly to Kingston, and a month later to Toronto. From there he mi- grated first to Cleveland, Ohio, and then to Cincin- nati, keeping himself supplied with pocket money by working at his trade. We next find him in Racine, Wis., and in 1847 he located in Grundy County, this State, and for a year was engaged in farming. This locality pleased him better than anywhere he had yet be^n, and he accordingly pur- chased a quarter section of land in Vienna Town- ship. He improved this considerably, and sold out at a good profit a few years later. He invested in another quarter section in the same township, which he also sold, and taking up his abode in Highland Township, farmed there until 1872. In the spring of that 3'ear he came to this county and purchased apart of the land which he now occupies. Mr. Vickery has been remarkably successful in his farming operations, the land responding gener- ously to his skillful and thorough management. He added to his acreage until he has now 435 acres in Nevada and Dwight Townships, all of which is improved and supplied with good buildings. Be- sides this he has 600 acres in Grundy County. This furnishes employment to a large number of men, horses and machinery, and like other enter- prising citizens he has thus acted the part of a pub- lic benefactor. Mr. Vickery was married, March 22, 1854, in Kane County, 111., to Miss Mary Stale}', and they became the parents of two children : Fremont J., born June 19, 1856, married Miss Nettie Johnston, a native of Lee County, and of Scotch parentage; they have one child, a son, Paul B. Charles B., the younger son of Mr. Vickery, was born June 15, 1871, and remains at home with his parents. Mrs. Vickery was born in Euphrates Township, Mont- gomery Co., N. Y., July 10, 1832. Her father, Adam Staley, was born in Johnstown, that county, and was the son of Abraham Staley, a native of Hol- land, who came to America when young, locating in Johnstown during its early settlement. He mar- i ried a lady of French birth, and both himself and -*. tin t t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. wife spent their last years in that locality. Grand- father Staley was a man of great enterprise and in- dustry, and owned a good farm which he had opened up from the wilderness. Adam Staley, the father of Mrs. Vickery, was reared to manhood in his native town, and after his marriage purchased a small farm near Euphra- tes, which he occupied until 1840. He then sold out and started for the West, accompanied by his wife and four children. They proceeded by team to Buffalo, and then embarked, teams and all, on a vessel bound for Toledo. Thence they drove to Kane County, fording the river two miles below Aurora. Mr. Staley rented a farm in Aurora Town- ship, which he occupied a year, and then on ac- count of ill-health, returned East as far as New York State, locating in Oneida County, where he resided nine or ten years. Illinois in the mean- time had become more thickly settled, the land in better condition and the atmosphere purer. He accordingly returned to the West, and subsequently purchased a tract of land in Island Township, Grundy County, from which he opened up a good farm which continued his home until his death, in June, 1865. The mother of Mrs. Vickery was formerly Miss Sallie Higgins, a native of New York, and the daughter of Ebenezer Higgins, also a native of and a representative of one of the finest families in the Empire State. She is still living, and resides with her daughter, Mrs. Frances West, in Montgomery County, Iowa. When Mr. Vickery came to Illinois there was not a railroad in the State. His nearest market was at Morris, and the nearest railroad at Niles, Mich., from which point he went to Michigan City, Ind., and then to Chicago, and from there by stage to Grundy County. He has been the leader in the various enterprises for the development of the re- sources of Livingston County, and was among the first to encourage the establishment of religious and educational institutions. He has, since a young man, been connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he officiated as Class- Leader and Superintendent of the Sunday-school, and is now Trustee and Steward. He identified himself with the Republican party upon its organi- zation, and since old enough to think for himself. has been an Abolitionist of the strongest kind. While a resident of Lisbon, his house was one of the depots of the underground railroad, through which many a fugitive found his way to freedom. Taken altogether, his life may be written down as a success. He has spent few idle days and neg- lected few opportunities to use his means and in- fluence toward the advancement of mankind, and the dissemination of the principles of truth and Christianity. eHARLES KETTELLE, deceased, was a na- tive of Boston, Mass., and was born on the 8th of June, 1 804. He was the son of An- drew and Eleanor Kettelle, of French descent, and was reared to manhood in his native city and State, where he received a good education. In 1831 he came West and located in Peoria County, 111., where he was one of the first pioneers of the count}', which then contained a population of only about 300 people. He was one among the first Recorders of Peoria County, and served in that office for fourteen years, and afterward held the office of County Clerk for about twenty years, besides serv- ing in several minor offices. He was one of the pioneer business men of Peoria, and that city did him the honor to name one of its thoroughfares Kettelle street. On the 12th of September, 1837, Mr. Kettelle was married to Lucinda C. Dickenson, who was born on the 18th of April, 1819, in Hadley, Mass., and went to Peoria, 111., in 1836. She is the daughter of Samuel and Abigail (Stockbridge) Dickenson, both natives of New England. Mr. and Mrs. Kettelle had eight children, five of whom are living: George H.; Charles A., the well-known attorney -at-law, of Chicago; Cordelia S., Edwin S. ; Katie, the wife of J. W. Smith, and three deceased. Eleanor, Abigail and Samuel. Mr. Kettelle died on the 14th of March, 1882, in his seventy-ninth year. The subject of this sketch was a Democrat in politics, and usually took a very active part in local, State and National campaigns. His church connections were with the Swedenborgian denomi- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. nation. He was a man whose reputation extended beyond the boundary lines of Peoria County, and he enjoyed the acquaintance of most of the prom- inent people of the State, while all who knew him esteemed his friendship very highly. The citizens of Peoria honored him with the offer of Mayoralty, which he declined, and accepted a seat in the Board of Alderman. In his death the family lost a kind and indulgent husband and father, and Peo- ria Count}' one of her most useful and esteemed citizens. In the spring of 1882 he removed with his family to Livingston County, where he died within a few days after his arrival. The widow is now in her sixty-ninth year, and with the other members of the family resides on section 33, Pon- tiac Township. She owns eighty acres of land, and in her old age is enjoying the fruits of a life spent in usefulness and well doing. ; UDOLPH ULFERS, of Avoca Township, a self-made man and a fine representative of \ the German element which has assisted so w|X) materially in the development of Central Illinois, is located on section 32, where he has 160 acres of good land. This he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, and it is all enclosed with good fences. The buildings are of that substantial char- acter required by the progressive farmer, and the premises which he has built up by his own industry' and thrift illustrate in a decided manner his enter- prise and perseverance. Upon coming to this country he labored under more than usual disad- vantages, being not only poor in pocket, but $80 in debt. This he liquidated as soon as possible, and before very long met with that encouragement which was the legitimate result of his honesty and industry. Ere long he found himself not only out of debt, but with the prospect of securing a home and something to lay by for a rainy day. Mr. Ulfers was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, Nov. 21. 1845, where he spent his childhood and youth, and received the advantages of a common- school education. He emigrated to America in the spring of 18G8, before reaching his twenty- third year, making the passage from Bremen on a sailing-vessel, and landing in New York City after a tedious voyage of eight weeks. He had already heard of the Prairie State, and without tarrying long in the metropolis, he started directly for Illi- nois and located first in Tazewell County. A year later he came to Livingston County, where he has since remained. He was first employed as a farm laborer, lived economically and saved what he could of his earnings, and will never forget the time when he was so happy as to be able to secure a quarter section of land. He has become thor- oughly Americanized, is a Republican in politics, and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The lady who has shared the home of our sub- ject for the last fifteen years and to whom he was married April 5, 1873, was formerly Miss Sophia Brown, daughter of Jacob and Rosa Brown, of Avoca Township. She was born in New York, re- ceived a fair education in the common school, and remained with her parents until her marriage. She is now the mother of five children, who were born as follows: Katie, Aug. 3, 1874; John, Dec. 17, 1876; Jacob, July 11, 1879; Emma, Sept. 21, 1881, and Anna, Jan. 21, 1884. DSON L. WILDER, who is one of the most independent and enterprising of farmers and stock-raisers, located on section 19, in Waldo Township, was born in Oswego County, N. Y., on the 15th of August, 1840. His father was born in Townsend Township, Windham Co., Vt., on the 13th of March, 1809, and received a fair common-school education. The grandfather, Natt Wilder, was born in Massachusetts July 9, 1784, and died Aug. 24, 1839. The grandmother, Polly (Warner) Wilder, was born June 30, 1783, and died April 10, 1852. The great-grandfather, Joshua Wilder, was a tanner by trade, which he followed in Vermont. He reared a family of twelve chil- dren, and previous to his death he worked in a hay field with five generations of his descendants. At the age of nine years Mr. Wilder's father accompanied the grandfather, Natt Wilder, from his farm in Vermont, and settled in Oswego County, 1 f 3K.S LIVINGSTON COUNTY. N. Y. At the age of eighteen he began to learn the trade of a carpenter, and after working at that occupation for about two years, met with an acci- dent which unfitted him for manual labor, and the following winter he taught school. After this he worked at his trade a portion of the time as jour- neyman, and then as a contractor. On the 9th of February, 1835, he was married to Susan Titus, daughter of P. T. and Martha (Barnum) Titus. Before he was married he had purchased a house and lot in Washingtonville, where the parents be- gan housekeeping, and where the subject of our sketch was born. In 1837 the father began deal- ing in a general stock of merchandise, and fol- lowed that business for about three years, after which he resumed work at his trade. In 1856 he sold out in New York, and moved to Peoria County, 111., where he again engaged at his trade, leaving the sons to do the farming. He is the father of four living children : Marshall DeForrest, Malcom Dunois, Edsou Lleweltyn and Mary Alice. It is worthy of note that though they had been married fifty-two years, there had never been a death in the family. The mother was born in Oswego County, N. Y., Jan. 21), 1811, and was reared on a farm until eighten years of age, when her parents moved to Washingtonville, where she was married and lived until the removal West in 1856. In Peoria County the father was Justice of the Peace a number of years, and in Waldo Town- ship, this county, he held the same office for a number of years, and was also Supervisor for eleven years. The parents are now both quite aged, and live in WaJdo Township with their sons, all of whom are settled on the same section. The father of our subject is the eldest in a fam- ily of five children: Polly, born July 15,1811, died unmarried; Loren, born Nov. 11, 1813, mar- ried Mary Hanson, lias three children, and lives in Medina Township, Peoria Co., Hi.; Laura, born July 16, 1815, married Rufus Salisbury, has one child, and lives in Oswego County, N. Y. ; Mar- shall, who was born Feb. 28, 1818, married Emma F. Green, and died Nov. 7, 1848, leaving two chil- dren. Mr. Wilder's mother is the sixth in a fam- ily of nine children, as follows: Sarah A., born March 21, 1800, married Jonathan Newton, and had twelve children, two of whom were in the Union army; Treat, born in December, 1803, mar- ried Iloxana Lester, and died leaving one child ; Lucinda married Elisha Stevens, and died leaving five children; Betsy, born Feb. 12, 1807, married David Ames, has six children, and lives in New York; Amos Barnum, born May 18, 1808, married Sophia Fitch, has one child and lives in Michigan; Susan is the mother of our subject; Anson, born Jan. 22, 1814, married Nancy Spencer, had nine children, and lives in Minnesota; Hannah, born July 29, 1817, married Robert McAdam, died and left one child; Martha, born March 1, 1820, mar- ried Alfred Welsh, has several children, and lives in Michigan. The subject of this sketch was reared in the lit- tle village of Washingtonville until he was sixteen years of age, during which time he received a good common-school education. In 1856 he came with his parents to Illinois and located in Peoria Count}-, where the father rented ground for the boys to farm. Here they remained farming in partnership, part of the time on rented land and afterward on ground which they purchased, until 1864, when they sold their interest there, and in 1865 joined in buying 256 acres of land in Living- ston County. Mr. Wilder continued farming op- erations with his brothers until 1880, when the firm was dissolved by mutual consent, and since that time he has carried on the business himself on a farm of 160 acres, which is partly tiled and un- der a good state of cultivation. Mr. Wilder was married, on the llth of April, 1872, to Miss Jane Watson, daughter of Alexan- der and Isabella (Ironsides) Watson, of Waldo Township. She was born in Aberdeenshire, Scot- land, July 25, 1846, and came to this country with her mother and step-father, when about twenty-five years of age. Her father died in Scotland when she was about fourteen years of age, and after- ward her mother married Thomas Kirkton, by whom she had one son, John Kirkton, who married Carrie Nethercott, and lives in Waldo Township. Mrs. Wilder is the eldest of three children, born i of the first marriage. Isabella was born Dec. 7, 1852, and married Malcom Wilder, a brother of , our subject. Alexander W. was born Sept. 13, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 3,S!) 1868, and lives in Waldo Township. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilder four children have been born, as fol- lows: Loren, Jan. 21, 1873; Edson A., July 29, 1874; George W., Sept. 8, 1877, and Frances Jean- ette, April 24,1887. Air. Wilder is a Democrat and comes of Demo- cratic stock on his father's side. He is not con- nected with any church. His parents were promi- nent Congregationalists in New York, but on ac- count of there being no congregation here they united with the Presbyterians at El Paso. Mrs. Wilder belongs to the Congregational Church, but for the same reason attends the Presbyterian Church. They are both active members of soci- ety, and whatever is undertaken for the benefit of the community in which they live, is heartily sup- ported by them. OIIN F. OVERHOLT, of the town of Read- ing, in Reading Township, has followed the profession of school teaching for the past t wenty-five years, but is now retired from its active duties. He was born in Fayette County, Pa., on the 1st of May, 1842, and is the son of Jacob D. and Mary F. (Freed) Overholt, natives of Pennsylvania, where the father was born in Bucks County, in 1804, and the mother in Fayette County, in 1813. To them were born the following chil- dren: Elizabeth, born in 1831, married William II. Lei.ninberger, a stone-cutter, and by him had five children, one of whom is dead; the husband died in 1883. Henry, born in 1834, died fn childhood; Martin, born in 1837, married Lizzie Patterson, of Reading Township, had two children, and lived in Strcator, where he was engaged in merchandising; he died in 1 877. John F. is the subject of this sketch ; Abraham, born in 1843, enlisted in Company E, 155th Pennsylvania Infantry, and died at Sharps- burg. Md., after serving one year; Mary, born in 1 846, died at the age of seven ; Annie E., born in July, 1849, was married in 1872 to Joseph R. Laughrey, superintendent of one of tin- coal-works at Dawsou, Pa.; she has four children. Joseph, born in 1852, now resides in Dakota: he married Albina Piersol, and had one child, who, with the mother, died of typhoid fever ; Sarah, born in 1855, died in infancy. The grandparents of our subject were Jacob Overholt and Elizabeth Detwiler, natives of Pennsylvania, and the mother was Mary F. Freed, daughter of Henry and Barbara (Newcomber) Freed, also natives of Pennsylvania. Mr. John F. Overholt, our subject, spent his youth and early manhood in Pennsylvania, where he engaged in work upon the farm and clerking in a store, and during the time secured a good educa- tion in the common and Normal schools of West- moreland County. He came from that State to Illinois in the year 1861, at the age of nineteen. For twenty-five years he taught school without intermiss'ion, during the winter seasons, also engag- ing in merchandising in Pontiac, and for five years conducted a drug business. On the 7th of November, 1867, Mr. Overholt was married to Mary E. Mathis, of Reading, who was bom on the 29th of November, 1846. She is the daughter of Jeremiah and Helen (McKinney) Mathis, a record of whose family is as follows: Maggie married George Wolverton, and died at the birth of their second child, in 1861; Rhuhamie mar- ried George Wolverton, and had three children; her husband is now deceased ; Charles married, and is engaged at hotel-keeping at Bartells, in the In- dian Territory ; Mary E. is the wife of. our subject; Seymour, born March 30, 1848, resides in Streator and is a carpenter by occupation; he married Carrie Fogler, and they have had six children, one of whom is dead. Oliver, a farmer in Kansas, mar- ried Miss Ellie Allen, and they have had five chil- dren, one of whom is dead ; Lucien, porter for a wholesale house in Peoria, married Mary Pope, and they have one child ; Carrie died aged four years. Mr. Overholt is a Republican in politics, and has ; held numerous public positions, among which are Town Clerk, Justice of the Peace, Township Col- i lector, and for a number of years he was Notary Public. He discharged the duties of all the po- sitions with credit to himself, and to the satisfaction of the people. In his chosen profession he has been longer engaged continuously than any other man in the township, except one. It is a profession in which he has always taken much pride, and 390 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. through it he has gained a good knowledge of human nature. He has displayed much energy in studying the most modern methods of teaching, and has kept well abreast of the times in the se- lection of text books. J~~ OHN W. KLYVER, merchant, Postmaster, Station and Express Agent at Rugby in Owego Township, has established his perma- 1 nent home many miles from the place of his birth, as he first opened his eyes to the light, May 2, 1841. in the Kingdom of Denmark. He is a gentleman of excellent education, and more than ordinary ability, having been carefully reared, and completing his studies in the university at Jonstrup, one of the best educational institutes in Denmark at that time. Subsequently he engaged as a teacher in his native country, and afterward became a soldier in the Danish army during the war between Prussia and Denmark. He participated in several important battles and was once slightly wounded. Our subject is the son of Frederick and Christina Klyver, also natives of Denmark, where the father spent his life and where his remains now lie at rest. The mother is still living in her native country. At the close of his military services John W., desirous of a career which he had no hopes of entering upon in his native country, resolved to emigrate to the New World. Bidding adieu to his friends and the playmates of his childhood, he embarked on a sail- ing-vessel at Hamburg, and after a tedious voyage of forty -three days, set foot upon American soil. He first located in Long Branch. N. J.. whence he started two months later for the West and was em- ployed for two and one-half years at Joliet. Subse- quently he went South, where he spent four years, and removed to Livingston County in the fall of 1878. He farmed for a time on rented land and finally engaged in merchandising at Rugby, having purchased the stock of Joseph Royle, and since that time has conducted a successful trade. lie has pursued those methods which have secured him the confidence and esteem of the community, and be numbers among his friends and patrons the very best people of Owego Township. While a resident of Chicago, Mr. Klyver was united in marriage with Miss Maria Ericksen, the wedding taking place on the 20th of December. 1877, at the home of the bride in that city. Mr. K. and his bride located at once in Dwight, and in due time became the parents of a son, William, whose birth took place .Sept. 27, 1880, and who still remains the only child. Mr. Klyver took jxjssession of his farm property in Owego Township in 1886. It includes 130 acres of fertile land with all the necessary farm buildings, a goodly assortment of live stock and all the other accessories of prosperous country life. It is free from inciinibrance, and considering the fact that Mr. K. came to this county with a cash capital of but $6, he will not be blamed if he views the re- sult of his labors with considerable pride and satis- faction. After becoming a naturalized citizen he identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he still maintains. Mr. K. is a member of Sullivan Center Lodge No. 738, A. F. & A. M., of Sannemin, Livingston Co., 111. He is connected with the Danish Lutheran Church, and is the supporter of those enterprises calculated to benefit the people at large both morally and intel- lectually. OHN WILKEY, the subject of this sketch, and his wife, are both natives of England, where they spent the greater portion of their lives, only becoming citizens of this coun- try about seventeen years ago, since which time they have had no occasion to regret their change of place of residence. Mr. Wilkey is now perma- nently located as a farmer and stock-raiser on sec- tion 29, Waldo Township. He was born in Charles Township, Devonshire, England, on the 27th of Feb- ruary, 1845, and is the son of John and Mary (King- don) Wilkey, who were the parents of nine chil- dren, of whom our subject was the second. George died in England, and the others came to this coun- try. James married, but his wife died, leaving three children; he resides in El Paso. Mary, Mrs. George Gibbs, has six children, and lives in Waldo Township; Charles is married, has one child, and lives in Benson, Woodford County ; Elizabeth, Mrs. John Skinner, has five children, and lives . i <* r .i-*.'-;^' 1 :',.'-" g ,'- ' : '% %- ' ' :> . 's r .. , "THE PARK* RESIDENCE or NATHAN HURT.FOREST, ILL. i ii IPM m\ iiiii RESIDENCE AND LUMBER YARD OF J.T.BULLARD,CHATSWORTH,|LL t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 393 in Wood ford County; Henry is married, has one child, and lives in Benson. Wood ford County. Thomas is unmarried and lives in Waldo; Emma, Mrs. James Purkhurst, has two children, and lives in Benson, Wood ford County. Mr. Wil- key's parents came to America in 1879; the mother was born on the 9th of January, 1821, and died on the 10th of January, 1887. The father was born in 1814, and is now residing with his children at the age of seventy-three years. The subject of this sketch was reared as a farmer, and has followed that occupation during his life. On account of the surroundings during his boy- hood days he received but a limited education. At the age of twenty-three years he came to America, landing at New York City, where he remained for two years, engaged in work by the month. At the end of that time he returned to England for the purpose of marrying. On the 8th of March, 1870, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Web- ber, daughter of James and Elizabeth (Cuttland) Webber, of Devonshire. He and his wife then came to America, and at once proceeded to El Paso, 111., where he engaged in work by the month for three years. He then purchased a team and oper- ated a rented farm of eighty acres. At the end of nine years he had accumulated sufficient means to purchase a farm of his own, and he invested in eighty acres, upon which he now lives, adding to it in 1887 forty acres more on the same section. This land he has put under an excellent state of cultiva- tion and has made marked improvements upon it. To Mr. and Mrs. Wilkey have been born three children, as follows: George Henry, Jan. 17, 1872; Annie, July 10, 1875; and Ida, Jan. 22, 1882. Mrs. Wilkey was born Aug. 23, 1849, and re- ceived a good common-school education. Her par- ents remained in England, where her mother is still living; the father is dead. Mrs. Wilkey is the fourth in a family of five living children; Jane, Mrs. James Grunt, has several children, and lives in Devonshire, England; Edward is married, has five children, and lives in Devonshire; Philip is married, has four children, and lives in Devonshire; Richard is married, has five children, and lives in El Paso, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Wilkey deserve much credit for the rapidity with which they have accumulated property since they became residents of this country. They came from families noted for their thrift and en- terprise in England, and have well maintained the reputation in this country that had been gained by their parents in the old. They are comfortably sit- uated and pleasantly surrounded at their home in Waldo Township, and the circle of friends which they have gathered around them is both pleasant and large. S T HURT, proprietor of 302 acres of l! fine farming land, lives just outside the limits of Forest, where he has built a snug homestead in keeping with his reputation as a gen- tleman of cultivated tastes and ample means. He is principally engaged as a live-stock dealer, his transactions extending over a large area of territory, and in this department of agriculture he has been uniformly successful. He is highly esteemed in both social and business circles as one of the men who have assisted in developing the resources of Livingston County, arid building up its reputation as a progressive and intelligent community. Mr. Hurt was born in Garrard County, Ky., April 5, 1848, and his parents, Elvin and Eliza J. (Bur- ton) Hurt, were also natives of the same county. They remained in that section until 1858, when they removed to Morgan County, Ind. The father, while visiting his former home in Kentucky, two years later,' was seized with an illness which soon terminated his life, and he was laid to rest in his na- tive soil. The mother continued to reside in Indi- ana, where her death took place at the homestead in 1876. Of the five children included in the family circle, Cyrus and Sarah are deceased, while Robert and William are residents of Morgan County, Ind., and engaged in farming. Nathan Hurt was a lad of ten years when his father's family removed from Kentucky to Indiana. He had always been distinguished as a bright and ambitious boy, thoughtful beyond his years, and upon the outbreak of the late war, watched with in- tense interest the contest between the opposing arm- ies. In March, 1863, although but fifteen years of age, he .succeeded in being accepted as a Union LIVINGSTON COUNTY. soldier, and to his great joy was permitted to enlist in Co. B, 1st Indiana Heavy Artillery. He marched bravely to the scene of conflict, and with his regi- ment participated in the battles of Ft. Blakesley and Spanish Fort, after which the regiment was ordered to Baton Rouge, La., and joined the Red River expedition. At Spanish Fort young Hurt was wounded by a piece of shell, which disabled him for a short time, but he recovered in time to partici- pate in the joyful congratulations of the North at the return of peace. After receiving his honorable discharge from the army, Mr. Hurt repaired to Tuscola, 111.,, and en- gaged in farming with his brothers Cyrus and Robert, where he continued until 1872. During the last year of his residence there, he was also interested iu the restaurant known as the Lopp & Hurt Res- taurant. He thence crossed the Mississippi and visited the mining districts of Colorado, where he had invested a sum of money, and also visited New Mexico, returning to Illinois in February, 1878. During 1877 he wasengaged in general merchandise at Ouray, Col., and from thence he came to Illi- nois. Not long after, iu February, 1878, he took up his residence in Forest Township, where he pur- chased land, and has since given his attention to agricultural pursuits and live stock. His farm is thoroughly improved and supplied with good build- ings and machinery. His homestead was a legacy left him by his uncle, the late Allan A. Burton, who was favorably known throughout this section of country, and comprises sixty -two acres, forming one of the handsomest dwelling-places in that region. The' lady who presides with grace and dignity over the home of our subject, and to whom he was married Jan. 14, 1885, was formerly Mrs. Lydia (Francis) Burton, daughter of John and Margaret (Ross) Francis, of Forest. She was born in Ohio, May 19, 1853, and of her union with our subject there is one child, a son, Edgar Burton, born April 17, 1886. Mr. Hurt was reared in the doctrines of the Christian Church, of which his parents were prominent and worthy members, and with which he has been connected "since 1861. Mrs. H. belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Forest. As intelligent and well-educated people, they enjoy the society of the best residents of Forest and vicinity. In our pictorial department ot this ALBUM, we present a view of Mr. Hurt's residence and sur- roundings. m AIRUSTHAYER BOLLARD, dealer in lum- ber, fuel, paints, oils, etc., at C'hatsworth, is one of the old and substantial business men of the place. He is a native of Bethel, AVindsor Co., Vt., where he was born on the -24th of July, 1828. His ancestors emigrated from En- gland, several generations back, and settled in New England. Mr. Bullard's father, Andes T. Billiard, was born in Francistown, N. II., is still living, and has been a minister in the Methodist Episco- pal Church for fifty-seven years. He is noweighty- four years of age, and exceedingly well preserved. The mother, Lydia Lincoln, a third cousin of Pres- ident Lincoln, was born in New Hampshire, and died in 1 875 at the age of seventy-seven years. They had four children, two boys and two girls, one boy dying at the age of fifteen years. The three living are : Rachel, wife of Thomas II. Hyde, who resides in Lincoln, Neb.; Lucinda, Mrs. Bailey F. Adams, of Randolph, Vt. ; and J. T., the subject of this sketch, who is the eldest of the children. Mr. Bullard availed himself of all the opportuni- ties afforded in his youth fora common-school edu- cation, and at the age of nineteen years he left home and clerked in a store at Hadley Falls, Mass. One year later he went to Boston, and entering the employ of a man who had a collecting agency, he engaged in collecting delinquent subscriptions for various newspapers in the Eastern States. In this capacity he served until 1853, when he accompanied his uncle, Benjamin Lincoln, to Illinois, and for several years resided in Chicago, where he learned the business of inspecting and dealing in lumber. In 1860 he moved to Paxton, where he owned a lumber-yard for three months, and then moved to Lodi, where he remained until 1864. He then re- turned to Chicago and became a member of the firm of J. H. Walker & Co., dealers in hides. In August. 1 865, he went to Fairbury, where he carried on the lumber trade until 186S), and then came to Chats- worth and established his present business, which he has conducted on an extensive scale. He also t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4- owns a lumber-yard at Cullorn, and is a member of the firm of J. T. Billiard & Co., at Saiineinin, this county. Mr. Billiard has been twice married; the first time in 1855 to Mrs. Jane Sweetland, who was born in Wallingford, Vt. She died in February, 18G4, at Lodi, 111., leaving one son, Willie C. In May. 18G5, he was married to Miss Mary F. Adams, of Randolph, Vt., near which place she was born. Of this marriage five children have been born, two of whom are living Josephine and John T. Mr. Bui- lard is a Democrat, and has held various local of- fices, serving as School Treasurer for twelve years. He is an intelligent member of the Masonic frater- nity, being a leading member of the Blue Lodge and a Knight Templar. He was made a Master Mason in DeWitt Clinton Lodge, at Northfield, Vt., in 1852, and has served as Master of Chats- worth Lodge No. 539, and as Eminent Com- mander of St. Paul Commandery No. 34, Knights Templar, Fairbury, 111. In his home surroundings Mr. Bullard is happily situated. His family is one of marked intelligence, and have had the advantage of refining influences. The residence they occupy and its surroundings is the most conspicuous in Chatsworth. Mr. Bullard is a genial, wide-awake man, who looks always on the sunny side of life, and enjoys his meals and a facetious story with equal relish. On an adjoining page will be found a view of Mr. Bollard's handsome residence and his business property. J~|OHN KELSO. When intelligently carried I on, the business of stock-raising has many pleasant features, besides being exceedingly ' remunerative, and it is in this line of busi- ness that a large proportion of the farmers of cer- tain sections of Illinois have become wealthy. This is true of the gentleman who is hereby sketched, whose stock farm is located on section 18, in Indian Grove Township. Mr. Kelso came to Livingston County in March, 18C7, where he pur- chased 240 acres of land, and began earnestly the work of improving the same. It is now under per- fect and profitable cultivation, and he devotes large attention to the cultivation of imported horses, fine cattle, hogs and sheep. In the latter line he has some very valuable animals, among which are some Shropshires that cost $75 per pair. The subject of this biography was born in Switz- erland County, Ind., on the 27th of May, 1833, and is the son of Joseph and Sarah (Nelson) Kelso. The father was born in the State of New York, and when a child went to Indiana, where he was reared upon a farm, performing such work as he was able to, and giving as much time as possible to at- tendance at the public schools. He was married in Indiana, in 1828 or 1829, to Sarah Nelson, and to them were born three children while residing in that State. In 1834 he migrated to Illinois and located in Washington, Tazewell County, where he purchased land in a raw state and began farming. The home place consisted of 320 acres, on which he resided until his death, which event occurred on the 27th or 28th of October, 1884. lie was a man of large stature, five feet ten inches in height, and weighed 225 pounds. He was of an amiable tem- perament, a good neighbor, a kind and generous father and husband, and his death was a great loss to the community. The mother was born in Indi- ana on the 25th of December, 1811. and she yet survives. Eleven children were born unto them: Robert married Miss Emily J. Brown; Charles died in infancy; John; David died in infancy; Jane married Isaac McDonald; William died in infancy; Joseph married Mary J. Messinger, and died in 1880; Willson married Elizabeth Day; Sarah and Eliza died in childhood, and Matilda married S. H. Payne. Mr. Kelso was married to Miss Melissa E. A. Messinger on the 14th of March, 1861, the cere- mony being performed by the Rev. Dr. Reed, of the Universalist Church of Peoria. She was born in Tazewell Count}', 111., on the 14th of February, 1841, and is the daughter of Eli and Ruth A. (Mc- Coy) Messinger. Her father was born in Vermont on the 28th of February, 1815, and learned the trade of a millwright, which occupation he fol- lowed for many years. He came to Illinois in the year 1834, and located in Tazewell County, where he worked at his trade. He was married in 1839, y.n; LIVINGSTON COUNTY and his wife died in the spring of 1857. She was born in Tennessee on the loth of April, 1820, from which State her parents moved to Kentucky, then to Indiana, and in 1834 to Illinois, in which State her death occurred, in the town of Washington. She was a zealous member of the Christian Church, and died in the full realization of that faith. Of the ten children born to them but two are living Mary J. and the wife of the subject of this sketch. Mr. and Mrs. Kelso have had the following- named children: Eloise; Mary A., deceased; Ed- gar L. ; Sarah L. ; Maggie M., deceased; Fred M., deceased; Dudley F. ; Claude L., deceased, and John R. Mr. Kelso is a member of the National Democratic party, and heartily endorses the doc- trines enunciated by that party through its State and National platforms since he became a voter. J~~)AMES KING. Those who arc engaged in works for the elevation and improvement of mankind are called humanitarians, and well ' they deserve the name. Men who are en- gaged in improving the qualities of domestic animals, that are intended to draw and carry burdens, or those which the Creator intended for the sustenance of mankind, are engaged in a work of a kindred nature, for thereby the condition of man i> improved. The propagation of perfect animals for the various pur- poses they are intended to subserve is a business calling for intelligence and a line >ciisc of the econo- mies and purposes of nature. Such a man is James King, one of the representative stock-growers of Livingston County, who is located on section 33, Indian Grove Township. Mr. King was born in Kent, England, in 1817, .mil came to America along with his family in 1851. They landed at New York City, whence they pro- ceeded to Buffalo, but soon removed to Chicago. where they remained until 1807. he devoting his energies and business talent to transactions in stock. In the year last above named Mr. King moved to Livingston County, and located in the town of Fair- bury. where lie engaged for ten years in the lumber business. lie then sold out that business and mo\ed onto his farm, which consists of 240 acres of very J"~)OHN CORIUGAN, a reputable farmer on | section 22, Amity Township, was born in I the county of Cavan, Ireland, Dee. 25, ' 1833, and is the son of Patrick and Alice (Conly) Corrigan, natives of the same county; the former's parents were Peter and Honore (Dillon) Corrigan, natives of Monahan County, Ireland. Patrick, the father of John, our subject, died in the parish of Dringoon, Cavan Co., Ireland, on the 27th of March, 184'J. He was noted for his devotion to - fertile land, where he ha- engaged largely in raising a high grade of horses, cattle and hogs, and has met with remarkable succe->. Mr. King was married in 18G1 to Lucy (Todd) Ketteringham. a native of England. Thev have had born to them seven children, two of whom died in infancy, while the survivors are George. Man. Benjamin, Lucy and Maria. By his lirst wife, who died in London in 1848. there we're four children. His present wife is an active member of the First Baptist Church. Although there are no better American citizens, Mr. King is a typical Englishman, and is as proud as one can well be of the place of his nativity. lie is an enthusiast in whatever lie becomes interested. and especially is this true of his attachment for the Ancient Order of Free and Accepted .Masons, of which he is, both a member of the Blue Lodge and a Knight Templar. lie has thoroughly studied and digested the teachings and doctrines of this frater- nity of fraternities, and is thoroughly devoted to its teachings. Like many enthusiastic Masons he be- lieves that if one lives up to the teachings and re- quirements of this order he is about as good a Christian as he well can be, for once a Mason, the belief in a God is acknowledged in the most solemn manner, and the requirements of Masonry, if ob- served to the letter, must make a man approach as nearly to perfection as it is possible for humanity to attain. So thoroughly impregnated i> Mr. King with the idea that a thoroughly good Mason is a thoroughly good Christian that he considers his lodge room his religious temple. Mr. King is a member of the Democratic party. / LIVINGSTON COUNTY. his family and his country, and his devoutness as a Catholic. Alice Corrigan, his widow, came to America in 1865, and located h) Aurora, 111., where she remained until two years before her death, which occurred on the 10th of January, 1885, at her home in Cornell, Livingston County, and her remains were taken to Aurora for interment. She left four children, as well as a host of friends, to mourn her death. Like her husband she was a de- vout member of the Catholic Church. The brothers and sisters of John Corrigan were : James, who married Ann Hughes, of County Cavau, Ireland, and died in 1859; Alice married Samuel Jeno, and they emigrated to Scotland ; Mar- garet married Archie B. McGinnis, and they also went to Scotland; Peter came to America about the year 1856, landing at New York City, at which place he enlisted in a New York regiment and served during the war. He was taken prisoner and confined in Libby Prison for eight months, when in 1864 he was exchanged and returned to his regi- ment. He was again captured at the battle of An- tietam, and was this time sent to Andersonville Prison, where he died. In the order of birth John, the subject of this sketch, stands next; Hugh came to America in 1864, and lives at Ottawa; James was killed in an accident on the 2d of July, 1881, at Aurora, leaving a wife and four children; Eugene, now a resident of Macon County, Mo., is engaged in agricultural pursuits, and is the father of five children living, while three are dead; Michael mar- ried Mary Ann Nolan, of Aurora, and lives at Bloomington, 111.; they have had five children, four living and one dead; Maggie was born in 1848, and died in Aurora in 1868, at twenty years of age. Mr. John Corrigan was married, in May, 1863, to Miss Jemima Dunlap, at Naperville, 111., by Rev. Father Fisher, and they have been blessed with eight children: Peter was born Feb. 21, 1864, and mar- ried Miss Foley Feb. 23, 1887; they reside in Am- ity Township; Eugene was born 'March 23,1866, and is living at home with his parents; Mary E. was born on the 29th of August, 1867, received a High School education, and devotes her time to teaching; Hugh was born on the 24th of May, ISO!), is en- gaged at work upon the farm and attends school in the winter; Alice was born April 21, 1871, and died at the age of ten months and twenty-one days; James was born Oct. 25, 1873; Alice, born Sept. 12, 1875, and Maggie, June 12, 1878. The parents of Mrs. John Corrigan were Wilson and Letitia Dunlap, who have long since passed away, the father dying in the fall of 1872, and the mother on the loth of October, 1848. Both were members of the Protestant Church. They became the parents of the following-named children: Ellen, who married James Richy, of Belfast; her husband is a manufacturer of boots and shoes, and they have a large family. Jane is the wife of John Camp- bell, who was on the police force of Ballybar, Ire- land; their children, seven in all, came to America. Mr. Campbell died in Ireland some time after the departure of the children for this country. William enlisted in Her Majesty's service when about eight- een years of age, and sailed for the West Indies, and from there to the Island of Malta, where he served on guard duty, and after his honorable dis- charge, from there to America; Wilson now lives in Ireland ; Sanderson came to America when quite young, and after living here for four years returned to Ireland, and the last time heard from he was in Australia; Mary Ann came to America, and mar- ried Winslow Highland, of Plainfield, 111., and now lives in La Grange, 111. ; she has an interest in a 220-acre farm near Plainfield, also lands in Kansas, and town property, and is making good use of her fortune; Hugh lives in Ireland, and has a family; Jemima, the wife of the subject of this sketch, was born April 10, 1840; James died in America three years after landing, in about the year 1849; Mary married Michael McBreen, and died leaving a hus- band and six children. All that is known of Rosa is that she came to America and was married to a Rochester man. whose name is unknown to the family. Mr. and Mrs. Corrigan emigrated to America, landing at New York on the 12th of May, 1863, after a voyage of four weeks and two days from Liverpool, encountering some very stormy weather. They now own a fine farm of 500 acres, 400 of which is under cultivation, and the balance good pasture land. Besides being a farmer on a large scale Mr. Corrigan is engaged in raising thorough- bred Short-horn Durham cattle, blooded horses and f 898 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. a high grade of hogs. The farm contains first-class buildings: the dwelling-house is nicely situated and comfortably surrounded. The family belong to the Catholic Church, and they are well liked by all who know them. Mr. Corrigan is a man who is alwa3~s ready to help any enterprise having a ten- dency to benefit the members of the community individually or collectively, and is one who is able to give ample reasons for the faith that is in him. "TwlOHN FIEATH SMITH (formerly spelled I Schmidt), is as the name indicates, of Ger- man ancestry, and is rated among the most thrifty and prosperous citizens of Nebraska Township, where he is carrying on general farming and stock-raising after the most approved methods, being supplied with good farm machinery and everything required for the intelligent prosecution of his chosen calling. Our subject was born in the little Kingdom of Bavaria, Dec. 11, 1835, and is the son of John Peter and Margaret (Grampp) Schmidt, who were worthy representatives of a line of honest and in- dustrious people. Young John was placed in school at an early age, where he continued his studies several years and was then bound out to learn the cooper's trade. After completing this and working as a journeyman a year his parents decided that it would be best for him to seek his fort- une in America. He left his father's house on the 7th of October, 1853, and landed in New York City on November 11 following. He remained there about ten days waiting for news from his brother, then proceeded to Baltimore, where he secured employment at his trade, and ten days later his brother found him and took him to Cumberland, Md. Our subject here secured employment in a mill, then went into the employ of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Co., for whom he worked five years, and obtained a good knowledge of machinery. The next two years were occupied in running a stationary engine in an establishment at Cumber- land, Md., during which time he formed the acquaintance of Miss Margaret Wiesenmiller, who became his wife March 17, 1857. This lady was the daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Baer) Wie- senmiller, natives of Germany. The young people continued in Cumberland, Md., until March 10, 1 860, when, having previously made their prepara- tions they started for the West, and coming into this State located in Long Point Township, where the father of our subject had preceded him two years. The latter was occupied as a farm laborer a year, then rented a tract of land and commenced opera- tions for himself. Mr. Smith continued on rented land in Long Point Township four years, and had in the mean- time saved a snug little sum of money, which he now invested in forty acres on section 6, Nebraska Town- ship, where he has since been located. In due time he added to his first purchase until he became the owner of 160 acres. This he has thoroughly drained with tile, and has erected a good set of farm build- ings, the last structure which he built being a fine barn put up in 1886. He keeps good stock and raises some of the best crops in the western part of Livingston County. Upon becoming a voter, Mr. Smith identified himself with the Democratic party, and has held the various township olHces, being Supervisor five, and Road Commissioner two terms, besides serving as School Director from sixteen to eighteen years. He also filled the office of Constable a number of years. He was reared in the doctrines of the Lutheran Church, and confirmed when fourteen year- of age. Of his marriage there were born ten children, six of whom are living. Matilda, the eldest daughter, was born in Maryland, Jan. 23, 1859, and died in this county Feb. 14, 1882: her remains were laid to rest in Mt. Zion Cemetery. Barbara was born in Liv- ingston County, Sept. 15, 1861, and died in May, 1869; Ellen Lavinia was born Jan. 26, 1864, and died Sept. 3, 1881; Magdalena E. was bom Sept. 2(1, 1866; Adam Louis. March 10, 1869; Charlotte, June -22. 1872; Mary Christina. March 10, 1875: Oliver A.. Feb. 7, 1878, and Howard T.. July 6, 1882. The father of our subject was born May 1. 1805, and is still living, being a resident of Long Point Township. He is remarkably strong and healthy, and does not wear spectacles. Tin- mother was born Aug. 10, 1812, and they were married in 1828. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 399 The old people reside with their son in Long Point Township. John of our sketch was the third child inn fondly of eleven, of whom eight survive, and with two exceptions are all living in this State. During the late wnr Mr. S. served in the 77th Illi- nois Infantry, and with his two brothers experienced three years of army life. They were captured by the rebels at Ft. Taylor, and kept in prison thirteen months at Shreveport, La. Mr. Smith met and shook hands with President Buchanan, and saw a let- ter written by him, and states that the autograph given as his in the ALBUMS published by the firm issuing this volume, is exactly like that which he saw at the close of President Buchanan's letter. Mrs. Smith was the second child in a family of nine. Her brothel's, Conrad and Frederick, served as soldiers in the Union army. The former was wounded at Fredericksburg, and obliged to have a limb amputated ; he died soon afterward in the hospi- tal at Washington, D. C. Frederick lived to re- turn home, and is now a resident of Maryland, hav- ' ing a wife and six children. Her father was born in > 1811, and died at his home in Maryland, in 1885. ] being seventy-four years of age. The mother was born in 1808. and is still living, making her home with her son in Cumberland, Md. They were of German birth and ancestry, and came to this country when their daughter, Mrs. S., was a child one year old. [ EFFERY H. REED, [a progressive young fanner of Amity Township, owns and occu- pies a neat and well-cultivated farm of eighty acres on section 19. He has been carefully reared and fairly educated, and is more than ordinarily intelligent, ambitious of keeping up with the moving spirits of the day, and in all re- spects a useful and valued member of his commu- nity. He has been School Director several terms, and forms one of the essential spokes in the wheel of progress, nothing pleasing him better than to as- sist in those enterprises creditable to his commu- nity, and which will insure its moral and industrial welfare. Mr. Reed was born in Peoria County, Oct. 15, 1853, and spent his boyhood and j-outh under the parental roof, coming to this county in February, 1881. He was married in Long Point Township, on the 25th of June, 187(5, his bride being Miss Martha R. Colehour. Of this union there have been born two children: Benjamin Franklin was born July 29, 1878, and has commenced his edu- cation in the district school ; Laurie Luvernia was born July 24, 1886, and is consequently yet a babe. The parents of our subject, Erastus |R. and Le- vira L. (Goodsell) Reed, were natives respectively of Ohio and New York State, and the father was a son of Aaron and Sarah (Goff) Reed. The mater- nal grandparents of our subject were Hermann and Lura (Hitchcock) Goodsell. Grandfather Reed came from Ohio to Illinois in 1830, when his son Erastus was a child three years of age, and located near Chillicothe, in Peoria County. Here Erastus was reared to manhood, and married Miss Goodsell in 1850. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge of Chillicothe, Peoria Co., 111. In 1879 they crossed the Mississippi and took up their residence on a farm in Jefferson County, Kan., where they now reside. The parental household included the following-named children : Foster was born Oct. 11, 1851, married Miss Charlotte Bland, and is the father of one child ; he is farming in Peoria County. Jeffery H., our subject; Milo, who was born in 1855, died when about six months old; Benton G. was born Aug. 23, 1860, and married Miss Millie Goodman, of Kansas, of which State he is now a resident, and is the father of one child ; he is a civil engineer by profession, but is now engaged in farming. Hattie B. was born in July, 1862, and died in infancy; Emma A., born Feb. 16, 1868, is living with her parents; she is an accomplished young lady and a graduate of the Valley Falls School of Music. Dorcas E., the youngest of the family, was born April 23, 1871, and became the wife of Henry Miller, a farmer of Jefferson County, Kan. The parents are members of the Baptist Church, with which our subject and his wife are also connected. Mr. Reed votes the straight Democratic ticket, and belongs to the Good Templars of Peoria County. His farm operations are carried on after the most approved methods, and he makes a spec- I f 400 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i ialty of stock-raising. The buildings are neat and substantial, and Mr. Reed is adding each year to the attractions of his farm as a home, and to its value as a fertile tract of land, producing some of the choicest crops of Central Illinois. )ENJAMIN K. ROBINSON, dealer in real estate at Kairbury, has been a prominent [jy>))J|j citizen of Indian Grove Township for many years, and closely identified with the inter- ests of its people. He received but limited ad- vantages in his youth, and has attained to his pres- ent position by the exercise of his own natural abilities and common sense. Mr. Robinson spent his early life in Franklin County, Ohio, where he was born May 24, 1837, on the homestead of his parents, William and Nancy (Hutson) Robinson, also natives of the Buckeye State. They were reared and married near the home of their childhood, beginning life together in 1832. Twenty -seven years later, in 1859, William Robinson and his family came to this State, and located first in McLean Count}', where they re- mained until 18C6. In the spring of that year the father of our subject disposed of his interests in Mc- Lean, and came to this county, where his decease occurred Feb. 6, 1887, when about eighty years old, his birth having occurred in 1807. The mother was born in 1812, and preceded her husband to the silent land in February, 1868. Of the nine children born of the parental household, two died in infancy. They were named respectively, Eleanor J., William IL, John H., Nathaniel, James V., Edward, David F., Thomas F., and Benjamin E., our subject. Of these, six were in the army during the Civil War; one of them, Edward, was but thirteen years of age when he enlisted. Our subject enlisted in the 95th Ohio Infantry as a private, and a few days afterward was promoted Second Lieutenant. He was assigned with his com- mand to theJArmy of the Tennessee, and they met the enemy first at Richmond, Ky. Upon that oc- casion Mr. Robinson was captured, but paroled four days later, and took the field in November fol- lowing. He was present at the siege and capture of Vicksburg. where he was wounded in the head, and subsequently, in Tennessee, was wounded in the leg. The next wound which he received was in the left arm, and he was a second time captured by the rebels, remaining their prisoner from June 10, 1864, until in March, 1865. For thirty days he experi- enced the horrors of Andersonville, and during the winter of 1865 was without shoes or stockings, go- ing barefoot. After leaving Andersonville he was taken to Macon, Ga., and thence to Charleston, S. C., where he was placed in the jail yard to hold the fire of the Union army. In 1864 he was promoted First Lieutenant, and was subsequently made Cap- tain, with which rank he was mustered out. Capt. Robinson upon returning from the army, resumed farming in Indian Grove Township, this county, for a time, and then established a livery stable which he conducted about three years. In 1872 he was elected Sheriff of Livingston County, and served his term creditably and to the satisfac- tion of the people, as was shown by his re-election in 1874, and again in 1876. In January, 1882, he was appointed Postmaster at Fairbury, and served until the change of administration resulted in a Demo- cratic successor. During the miner's strike at Braidwood in 1877, Capt. Robinson served as Captain of a regiment which assisted in quelling the riot, and occupied the rank of Colonel on the staff of Gov. Cullom and also Gov. Hamilton. Socially, he belongs to the A. F. Mary J. Pluiinner. daughter of Benjamin and Klvira (Kvans) Plniinner. lie con- tinued to reside in Bureau County, where he carried on farming on rented laud until the spring of 1865, when he moved to Rook's Creek Township, where he had bought eighty acre.- of land on section 28, to which he has added from time to time until he now has a farm of 280 acres. I)nrin LIVINGSTON COUNTY. have since remained. He has a family of three children Mollie, Mrs. William Conrad, of Mis- souri, J. C. and Julia. In politics, he affiliates with the Republican party, and is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity and an Odd Fellow. His church membership is with the Methodist, and his wife be- longs to the Episcopal Church. James C. Blackwell spent his boyhood days in the schools of England, until ten years of age, when he came to the United States with his parents. He attended school in Louisiana, Mo., until he was seventeen years old, and was graduated from the High School of that city. After leaving school he learned telegraphy, and occupied his first responsi- ble position at Bowling Green, Mo., where he re- mained until 1880, since when he has been with the Chicago ;ich year a handsome income. Mr. Davis, on the 12th of December, 1869, took unto himself a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Elizabeth Henderson, a native of Westmore- land County, Pa., but at the time of their marriage a resident of Chatsworth, this county. Her parents, William and Martha Henderson, were natives of Pennsylvania, and are now residents of Brown County, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. Davis have become the parents of six children, three of whom were taken from the home circle, and their remains now repose in the quiet country burying-ground. Dora was born in November, 1879, and died at the age of fifteen months; Hattie passed away when an in- teresting child of eleven months. On the 2d of November, 1887, the parents were called upon to mourn the loss of little Maude, of whom they were suddenly bereft when she was only six years old. Those surviving are William, Zora and Eugene. Mr. Davis uniformly votes the straight Republican ticket, and as an old soldier is a member in good standing of the G. A. R. ISCOE LEONARD, one of the pioneers of Livingston County, located on section 33, in Newtown Township, at least thirty-six years ago with his parents. They had made the journey partly overland from Pennsylvania, and upon coming into Illinois, first located in DuPage County, whence five years later they removed to Livingston. The country at that time presented a wide contrast to its appearance at the present. There were no farms or cities which now beautify the landscape so plentifully only here and there to be seen the smoke from the cabin chimney of an adventurous emigrant. Deer and other wild game abounded. The Leonard family began life in a manner similar to that of their far-away neighbors, and our subject has reaped a rich experience from his observations of life in this section during its transformation from the wilderness. The father of our subject, Edmund Dexter Leon- ard, a native of Massachusetts, was born Jan. 24, 1805; his ancestry for several generations had lived in New England. He grew to manhood under the parental roof in his native county, where he learned the tanner's trade, and acquired a fair education in the district schools. He was the son of Simeon Leonard and one of three children which composed the family. The father of our subject was married in early manhood to Miss Elizabeth H. Remington, who was born in Massachusetts, Jan. 23, 1808. They grew up in homes adjacent, and their wedding was cele- brated at the residence of the bride's parents, in 1829. Soon afterward they located on a farm and in due time became the parents of ten children. The family, in 1832, left New England and located in Bradford County, Pa. Fourteen years later they came to this State, and subsequently to Livingston County, where the father purchased land and built up a good homestead, upon which he spent the re- mainder of his days. His death took place in the fall of 1860. He was an excellent man in all re- spects, and a worthy citizen, and was held in high esteem by his neighbors and friends. His wife, the mother of our subject, is still living, making her home in Manville, Livingston County, where she keeps house by herself, and does her own work, al- though seventy-nine years of age. The children of Edmund D. and Elizabeth H. (Remington) Leonard are recorded as follows: Franklin, born in 1830, enlisted in the 129th Illi- nois Infantry, and died of erysipelas at Gallatin, Tenn., sometime in 1863, and was laid to rest in that State by his comrades; Roscoe was born July 5, 1832, in Massachusetts: Myra is the wife of An- drew Stewart, of Ford County, and the mother of four children ; Christopher C. is farming in New- town Township; Mary, now deceased, was the wife of Sherman Ide, and the mother of five children ; Sarah married A. J. Hoobler, and lives in Manville; Emily died in childhood; Isabelle is the wife of John L. Cusick, a farmer of Newtown Township: the next child died in infancy; Hattie N. is the wife of Robert Jacobs, a prosperous farmer of Ford County, and the mother of one child, a daughter, Lyda. Our subject remained under the home roof until twenty-seven years of age. lie had obtained a 408 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. good education, and had become familiar with the various employments of the farm, and now felt en- tirely competent to carry on a homestead of his own. One of the first important steps toward this end was his marriage with Miss Sarah, daughter of John and Betsey (Templiu) Phillips, which took place Nov. 5, 1859, at Ottawa. The parents of Mrs. L. were natives respectively of Maryland and Ohio. The Phillips family were among the earliest pioneers of the Buckeye State. Edward Phillips, the pater- nal grandfather, was born in Maryland, whence he emigrated with his family to Ohio. He was the father of William, James, John, Edward and Eliza- beth. Edward, when last heard from, was living in Iowa; John, who was born Feb. 23, 1808, was mar- ried when twenty years of age, to Miss Betsey Templin, who was born in Ohio, July 13, 1811. They wore wedded on Christmas Day in 1828, in Ohio. Five years later they started for the farther West, coming into Bureau County, 111., with an ox- team, after having been six weeks on the road. They located on a tract of wild land, and for several years thereafter endured the vicissitudes of pioneer life. The household was in due time enlarged by the birth of nine children. Their eldest sou, James E., was born July 7, 1830, is married and living in Missouri; Elizabeth Jane, born Sept. 1, 1832, is the wife of William Lemmon, of Princeton, and the mother of three children ; Esther is the wife of Eli R. Mathis, a merchant at Princeton, and they have four children; Sarah, Mrs. Leonard, was born Dec. 18, 1836; William T. died when seven j'ears of age with scarlet fever; Martha, born July 30, 1840, was the wife of Uriah M. Weidman, who enlisted in Company G, 39th Illinois Infantry, and died Dec. 31, 1864, in Libby Prison; she died in September, 1860. The next child was named Isaiah; he was born in 1843, and died in infancy. Levi T. is work- ing in a tile factory at Cornell, and is the father of five children; Amanda died when three months old. The father of these children died at his home in Newtown Township, Jan. 7, 188C. The mother had passed away not quite three years before, her death taking place Oct. 26, 1877, at or near Streator. Mr. Leonard and his bride commenced house- keeping in a modest dwelling in Newtown Town- ship, where uur subject engaged in farming, and in due time the household circle included four chil- dren. Their eldest son, Milo, was born Dec. 8, I860, and was married in 1882, to Miss Eliza Ste- phenson. His wife was born in Newtown Town- ship, Dec. 17, 1859, and is the daughter of David and Maria (Rosborough) Stephenson, the former born Feb. 3, 1818, in Scotland. His wife, Maria, was born in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 17, 1818. The second child of our subject, Myra, w;is born July 20, 1866, and died March 19, 1874; the third, Mag- gie, born Nov. 16, 1870, is attending school, and resides at home; Maud was born May 1, 1873, and died April 4, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Leonard are prominently connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is one of the Trustees, and all the children have been care- fully trained in the same religious faith. Mr. L. votes the Republican ticket, and has always been greatlj' interested in the success of the temperance movement. His farm includes seventy-seven acres of land under good improvement. Mrs. L. is in her own right the owner of forty acres. The mother of Mrs. Leonard was the daughter of James and Jane (Critzer) Templin. The latter was born May 20, 1787, and died in this county Feb. 7, 1874. Mrs. L. has the Bible which belonged to Leonard Critzer, and which was printed in 1810. The father of James Templin was among the first settlers in Virginia, to which he and his family emi- grated when the country was principally infected with hostile savages, and they never dared venture out without a gun on their shoulders. Ho was killed by the Indians, and his body mutilated in a horrible manner. The son was taken prisoner, and lived among savages fourteen years, when he made his escape and returned. ATRICK LAWLESS is a native of Erin's green isle, but when a young man twenty - three years of age left his native soil and emigrated to the United States. He took advantage of the opportunities for advancement in the New World, and is now numbered among the most prominent and reliable farmers of Liv- ingston County. His property is located on sec- i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 411 i tion 12, in Chatsworth Township, and comprises a broad extent of land, amounting to nearly 900 acres. A large portion of this is devoted to stock farming, and so wise has been his management, and so judicious his investment of funds, that he has now become wealthy, and fully able to retire u pon a com petency . Mr. Lawless was born in Louth Count} 7 , Ireland, in March, 1830, and is the son of William and Bridget (Mclnnany) Lawless, also of Irish birth and parentage, the former of whom spent his entire life upon his native soil, dying when middle aged. The mother subsequently emigrated to the United States, coming to Illinois with her son, our subject, and spending her last years in this county, where her death took place about 1860. There came with the mother three children our subject, his brother William, who resides in Marshall County, 111., and Bridget, who became the wife of Owen Murty, of P\>rd County, and is now deceased. The early life of Mr. Lawless was passed at the modest home of his parents, in his native county, where the father was employed at farming. He attended school part of the time, and when of suit- able age was employed at farming. After reach- ing his majority, being still occupied in tilling the soil, he managed to save a little sum of money which he decided to invest on this side of the water. Upon landing with his mother and her children in New York City, they all came directly to Illinois, locating first in the city of Peoria, near which our subject rented a tract of land upon which he operated three years. His first purchase was a quarter section in Saratoga Township, Mar- shall County, which 'he afterward sold, and re- moved to Livingston County. Here he settled at once in Germanville Township, where he at once began to make good headway, and where he has wisely remained. He had a few hundred dollars when he came to this country, which he had earned in old Ireland, and his present ample pos- sessions are the result of his own industry. He possesses the generous traits of his ancestors and despises a mean and underhand act. He has been blessed with good health, the result of good habits, and presents the picture of a man physically strong, with unimpaired muscles and correct morals. Mr. Lawless has been particularly distinguished for his prudence all through life, and did not take upon himself the responsibilities of a family until he found it probable that he would be able to sup- port them comfortably. After coming into Mar- shall County he was united in marriage with Miss Catherine O'Neil, who also came from the land of the shamrock, her native county being Fermanagh, Ireland, where she was born in 1832. Their eight children were named respectively, William, Mary Ann, Lizzie, Maggie, Katie, Bertha, James and Patrick. One son died when six years of age. Mr. Lawless is one of the most zealous adherents of the Democratic party, and in religious matters is Roman Catholic. Among our list of illustrations may be found a lithographic view of Mr. Lawless' residence. ^ JMLLIAM WALKER, of section 5, Fay- \fj// ette Township, is a native of England, and yfij was born on the 21st of April, 1834. He is the son of James and Mary (Smith) Walker, who were also natives of England, and lived and died in that country. James Walker, the father, learned the trade of a wool- weaver when a boy, and was in the employ of his father until he was about twenty-six years of age, and then be- gan to work in an iron foundry, in which he was known as a polisher or grinder. He continued in this occupation until his death in 1847, at thirty- five years of age. He took a very active interest in political matters, and during all the campaign was a prominent man and leader in the precinct in which he lived. He left a wife and two children, Elizabeth and William. Elizabeth married Job Farley, a farmer in Livingston County ,"and has five children. William Walker, our subject, at the age of thir- teen, began to care for himself, and for four years thereafter was engaged as a hostler by a prominent physician in England. In the year 18ol he came to the United States, landing in New York, jour- neying west to Knox County, 111., where he was engaged in farming for seven years, and for the next nine years rented different farms which f i- 41-2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. lie cultivated. In the spring of 1867 he came to Livingston County, and located on the farm of 345 acres on section 5, township 25, and range 7, which he at present owns and occupies, and where he has been quite extensively engaged in fanning and stock-raising, making a specialty of cattle and sheep. On the 21st of January, 1861, Mr. Walker was married to Miss Agnes Brownlee, who was born in Scotland, April 14, 1838, and they have had eight children, as follows: James, who died when four years of age ; Barbara, Mary, James, Maria, Pha-be, John, and a babe who died in infnncj'. Since Mr. Walker became a citizen of Fa3 r ette Township he has identified himself with its best interests. Po- litically he is a Republican, and an active member of the party. He has held the following offices: Commissioner of Highways, Overseer of Highways, School Trustee. School Treasurer and School Di- rector, and has filled these various places with credit to himself, and to the utmost satisfaction of the people. At the present time he is not holding any official positions, but devotes his time exclusively to the details of his business affairs. We have pleasure in presenting on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Walker's residence, as repre- sentative of the buildings of this section of the country. 'RTHUR L. KENT, of section 24, Waldo Township, isayonngman who has displayed considerable business tact and enterprise. Although but twenty-six years of age when this sketch is written, he has established himself on n basis seldom obtained by men at ten years later in life. He was born in Gridley, McLean Co., 111., in 1861, and is the son of George W. and Mary (Paul) Kent. The father of our subject was born in Boston, Mass., June 2, 1820, and his mother in Dedham, Mass., March 24, 1824. They were married in Massachusetts in 1843, and removed to Illinois about 1850, locating at Pleasant Hill. McLean Count}', where the father followed farming for about two years. He then moved to Bloomington, 111., where he worked in the real-estate business for about three years, in the employ of Gen. Gridley. He then moved to the town of Gridley, where he opened a store and engaged in merchandising and grain buying, until the beginning of the war of ! the Rebellion. He then enlisted as a private in the I 88th Illinois Infantry, where he was promoted to a j Lieutenantcy, and before he was honorably dis- charged from the service he reached the rank of Captain, which was well earned by gallant and merit- orious conduct. Our subject is the seventh child in a family of nine, six of whom are still living, as follows: George B., born in 1844, and died in 1861 ; Theodore F., born May 2, 1846, was a private in the 88th Illinois Infantry, and received a wound, from the effects of which he was a cripple till his death, Aug. 5. 1887, and drew a pension from the Government. He was married twice, the first wife dying soon after marriage, leaving no children. His second marriage occurred Sept. 1, 1870, to Nellie Jewett, and of this marriage two children were born. Abby died when quite young; Edgar F., l)orn Jan. 26. 1852, has been married twice; by the first marriage there is one child living, named Bessie Grace; the second marriage occurred on the 17th of May, 1887, with Mary Carson. Albert T., born July 10, 1854, married Belle Kerr, Jan. 25, 1883, and they live in Gridley; Fred P., born April 23, 185!), married Carrie Eggart in September, 1886, and lives in the State of Nebraska; Arthur L., our subject; William S., born Dec. 3, 1866, and Margaret S., April 28, 1871. Our subject received a good common-school edu- cation, and at times, when a boy, assisted his father in conducting a store. When old enough to have some knowledge of business affairs he took charge of a wagon which was fitted out with merchandise by his father, and for six years did a general ped- dling and huckster business, in which he was very successful. In the spring of 18*.'!, when about twenty-two years of age, he began fanning for himself on the farm where he now resides. On the 5 til of June, 1SS-J, Mr. Kent was married to Miss Eva M. Freed, daughter of Henry and Amanda (Gihnoiv) Freed, of Gridley, McLean Co., 111., the Rev. II. S. Pendleton. of Chenoa, officiating. Mrs. Kent was born July 6, 1863, in Gridley Town- ship, McLean County, where her father was a fanner, t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. and she received her schooling principally in the common schools. When about sixteen years old she attended school in Peoria for about four months, and then began teaching, which profession she followed seven terms in District No. 6, Waldo Township, and two terms in Gridley Township. She is third in a family of eight children, as follows: James A., born Aug. 28, 1858, married Ida Barnes Sept. 20, 18.82, and lives in Washburn, 111.; Lulu B., born Sept. 5, 1800, is unmarried, and lives at home with her parents ; Eva M. is our subject's wife ; Jennie N., born Dec. 26, 1865; Orville G., Jan. 14, 1868; Sarah M., Sept. 14, 1871; Charles E., June 17, 1876, and Josephine C., Sept. 11, 1878. The father of Mrs. Kent was born at Mt. Pleasant, Pa., March 3, 1827, and her mother was born in Grid- ley Township, McLean Co., 111., Feb. 8, 1841. Her father was twice married, and by the last union there was one child, Elizabeth, who has also been twice married, and by the first marriage has one child, named Fannie Wenner; her second husband is William Bailey, who lives in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Kent have two children, whose names are: Grace May, born May 7, 1885, and Al- bert Elmer, Oct. 5, 1886, both in Waldo Township, Livingston County. Mr. and Mrs. Kent have made a most propitious beginning in life, and there is no doubt but the future has in store for them great successes and grand achievements. They are both yet young and vigorous, and have the will to ac- complish great undertakings. They have already taken their place among the good people who com- pose the society of Waldo Township, and are be- coming general favorites. ARTIN DETWILER. Our subject comes from an old Pennsylvania family, which has been noted for its sturdiness as far- mers and citizens. He was born in Frank- lin County, Pa., May 20, 1844. and is now engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 17, Sullivan Township. He was the ninth in a family of eleven children born to Samuel and Elizabeth (Lehman) Detwiler, both of whom were natives of Pennsyl- vania. The paternal grandfather was Joseph Det- ~4 wiler. The great-grandfather Detwiler was a man who became noted in early da\'S as a member of the Pennsylvania Militia. The father of our sub- ject was a farmer in Pennsylvania until 1852, when he went to Carroll County, Ind. There he remained until the fall of that year, when he moved to Ohio and remained a citizen of that State until his death, which occurred on the 1st of May, 1873. Our sub- ject's mother, who is reputed to have been a most excellent woman, of many Christian virtues, died in Ohio in January, 1854. Our subject was reared upon the farm and received a liberal education in the district schools of Pennsylvania and Ohio. He early determined to try his fortunes further west, and went to Warren, 111., in the spring of 1867, where he worked that season by the month and in the fall of the same year came to Livingston County. Here he purchased eighty acres of raw prairie land, south of where the village of Cullom now stands, bought a team and immediately began the work of opening and cultivating his farm. He remained here engaged in this work for three years and then sold this 80-acre tract, and with the proceeds purchased 160 acres of prairie laud on section 17, and immediately began the work of improvement. He moved onto this farm in the spring of 1871, and since that time has kept adding from time to time until his home place consists of 240 acres of fine, arable land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, and well drained by tile ditches. It is stocked with high-grade Norman horses and graded Holstein and Durham cattle. On the 5th of March, 1871, Mr. Detwiler was married in Sullivan Township to Susan Baer, who was born in Tazewell County, 111., on the 26th of November, 1848. She was the third in a family of five children born to Henry and Catherine (Hart- man) Baer, both of whom were natives of Germany, but moved to this country at an early day and spent their last days in this township. Mr. and Mrs. Detwiler are the parents of two children, upon whom they have conferred the names of Henry and Samuel. The parents are giving these children all the advantages for obtaining an education that are afforded in the section of country in which they live. Mr. Detwiler is not very active in political matters, but he votes and acts with the Republican f ' > 414 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. l>;irty. He is at present the efficient Road Com- missioner, which office he has held since 1873. He has served as Assessor one year, as School Trustee for three years, and has also served as School Direc- tor. In the discharge of his official duties it has fallen to him to organize several school districts in Sullivan Township, which work he performed to the satisfaction of all. f GEORGE DAY, who is engaged as a farmer . and stock-breeder, owns a snug homestead, including eight}' acres of finely cultivated land and a good set of farm buildings, on section 0, Pleasant Ridge Township. He is of English birth and ancestry, and emigrated to the Uni- ted States in 1858, when a youth of fourteen years, having been born in 1844. His native county was Bedfordshire, and his parents were Thomas and Mary Day, natives of the same county, and of pure English blood. Mr. Day spent his early life alternating between school and farm, and upon coining to this country proceeded directly westward, landing first in Ford County, which he made his home for some years, although he was working in McLean County. Soon after the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted in the Union army, Aug. 15, 1861, becoming a mem- ber of Company G, 37th Illinois Infantry, starting from Cheney's Grove, McLean Co., 111. Not long afterward he was sent to the front with his com- rades, and participated in many of the important battles of the Southwest, including Pea Ridge, Per- ry's Grove, Boonville and Springfield, Mo., and was afterward engaged in the sieges of Vicksburg, Ft. Hudson, Island No. 10 and Ft. Brownsville, Tex. At New Orleans they boarded a vessel which was included in a fleet of twenty-seven on the Gulf of Mexico. A fearful storm not long after- ward ensued, which lasted forty-eight hours, in which *even ve.->els, with their crews, went to the bottom. The remainder safely landed, except two, which were wrecked on a sand-bar, but all the pas- sengers were saved. Our subject, afterward, was detailed to duty at Brownsville, Tex, where he was transferred to a battery, and remained until theex- piration of his term of enlistment. After serving three years and two months he received an honora- ble discharge, and was mustered out at Chicago. Mr. Day, upon returning from the arm}', located in McLean County, and in 1870 was married to Miss Sophia E. Hilton. This lady was born in Cliautauqua County, N. Y., Oct. 4, 1853, and is the daughter of Henry and Harriet Hilton, natives of England and New York respectively, and now residing in Fairbury. The four children born of this union were : Mary, now an interesting girl of fourteen years; Nellie, aged eleven; Eltie, seven, and Guy II., five. During a period of eight years Mr. Day served as Constable in Pleasant Ridge Township, and with his estimable wife, is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he officiates as Class-Leader and Trustee. He is a solid Republican, politically, voting for the same side for which he fought. SSAAC VOORHEES, one of the most peaceable and law-abiding citizens of Chatsworth Town- ship, has for the last twenty-five years been pursuing the even tenor of his way, tilling the soil, providing comfortably for his family, and enjoying the esteem of his neighbors. In addition to his agricultural pursuits he officiates as Postmaster of Healey, at his residence, which office he has held since 1884. His property includes eighty acres of land, which is fairly well improved and which he has redeemed from its primitive condition, having se- cured it while it was uncultivated prairie. His farm buildings are of medium size, but of good quality, and he has in all respects deported himself as an honest man and a good citizen. Our subject was born not far from the Atlantic coast in Somerset County, N. J., Dec. 25, 1846. His parents, Christopher and Mary (Bacon) Vimr- hees, were also natives of New Jersey, where they were reared and married, and whence after the birth of five children, they migrated westward to Illi- nois. They first located upon a tract of land in LaSalle County, where they followed farming, and remained until the death of the father. The mother subsequently removed to this county and her death . LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 415 1 ' 1 took place in this township in 1884. The five children of the parental household were John, now a resident of Tazewell County ; Skillman, engaged at farming in LaSalle County; Martha, the wife of C. Hodson, of Forest Township, and Mary, who married A. N. Opie, of Forest Township. Isaac Voorhees received a common-school edu- cation which was completed in LaSalle County, this State. -He came to this county with his mother's family, with whom he remained until after reaching his majority, and made his first purchase of land in 1864. After reaching his twenty-fourth year he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Ten Eyck, who was born in New Jersey about 1 850, and came to Illinois with her parents in about 1855. Of this union there have been born four children, all living and at home with their parents, namely, Rosa, Clara, Zilla and Tunis. Mr. Voor- hees, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket. He has uniformly declined becoming an office-holder, preferring to give his attention to his farm and his family. ENRY BOEHM BARNES is perhaps one of the oldest men of Livingston County, al- though he has only been a resident of the county since 1882. He has been a citizen of Illinois, however, since 1834, and has seen the State pass through all the stages of prosperity up to its grand position among the States of to-day. He began life without an}' resources excepting his own hands and determined will. His life has been a success, but at the beginning, as was the case with hundreds of others, the obtaining of success depended entirely upon labor, judgment and per- severance. It was a common saying among the first settlers of Illinois, that people must " work or starve," but the remembrance of those days is very pleasant, and the experiences made men and women noble, brave and generous. Mr. Barnes is a native of Sussex County, Del., and was born Dec. 4, 1803. He is a son of Thomas and Sarah (Evans) Barnes, who were natives of Delaware. On the paternal side, his ancestors were of English descent, and of Welsh on the maternal. When his parents, in the year 1809, removed from Delaware to Scioto County, Ohio, our subject ac- companied them. That section of Ohio was then upon the frontier of civilization, although it is now one of the most densely populated districts of the Middle West. The father died in Scioto County, Ohio, on the 19th of June, 1819, and with his wid- owed mother and one sister, our subject moved to Marion County, Ohio, in April, 1823, and there resided until 1834. On the 13th of January, 1831, Mr. Barnes was married, in Marion County, Ohio, to Mary Dicker- son, and they had one child, Mary, who was born Jan. 16, 1832, and who is now the wife of W. P. Carruthers, of Saunemin Township. This wife died in April. 1832. Mr. Barnes remained a wid- ower until the 26th of September, 1839, when he was married, in Marshall County, 111., to Jane M. Kilgore, who was born in Franklin County, Ohio, Jan. 1, 1819, and bore him six children, five of whom are living: Isabella K., born Feb. 28, 1841; Louisa, born Sept. 28, 1843, is the wife of W. M. Kilgore, of Sannemin Township; Dr. Sam- uel M., born Dec. 4, 1846. resides in Fairbury; Dr. Henry E. W.,born April 4, 1850, lives in Mad- ison County, Iowa, and Ollie S., born July 23, 1854, is the wife of John Q. Brown, of Madison County, Iowa. Erastus T., born Feb. 1, 1858, died Dec. 6, 1858. In 1834 our subject came to Illinois and located in that region of country which is now included in Marshall County, and there re- mained, with the exception of five years spent in Whiteside County, until 1882. In that year he came to Livingston Count}', and settled on his present farm in Saunemin Township, on section 23. This farm consists of 200 acres of splendid land, which is under a high state of cultivation, and in the improvement of which all the best methods of agriculture have been adopted. Mr. Barnes is a veteran Republican, having joined that party at its organization in 1856. While a resident of Marshall County, Mr. Barnes served as Supervisor of Richland Township for eight years. He has been a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church for nearly half a century, in which he has served as Steward, Class-Leader and local minister, and has engaged enthusiastically f f 11 <; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in local ministerial work for manj- years. His sec- ond wife was also a devoted member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and lived and died a con- sistent Christian, her death having occurred on the 19th of May, 1882. Mr. Barnes has lived a long and useful life, and now, surrounded by friends and relatives, is enjoying the fruits of a life spent in usefulness and well doing. Mr. Barnes has lo- cated each of his children on homesteads consist- ing of tracts varying in size from eighty to 160 acres, and still has 200 acres left for himself in his declining years. IMLLIAM LEHMAN. A farm of 120 acres of land in Owego Township, no matter what section it is located upon, is a prop- erty any man may be proud of, and when it is owned in fee simple, without mortgage or other in- cumbnuice, the owner can consider himself pretty well-to-do. Some men spend half a lifetime be- fore they secure such a prize, but the subject of this sketch had only been a resident of this country, to which he came without capital, for nine j'ears, when he became able, with the proceeds of his la- bor, to purchase the excellent farm on section 29 where he now resides. With the energy and econ- omy so characteristic of the German people, imme- diately upon his arrival in this country he set to work to secure a home where he might pass his life comfortably and independently, and the details of the following sketch will show how admirably he has succeeded. Mr. Lehman is a native of Mecklenburg, Ger- many, where he was born on the 1st of May, 1852. He is the son of Carl (deceased) and Hannah Leh- man, natives of Germany, who emigrated to this country when the subject of this sketch was in his nineteenth year. Upon their arrival in America they came direct to Illinois and settled in Peoria County, where they lived for four years. In 1876 the family came to Livingston County and located in Pike Township, where the father died in Decem- ber, 1885. The family of his parents consisted of ten children, as follows: Carl, Johanna, Frederick, Minnie, Ricca, William, Louis, Lena, Matilda and August. The mother still resides in Pike Town- ship. The parents were both members of the Ger- 7nan Baptist Church, of which they were regular attendants. Our subject received a limited education in the German language, and has always been engaged in the occupation of farming. On the 22d of Janu- ary, 1877, he was married to Augusta Ladnck, daughter of Louis Laduck, of Pike Township, and they have had five children: Caroline, born Oct. 28, 1877; Albert, Dec. 20, 1880; Emma, Sept. 1, 1882; William, Aug. 4, 1884, and Mattie, Oct. 4, 1886. Mr. Lehman purchased his present farm, consisting of 120 acres, in 1882, and settled per- manently thereon in 1884; the present condition of the farm is the result of his industry and good management. The first four years after his arrival in Illinois Mr. L. worked in Peoria County for William Spiser, receiving the compensation of $22 per month, and then, for seven years, he rented a farm in Pike Township, which he cultivated with good success. "Mr. Lehman's family belong to the German Baptist Church, in which they occupy a leading position, and to which they donate liberally. So far as political matters are concerned, while yield- ing true loyalty to the Republican party, Mr. Leh- man does not devote enough time to those mat- ters to be known as a politician. He is neither an office-holder nor an office-seeker, and attends strictly to his own affairs. LBERT DAVIS is one of the most thor- ough and skillful farmers of Forest Town- ship, where on section 34 he has been located many years, and has become closely identified with the agricultural and business interests of the community. He is a native of the wealthy and populous State of Ohio, and was burn in Lincoln County, April 14. 1830, at the home- stead of his parents, Daniel and Mary Ann (Stat- ler) Davis, who were also natives of the Bucke3'e State. The parents of our subject disposed of their property interests in Ohio in 1840, when Albert LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 417 ' was a lad four years of age, and coming to the | West located in Marshall County, this State. The father purchased a quarter section of land in Roberts Township, where he carried on general farming and stock-raising, becoming a useful and valued citizen, and died eighteen .years later, Nov. i 21, 1858, when fifty years of age. The mother is still living, making her home in this township, and ! has now reached the advanced age of seventy-six years. The parental household included eight children, two sons and six daughters. Of these three are deceased, namely: Clara Ann, Laura (both of whom died young), and John A. The lat- ter during the late war enlisted in the 1 1th Illinois Infantry and served until near the close. During one of the most important battles he was captured by the rebels and taken to Andersonville Prison, where he languished two years and was finally ex- changed. The privations and hardships, however, which he endured had undermined his health, and he died before reaching home, at the age of a little past twenty-one years. The other children were Malinda, Eliza, Charlotte and Amanda. Mr. Davis became familiar with farm employ- ments during his early youth, and still finds his greatest pleasures in a country life. He established his first home in Marshall County in 1858, having been married March 18 of that year to Miss Emily E. Malone, who was born in Ohio, Jan. 5, 1835, and at the time of her marriage was a lesi- dent of Marshall County, 111. Mrs. D. was the eldest child of her parents, Hartley and Julia Ann (Trout) Malone, of Irish ancestry, and natives of Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupation and died some years ago. The mother is still living, making her home in Marshall County. They had two children, namely, Emily E. and William S. Mr. and Mrs. Davis became the parents of eight children, comprising three sons and five daughters, namely, Elma, Laura, Merissa, William Sherman, Katie, Minnie. Charles and Hartley Elmer. Laura is the wife, of Charles Dixon, a highly respected farmer of Forest Township, and is the mother of two sons and two daughters; Mr. Dixon is the son of Springer Dixon, a wealthy farmer and stock- raiser of Forest Township. Merissa and Katie died in Forest Township, the former when an in- teresting little girl of eight years and the latter at sixteen. The remaining children are at home with their parents. Mr. Davis uniformly votes the straight Demo- cratic ticket, and in 1885 was elected Road Com- missioner, of which office he still retains possession. Mr. Davis farmed in Marshall County for a period of ten years and then, in 1869, purchased 160 acres of his present farm. It was then raw prairie and required the outlay of years of labor and hun- dreds of dollars to bring it to its present fertile condition. He also owns 160 acres on section 33 and 160 acres on section 5, Fayette Township. He has made good improvements, and of late years is giving his principal attention to stock-raising, dealing mostly in cattle and swine, keeping of the former from twenty to twenty-five head, including Short-horn and good grades of common blood. He has pursued the even tenor of his way as a peaceable and law-abiding citizen, taking a kindly interest in the welfare of the people around him and enjoying in a marked degree their esteem and confidence. OLOMON E. KENT, farmer and stock- raiser, on section 17, Belle Prairie Town- ship, does not confine himself exclusively to either farming or stock-growing, but owns a large meat-market and slaughter-house in the town of Colfax, McLean County, where the stock product of his farm finds a ready market. Mr. Kent was born in Greene County, Pa., on the l!)th of September, 1831, and came to Illinois in 1 868, and located on the farm named above. He remained in Pennsylvania on his father's farm un- til he attained his majority, in the meantime avail- ing himself of the advantages afforded by the com- mon schools of that State. His parents were Thomas and Sarah (Ingersoll) Kent, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was a farmer by occu- pation, and in his business affairs was successful. For twenty years he was a Deacon in the Christian Church, and was a prominent member nearly all f. IIS LIVINGSTON COUNTY. his life. He was born in 1801, and died in 1876, in LaSalle County, 111. The mother was born in 1 KOI, and was an active and faithful member of the Christian Church. She died in 1872, after hav- ing become the mother of nine children, seven of whom grew to manhood and womanhood : George married Miss Deba Eagon ; Abraham ; Mordecai married Susan Fry; Susan married Harvey Fry; John married Elizabeth Fry: Thomas married Eliza Ingersoll; Elmer and Martha died in infancy. Mr. Kent was married to Miss Mary A. White, Nov. 23, 1853. She was born in Greene County, Pa., Oct. 8, 183G, and is the daughter of David and Leah (Strosenider) White, natives of Pennsylvania. The father was born in 1794, and is still living and in vigorous health, which is demonstrated by the fact that not many years ago, without any assist- ance whatever, he reshingled his own house, which is one and one-half stories high. For sixty-five years he has been a minister in the Christian Church, and during that time has refused to receive any pay for his services in the pulpit. In his boyhood days he attended a college presided over by Alex- ander Campbell, a man of whom Henry Clay said, he was the profoundest theologian in the world. He has perhaps traveled more miles on horseback than any other man of his age now living. The mother, who was also a member of the Christian Church, was born in 1708, and died in Pennsylva- nia in 1866. To Mr. and Mrs. Kent have been born seven children, named as follows: David W. married Miss Emma Jones; Thomas J. married Annie t'as- sidy: M. L. married Miss Grace Taylor; George B., Larry 8., Cora L. and Albert E. George, the fourth son of Mr. and Mrs. Kent, was educated at the schools of Fairviewand Colfax, and for several years has been teaching in District No. 4, Lawndale Township, McLean County. Four other members of the family have taught school, and one took a law course in Blooinington, 111., and is now practic- ing his profession with success in Hutchinson, Reno Co., Kan. Mr. and Mrs. Kent have a family of children of whom they may well be proud. They are all naturally bright, and were very ambitious in availing themselves of the opportunities afforded by their parents for obtaining good educations. Taken all in all, it is one of the model families of Belle Prairie Township. Mr. and Mrs. Kent are both members of the Christian Church, in which the former has served for many years as Deacon. In his political affiliations Mr. Kent is in harmony with the Democratic party, at the hands of which he has held various township offices. ETER LAUBENHEIMER, who for many years was engaged in butchering and deal- ing in meat, but is now occupied in farm- ing near Fairbury, was born in Dexheim, the Empire of Germany, on the 24th of February, 1834. He is the son of Philip and Gertrude (Schtark) Laubenheimer, natives of the same Prov- ince. The father was born in 1803, and died in Wisconsin in 1878. Most of his life he was in the grocery business. The mother was born in 1805, and died in December, 1842. She only lived two months after going to Wisconsin. Their family consisted of seven children : Clara, the wife of Ja- cob Breifogle, lives in Wisconsin; Elizabeth mar- ried Antone Walderbach; of Philip no trace has been had for over thirty years; Peter, the subject of this sketch, was the fourth child ; Frederick, of whom all trace has been lost, was a soldier in the Civil War; Gertrude, Mrs. G. H. Shape, lives in Milwaukee, Wis. On the 10th of December, 1N72, Mr. Lauben- heimer was married to Annie Billhartz, who was born in Baden in 1852, and came to this country with her parents when she was one jear old. Mr. and Mrs. Laubenheimer have had five children, four of whom are living, namely Annie, Harry P., Golda and William P. Hattie died at the age of five months. The parents of Mrs Laubenheimer were Henry and Annie (Zane) Billhartz, natives of Germany. The father was a harness-maker by trade, and came to America in 1H54, landing at New York City, from whence he proceeded to Ot- tawa, LaSalle County, where he died in 1*57. The mother died in April, 18(51. They were both de- vout members of the Catholic Church, and the parents of ten children, seven of whom lived to be- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4-21 come men .and women. They were named respect- ively, Henry, Otto, Mary, Benjamin, Annie, Louisa, Caroline and Amiel. Mr. Laubenheimer came to Illinois in the fall of 18(i2, and located in LaSallc, where he engaged in the butcher business for three years, and then came to Fairbury, March 31, 1865, and entered into partnership with Louis Werling, continuing in the same business. This partnership existed for eight- een years, and during that time the firm never had a settlement, and dissolved with the best of feeling on the part of each member. After discontinuing this business Mr. Laubenheimer purchased 480 acres of land and a fine residence in the village of Fairbury. This land is all under cultivation and is very productive and valuable. Mr. Laubenhei- mer's long business career in Fairbury established for himself an enviable reputation for integrity and uprightness, and he now enjoys the confidence of the citizens of that section of the county. He is a member in good standing of the Masonic frater- nity, and of the Blue Lodge in Fairbury. Relig- iously, he belongs to the Lutheran Reformed Church; his wife for many years has been a Cath- olic. In politics Mr. Laubenheimer is a liberal Democrat, but does not take a very active part in public affairs. ARON BECKER. The raising of blooded y /7j|[ cattle and hogs has grown to be one of the greatest industries of Illinois, and growers differ as much in their choice of breeds as woman do in their notions of the fashions. The subject of this sketch in his choice of cattle has cer- tainly made no mistake, for there is no breed more popular than the Durham, not only in Illinois but in every section where cattle connoisseurs live. Of Durham cattle Mr. Becker has made a specialty, and his experience with them convinces him that that breed will do to tie to. He is a large farmer and stock-breeder on section 17, Belle Prairie Town- ship, and was born in Lancaster County, Pa., on the 18th of June, 1834. His mother died in 1875 at the age of sixty-four years. Of her family of five children three are now living Aaron, Annie and John William. Mr. Becker was married on the 27th of August, 1862, to Fannie Austin, a native of Virginia, who was born on the 20th of January, 1846. By this marriage four children were born : John and Martha J., both of whom died in infancy; Sarah A., Mrs. W. L. Tarr. and Mary. Mr. Becker was a second time married, to Miss Sarah E. Wilhour, on the 29th of February, 1872. She was born in Lancaster County, Pa., on the 13th of November, 1845, and is the daughter of Peter and Susan (King) Wilhour, natives of Lancaster County, Pa. The father was of English descent, born in 1822, and is a farmer by occupation and a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church ; he is now living in Kingman County, Kan., to which place he went in 1883. The mother was born in 1824, of English descent, and has nearly all her life been a member of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. They are the parents of five chil- dren: Sarah E., Mrs. Becker; Martha A., deceased, was married to Daniel Humphrey ; Mary E. died at the age of two years, eleven months and thirteen days; William H. died at the age of two years and nine days; Eliza C. married John W. Patterson, who is now deceased. By Mr. Becker's second marriage there have been two children : Gertie A., born June 16, 1876, and Jessie B., Feb. 1, 1884. Mr. Becker came to Illinois in 1858 and engaged at work by the month for five years, when he pur- chased a team of horses and went to work for him- self. In 1863 he paid $1,000 for a substitute in the army. His first purchase of land was eighty acres of unbroken prairie, and he now owns 160 acres of highly cultivated land, well tile drained and hedge fenced, and well equipped with buildings, including the fine residence, barns, etc. Besides this farm he owns 320 acres of excellent land in Kingman County, Kan. For several years he has been exten- sively engaged in stock-raising, making a specialty of Durham cattle and high-grade hogs, and in this business has been highly successful. He and his wife are both active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which they contribute liberally of their time and money. Mr. Becker acts with the Republican party and votes a straight ticket. . t 1-2-2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. As illustrative of the progress of this community we exhibit on another page of this work a view of the residence of Mr. Becker. ARTHUR, a native of the Buckeye State, has been identified with the agricult- ural interests of Pleasant Ridge Township since the spring of 1868. He then took possession of 160 acres of land on section 28, where he has since carried on farming and stock-growing, erected a set of fine buildings, and brought his land, natur- ally fertile, to a high state of cultivation. Mr. Arthur was born in Brown County, Ohio, June 13, 1836, and remained a resident of that section until nineteen years of age, when he set out to seek his fortunes in the West. He located in LaSalle County, where he was employed as a farm laborer, and supplemented his somewhat limited education by futher attendance at the public school at his old home. His parents, James and Margaret (Reed) Arthur, people of modest means, were natives of Kentucky, the father born June 12, 1797; he is still living, and a resident of Brown County, Ohio. The mother was born in March, 1798, and died at her home in LaSalle County, 111., in January, 1879. The household circle included eleven children, who were named respectively, Elizabeth, Margaret, William, John, Sarah, Melinda, Mary J., Albina, Ohio, Rachel and Augustus. The elder Arthur was a farmer by occupation, and the early life of our subject, like that of his brothers and sisters, was spent in the quiet retreat of their country home. Upon reaching manhood and while a resident of LaSalle County, he was married to Miss Mary E. Braden, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, Feb. 10, 1863. Mrs. Arthur was born in Greene County, Pa., Nov. 17, 1844, and is the daughter of Robert and Nancy (Johns) Braden, natives of Pennsylvania. The father is still living in Bureau County, 111. : the mother died in December, 1857, in LaSalle Count}', 111. Of this union there have been born six children, namely ; Walter A., Howard D., Anna B., Fannie R., Cora M. and Charles A. Of these two were laid away in early graves, Howard D., at the age of three years, and Anna B., aged three years and eight months. Mr. Arthur in early life was independent in poli- tics but of late years has given his support to the cause of prohibition. He has served as Road Com- missioner in his township sixteen years and been School Director eleven years. Religiously he and his excellent lady are Second Adventists. As representative of the buildings of this section of country, we present on an adjoining page of this ALBUM a view of Mr. Arthur's residence. ^ AVID RICE, located on section 20, Read- ing Township, is a native of AVestmoreland County, Pa., and was born Feb. 18, 1834, His parents were Henry and Shebby (Re- gior) Rice, natives of the same county as their son; the former was born in 1794, and lived to be sev- enty-eight years of age, his death taking place at his home in his native county in 1872. The pater- nal grandfather of our subject, John Rice by name, together with his wife, was also a native of Penn- sylvania, in which State they spent their entire lives. Mrs. Shebby Rice was born in 1800, and died in her native State in 1879. David Rice was the fifth in a family of ten chil- dren ; the record of the others is as follows : Sarah continues in her native State, occupying with her husband the old homestead in Westmoreland County; John died in infancy; Nancy lives with her sister Sarah; Barbara is the widow of John Mumaw, and the mother of seven children ; they also reside near the old homestead. Hannah is the wife of John Wright, a Pennsylvania fanner, and is the mother of five children; Abram died in child- hood, and Mary when eight years old ; Henry mar- ried Miss Mary Al.nndus. and is the father of ten children: lie is fanning in Westmoreland County, Pa. Daniel died of smallpox when sixteen years of age. David Rice remained a member of liis father's household until reaching his majority, and then de- termined to seek his fortune.- in the farther West. Coming directly to Illinois he took up }ii- resilience in this county, and for the first three or four months LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 423 i ! was employed on a farm in Reading Township. He was subsequently engaged at Boyd's until his mar- riage, which occurred in Reading Township, Feb. 24, 1860, the maiden of his choice being Miss Louisa Ammons, who was born Sept. 1C, 1842. The parents of Mrs. Rice were natives of Pennsylvania and are now in Reading. Of her union with our subject there were born seven children : The eldest, a daughter, Shebby A., died on the 7th of March, 1864, when less than a year old; Nancy A., born Dec. 20, 1864, is the wife of Albert Tellis, and the mother of two children ; they reside on a farm in Reading Township. John H. A. was born Oct. 1 9, 1866, and lives at home; Elizabeth A., born Dec. 25, 1869, is the wife of William Devine, an express- man, and the mother of one child ; they reside in Joliet, 111. Mary A. was born Sept. 11, 1871, and died May 8, 1877: Sarah Bell, born Dec. 29, 1876, lives at home with her father, as does also David S. A., who was born April 3, 1879. Mrs. Louisa Rice departed this life at her home in Reading Township, on the 16th of August, 1885. She was a lady greatly respected in her community and a consis- tent member of the Church of God, with which Mr. Rice also became identified many years ago. The farm of our subject comprises 1 60 acres of choice laud, with suitable buildings, a goodly as- sortment of live stock, and all the other appliances which constitute the model country homestead. Mr. Rice, although taking a genuine interest in the wel- fare of the people around him and always willing to contribute to public enterprises, meddles with polit- ical affairs very little otherwise than to cast his vote with the Democratic party. ffiACOB S. TUCKER. While the late Civil War was very disastrous in the matter of loss of property and the sacrifice of human life, it had redeeming features in many re- spects, one of which was that it offered the boys of the North an opportunity to become acquainted with the customs and manners of a large section of country which could not have been presented them in any other way. It also made the men who were participants self-dependent, for in the army it was pretty generally every man for himself. To the man who went through safely, the experience has been and is worth much, in that it begat a spirit of independence which is valuable under all circum- stances and in all the relations of life. The subject of this sketch had large experience as a soldier, and in that capacity traversed an extensive section of the country. He is now a prominent farmer of Avoca Township, located on section 18. Mr. Tucker is a native of Tippecanoe County, Ind., and was born on the 26th of January, 1837. He is the son of Joel and Sallie A. Tucker, natives respectively of Ohio and Pennsylvania. His ma- ternal uncle, Perrin Stull, was a soldier in the Mexican War, and was wounded three times during that service. In the fall of 1851 Mr. Tucker's par- ents emigrated to Livingston County, settling on section 16, in Avoca Township, where the father died on the 10th of April, 1885. During his thirty- four years' residence in Avoca Township, the people became much attached to him on account of his many excellent qualities, and his death was sin- cerely mourned by all who knew him. He was an enterprising and representative citizen, and during his life engaged in many enterprises for the wel- fare of the people, which largely redounded to his credit. The subject of this sketch has been a resident of Livingston County since 1851, with the exception of four years when he lived in Ford County, 111., and during his service in the army. On the 19th of August, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, 3d Illinois Cavalry, in which regiment he served for over three years, during which time he was engaged in the following battles: Trot Hill, Pea Ridge, Ark., Cotton Plant, Ark., in all the battles preced- ing and during the siege of Vicksburg; Jackson, Port Hudson, a cavalry charge on Bayou Teche, and was present at the surprise of Gen. Forest at Memphis, Tenn. While on picket duty at Helena, Ark., he was^captured by the enemy, and was con- fined as a prisoner of war four weeks at Little Rock, Ark., at the end of which time he was pa- roled. Besides those named above, which are well known as engagements in which large bodies of troops participated, he was in many other engage- 124 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ments and skirmishes. He was honorably discharged from the service at the expiration of his term of enlistment, Sept. 5, 1864, and immediately returned to Livingston County. On the ICth of February, 1865, Mr. Tucker was married to Louisa M. Langworthy, of Chautauqua County, N. Y., and they have had four children, three of whom are now living Alta, Florence E. and Ira J. Mr. Tucker settled on his present farm, which consists of eighty acres of good and product- ive land, in 1880. He has made a success in his undertakings as a farmer, and is now very com- fortably situated. He is one of that large number of men who hold that the Greenback should be the only circulating medium among the people, and on account of his views upon financial questions he has long been attached to the Greenback party. He has served the people as a member of the Board of Supervisors for Avoca Township, and has held other minor official positions. He affiliates with the Methodist Episcopal Church in religious mat- ters, and socially is an ardent Comrade of Post No. 75, G. A. R., of Fairbury, 111. L. WESTERVELT, of the firm of Easton & Westervelt, proprietors of the leading livery, feed and sale stable at Fairbury, is one of the young and energetic business men ot that place. What he possesses of this world's goods he has secured through incessant and well-directed work, and has been the recipient of no legacy what- ever. Our subject is the son of James L. and Mary A. (Conley) Westervelt, and was born in Franklin County, Ohio, Aug. 19, 1860. James L. Westervelt, Sr., was born June 1, 1819, in Ohio, where he was reared to the calling of a farmer, and followed that vocation through life. Sept. 22, 1840, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary A. Conley, and continued to reside in that State until all their children were born. Hop- ing to better their financial condition, he emigrated to Illinois in 1860, and settled in the eastern part of McLean County, about four miles from Fairburv. The country was new at that time, but the father, with his good wife and a family of boys, set to work with a will to improve the laud, and ere many years had passed away, had a well-improved farm. He lived and labored on this farm for eighteen years, and then in 1877 disposed of it, and purchased a residence in Fairbury. Moving into the latter place, he retired from the active labors of life, and there lived 'until the Master called him to a better home, "a home not made with hands, eternal in the heav- ens," his demise taking place in 1880. He was known far and wide as a man whose word was as good as his bond, and one who never turned a deaf ear to the call of charity. He was a consistent Christian man, holding fellowship in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and respected by all who knew him. Mary A. Westervelt, the mother of our subject, survives her husband. She was born in Pennsyl- vania Dec. 10, 1820, and lived with her parents un- til her marriage. By her union with Mr. Wester- velt nine children were born, six of whom are yet living, and all are residents of this county, with one exception. Mrs. Westervelt with her husband passed through all the trials of an early settlement in a new country. Nobly she did her part, and the respect in which her children are held to-day, attests the gentleness and kindness with which she treated them, and the Christian teachings re- ceived from her. She is one of those good old Chris- tian women who have a heart as big as a mountain, and it is full of love for all humanity. She is living in Fairburv, near to her children, and none are more highly respected than Grandma Westervelt. Mr. Westervelt of this sketch was an infant when his parents came to Illinois, and was reared until his eighteenth year on the old homestead in Mc- Lean County, where he attended the common schools, and assisted in the labors on the farm. When the father moved to Fairbury, our subject engaged in clerking in a grocery store, in which his brother Oscar was interested. He was married to Miss Ella, 3'oungest child of Hon. Amos M. and Melissa II. (Kinney) Johnson, Feb. 19, 1882. .Miss Johnson was born in Fulton County, 111., in 18fi2, and by her marriage with Mr. Westervelt has become the mother of one child, Roy D., born April 2, 1883. In 1886 Mr. Westervelt severed his connection I -i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 ! i] with the firm of Wcstervelt & Co., and removed to Chicago, where he engaged in the grocery business at No. 507 Western avenue, and for five months con- ducted the same with considerable success. Then disposing of his stock, Mr. Westervelt returned to Fairbury, and associated himself with Alexander Eastern in the livery, sale and feed business. Politi- cally he is a red-hot Republican, and trusts the time will speedily come when that party will incorporate Prohibition views in its platform. QUIRE LINSCOTT, a native of the Buck- eye State, and scion of an excellent family, who, on the father's side were Vermonters, and on the mother's Virginians, being of an enterprising disposition, and desirous of seeing something of the farther West, removed from his native State, first to Indiana and then to Illinois, and is now one of the most prosperous and promi- nent citizens of Avoca Township. His early yean had been spent in the agricultural districts, and he has shown himself peculiarly adapted to the em- ployments of home life. lie commenced poov in pocket and at the foot of the ladder, and is now the owner of 680 acres on sections 18 and 19, which comprises one of the finest farms in Central Illinois, and yields in abundance the richest crops of the Prairie State. He is thoroughly acquainted with the difficulties and hardships of pioneer life, and knows all about the disadvantages which the early settlers were obliged to contend with. He possessed, however, in a marked degree a large share of the resolution and perseverance common to the men of those days, and entered upon the cultivation of the soil with all the determination with which he was so largely supplied, and the re- sults of which he has reason to be proud. The main points in a career more than ordinarily inter- esting, an- a* follows : Our subject, a native of Greene County, Ohio, was born Feb. 12, 1821, and is the son of Benja- min and Polly (Jarrett) Linscott, whose ancestor." emigrated from Wales to the United States in the Colonial d.'iys. His parents each removed from their native Stale early in life. They were mar- ried near Cincinnati, where the father engaged in shoemaking for a time, and afterward located upon a farm in Greene County. They spent the remain- _der of their lives in Ohio. The home circle in- cluded twelve children, of whom only the follow- ing now survive, namely: Jeremiah, of Greene County, Ohio; Mary, the wife of William Leath, of Emporia County, Kan., and Squire, of our sketch . Mr. Linscott passed his boyhood and youth in his native county, and early in life was made ac- quainted with its cares and responsibilities. His father possessed but a limited income, and our sub- ject could only pass a few months each winter in school, and but a few winters enjoyed the privileges of study. At an early age he went out to work by the month, the proceeds of his labor going to as- sist in the maintenance of the family. He began for himself when eighteen years of age, and, with the exception of three years of general merchan- dising in Attica, Ind., has spent his entire life upon a farm. Soon after reaching his majority he, in the spring of 1843, migrated to Fountain County, Ind., where he remained several years and became the head of a family. He was united in marriage with Miss Candace Hackstou on the 28th of Decem- ber, 1843, and they settled down in a modest home in Attica, where they became the parents of one child, a daughter, whom they named Sarah C. The young wife only lived a few years after her marriage, her death taking place in Perryville, Vermillion County, Nov. 21, 1848. She was a native of Fountain County, Ind., and about twenty-four years of age at the time of her death. The present wife of our subject was formerly Miss Minerva E. Kingore, and they were married on the 1st of January, 1860. Mrs. L., like her husband, is a native of Ohio, and the daughter of John and Margaret Kingore, who are now dead. She was born June 24, 1825, and by her union with our subject became the mother of one child, a daughter, Fannie E., who was born July 24, 1865, and is now at home. Mr. Linscott removed from Indiana to this county in 1859, and in the spring of 1861 lo- cated on his present farm, where he has since re- sided. The low land of his farm has been under- laid with tile, and all his farm operations have 420 LIVINGSTON COUNTY- t been characterized by that sound sense and good judgment which cannot fail to result in success. He is a man who is never idle, and when not em- ployed with his hands, his brain is active in re- volving those projects which shall result in good to some one, either his family or his neighbors. He has served as School Director in his district, and politically, is a Republican of the first water. To the solicitations of his townsmen to become an office-holder of more prominence he has turned a deaf ear, believing that in the quiet seclusion of his home, and in aiding by his influence those proj- ects set on foot for the welfare of his commu- nity, he could be of more real service. He has, however, for many years been a great admirer of the principles of the Masonic fraternity, with which he became identified at Fairbury, and has passed all the degrees of the Blue Lodge. Although not connected with any religious organization he believes there is good in all, and contributes to all. His estimable lady is a member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. In their declining years they are enjoying the fruit of a well-spent life, and doing good as they have opportunity. J "JOSHUA G. CHESEBRO came to this county I in 185(5, and pre-empted a half of section 18, in Sullivan Township. He operated I there until the spring of 1857, then became a resident of Saunemin, where he owns and occu- pies one of the most valuable farms in this section of the country. His property includes 480 acres of choice lnd, highly improved, and furnished with the most valuable natural water power of any tract in the township, including several good wells which are fed from never-failing spring. There was but slight difference in the condition of the men who came to Central Illinois twenty- five or thirty years ago, most of them arriving poor in pocket, provided only with theft native energy and resolution of character. Our subject ranks essentially among the self-made men of Livingston County, although it is true he had some means upon his arrival here. This he was enabled to take good care of, and was fortunate in his investments, while his farm operations were uniformly successful. He was never afraid or ashamed of hard work, and kept his shoulder to the wheel for many years until the necessity therefor no longer existed. Our subject was born in Otsego County, N. Y., July 23, 18211, and is the son of Beriah and Sarah (Young) C'hesebro, natives respectively of Connect- icut and New York. The C'hesebro family is of English ancestry, who crossed the water during the Colonial days, and whose descendants were widely and favorably known throughout the Empire State for many generations. Joshua G., when about seven years of age, removed with his parents from his birthplace to the city of Albany, where his fa- ther engaged in tanning and shoemaking, and where the youth remained until sixteen years of age. The family then removed to Ohio, locating in Wyandot County, the mother having died in New York State, in 1829. Young Chesebro remained in Wyandot County, Ohio, until 1N56, when he migrated West, and com- ing to this county located on section 4, in Sullivan Township, and from thence he came to this town- ship, where he has since resided. He has seen much of pioneer life, and contributed his full quota toward the building up of this section and the en- lightenment of its people. On the 8th of January, 1*58, he was united in marriage with Miss Clara E. Cleland, who was born in Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Thomas and Mary A. (Duncan) Cle- land, who came to this county during its earlv set- tlement. They were natives of New York and Pennsylvania respectively, the father being now deceased, but the mother is living in Pontiac, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Chesebro began life in fair circum- stances on the new farm, and in due time became the parents of seven children, of whom one is de- ceased. The eldest daughter, Nettie, is the wife of Alexander W. Ross, of Saunemin Township. The others, who continue at home with their parents, are as follows: Walter B., Anna, Clara B. and Lib- bie F. Hiram M. married Miss Charlotte Watts. The parents are prominently connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Chese- bro has served as Class-Leader, Sabbath-school Superintendent and Trustee for many years. Our LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4-27 subject has also been prominent in township affairs, serving as Clerk and School Director, and there are few worthy projects in connection with the public welfare in which he has not taken a leading part. Although lending his influence usually to support the Democratic party, he still reserves the right to vote independently, aiming to give his influence to the men best calculated to serve the interests of the public. His name is widely and favorably known throughout Saunemin Township, as that of one of its most valued and useful citizens. ENRY LARSON, a prosperous farmer on section 27, Esmen Township, was born in Norway, near Stavanger, on the 7th of March, 1835. He was the third child in a family of nine,. born to Large Hanson and Annie Hendrickson, natives of Norway, in which country they always resided. The mother was a daughter of Henry Hendrickson, and the father was a son of Hans Larson. The subject of this sketch was reared upon a farm, and such education as he received was in the com- mon schools of that day. At the age of nineteen years and fort}' days he left Norway on board the ship "Ward," and sailed for Quebec, where he ar- rived after a pleasant voyage of six weeks, on the 7th of June, 1854. From Quebec he began a jour- ney to the West, having Ottawa, 111., as his object- ive point. After arriving at Ottawa he secured em- ployment on a farm twelve miles north, where' he worked for two years, and then went up Fox River. Here he was married to Betsey Knutson, daughter of Kent and Bergali Knutson, natives of Norway, where their children were all born. Mr. Larson and his wife lived on Fox River for two years, and then went to Nettle Creek, seven miles west of Mor- ris, where they lived four years. They then carne to Livingston County, and lived four years in Sun- bury Township, raising cattle on the prairie, and cultivating a small tract of land, when they removed to Esmen Township, and purchased eighty acres of land, where he has since continued to live, and in- creased his farm to 100 acres, all of which is highly cultivated. He takes great pride in raising fine horses, cattle, hogs and sheep. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are the parents of eight chil- -dren Annie, Knute, Hans, Helen, Betsy, Laura, Lars and Bertie. They are all married and live on farms, excepting two sons at home. Mr. Larson came to Livingston County in 1862, and has been a witness of all the changes which have taken place during the past quarter of a century. When he first came to the county, a large proportion of the laud was wild and uncultivated. He has lived to see this land transformed into magnificent farms, and where the country was traversed by mere bridle paths, good broad highways have been constructed. Mr. and Mrs. Larson are both members of the Lutheran Church. He is a consistent Republican, always voting that ticket, but does not take an act- ive part in political affairs. ARCUS LAMP, one of the most thrifty and successful agriculturists of Long Point Township, owns 158|- acres of fertile land under a good state of cultivation, where he has instituted all the improvements adopted by the modern and progressive farmer. He has a neat and substantial dwelling, with a good barn and various sheds and other structures required for the storing of grain and the shelter of stock, and the general appearance of the premises attracts the admiring eye of the traveler through that section. Our subject has illustrated, during a career which has been uniformly successful, the results of energy and perseverance, and is one ot the finest repre- sentatives of the thrifty German element of this section. His early home was in the Prussian Prov- ince of Holstein, which was formerly a Duchy of Denmark, but is now one of the most important States of the German Confederation, and more popularly known as a part of Sleswick-Holstein. His birth took place July 25, 1839, and his parents were Henry and Selk (Wies) Lamp, who were also of German birth and parentage. The father of our ** ' * 42.S LIVINGSTON COUNTY. subject was born in 1803, and learned the trade of cabinet-maker and chair manufacturer, which he followed all his life, and died in his native Province on the 2d of March, 1887. The mother is still liv- ing, but for the past five years has been a great suf- ferer from rheumatism. She is also quite aged. The German youth are particularly fortunate in regard to education, and our subject, in common with the children of his native Empire, was placed in school at an early age, where he acquired a good knowledge of the common branches. He continued under the home roof until a youth of seventeen, and then, with the hope of something better than what was held out to him on his native soil, crossed the Atlantic in the spring of 1857, and shortly after landing in New York City, started for the West. After a brief time spent in Chicago, he migrated to Wenona, and thence to Groveland Township, La- Salle County, where he was employed three years as a farm laborer. He subsequently removed to Marshall County, of which he was a resident for fifteen years following. He had in the meantime labored diligently and accumulated a snug little sum of money, which he determined to 'invest in land in this county, and accordingly in 1870, purchased eighty acres in Long Point Township. Four years later he doubled this amount of real estate, and has since given his attention to the building up of a model homestead, in which he has succeeded ad- mirably. Mr. Lamp was married, Jan. 26, 1865, while a resident of Marshall County, to Miss Olive Benning- ton, daughter of Robert S. and Olive (Sampson) Ben- nington, of Marshall County, 111. Mrs. L. was born in 1841, and by her union with our subject became the mother of nine children: Mary Eliza was born on the 3d of February, 1867, and died June 2, 1873, and the little grave of their first-born was made in the cemetery at Antioch; Millie Caroline was born July 1, 1868, and employs her time in teach- ing ; Jessie Florence was born Aug. 23, 1870; Rob- ert Henry, March 20,1872; Margaret E., March 30,1874; Minna- Myrtle, Feb. 17, 1877; William Marcus, Oct. 15, 1879; Joseph Floyd, Jan. 15, 1882, and Albert Darling, May 26, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. L.. with their two eldest children, are members in good standing of the Christian Church. Our sub- ject gives very little attention to politics, but upon occasions of important elections casts his vote with the Republican party. OBERT ELMORE, a citizen of Illinois since 1856, who has 240 acres of land on section 33, Pleasant Ridge Township, and sixty- ^.5 two acres on section 5, Forest Township, is one of the largest stock-raisers of the county. He was born in Madison County, Ky., on the 7th of May, 1834, and is the son of James and Sarah (Baugh) Elmore, natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively. The father was born in 1797, and died in the State of Kentucky in April, 1858. He was by trade a blacksmith, but the latter years of his life were spent in farming. The mother was born on the 3d of November, 1805, and died jn 1879. Both parents were members of the Chris- tian Church. In personal appearance James Elmore was a re- markable man, weighing 360 pounds, and was fair skinned, with dark hair and blue eyes. In early life he belonged to the Whig part}', but during the last years of his life he supported the Democrats. To them were born twelve children: William died at the age of fifty-three years; John is a farmer by occupation; Mary, Asenith and Jane T. are dead; Robert, the subject of this sketch ; Sarah F. ; Martha J., Mrs. Shearer; Rebecca J., Mrs. W. G. Watts; James S., and Thomas J., who died in Chicago. The subject of our sketch came to Illinois in 1856, and located where he now lives. On the 2d of September, 1856, he was married to Edith March, who was born in Madison County, Ky., on the 15th of April, 1833. She was the daughter of Abraham and Susannah (Robinson) March, na- tives of Kentucky. Her father was born on the 14th of April, 1788, and died in January, 1855; he was a farmer by occupation. The mother was born in 1793 and died in April, 1878. They were mem- bers of the Christian Church, to which they were much devoted during the latter part of their lives. In 1857 Mr. and Mrs. Elmore took up their resi- dence in the house in which they now live. To them have been born five children: James B. ; u f fe 4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4:51 Mary A. married James F. Galbraith; Susannah married George S. Wilson, and resides in Living- ston County; William A. lives at home; Robert M., the youngest child, was accidentally killed while hunting, at the age of fifteen years. It is supposed that while he was loading one barrel of his shot- gun the other barrel was accidentally discharged. He was a bright boy for his age, and was the pride of his parents as well as the favorite of the neigh- borhood. Mr. Elm ore has 302 acres of laud where he lives, and it is all in an excellent state of cultivation. When he first became the possessor of his land it was just as nature made it, being unbroken and undisturbed prairie. The buildings which he has erected upon the farm are first-class in every respect, and a credit to Pleasant Ridge Township. Besides culti- vating his large farm Mr. Elmore is extensively engaged in buying and selling cattle, handling from 200 to 500 each year, while the number last year ran up to 800. Mr. Elmore is one of the suc- cessful men of Livingston County, his business efforts having been rewarded by the accumulation of a con- siderable fortune, which is well invested. What time lie can devote to political matters is given to further the interests of the Democratic party. He has not been an office-holder to a great extent, and is satisfied with having held the position of Road Commissioner for fifteen years. He and his wife are active and influential members of the Christian Church, to which they contribute liberally of their time and means. A lithographic view is shown of Mr. Elmore's handsome residence. OHN PURSLEY, a wealthy and prominent farmer of Fayette Township, on the southern line of Livingston County, owns and oc- cupies 360 acres of finely improved land on sections 5 and 6. He is the son of one of the ear- liest pioneers of this section of country, and came to the township when there were but four families within its limits. From a modest beginning in life he has built up one of the most desirable homes in Livingston County, and owes no man anything either for his position in life or for any assistance at the beginning. Mr. Pursley was born in the city of New York, June 2, 1832, soon after his parents. Gottfried and Anna Mary (Evering) Pursley, who were natives of Germany, set foot upon American soil. They passed the first year in New York City, where the father followed his trade of shoemaking, and in 1 834 he removed with his family to Chicago. Three years later they changed their residence to Ottawa, LaSalle County, where in addition to shoemaking the father engaged in the manufacture of harness, besides operating a lanyard for a number of years, when he was called from his earthly labors. His death took place about 1845, and a wife and seven children were thus left without their natural pro- tector. The family included two sons and five daugh- ters, namely, Catherine, Phebe, Elizabeth, Anna Mary, John, Daniel and Emma; the latter died when seven years old. The others are married and most of them have families of their own, and reside in this county. The father was a man of much in- telligence, and after becoming a naturalized Ameri- can citizen, identified himself with the Democratic party. He had been reared in the faith of the German-Catholic Church, to which he closely ad- hered. The mother died in LaSalle County in 1882. In beginning life for himself, our subject engaged in farming in LaSalle County, about 1854, where he remained thirteen years, and then came to this county, of which he has since been a resident. Upon his arrival he took up a tract of wild land, and the large and valuable farm of which he is now the possessor is abundant evidence of the manner in which he has spent his time and the rare good judgment with which lie has been blessed by nature. He has effected fine improvements, including a set of substantial farm buildings, and of late years has given much attention to stock-raising, in which he has been uniformly successful. In 1854, Mr. Pursley was married to Miss Mary Everling. She was born in the Province of Rhine- folz, Germany, July 29, 1831, and is the daugh- ter of parents who were of pure German ancestry and engaged in farming pursuits. Her father de- parted this life at his home in Germany in 1882; 432 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the mother is still living and a resident of Remstein. They were the parents of twelve children John, Jacob, Mary, Philip, Philip (2d). Adam, Phoebe, Catherine, Elizabeth, Peter, Margaret and Caroline. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Pursley there were born twelve children, namely, John, Louisa, Mary, Rosa, George, Charles, Caroline, Jane, Peter, Eliza- beth, Joseph, and Anna, who died when thirteen months old. Louisa is the wife of Thomas Mur- phey, a highly respected farmer of Fayette Town- ship; John married Miss Caroline Bell, and is farming near his father's homestead. The younger children continue at home with their parents. Our subject and his family belong to the German Catholic Church, and Mr. P., like his father, is Democratic in politics. He has been School Di- rector in his district for a number of years, and is a liberal supporter of those enterprises calculated for the general welfare of the people. A lithographic view of Mr. Pursley's residence is shown in this volume. HOMAS A. BEACH, of the firm of Beach & Dominy, bankers, at Fairbury, deals also in real estate, and at the present time is owner of 2,400 acres of land, besides a great deal of town property. His residence is one of the most substantial and imposing buildings in the village of Fairbury. It was constructed in 187;~>, and re- gardless of expense was fitted with all the modern conveniences. Mr. Beach was born in the town of Amity, Mad- ison Co., Ohio, on the 4th of December, 1828, and is the son of Lorenzo and Edith (Bull) Beach, who were natives respectively of New York and Ver- mont. Dr. Lorenzo Beach was born at New Haven, Vt., on the 7th of November, 1798, and died at Fairbury, 111., on the 9th of August, 1878, aged seventy-nine years, nine months and two days. At the age of seventeen he moved to Worthington, Ohio, where he resided about one year. Thence he went to Urbana, Ohio, where he studied medi- cine with Dr. Parker three years, after which he re- moved to Amity, Ohio, and engaged in the prac- tice of medicine for twelve years continuously, when he moved on a farm in the vicinity, and re- sided twenty-three years more, practicing medicine in connection with farming. He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church at Amity, Ohio, about the year of his first marriage, 1 823, and for over fifty years was an active, consistent member of tliat denomination, contributing very liberally of his means toward the building of a church at Am- ity, Ohio, and Fairbury, 111. His business, as well ns his Christian life, was a success. ' For three years before his death, his mind as well as his body perceptibly failed, though he spent much time in the examination of God's Word, and any allusion to it in his hearing always brought a hearty and ready response. He frequently sang those hymns and tunes familiar to him in his youth, but forgot- ten among the busier scenes of life, to come back and comfort him in after years. " He renewed his youth like the eagle." " He was like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his' season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." His first wife bore him four children: James died in infancy; Hester married Mr. Ezra Dominy, both of whom died some years ago; Thomas A. ; Chloe married Dr. Bartlett, and is now a widow. He married Mrs. Sarah A. Roop, Nov. 23, 1870, who was born Nov. 1, 1821. Thomas A. Beach married Miss Amelia Bartlett, on the 8th of April, 1853, the ceremony being per- formed by the Rev. Dr. Smith, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was born on the 9th of Julv, 1828, in Hamilton County, Ohio, and was the daughter of Latham S. and Nancy (Cumstock) Bartlett, natives of Vermont and New York State respectively. The mother died in 1840, and the father died in Ohio on the 13th of June, 1862, in the sixty-fourth year of his age. He was an early settler in Ohio, and was a farmer by occupation. For many years during his life he held the offices of Trustee and Class-Leader in the Methodist Epis- copal Church. He married for his second wife, Miss Hannah March, in 1842; she still lives at the age of sixty-nine years. Writing of his religious character and life, a biographer sa.yg of Mr. Bart- lett: "He was converted and joined the Methodist t. T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Episcopal Church, of which he lived a .consistent member until death. He was not one of those impulsive, vacillating characters, to bo governed by tho opinions and feelings of others, driven by adversity or led away by prosperity, but like every consistent, honest man, he with a strong faith and a well-balanced mind, served God and labored for the church from principle. He served the church for many years as Class-Leader and Steward, for which work he had a peculiar gift, as he was always cheerful, hopeful, charitable and forbearing, always preferring others to himself. For some seven years previous to his death he suffered much from a nervous disease, and a part of this time he was de- prived of church privileges. But at home he used the means of grace and continued to retain his con- fidence in God. and to feel that His grace was suffi- cient to sustain him in the hour of affliction. For three months prior to his death, his sufferings were beyond description ; every day during that time he thought would be his last, and often looked forward with joy to the time when his sufferings would end, that he might leave this world of woe to dwell in the land where pain cannot come. In the death of Father Bartlett, the church lost a true brother, the wife a kind husband, the children an affection- ate father, our country a true patriot, and the op- pressed of our land an unflinching friend." By his first marriage there were six children William H., Josiah, Harriet, Cicero, Amelia and Sarah A. By the second marriage there were also six children Lavanda, Orplia, Latham, Ella M., Charles E. and Horace G.; two of the first children are living, and all but one of the last. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Beach have had four children : Sarah A., who died at the age of fourteen years; Chloe B., at the age of twenty-two years; Thomas L., in infancy; Ella, the wife of Dr. Lewis, of Fairbury, has two children Thomas B. and Amelia. Mr. Beach arrived in Illinois on the 15th of August, 1854, and located on a farm two and one-half miles southwest of Fairbury, where he re- sided nine years, and then moved into the town, and for the following sixteen years engaged in the dry-goods and hardware business. In 1874 lie es- tablished a banking business which he has since continued. Mr. Beach is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and has advanced as far as the Chapter. He is a Republican in politics; his wife is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. S T LOUKS, a native of the Dominion of Canada, is familiarly known as one of the most prosperous farmers and stock- raisers of Nebraska Township. His boyhood and youth were spent amid the quiet scenes of rural life, near the place of his birth, which was about twenty rods from the sho~es of Lake Erie, in Norfolk Coun- ty, Canada. He began life on the 1 st of March, 1 830, and is the son of William and Huldah (Hoffman) Louks, natives respectively of New York and Ver- mont, who became the parents of nine children, of whom our subject was the seventh in order of birth. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Henry Louks and his estimable wife, were born in New York State, the former about 1760. He removed to Vermont forty-three years later, where he carried on farming, and late in life he joined his son Will- iam in Canada, where he died of typhoid fever when sixty-two years of age. His ancestors came from Holland and were among the earliest settlers of the Empire State. His son William, the father of our subject, was born in Dutchess County, N. Y., March 22, 1787, a little over 100 years ngo, and w;is a carpenter by trade. When the War of 1812 broke out he was working at his trade in Canada, and after completing his contract he went back to New York and served in the militia. He had in the meantime been married, about 1808, to Miss Huldah Hoffman, who was born in Franklin County, Vt., Oct. 16, 1791. They returned to Canada in the fall of 1821, where the death of the father oc- curred April 11, 1857, while the mother passed away a little over five years later, June 18, 1862. The record of their children is as follows : Sarah was born April 9, 1810, in Franklin County, Vt., and became the wife of Solomon Griffin; she is now living in Delhi, Canada, and is the mother of seven children, all of whom are married. Elizabeth was born Nov. 28, 1811, and married Abram Mills, who has a large farm in the Province of Ontario, Canada; they have nine children, all married. Jacob was born June 22, 1815, was twice married, and died in 1865, r I t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. leaving a large family; Eusebia was born July 19, 1817, anrl first married Edwin Putts, who died leaving no children: she then became the wife of O Levi Steinhoff, who is also deceased; they had two children, and she now makes her home with her son in Nebraska Township, this county. Melissa was born Aug. 28, 1819, and became the wife of Alex Cowan; she lives in Canada and has several children, all married. William H., the first of their children born in Canada, was born Nov. 29, 1828, and is now a prosperous lumberman, farmer and stock-raiser of Lapeer County, Mich.; he is married and the father of five children. Alex was born June 2, 1832, resides in Canada, is married and has six children; Lucy was born Aug. 30, 1835, and resides in Canada, being the wife of John Reid, and the mother of six children. Mr. Louks remained with his parents on the farm until twenty-four years of age, the last year having the management of the homestead. Upon leaving the parental fold he migrated westward to Ogle County, this State, where he worked one year by the month, and the two following years cultivated rented land. In October, 185.3, he purchased 160 acres of railroad land on section 10, Nebraska Township, this county, where he took up his abode and has since remained. His purchase was practi- cally uncultivated, without even a shelter for his head. He was strong in hope and courage, how- ever, and entered vigorously upon the cultivation of the soil, and Dec. 11, 1856, strengthened his resolution to build up a homestead by marriage with the lady of his choice, Miss Margaret Sabina Settle, Rev. H. W. Richardson, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, officiating. The first sermon which Mr. Louks heard in Illinois was delivered by this gentleman three years before that time, and he had not seen him since until the time that he pre- sented himself before the young couple to perform the marriage ceremony. In the spring of 1857 our subject and his young wife moved to their present location, which has since been their home, and where their nine chil- dren were born. These are recorded as follows: James William was born Sept. 24, 1858, is still un- married and a resident of Colorado: Nelson Alex was born Aug. 23, 18GO, and died unmarried, Sept. 5, 1885, in Mead County, Kan., where his remains were laid to rest; Dorothea Isabelle was born Jan. 22, 1862, is unmarried and a resident of Colorado; Melissa Jane, born Jan. 18, 1864, and Stephen James, Dec. 22, 1865, are living near their brother and sister in Colorado; Walter George was born Oct. 30, 1869, and continues at home with his parents; Thomas Charlton was born Dec. 11, 1871, on the fifteenth anniversary of his parents' wed- ding ; Margaret E. was born Jan. 20, 1874; Mal- com Wilfred was born Sept. 14, 1878, and died October 27 following. Mrs. Louks was born March 10, 1838, in Lock- port, Niagara Co., N. Y., within hearing of the roar of N iagara Falls, and could often see the spray rising from the foaming water. She came to McIIenry County, this State, with her parents when a maiden of seventeen, and shortly afterward they removed across the road into Walworth County, W r is. Her parents, James and Dorothea (Cbarlton) Settle, were natives respectively of New York and New- castle, England. The father was a carpenter by trade, but also followed farming, and had been engaged in mercantile pursuits; subsequently they came to this county in 1861. The record of their six chil- dren is as follows: Stephen James, born March 10, 1836, entered the Union army and died with smallpox at Camp Fry, Chicago; Margaret, Mrs. Louks; Elizabeth Ann, born Jan. 3, 1841, married John Louks, a nephew of our subject, now deceased, and became the mother of two children : she after- ward engaged as a teacher, and is just finishing her eighteenth year in the schools of Minouk. Isabelle was born July 6, 1843, and died Oct. 14, 1*57, when a bright young girl of fourteen years ; Will- iam H. was born Jan. 15, 1S46, and during the late war served in the 1 7th Illinois Cavalry, when he was detailed to duty on the frontier; he was pro- moted Sergeant and honorably discharged at the close of the war, and is now living in Gridley, Mc- Lean Co.. 111. ; Thomas Charlton, born April 15, 1849, is also a resident of Gridley. Mr. Settle died at Minonk on the 27th of January, lfS66, from in- juries received by a runaway team : the mother is still living, and a resident of Minonk. Mrs. Dorothea Settle was born nt Newcastle-on- Tyne, England, April 16, 180s. She came to LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 435 America with her father and step-mother in and they purchased a tract of hind near Penn Yan, N. Y. Mrs. S. was first married, :\t Auburn, to Robert I. Cox, and the second time, in 1N35, to the father of Mrs. Louks. Her father, Henry Set- tle, a native of New York, entered the Revolution- ary army when a boy fourteen years of age by the desire of his mother, a woman who possessed re- markable patriotism, and believed it her duty to give her son to the cause. His father was also in the army at the same time. Both escaped un- harmed, and the family afterward took up their residence in Canada. A cousin of Mrs. Louks, John Charlton, is a member of the Dominion Par- liament. Mrs. Louks' great-grandmother was a native of Stuble, England ; she was bom in 1756, and died at the age of fifty-five years. Her husband, Thomas Charlton, was born Sept. 13, 1737, and died Sept. 7, 1815. Mrs. Louks' father was born May 31, 1804. J~OHNG. STEERS is one of the oldest and most worthy fanners of Belle Prairie Township, I whose home is located on section 5. His farm ' consists of 271 acres, which is remarkable for its fertility and productiveness, and the homestead presents one of the attractive points in the land- scape of Belle Prairie Township. During his later years he has been largely engaged in breeding large draft horses, blooded cattle and Cotswold sheep. Mr. Steers, as well as his parents, is a native of the State of Kentucky, whose name is said to sig- nify ''Dark and Bloody Ground," and the ancient hunting-ground for northern and southern tribes of Indians, and few of either section made it a place of permanent abode, each class seeming to dread the hostility of the other. The county in which Mr. Steers was born in October, 1834, was named after Daniel Boone, who established himself in this region in 1769, and was followed by numerous hardy adventurers from Virginia and North Caro- lina. They organized a local government in 1775, and gave this new country the name of Transyl- vania, which was afterward declared a county by Virginia, and ultimately was received into the Union in 17D2 as the State of Kentukey. The par- ents of Mr. Steers, Hugh and Elizabeth (Darnall) Steers, were natives of Kentucky, the father being born on the 20th of November, 1800. He was a farmer by occupation and a cooper by trade, de- voting the larger part of his life to farming. He made the first whisky barrel ever put up in Living- ston County. His first advent into Illinois was in 1828, but he soon returned to Kentucky, where he remained until the fall of 1837, when he re- turned and entered 200 acres of land, which he occupied until 1852. He died on the 26th of October of that year, while on a visit to Kentucky, and his remains were buried near where those of his parents and Daniel Boone repose. During almost his entire life he was a leading and promi- nent member of the Regular Baptist Church, and assisted in the organization of this church in Liv- ingston County, in which he was a Deacon for many years. On the 27th of September, 1822, Hugh Steers married Miss Darnall, who was born abont 1806 in Madison County, Ky. By the death of her par- ents she was left an orphan when less than a year old. To them were born eleven children: Henry D. M., William N., Francis M.,John G., Alvira M., Martin J., Henry P., Mary F., Nancy E., Clarence E. and Rachel D. At the age of sixty-eight years the mother died, in the year 1874. John G. is the oldest member of his father's family now living. He came to Illinois in 1847, accompanying his parents, with whom he remained until he arrived at the age of manhood. He was married, on the 21st of November, 1855, to Miss Mary A. Travis, who was born Oct. 1, 1838, and is the daughter of Martin and Elizabeth (Thomp- son) Travis, natives of Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively. Her father was born in 1811, and still resides upon the farm upon which he set- tled over fifty years ago; the mother was born on the islst of March, 1814, and is a member of the Baptist Church. Mr. and Mrs. Steers have had nine children: Laura E., Mrs. Henry I lay man; Elizabeth S., Mrs. Foster; Mary F., deceased, Mrs. W. H. Darnall; Lindsey B., Minnie E. ; John M., deceased; Nancy T., William H. and Ida M. Mr. Steers' church connection is with the Regular 186 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Baptist denomination, and he has been clerk of the congregation of which he is a member for twenty- three years, and for twenty-six successive years lias been a representative in the .Sangamon Association. Both he and his wife are consistent Christians, and devote much of their time and means to acts cal- culated to benefit the church. Mr. Steers' politi- cal affiliations are with the Democratic party, and he has frequently represented Belle Prairie Town- ship in its county convention. He has never been an office-seeker, nor office-holder to any great extent, the latter being limited to Road Com- missioner almost immediately after the organiza- tion of the township in which he resides. The material improvements he has made upon his farm are very creditable in point of taste displayed and comfort obtained. He has an excellent set of farm buildings, and all necessary implements and machinery required for the carrying on of agricult- ure and stock-raising in a first-class manner. i P "REDERICK HACK, Sullivan Township. I The Kingdom of Bavaria, in Central Europe, and forming a part of the German Empire, has given to the United States many of her most industrious and enterprising citizens. They have been people of excellent constitutions, the result of good habits and the healthful air which they took in as part of their birthright. Bavaria is the larg- est German State, with the exception of Prussia, and is rich in fertility of soil and mineral produc- tions. The people born and bred there are almost without exception of excellent morals and temperate habits, in spite of the fact that in some parts of it are located the largest beer-producing districts of the German Empire. The ancestors of our subject for generations were noted along the valley of the Rhine as having been of that stern and sturdy char- acter which rendered them desirable soldiers in time of war and reliable citizens in time of peace. The story of one of their later descendants, a worthy representative, and the subject of this biography, is substantially as follows: Mr. Hack was born on the (ith of March, 1828, and with the exception of his half-brother, Jost Kern, now deceased, was the only member of the family who came to the United States, and he is now the only one living, an own brother and sister hav- ing died in the Fatherland. The parents passed away in their native Province in .middle life, when their son Frederick was but four years of age. He was then taken into the home of an uncle, with whom he remained eight years, and afterward paddled his own canoe." He served an appren- ticeship of two years at the milling business, and being more than usually ambitious and enterprising, and not being satisfied with his condition or his prospects in his native kingdom, in the spring of 1M52 set sail from Havre, and after a voyage of thirt3 r -five days, landed upon American soil. From New York City he proceeded to Pittsburgh, Pa., and engaged as a farm hand in Butler County at $5 per month and his board. As time passed on and his services became more valuable, he was paid $10 per month. He remained in the Keystone State about four years, then migrated westward, and lo- cating in Grundy County, this State, rented a tract of land, and by the aid of an ox-team in harness, proceeded to cultivate the soil. Two years later he made his advent into Livingston County, having with him a small sum of money which he had saved from his earnings, and which he applied toward the purchase of 1HOMAS J. METZ stands prominently among young men of Union Township, with evidently a bright and prosperous future before him. His beginning in life is most auspic- ious, and his surrounding's at home could hardly be more pleasant than they now arc. With an enter- prising and energetic nature, he is cordially sec- onded in all his plans and undertakings by his in- telligent and estimable young wife, a charming lad}' in every respect. Mr. Metz, who has chosen for his vocation farming and the growing of stock, is eligibly located on section 7, Union Township. He was born in this township, and is the youngest in a family of seven children born to Peter and An- geline (Johnson) Metz, who were natives of Penn- sylvania, and a sketch of whose lives appears in this AI.IIUM. The subject of this sketch was reared on the farm upon which he now resides, and his education was obtained in the common schools, which he attended regularly. On the 17th of October, 1883, when he was twenty-two years of age, Mr. Metz was married to Annie B. Almy, who was born in the State of Rhode Island on the 9th of June, 1863, the second of three children born to John and Ruth A. (Boyd) Almy, natives of Rhode Island, who also came to Illinois in 1867. Her father was a farmer by occupation and a carpenter by trade, and was born at Ports- month, R. I., on the 28th of May, 1810, and was killed accidentally at New Bremen, Cook Co., 111., on the 21st of April, 1887. The widow now re- sides with her daughter, Mrs. Metz. The paternal grandparents of Mrs. Metz were Peter and Hannah (Coley) Almy, natives of Rhode Island, and the maternal grandparents were James and Mary D. (Lake) Boyd, also natives of Rhode Island. Im- mediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Metz settled on a part of the home farm, Mr. M. erect- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 441 ing a comfortable residence and barn. They have been blessed with one child, Aura V., born on the 14th of July, 1885. Mr. Metz is engaged in stock- raising extensively, his specialties being Norman horses and Durham cattle, and of these he has raised some of the finest specimens produced in Livingston County. He does not take an active part in politics, but he votes with the Democratic party. Mr. and Mrs. Metz take an active part in all society interests of their neighborhood, and among their acquaintances are both deservedly popular. i ffiAMES H. ODELL is one of Livingston County's best, most enterprising and thor- ough-going farmers. He is the owner of one of the finest farms in the county, con- taining 342| acres, all of which is under-drained and considered to be worth $75 per acre. He was born in the city of New York, Nov. 23, 1825, and re- mained there until ten or twelve years of age. At that time his father moved to Chautauqua County, N. Y., where he lived for about twenty-five years. Young Odell worked upon the farm during his boy- hood days, attending school during the winter months, and during his younger manhood devoted his leisure hours to study. In that way he secured a thorough and competent education in the leading branches. He may justly be styled a self-made man, and deserves, as all such men do, the highest commendation for what they have accomplished. Mr. Odell removed to Livingston County and located in Indian Grove Township in October, 1862. At the time he had but little means, and went to work on a rented farm which he held for three years. During that time he had been successful in raising good crops, and the excellent prices of that day enabled him to accumulate sufficient means to purchase 120 acres and make a small payment on it. By his prudence, economy and industry, as well as a close application to business, he has been prospered to that extent that at the present writing he is the owner of over a half section of land, comprising one of the most beautiful farms in the county. In 1876 he erected a splendid farm resi- dence, at a cost of over $3,000, and which has been regarded by others as a good model farm dwelling. From three to five months during the winter sea- sons, for a number of years after coming to Illinois, Mr. Odell was engaged in teaching school, and in this occupation as one might expect, he was unusu- ally successful. We will now revert briefly to the parents of our subject, who were Peter and Elizabeth (Kil- kore) Odell, natives of New York and Virginia re- spectively. The former was born Dec. 20, 1800, in Westchester County, and died May 10, 1866, in his native State. The mother was born in Peters- burg, Va., Sept. 10, 1805, and died Aug. 10, 1861, in the Empire State. They were the parents of ten children. The names of those living are James H., John, Washington E., Harriet, Sarah, Maria and Mary Jane. The names of the deceased are Eliza- beth, Peter, Jr., and George. James H. Odell was married, May 25, 1848, in the State of New York, to Miss Mary Straight. This lady was born in that State June 21, 1827, and is the daughter of A. P. and Philena Straight, both of whom were also natives of New York, but are now residing at Fairbury, 111., at the advanced ages of eight3'-four years. To Mr. and Mrs. Odell seven children have been born, namely: Edmund L., the eldest, died of brain fever at the age of nineteen years and six months; Philena E., now Mrs. Miller A. Bailey, resides at Fairbury ; Lucena M. is the wife of T. D. Johnson, a farmer; Levi J. was married to Naomi McKay, at Decatur, 111., and is now living at Lake Geneva, Wis. ; he is of an ingenious turn of mind, and has invented several check-rowers for dropping and checking corn, one of which proved very success- ful, and is now on the market and in general use. He also has invented a corn-planter, which is now on the market, and is giving entire satis- faction wherever used. His latest invention is a type-writer, for which he has secured a patent, and is now engaged in its manufacture at Lake Geneva. Jerome A., the next in order of birth, married Miss Ophelia Earnhart, daughter of F. J. Earnhart, of Fairbury; he is engaged as a traveling salesman. Charles H.. who is engaged in the manu- facture of type-writers at Lake Geneva, married 1 i , , 44-2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Miss Effie Wright, daughter of James L. Wright, of Fairbury; Frank E., who is also engaged in mak- ing type-writers at Lake Geneva, selected for his wife Miss Lizzie Templeton, daughter of John Tem- pleton, of Windsor, 111. Mr. Odell was a member of the Free-Will Baptist Church at Fairbury while it continued its organiza- tion, and was a zealous worker and served as Super- intendent of the Sunday-school for several years. He has been for a number of years and is still a Director of the Fairbury Union Agricultural Board. He has also been selected to fill various official po- sitions of his township. He is somewhat independ- ent in his political views, and aims to vote for the best man in the place irrespective of parties, but at the present time his principles are Democratic. In presenting the portraits of leading men in the various parts of the county none are more worthy to be included in this class than Mr. James H. Odell, of Indian Grove Township. By his own in- herent force of character and business tact, he has not only accumulated a handsome property, reared a large family, giving them unusual advantages, but has made for himself a name that in itself is of more value than his broad and fertile acres. It is to the class of men to which he belongs that not only his community but the entire State of Illinois owes so much for the advanced position it occupies to-day among the great States of the nation. We are not only pleased to present the portrait of Mr. Odell in connection with this sketch, but give also a view of his homestead in another part of the ALBUM. MLLIAM T. WATTS. The State of Indi- ana has furnished many excellent citizens to Livingston County, among whom is the subject of this biography, who came from his native town of Evansville about 1851, and determined to try the experiment of cultivating prairie soil. The result has been quite satisfactory, as from a hum- ble beginning, without means, he has accumulated a comfortable property, consisting of a good farm of eighty acres, with substantial buildings, a fair as- sortment of live stock, and the machinery required to carry on agriculture successfully. Besides this, he has a farm of 143 acres near Sibley, in Osceola County, Iowa. Mr. Watts was born on the 4th of July, 1851, and is the son of Thomas and Harriet (Seybrook) Watts, who were natives of England. They crossed the Atlantic in early youth, and were reared and married in Indiana, where they remained until their son, William T., was five or six years of age. Upon coming to Illinois they took up their residence first in Marshall County, of which they were among the earliest pioneers. Upon coming to this county, they had a family of eleven children, all of whom are now living, with the exception of George, who died in infancy. There was afterward born one more, Charles H., who is occupied as a laborer at Forest. William T., our subject, was the second child; AlbertD. is farming in Union Township, this county ; Sarah R. is the wife of William Dally, of Union Township; Susan E. married John Shep- herd, of Owego Township; Charlotte A. is the wife of Michael Chesebro, of Saunemin Township; Hat- tie, Mrs. John Moulds, lives in Nebraska Township; Evaline M., Mrs. William Moulds, and John S., are both residents of Saunemin Township; Herbert L. and Mary remain at home with their parents. The latter are worthy and consistent members of the Christian Church, in which the father has served as Elder for a number of years. The subject of this sketch was reared to manhood in his native county, and received a common-school education. Early in life he became familiar with farm pursuits, which he chose for his vocation, and on the 17th of December, 1875, was united in mar- riage with Miss Frances B. Kelly, a native of Ohio, born in Trumbull County July 10, 1857. Her father is deceased. Her mother is living in Saune- min Township. Mr. and Mrs. Watts have four sons Norman A., William R., Harry F. and Ernest D. The property of Mr. Watts includes eighty acres of valuable land on section 35, in Saunemin Town- ship, and 143 acres in Osceola County, Iowa. He has been quite prominent in public affairs, and since becoming a voter has given his support to Repub- lican principles. He has never been inclined to accept office, although frequently solicited by his townsmen to do so. He, however, consented to serve as :i delegate from Saunemin Township to LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 443' 1 the Republican County Convention, in 1886; in 1883 he was elected to the office of Town Collector; upon these occasions he performed his duties con- scientiously, and received the approval of his party. Both he and his excellent lady are members in good standing of the Christian Church, of which he is Deacon and Secretary, and they are held in the high- est respect and esteem by their neighbors and ac- quaintances. FREDERICK EISELE. The prairies of Illi- nois afford a great inducement to the emi- grants to this country, and it is no wonder that upon their arrival at New York they went directly to that region of which they had heard so much through friends or relatives who preceded them to the New World. To the sturdy German element of which the subject of this sketch is a good representative, Illinois is much indebted for the substantial improvements which have been made within her borders. They came to our shores through no idle love of adventure and curiosity, but for the purpose of securing homes where they might live and rear families free from the rigorous and exacting laws of the old countries. With this end in view, they began earnestly in the work im- mediately upon their arrival, and generally suc- ceeded, soon learning that American citizenship is as dear to the foreign born as to the native Ameri- can. Mr. Eisele is a farmer in Pontiac Township, his farm being located on section 30. He is a native of Germany, and was born on the 15th of March, 1831, his parents being Casper and Catherine Eisele, who had (light children, three of whom are living Wen- dell, Rudolph and Frederick. Before corning to this country, Mr. Eisele received a good education in his native language, which enabled him the more readily to master the English language upon his ar- rival in this country. In 1854 he immigrated to America, taking passage at Havre, and after a voy- age which lasted forty days, landed safely in New York. On the 7th of March, 1871 , Mr. E. was married to Louisa Hock, who was born on the 13th of Feb- ruary, 1842, in German}', and is the daughter of John and Louisa Hock. She came to the United States in 1866. To Mr. and Mrs. Eisele have been born four children : Frederick, upon the 20th of April, 1873; Rosa, upon the 30th of Septem- ber, 1874; Catherine, Oct. 21, 1876; and Louisa, on the 15th of March, 1879. The farm of Mr. Eisele, on which he loca'ted in 1881, consists of 160 acres. It is composed of good land, and he is rapidly developing it by drainage, and method- ical cultivation. Considering all the circumstances which have surrounded him since arriving in this country, he has been very successful. Com- mencing without anything, he has accumulated, be- sides his farm, considerable stock which is valuable, and his prospects for the future are very bright. .., LPHONSO C. NORTON, attorney and loan u], broker at Pontiac, passed his childhood and youth in the northwestern part of Living- ston County, where his birth took place April 18, 1859. He is the son of Dr. Eben and Phebe (Cain) Norton, natives of Maine. His pa- ternal grandfather, Samuel B. Norton, was a native of Massachusetts, and came to Illinois during the early settlement of this county, where he spent the remainder of his days. The father of our subject was a graduate of Cin- cinnati (Ohio) Eclectic College, where he com- pleted his studies in 1850, and commenced practice at Mainville, that State. He was subsequently married, in 1854, at the same place, and a few months later came with his bride to this county, where he entered upon a long and successful career, which he followed as a practitioner until 1885. The parental household included but three children Joel H., Alphonso C. and Eben D. Our subject attended school until twelve years of age in the country districts. The year follow- ing he was sent to Onarga for the purpose of enter- ing Grand Prairie Seminary, where he pursued his studies two years. Afterward he engaged as clerk in a drug-store at Cornell, this county, where he was occupied several years. In the meantime he had determined upon his future career, and in 1877 II! LIVINGSTON COUNTY. entered the Ann Arbor Law School, from which he was graduated two years later. He then came to Pontiac and read law under the instruction of Judge Payson one year, and in September, 1880, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Pontiac. He has been a close student, an ex- tensive reader, and is ambitious to excel. Mr. Norton was married, March 17, 1887, to Miss Anna Sims, the daughter of Capt. W. S. and Salina A. (Strong) Sims, natives of Indiana, and residents of this county many years. Mr. Norton is a pronounced Democrat, and his friends predict for him a successful career. SJEREMIAH AMMONS, a well-known resi- I dent of Reading Township, owns seventy- three acres of good land on section 31, to which he came in the spring of 1884. He is spoken of as a peaceable and law-abiding citi- zen, honest and upright in his dealings, prudent and industrious, and one who has built up one of the most comfortable homes in the township. He has good buildings and other improvements, and his accumulations are the result of his own industry, as he commenced life without means and wholly dependent on his own resources. Mr. Ammons was born in Greene, the extreme southwestern county of Pennsylvania, in 1831, at the homestead of his parents, George and Sarah (Wright) Ammons, who were also natives of the Keystone State. The father followed farming his entire life, spending his early years in Pennsylva- nia, and later emigrating to Illinois. After his arrival upon prairie soil, he purchased a tract of land in Bureau County, and entered upon its culti- vation and improvement, but his hopes and those of his family were cut short by his death, which occurred about a year later, in December, 1857. The mother continued a resident of that county, where her death took place in April, 1883, after she had reached the advanced age of ninety-three years. The parents early in life identified them- selves with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in whose doctrines they conscientiously reared their children, and in the faith of which they were sus- tained through the trials of life and in the hour when they were called hence. The parental household of our subject included fourteen children, of whom eleven are living. Solomon, the eldest son, is farming in Reading Township, this county, and is the father of ten children, five deceased : Joshua is carrying on farming in Bureau County; Mary is the wife of Richard Anderson, a resident of Bureau County; they had twelve children, of whom all are living but two; Hannie was married in Pennsylvania, and died there some years ago; David is farming in Greene County, Pa. ; Susan is living in Iowa, and is the wife of August Adrian, and the mother of one child, a son; Sarah was married to Jeremiah Wright, and died in Pennsylvania; Amy, when a child eight years of age, came to her death by be- ing burned, her clothing having caught fire from an open fireplace; George is farming in Allen County, Kan.; Jeremiah, our subject, was the tenth child; Daniel died in Bureau, in December, 1869, when about thirty-six 3'ears of age; Elizabeth is the wife of Isaac Demaranville, of Kansas, and the mother of a large family; Alfred is unmarried and farming in Bureau County; Emeline is the wife of Oliver Wright, a carpenter of Bureau County. Upon leaving home our subject entered the employ of a farmer in Pennsylvania, where he staid five 3 r ears, receiving the meager compensation of seventy-five cents per month. After reaching his thirty-fifth birthday, and while a resident of Bureau, he was united in marriage, Aug. 19, 1802, with Miss Elizabeth Rinehart, who was born Oct. 5, 1845. Mrs. A. is the daughter of Simon and Caroline (Pettitt) Rinehart, natives of Pennsylva- nia. Her father was born in Greene County, Jan. 9, 1820, and departed this life in Bureau on the 10th of May, 1866. His wife Caroline was born Sept. 24, 1824, and they were married Nov. 11, 1841. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Rinehart are men- tioned as follows: Nathaniel died when a boy nine yc.-irs of age; Elizabeth, the wife of our subject, was born Oct. 5, 1 845 ; Elijah is married, has five children, and resides in Bureau; Thomas died when not quite five years of age; Charles Greely, who f 4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 445 is farming in Allen County, Kan., lost his wife in February, 1887; he lias three sons. Mrs. Rine- hart, after the death of her first husband, was mar- ried in February, 1887, to Geoige Ammons, the brother of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah Ammons, after their marriage, settled in Bureau County, and number in their household circle four children: Winslow S. was born Nov. 17, 1863, and lives at home; Rena M. was born June 23. 18G7; Willis, born Sept. 3, 1869, died March 18, 1871, in Bureau County ; Wilbur was born Feb. 22, 1874, and died August 12 following. Rena, who is an intelligent and accomplished young lady, twenty years of age. was united in marriage, Nov. 16, 1887, withC. D. Hart, of Livingston County. Mr. Ammons during the late war, enlisted from Bureau County, in Company E, 93d Illinois In- fantry, serving eighteen months. He participated in many important engagements, including the fight at Jacksonville, Miss., Champion Hills, and the siege and capture of Vicksburg. In the latter conflict he received a wound in the right side from a musket, from which he suffered greatly, and which was the occasion finally of his discharge, at which time he was also afflicted with malaria. He now receives a pension from the Government. He knows all about the hardships of life in the army, and endured bravely with his comrades the vicissi- tudes of war. l OHN F. STANFORD, dealer in coal and ag- ricultural implements, and occupying a prominent position among the business men of Chatsworth, is comparatively young in years, but possesses good business capacities, and for a long period has been established on a firm basis, both socially and financially. His entire life has been spent on prairie soil, as he is a native of this State, and was born near Tonica, LaSalle County, Feb. 10, 18.00. The paternal grandfather of our subject, who it is supposed was a native of Massachusetts, located in Oneida County, N. Y.. about 1801. He was there married and reared a family, among- his sons being Emery, who was born in 1812, and in due time became the father of our subject. Emery Stanford was reared to farm pursuits, but subse- -quently learned the trade of mason and builder, which he followed until 1850, when he took up farming pursuits. He was first married to Miss Emily Cantine, who became the mother of one daughter, and departed this life about 1837. This daughter, Susan M. by name, is now the wife of Henry Loomis, and resides in Homer, Neb. The father of our subject, in 1838, migrated to Illinois which was then the far West, and settled in the village of Lowell, where he followed his chosen vocation, and four years later, in 1842, was united in marriage with Miss Mary Elliott, a native of Waterloo, 1 N. Y. Of this union there were born five children, and the mother departed this life at her home in LaSalle County, in 1856. The family record is as follows: Russell E. is engaged in farming at Tonica; Lucian yielded up his life as a sacrifice on the altar of his country during the late war, having enlisted in Company B. 104th Illinois Infantry, and at the battle of Hartsville. Tenn., was taken prisoner, and died at Murfrcesboro, Tenn., in 1863; Sarah M., the wife of J. S. Hall, is a resident of Vermilion County ; John F., of our sketch, was the fourth in order of birth ; Jacob E. died in 1873, at home, when about twenty-three years of age. The elder Stanford in 1850 removed to a farm near Tonica, where, amid the quiet sur- roundings of a country life, he passed his declining years peacef ully, and rested from his labors in 1885. The estate which he left to his children was valued at $40,000. Besides his fine capacities as a busi- ness man, he had been a valued member of society and was an active Christian, and for many years connected with the Congregational Church. He identified himself with the Republican party upon its organization, and subsequently became a strong Abolitionist. John F. Stanford spent his childhood and youth amid the scenes of country life, and pursued his early studies in the district schools. He was only six years of age when he was deprived of the affec- tionate care of his mother, by death, but remained with his father until attaining his majority. Upon starting out for himself, he located upon a tract of 44fi LIVINGSTON COUNTY. land near Chatsworth, where he cultivated the soil three years with partial success, then returned to LaSalle County and followed farming four years. In 1878 he returned to Livingston County, and again took up farming near Chatsworth, in which venture he met with success, and three years later purchased eight3 r acres on section 20 in Chatsworth Township, which he cultivated until 188fi. He then removed to the village, and established him- self at his present business. He still retains owner- ship of his farm, and his family reside in Chats- worth. Mr. Stanford, on the 10th of June, 1875, was united in marriage with Miss Carrie A. Hine, who was born in Summit County, Ohio, and is the daughter of William E. and Mary C. (Robinson) Hine, who removed from Ohio in 1864, and settled in Livingston County. Of this union there is one child, a son, William E., bom May 10, 1882. AMILTON DEMOSS, deceased, journeyed from his native State of Ohio to the West more than thirty-five years ago, locating first with his parents in Indiana and coming thence a few years later to this county, during its early settlement. He contributed his full quota toward the development of its resources, and is kindly remembered by the citizens of Owego Town- ship as one of its most worthy and valued residents. He was born in Highland County, Ohio. Aug. 11, 1828, and departed this life at his home in Owego Township. Jan. 4, 1874. The parents of our subject were James and Mar- garet DeMoss, natives of Ohio, and long since dead He was reared to manhood under the parental roof receiving a fair education at the district school, and was first married. May 18. 1851, to Miss Rebecca Carson. Of this union there were bom several chil- dren, all now deceased, and the mother died ten years after her marriage, in 1861. Mr. DeMoss was a second time married Nov. 15, 1863. to Mrs. Marv E. (Reynolds) Coulter, daughter of John and Cathe- rine Reynolds, iu\ widow of John Coulter, a native of Ohio, and later a re.-ident of this county. Mr. Coulter served as a soldier in the I'liion army, where he contracted a fatal illness and died in camp at Corinth, June 14, 1861. Mr. and Mrs. C. became the parents of one child only, a son, Emmet A., who is now living at home with his mother. To Hamil- ton and Mary E. DeMoss there were born five chil- dren: Pinkie, the wife of J. E. Troy, of Nebraska: Rose married Eugene Brace, of Pontiac: Leander, Harry B. and Hamilton are at home with their mother. The parents of Mrs. DeMoss were John and Catherine (Shreves) Reynolds, who were nalivo of Ohio, and came to the West during the early set- tlement of Livingston County, locating in Amity Township, where the decease of both occurred not many years afterward. Mr. DeMoss en Joyed -in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens, and oc- cupied the various offices of Owego Township, the duties of which he discharged with conscientious care. He settled here about 1854, taking up a tract of raw prairie land on section 34, where in common with the people of that day, he labored early and late, tilling the soil and bringing the land to a good state of cultivation. The comfortable homestead now occupied by his widow gives ample evidence of the persistence with which he labored, and remains a silent but forcible witness of the manner in which he performed his duties as a husband and father. He \va- public-spirited and liberal, and a substantial supporter of those measures calculated to build up the community and benefit it morally and educa- tionally. Mrs. DeMoss was always the cheerful as- sistant of her husband in his worthy efforts in life, and is a devoted member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. , . , , "^ i=> '.--i i= E. LEGG. One of the self-made young men, who have successfully reached that point in life where they can feel that they are safe for the future, so far as the material affairs of this world are concerned, is the subject of this sketch. He is the agent and manager of the State Reform .School shoe factory, which manufactures women's and misses' shoes. Mr. Legg is a native of Monroe County. W. Va.. and was born on the 8th of November, 1856. He is LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 447 the son of Jesse and Catherine (Johnson) Legg, of Virginia. The father of Jesse was James, of Vir- ginia, where he spent his life engaged in farming. The father of Catherine Johnson was Jacob, a na- tive of Virginia, who left that State in 1856 and came to Illinois, where he settled, and engaged in farming near Bloomington, McLean County, until his death in 1875. Jesse Legg came to Illinois in 1857 and lived one year in McLean County, when he came to Livingston Count}- and settled in Rook's Creek Township, where he engaged in farming until 1869, when he sold out and moved to Southwestern Missouri, where he is now living, engaged in farm- ing. The mother died in Rook's Creek Township in 1867. They had a family of eight children, seven of whom are living: William, of Kansas; Edna, Mrs. John Sellmau, of Kansas; Allen T., of Chicago; Ellen, Mrs. J. E. Husted, of Missouri; C. E. ; Achalis,- of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Martha, of McLean County. Mr. C. E. Legg spent his boyhood days on a farm, where he remained until the age of sixteen years, obtaining a practical education. His first employment in a business capacity was as a clerk in a boot and shoe store at Pontiae, where he re- mained four years, and then engaged in the same business on his own account at Pontiae for two years. He then became a traveler on the road as a salesman for R. P. Smith & Son, of Bloomington, and served in this capacity for two years, when he purchased the Reform School shoe factory in part- nership with D. M. Lyon, and conducted it for one year; at the end of that time R. P. Smith & Son and Mr. Legg took a five years' contract to man- age the Reform School boot and shoe factory, and on the 1st of July, 1887, when this contract expired sold their plant to the State. Mr. Legg was then employed by the State to assume the management of the institution and dispose of its product, which he is doing to the satisfaction of the powers that be. Mr. Legg is connected in a proprietary way with a retail boot and shoe store at Marshalltown, Iowa, and one at El Paso, 111., while he is a Di- rector in the Loan and Building Association of Pontiae. and has interested himself considerably in Kansas lands. Our subject was married in 1 883 to Miss Nellie Gray, daughter of G. B. and Martha (Boynton) Gray, natives of New York. They have one child, a daughter, named Martha H. Mr. Legg's -political affiliations are with the Republican party. lie and his estimable wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he is Superintendent of the Sabbath-school. They occupy a very comfortable and handsome residence on the south side of the Vermilion River. Mr. Legg is peculiarly of a social disposition, and this trait of his character has won for him many warm friends. ] OSEPH KUNTZ. Among the sturdy and well-to-do farmers of Fayette Township is the subject of this sketch, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 18. He is a native of Germany, and was born in Ba- varia July 16, 1825, and is the son of Michael and Barbara (Roch) Kuntz, who were farmers in the old country, and both of whom are deceased. The family of which our subject was a member consisted of three boys and two girls, whose names were : Jacob, Fred, Joseph, Magdalena and Bar- bara. Our subject began life for himself, in this country, in 1865, by first engaging in farming in Tazewell County, 111., where he remained until he located in Livingston County, which was in 1867. In that year he came to Fayette Township and purchased 160 acres of land on section 18, to which he has added from time to time until he now owns 560 acres. On this farm Mr. Kuntz has placed excellent improvements, including houses, barns, fences and ditches. His farming and stock opera- tions are carried on extensively and so managed as to prove very remunerative. Mr. Kuntz was married, April 7, 1856, to Miss Barbara Meister. a native of Germany, who was born Sept. 17, 1837. Nine children have blessed this union, whose names are as follows: Peter, Joseph, Henry, Albert, John, Mary, Susan, Kittie and Rosa. Five of these are married, namely: Pe- ter, who married Elizabeth Garboge,a lady who was born in Germany, but reared and educated in the f t 448 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. city of Chicago; they have four children, named Joseph, William, Hermann and Clara Catherine. Joseph, who married Elizabeth Kanauer, and is located in Ford County, 111. ; he has one boy named Frankie. Henry, who married Emma Friday, a native of Chicago, and they live in McLean County, where he is engaged in farming. Mary, who mar- ried Joseph Benway, and they have two children, named Albert and Charlie; they are located in Ford County, 111., and engaged in farming. Susan, who married Henry Witzburger, and they have one child named Stella; they reside in Fayette Township, and are engaged in farming. The other children of the family are yet unmarried, and are living at home with their parents. Mr. Kuutz and his family are members of the Catholic Church, to which they are very much devoted. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party, and his interest in that organization is evidenced by his regularly voting the ticket. He has been Road Commissioner for two terms and School Director for District No. 2 for two terms. Mr. Kuntz' farm is one of the largest in the county, and his operations are about as extensive as those of any citizen of Fayette Township. His business methods are correct and in his transactions he is prompt and reliable. It is with pleasure that we present a view of his place in connection with this sketch. HARLES F. WOODBURN, one of the most prosperous and prominent farmers of Forest Township, is the owner of 257 acres on sec- tions 1 and 2, under a high state of cultivation, and provided with a substantial residence and other convenient farm buildings. He is a descendant of excellent Pennsylvania stock, and was himself born in Cumberland County, that Stole, Sept. 26, 1837. His early home was located near the small village of Stonghstown, and his parents were William S. and Sarah (Maxwell) Woodburn, also natives of the Keystone State. Our subject when a child three years of age was taken by his parents to Morrow County, which had formerly been apart of Richland County, in North- ern Ohio, where they opened up a small farm in the woods and resided for a period of twenty years. In 1857, deciding upon a removal to the farther West, they set out with teams, and after reaching this State, located first in Marshall County. Not being quite satisfied with his prospects in that sec- tion, the elder Woodburn only remained there a year, going the following spring into Wood ford County, where he farmed on rented land for four years, and then located on a tract which the father had previously purchased, on section 24, in Linn Township. This had formerly belonged to the Illi- nois Central Railroad Company, and comprised the west half of the section. Young Woodburn assisted his father in cultivating the soil, and making im- provements, and they remained there until the spring of 1871. They then sold out and took up their residence in the town of Weston, McLean County, where the death of the father occurred in June, 1872. The mother of our subject, after becoming a widow, returned to Pennsylvania on a visit, and then coming back to Wood ford County, this State, spent the remainder of her life at the old home- stead there, her death taking place on the 1st of July, 1873. The parental household included eight children, four sons and four daughters. The youngest daughter died at the age of five years in Morrow County, Ohio. The others attained their majority. Sarah Agnes became the wife of Rev. Henry D. Ledgerwood, of McLean County ; Charles F., who is our subject; Mary C. became the wife of Marion Akers, of Woodford County, and died in 1876; George M. is living in Ford County, 111.; James S. died when twenty-seven years old : Jane E., also deceased, was the wife of Henry Wilson, of Woodford County; Matthew Cumberland, the youngest of the family, is now living near Newton, Harvey Co., Kan. Our subject pursued his pri- mary studies in the district school, and during his childhood and j'outh remained under the parental roof, receiving careful home training, and becom- ing thoroughly familiar with farm pursuits. Upon tin' breaking out of the Rebellion, he enlisted in Company I, 47th Illinois Infantry, and served until December, 1864, three years. With the exception t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 451 of a thirty days' furlough, he continued in service during the entire time, and participated in many of the important battles of the war. He was present at the sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg, and with his comrades met the enemy in many minor engage- ments and skirmishes. His health and strength were preserved to a remarkable degree, and he was neither wounded nor captured by the enemy. He was a witness of all the terrors of war, and suffered an experience which he would not willingly repeat. Upon his return to Woodford County, in 1865, he continued at the old homestead until the spring of 1867, when he took possession of his present farm, which he had previously purchased. It originally comprised 142 acres, but he has added by degrees until he is now the owner of 257 acres, all under a good state of cultivation, and supplied with good buildings. The family residence is a substantial frame structure, and the barn and out-buildings commodious. To stock-raising he has given con- siderable attention, and has attained quite a reputa- tion, operating principally in roadsters and draft horses. He has also a herd of pure-bred Jersey cattle. Mr. Woodburu was first married in the fall of 1872, to Miss Frances Catherine McCoy, who was born in Brown County, Ohio, and came to Illinois when quite young. After the birth of one son, she departed this life, dying Aug. 7, 1874. The child, J. Smith Woodburn, is still at home. The present wife of our subject was formerly Miss Lucy Philbrook, and they were married in the spring of 1878. Mrs. Woodburu's parents, Samuel and Emily (Twitchell) Philbrook, were natives of New Hamp- shire and Maine, respectively, and resided in the latter State a few years, and then went to New York, where they resided fifteen years ; from there they moved to Wisconsin. The father died Sept. 25, 1878. The mother then made her home with her son Oren G., in this township, until her death, July 5, 1886. The present wife of our subject has borne him three children Onie Edna, Jennie Emily and Lucy Allie. The three little girls comprise an interesting family, of which the parents may justly be proud. Mr. Woodburn, although having extensive opera- tions to look after, has always taken a great interest in the progress of the people around him, and has served as School Director in his district for a num- ber of years. He has also been Road Commissioner several terms, and in politics is one of the most re- liable members of the Republican party. Socially he belongs to Forest Lodge No. 614, A. F. & A. M. A lithographic view is shown of Mr. Woodburn's residence, and it will be at once recognized as a most delightful country homestead. LIZABETH H. LEONARD, a resident of the village of Manville, was born in Cambridge, Washington Co.. N. Y., Jan. 24, 1808. She is the daughter of Seneca and Mary (Sergeant) Remington, the former born in the town of Surtield, Conn., Feb. 13, 1771, and died in 1866. He was married in West Springfield, Mass., on the 20th of November, 1794, to Mary Sergeant, who was born in Massachusetts, opposite the city of Boston, Sept. 30, 1772, and died Sept. 11, 1856. He was a cooper by trade and followed that occupation the greater part of his life. They were both members of the Baptist Church, and in politics he was an old-line Whig. Mrs. Leonard's parental family included the fol- lowing children: Silas S., born Aug. 16, 17!)5, and died April 7, 171)6; Mary, born Feb. 5, 1707, and died Jan. 24, 1 80 3 ; Seneca, born Dec. 10, 1798, and died Dec. 5, I .S85, in the State of Kansas; Oliver, born Oct. 16, 1801, and died May 21, 1802; Mary, born May 9, 1803, and died Feb. 17, 1887; Hulda. born June 21, 1805, and died Nov. 22, 1K86; Eliza- beth is the subject of this sketch; Zeno II., born Feb. 26, 1810, and died Oct. 2, 1852; Philetus, bom Nov. 18, 1812, a farmer now living in Clay County, Kan., but in frail health, has reared a family of eight children, all of whom are living except one; Naomi, born Aug. 2, 1815, and died Aug. 19, 1*47; Jane, bom April 14, 1820, and died Jan. 28, 1873. Philetus and Elizabeth, our subject, are the only surviving members of this large family. Mrs. Leonard lives in a home by herself, in which she per- forms all the household work. With the exception of failing eyesight, she is in good health and does not appear to be over lifty years of age. On the 152 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 12th of November, 1*2'.), she was married to Ed- ni(iii(l I). Leonard, of Middleficld, Mass., and to them were born nine children, whose names are as follows: Franklin, Ro.-ene. Myra. Christopher C'.. Marx. Sarah. Emily, Isabella and Ilnttie X., beside- one wlio died in infancy: her husband died Nov. 13, 18(>0. After their marriage in Ilinsdalc, Mass., they went to Pennsylvania in the fall of 1X32. and thence to Illinois in July, 184f>, locating in Living- ston County in 1X;V2, where Mrs. Leonard has since resided. She belongs to the United Brethren Church, while her brothers and sisters were Baptist, and her children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The family throughout is composed of Christian j>eople, and all belong to some religious de- nomination. eHARLES H. TRYON, who is conducting an excellent 120-acre farm on section 11, Fayette Township, was born in New Lon- don, Conn., on the 12th of December, 1854, and is the son of Frederick and Mary (Corastock) Tryon, who during the latter portion of their lives were farmers. The father was apprenticed to the trade of a cooper in early life, and followed that occupa- tion for many years. He came West in the year 1855, bringing with him his wife and three chil- dren, and located at Ottawa, LaSalle County. The names of his children were: Maria, Fred and Charles II. Maria became the wife of James C. Eber- sol, and they are located in Fall River Township, LaSalle County. Charles H. Tryon began business for himself in 1875, by renting a farm in LaSalle County, which he cultivated for two years and then came to Liv- ingston County, where he and his father, and brother Fred, jointly purchased the farm owned by M. L. Sullivan, consisting of 320 acres. At the present time Mr. Tryon only farms 120 acres of this land, which is located on section 11. Be- sides general farming he devotes considerable time and attention to the cultivation of stock, and in both these lines of business has met with excel- lent success. lJuring the first eighteen years of his life Mr. Tryon attended the common schools when not assisting his parents in the work upon the farm. After he was eighteen years of age he attended the seminary at Marseilles, LaSalle County, for one term and a half, which completed his school educa- tion. Since he has been a man he has been an ex- tensive reader and has kept himself well posted on nil the topics of the day, and especially those which relate to public affairs. February 5, 1877, Mr. Tyron was married to Miss Sophronia Vail, who was born at Sag Harbor, N. Y., June 2, 1852, and is a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Comcstock) Vail. Her father was a carpenter by trade and followed that occupation almost his entire life. He has retired fiom the active use of the hammer and chisel, and is enjoy- ing his old age in quiet and rest. There were six children in his family, named Mary. Sophronia, Kate, Frank, Lizzie and Grace. Mary and Kate are married ; Lizzie died when only two years of age, and Frank is unmarried. To Mr. and Mrs. Tryon have been born two children : Leroy on the 9th of May, 1880, and Fay on the 25th of July, 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Tryon interest themselves in such matters as are intended to add to the comfort and enjoyment of the people among whom they re- side and are foremost in all such affairs. Their home is comfortably surrounded and they make it a pleasant and hospitable place for their neighbors and friends. In political matters Mr. Tryon acts with the Republican party, and to its candidates invariably gives a cordial support. He lias never been an office-seeker and has not held an}' official position in Fayette Township. >RANKLIN I. JOHNSON, who has retired from the active labor of farm life, and the cares of business, is passing his declining years in the enjoyment of a sufficienc}', and makes his home in Fairbury. What he lias of this world's goods he has accumulated through his own efforts, which were always seconded by the hearty co-oper- ation of his ever faithful wife and loving children. His biography needs no embellishments at the bands of the writer, and his disposition is such that a simple and plain statement of facts regarding his t T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 453 past life is all that he would wish to have appear iu print. Franklin I. Johnson is the son of Franklin and Hopey (King) Johnson, and was born twenty miles east of Albany, at the little town of New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N. Y., on the 2d of December, 1820. His parents were natives, of New York, and Franklin, Sr., was the youngest child of his parents, family. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Richard and Rachel (Ide) Johnson, were natives of Rhode Island, whence they moved to New York, where the grandfather followed the calling of a fanner, meeting with varied success, and continued to reside until the date of his death, which occurred in 1827 or 1828. The father of our subject was reared to manhood on his father's farm, and after the death of his father he continued to live on the old homestead in New York State until about 1834 or 1835. He then sold the place and moved to Oswego County in the same State, where he pur- chased 400 acres of land, for which he agreed to pay the sum of $10,000. He paid $400 at the time of the purchase, but meeting with reverses he was unable to discharge the remainder of the obligation and lost the place. Disposing of his interests in New York he moved to Carroll County, Mo., and after a residence there of some three years he came to Illinois and located at Vermont, Fulton County, where some of his children were living at the time. A cancer appeared on the side of his face, and al- though everything was done that skill could ac- complish, it caused his death in 1859. His good wife had crossed the river of death in 1852 or 1853, at Nauvoo, Hancock County, and they both lie sleeping side by side in the cemetery at Ver- mont. He followed farming during his life, and was a soldier in the War of 1812, while in 1844 he and his son, Albert D., assisted in the suppression of the Mormon rebellion. The union of Franklin Johnson and Hopey King was blessed by the birth of the following children, viz: William K., born Feb. 9, 1810 ; Emeline, Aug. 6, 1817; Amos M.. Aug. 3, 1819; Franklin I., Dec. 2, 1820; Richard C., Aug. 16, 1822; Elizabeth M., Sept. 0, 1824; Abner D., March 19, 1828; Harriet E., Oct. 17, 1830; Maryette, July 24, 1833; Horace I., March 8, 1835; Ravinna O., May 5, 1840. Of these Amos, Emeline, Richard and Abner D.. are deceased, and the others are all residents of this State, and occupy a prominent position in the various vocations of life. Franklin I. Johnson was the fourth in order of birth in his parents' family of twelve children. He was reared to manhood on his father's farm in Oswego County, N. Y., and received the advantages afforded by the common schools for obtaining an education. He lived on the old homestead until his parents came West, and after settling up his father's business affairs he engaged at farm work for others about two years. Subsequently he pur- chased a tract of land containing about forty acres, mostly covered with timber. Prior to this time the most important as well as happiest event in the life of our subject occurred; this was his mar- riage with Miss Mary A. Wightmau, on the 27th of April, 1843. Miss Wightman was the daughter of William and Hannah (Palmer) Wightman, and was born in Oswego County, N. Y., on the 24th of October, 1821. AVilliam Wightman and wife were of New England ancestry, and were honored and respected wherever known. He was a farmer by occupation and followed that vocation during life. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church, in which they took a warm interest. After marriage our subject and wife located on their 40-acre farm in York State, and there lived and labored together for about twelve years. In 1855 Mr. Johnson disposed of his interests in New York and came with his family to this State, locating at Vermont. There he engaged in the land business, which he followed successfully for about six years. At the expiration of this time, in 1861, he moved to Peoria, this State, and engaged in the stoneware and pottery business. After an experience of about five years in this business, in which he lost some money, he concluded to return to his occupation of farming. He consequently traded his pottery for an 80-acre farm in Mar- shall County, which he sold and then came to Liv- ingston County. He was not long in selecting a location, which proved to be 160 acres three miles south of Fairbury, which he purchased and moved upon. For seven years he and his excellent wife and children lived on this farm and all performed 454 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. their part in the work of its improvement. Selling this farm, Mr. Johnson purchased 240 acres, which he divided into two farms where his only sur- viving children, Charles and Frank, now reside. ' A biography of both these gentlemen may be found elsewhere in this ALBUM. In 1876 Mr. Johnson erected a flue residence in Fairbury, where he and his loving and faithful companion hoped to spend many years in peace and quiet, and in the enjoyment of each other's company. Alas, the Angel of death beckoned the beloved wife to the other shore. Among them stood the loving little Addie, with outstretched arms, sing- ing, "Mamma, come." Mamma crossed the river, and soon the time will come when papa, hus- band, will meet them there and the broken fam- ily be reunited. She departed this life at her home in Fairbury, on Friday morning. Nov. 21, 1884, of typhoid pneumonia. Mrs. Johnson was born in Oswego County, N. Y., in 1821. When but a girl she made a public profession of religion, which she maintained to the end by a consistent life. She united with the Baptist Church, of which her parents were prominent and influen- tial members. In 1843 she was married to the husband who survives her, with whom she lived happily for forty-one years. Mrs. Johnson was a remarkable woman in many respects, and her devotion to her husband and children could not be surpassed. Hand in hand and heart to heart with her husband, she toiled with a song upon her lips for the birdlings in the nest. "None knew her but to love her," and al- though her remains are buried in the cemetery at Fairbury, her soul still lives. Yes; mamma, with George and Addie on either side, is waiting, papa, waiting for your coining over there. Franklin I. Johnson has been a hard worker dur- ing his life, and to his indomitable energy is due his success. He has been a great reader, and al- though not possessing a classical education he is one of the best posted men on National and State issues in the county. His motto in life has been "Fulfill all promises," and strictly has he adhered to it. In politics he is a Greenbacker, and as a citizen he is respected by all. ^To Mr. Johnson and his wife four children were born: George, who died in infancy; Charles and Frank D., living in this county, and Addie, who died when thirteen years of age. Addie was crip- pled in the spine when a child, and those who vis- ited the old home cannot fail to remember the love she had in the hearts of all members of the family and their devotion to her. Mr. Johnson lives alone in his elegant home in Fairbury. but the cage is lonesome, for his mate is gone. 'RED C. DEWEY, who has been a farmer and stock-raiser on section 35, Pleasant Ridge Township, since 1881, was born in Stark County, 111., Oct. 18, 1856. He is the son of Cyrenius and Louisa (Blood) Uewey, natives of Vermont and New York, respectively. The father was born in the year 1825, and died on the 23d of August, 1884; he was a farmer by occupation and met with considerable success. The mother was born on the 31st of August, 183C, and since the death of her husband has remained a widow. She is a devoted member of the Congregational Church, and much of her time is given to that organization. She is the mother of two children, whose names are Fred C. and Frank. On the 6th of February, 1879, our subject was married to Miss April May Pinkuey, who was born in Peoria County, 111., on the 27th of April, 1857, and is the daughter of Stephen and Catherine M. (Reding) Pinkney, natives of New York and Kentucky, respectively. The father was a farmer by occupation and was born in 1817; tbe mother was born in 1830 and died in 18C3. The father was again married, his second wife being Miss Wealthy Bennett; by the first marriage two children were born and six by the second marriage. Their names are as follows: Hannah E., Louis II., Fran- cis K., Israel C. : Maggie, deceased; April May, Stephen W. and Charles R. Mr. and Mrs. Dewey have one child, Ralph R., who was born Nov. 12, 1886. In his early boyhood Mr. Dewcy attended the common schools, in which he devoted himself closely to study, and during the vacations between terms he assisted in the farm work. In addition LIVINGSTON COUNTY. to his common-school education he also took :i course in a commercial college. He came to this county in 1881, and purchased 160 acres of land on section 35, Pleasant Ridge Township, where he is now engaged in raising grain and growing stock. His farm is under an excellent state of cultivation, and the buildings are among the best in the town- ship. The land is well drained by tile ditches, thereby adding to its productiveness. Mr. Dewey is a member of the Republican party, but is not active in politics. He and his wife enjoy the es- teem and confidence of all their neighbors, and take an active part in all matters that have for their object the elevation and improvement of the condition of themselves and neighbors. NDREW J. MCDOWELL, after a long and bus} r life is now a retired farmer at Long Point, where he intends to spend the re- mainder of his days enjoying that quiet which he has so richly earned. He is a native of Bradford County, Pa., where he was born on the 8th of May, 1811, and is the son of James and Christina (Miller) McDowell, who are natives of Ireland and Germany respectively. They came to Pennsylvania when the subject of this sketch was five years of age, and remained there until 1837, when they came to Long Point Township, this county. They settled in Bradford County, Pa., when that county was almost a wilderness, and the nearest mill was eighteen miles distant, to reach which they had to go through a heavj' forest which was infested by panthers. On one occasion the boy of a neighbor was thrown down by a panther which lacerated his face, and while the beast was sucking the blood from the wound a dog came and chased it up a tree, when the boy arose and made his way to the house, and the father went out with his gun and killed the beast. They were the par- ents of seven children: Andrew J., the subject of this sketch; Polly, who married L. E. Rhodes, and died leaving a family of two children living in Peru; Sarah married Lorenzo Pratt, and died, leav- ing a family of three children: John died at Long Point on the 3d of July, 1848; Jeremiah married Ellen Foster, of Long Point, and has four children, and is engaged in farming and stock-raising in Kan- sas; Christiana married Crawford Isenhour, and died in Kansas in 18K1, leaving a family of six children; Susie married George Stilson, and died in June, 1885, leaving a family of six children. The subject of this sketch remained at home until the death of his parents, and was educated in the common schools, walking one and one-half miles to and from the old log school-house. The pay of a school teacher in Pennsylvania at that time was $12 to. $13 per month for men, and seventy-five cents per week for women. Mr. McDowell was married, on the 16th of Feb- ruary, 1848, to Dorleska J. Perry, a daughter of Ichabod and Hannah (Denton) Perry, the former a native of Vermont, and the latter of Long Island, N. Y. She was born on the 29th of April, 1826, and was educated in the common schools, remain- ing at home with her parents until the date of her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have been born eleven children, six of whom are deceased : Almira, born on the 1st of February, 1840, died on the 2d; Duminett J., born Sept. 16, 1851, died June 13, 18(i2; Charles, born Nov. 6, 1857, died Jan. 19, 1858; Diana, born Aug. 16, 1859, died Sept. 7, 1860; Lenora died on the 31st of March, 1861, aged eighteen days; Gertrude, born Dec. 19, 1866, died March 14, 1871 ; Alice, born March 20, I860, is the wife of Joseph Mellen, a farmer, and has one child; Celinda L., born July 3, 1853, mar- ried D. A. Howard, has one child, and lives in Iowa; John D., born Nov. 15, 1855, married Lottie Allen, has a family of five children, and lives in Long Point Township; Andrew J., born April 28, 1862, is Associate Principal of the High School at Sey- mour, Mo.; Luella, born May 19, 1865, is Musical Director in the same school. Our subject settled in Long Point Township in 1837, and now owns 305 acres of land, all of which is under excellent cultivation excepting thirty-five acres which have been reserved for timber. The entire farm is surrounded by good fences, and the land is valued at &50 per acre. He also owns three lots in Long Point, where he now lives, and one house and tvvo lots on which the son-in-law resides, 156 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. besides four vacant lots. Mr. McDowell has served as Township Assessor, Collector, and was a County Commissioner under the old law before the creation of a Board of Supervisors. In the early settlement of Illinois Mr. McDowell had some thrilling ad- ventures in apprehending and bringing to convic- tion the horse thieves who infested that portion of the State. There is now standing on his farm the first frame building erected in Long Point Town- ship. The frame was constructed in Chicago and hauled to this point, where it was put together. During the early days Mr. McDowell was a great hunter, and had an old-fashioned gun which he prized very highly for its accuracy and long range, and once very greatly surprised a party of English hunters by killing game with this gun which they could not reach with the improved breech-loaders which they had brought with them. At the time this sketch is written Mr. McDowell is in his seventy-sixth year, but is quite active for one of that age. His mind is stored with many in- teresting reminiscences of early days, both in Penn- sylvania a'ld Illinois, in both of which States he was a pioneer settler. He is highly respected and much esteemed by the people among whom he has lived so long. EP. METZ, Union Township. The subject of the following sketch, one of the most successful farmers and stock-raisers of Liv- ingston County, is popular social!}' and politically and as a farmer and business man is classed among its representative citizens. He has a fine home and a good property, distinguishing himself by his in- dustry and enterprise. Mr. Metz, like many of the early settlers of this locality, spent his early years in the State of Penn- sylvania, his birth taking place in Blair County. March 24,1851. His parents, Peter and Angelina (Johnson) Metz, also natives of the Keystone State, are written of elsewhere in this work. E. P. was fifth of the nine children comprising the paren- tal family, and in common with his brothers was reared to farm life. The elder Metz, in I860, mi- grated to Illinois with his family nnd now resides iu Odell Township, on the old homestead where they first settled upon coming to this State. Mr. Metz remained a member of his father's household until the latter retired from active labor, and when his mother had dropped the household reins, brought his bride to take them up. She was Miss Martha W. Ketcham, and they were mar- ried Sept. 27, 1877, at her home in Pontiac Town- ship. Mrs. Metz was born in New York City, Nov. 20, 1850, and is the 3'oungest child of Henry and Phebe (Barton) Ketcham, natives of the Empire State. Mr. Ketcham in his younger years carried on farming in Canada and is now a resident of New York City, where the mother died many years ago. The wife of our subject came to the West in her girlhood to make her home with her brother, E. B., who is a prosperous merchant of Dwight, and there made the acquaintance of our subject. They have now occupied the home farm for a period of ten years. In the meantime, in 1883, they went East and visited the principal cities and most prominent places of summer resort. In this trip they jour- neyed up through the beautiful country of the Hudson River, and after a number of weeks thus spent in travel, returned rested and refreshed to their home, feeling truly that they had devoted a portion of their time and means in the wisest man- ner they could have selected. In 1885 Mr. Metz crossed the Mississippi and invested a portion of his surplus capital in Dakota and Minnesota lands to the extent of 240 acres, which is as yet in an uncultivated state. His home farm is well stocked and supplied with all the machinery necessary to the carrying on of agricult- ure after the most improved methods. Mr. Metz has mixed very little with matters outside of his business interests, and has a thorough contempt for the office -seeker. He believes, however, that every man should do his duty in support of correct prin- ciples, and upon occasions of important elections, casts his vote with the Democratic party. He has served as School Director several terms and is at present one of the Trustees in his township. Mr. and Mrs. Metz became the parents of four children, three of whom have been taken from the home circle by the hand of death. Harry C., a bright and interesting child, was born Jan. 4, 1883; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 457 Artie A., died when thirteen months old and two died in infancy unnamed. Our subject and his wife are actively connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church and numbered among its most cheerful workers and liberal supporters. HRISTIAN R. KING, one of the venerable citizens located on section 33, Nebraska Township, is engaged in funning and stock- raising. He was bom in Germany on the 19th of December, 1 820, and came to America -when about twenty -seven years of age. He is the son of John and Phoebe (Redigen) King, who were natives of Germany, and the parents of six children, of whom our subject is the eldest. The names of the others arc as follows : Phoebe married John Schrock, now deceased, and she lives in Nebraska Township; An- nie married Fielden Augstein, also deceased; she has three children, and lives in Nebraska Township. Nicholas died, leaving three children, who live in McLean County; John is married, and has eight children; Daniel is married, and he and John live- in Nebraska Township. When our subject came to America he located in Butler County, Ohio, and remained for about two years, when he moved to McLean County, 111.. where he lived until the close of the war of the Re- bellion, at which time he became a citizen of Liv- ingston County. His first purchase of land in this county was 160 acres, to which he has since made additions, until he now owns in various parts of the county 640 acres. On the 24th of June, 1852, Mr. King was married to Miss Mary Becliler, daughter of Joseph and Katie (Somers) Becliler, of Butler County, Ohio. At the time of the writing of this sketch there are twelve living children as the fruits of this marriage: Phoebe, born April 14. 1853, married John Streight. has six children, and lives in McLean County: Joseph, born May 25, 1854, of whom see sketch in another place; John, bom Feb. 13, 1856, whose sketch also is given in this ADBUM ; Lena, born March 18, 1857, married Chr^tian Raber, lias three children, and lives in Pike Township; Katie, born Oct. I'.i. IS.VS, married Jacob Yordie, has five children, and lives in Waldo Township; Daniel, born May 17, I860, has one child, and lives in McLean County; Mary, born Dec. 17, 18(>2, resides at home; Chris- tian, born Dec. 13, 1864, married Katie Stein- man, and lives in Waldo Township; David, born Dec. 15, 1866; Ella Barbara, Oct. 16, 1868; Simon, Feb. 21, 1871. and William, March 3, 1873. The last four live at home with their parents. The wife of our subject was born in Germany, in Ma}-, 18:W. and emigrated to this country with her parents when but four years of age, locating in But- ler County, Ohio, where she was reared to woman- hood and married. Her parents were born in France, the father in 1810, the mother, Feb. 2, 1811. The father died in this county, May 7, 1878; the mother is still living, at the age of seventy-seven years, and is making her home with her daughter, in Nebraska Township. At the age of sixty -seven years Mr. King is com- paratively a hale and hearty man. His manv acres of valuable land in Livingston County testify to the energy and good management which have charac- terized his business .efforts through life. He has been blessed with a family of children of whom any parent might well feel proud, and they delight to honor his declining years. He has always been a useful citizen, and his correct methods and fair deal- ings with all people have secured for him the confi- dence of all who know him. DAY, a farmer and stock-raiser on section 9, Pleasant Ridge Township, where he has been a resident since 1879, and within that time has finely improved and put un- der cultivation 160 acres of land, was born in Colm worth, Bedfordshire, England, Dec. 22. 18:57. He is the son of Thomas and Mary ( Leeton) Day, both of whom were of pure English blood. The father was a farm laborer, and was honest and hard working; he died in 1875. The mother still lives in England, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father was twice married, and three children were born to the first wife: Whitbread, who came to America in 1887; Isaac, who came in 1848; Keziah married Joseph Perry, f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. and now. resides in Ford County. By the second marriage the subject of our sketch is the oldest child now living. Mary A. married John Knight, and resides in Edgeware, England ; George lives in this county; Elizabeth married Richard Barcock, and resides at Newcastle-on-Tyne, and James. Thomas Day came to America in 1855, landing at New York City on the 23d of April, whence he soon proceeded to Paxton, Ford County, where he remained for six months, and then going to Che- ney's Grove, he remained one year, working by the month on a farm. From there he went to Penn- sylvania, and for the next three months engaged in the lumber business. He then returned to McLean County, where he remained for two years, and in the spring of 1859 started for Pike's Peak on foot. At St. Louis he bought a new pair of boots, in which he walked until the soles were entirely worn off. He never reached Pike's Peak, however, but turned back just before arriving there, after hear- ing the dismal accounts that were given to him by the disappointed adventurers who were returning home. Upon reaching Wabaunsee, Kan., on his return trip, he concluded to remain a while, and pre-empted eighty acres of Government land, using a land warrant which had been issued to Benjamin Bisby. In 1861 he enlisted in Company K, 3d Illi- nois Cavalry, as a private, and served for three years and one month, during which time he partic- ipated in many of the well-known battles of the war. He was at Pea Ridge, Chickasaw Bayou, Vicksburg, Jackson, Arkansas Post, and many other engagements of less importance. He was dis- charged on the 5th of September, 1864, at Spring- field, III. During the time he was in the army he enjoyed "some fun," as he expresses it, and endured very many hardships. After he was discharged, he came to Livingston County and purchased forty acres of land, which he soon sold, and then moved to Saunemin Township, where he resided for eleven years on an 80 acre farm. This farm he dis- posed of, and purchased one of 160 acres in Pleas- ant Ridge Township in 1879, upon which he has since resided. Mr. Day was married, on the 29th of August, 1865, to Miss Ann Chambers, who was born in the city of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, on the llth of April, 1849. She was the daughter of George and Elizabeth (Nutt) Chambers, natives of En- gland, and accompanied her parents to America in 1854. They now reside in Saunemin Township, Livingston County. To Mr. and Mrs. Day have been born five children Annie E., George W., Aaron T., Martha J. and Charles B. Mr. Day and his family are active and influential members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Day takes considerable pride in the reputation he has earned for raising the highest grade of cattle in Livingston County. He is a good stockman, thoroughly un- derstanding all the delicate details of the business, and has been eminently successful, both as a farmer and stock-raiser. He is a member of the Repub- lican party, and takes considerable interest in po- litical affairs, but has no inclination for office-hold- ing and has, therefore, never been an office-seeker. He is an enthusiastic comrade in Fairbury Post No. 75, G. A. R. In his social, as well as business relations with the people, Mr. Day has popularized himself, and enjoys the confidence of all classes of people. ft OHN L. SHEARER, junior member of the firm of Searing & Shearer, dealers in grain, agricultural implements and feed at Cullom, is the son of John J. and Catherine (Leh- man) Shearer, and a native of the Buckeye State. He was born in Franklin County Dec. 7, 1854, and when a youth of fourteen years came to this count}' with his parents, where he has since resided. He passed his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, becoming familiar with ru- ral scenes and employments, and assisted in tilling the soil on the home farm until 1881. Mr. Shearer, in the spring of the year mentioned, entered the employ of a grain firm in Cullom, and became so proficient in his duties that, four years later, he was admitted as a partner in the business. His correct habits and straightforward manner of dealing have been the means of establishing him in the confidence and esteem of the best citizens of this locality, and he is now the sharer in a lucrative trade, and numbers among his friends and patrons the solid men of the community. He is looked PI CO z o n o n p CO o I 00 n o CO r~ o 3] o < n CO I s LIVINGSTON COUNT Y. 463 upon as one of the rising young men of Sullivan Township, of whom much is expected in the future. Mr. Shearer established family ties on the 3d of April, 1883, by his marriage with Miss Jennie, daughter of Andrew and Caroline Park, who were natives of New Jersey. The father is deceased, and the mother lives near Cullom. Mrs. Shearer was born in Bureau County Dec. 31, 1857. The little household includes two children, both daugh- ters, Florence and Ethel. Mr. Shearer possesses agreeable social traits which render him a valued member of the community, is intelligent and well read, and uniformly votes the Republican ticket. lUFUS C. STRAIGHT. The man who has been a western farmer for twenty-five years can well remember what an undertaking it i was to profitably drain his laud with open ditches, and yet such drainage, in the absence of any better system, was necessary. A few years ago the tile was invented, and was quickly recognized as of inestimable value by the fanners, in not only enabling them to reclaim waste places, but to greatly increase the productiveness of almost all land. The tile soon came into general use, and the result, so far as it relates to the agricultural districts, particularly of Illinois, has been wonder- ful. The tile inventor, and also the tile manufact- urer, have been benefactors in their day and gen- eration of the entire people of the country. Prom- inent among the latter is the subject of this sketch, who, in addition to his farming operations, which are conducted on section 9, Indian Grove Town- ship, is engaged in the manufacture of tile. He is a gentleman who is not only well and favorably known in his immediate community, but through- out the county. Mr. Straight was born in Chautauqua Count}', N. Y., June 28, 1835, and is the son of Arby P. and Philena (Simmons) Straight, also natives of the Em- pire State, and both of whom we- re born in the year 1803. They were married in July, 1824, and came to Livingston County in 1857. Here they purchased land, and followed farming until eight years ago, when they retired from active life, and are now living at Fairbury. The former is a lead- ing member of the Free- Will Baptist Church, in which he has held the various offices of that body, while the latter is a Close-Communion Baptist. They have had nine children born to them, namely: Emily, now Mrs. N. C. Johnson; Mary, now Mrs. James H. Odell; Alonzo, who married Miss Ma- hala Stoddard ; Levi, Who married Miss Jane Lang- worthy; David, who married Annie Cassidy; Ru- fusC; Caroline, now Mrs. Rogers; Johnson W., who married Miss Jennie Ellidge : Hiram, who mar- ried Annie Wheeler, and Milton Leander. Mr. Straight married Miss Francina Abbey, a native of Pennsylvania, where she was born May 28,1837. She is the daughter of Horatio and ' Martha (Smith) Abbey, natives of Erie County, Pa. The father came West, where he died, and the mother died many years ago in Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Straight have had born to them eight children: Willis, Lee, Lizzie, Nellie, Guy, Stella; Lena, who died Oct. 24, 1887, aged ten years, five months and twenty-six days; and Ray, who died in infancy. Mr. Straight emigrated to Illinois in 1854, and located in Livingston County, where he purchased land and went to farming, in which occupation he has been unusually successful. In 1879 he erected and fitted up a factory for the manufacture of tile of seven different sizes, and with sufficient capacity to employ twenty men during the entire tile-mak- ing season. This was the first establishment of the kind operated in the county. The clay upon a por- tion of his farm is peculiarly adapted to tile mold- ing and baking, and the product of his factory is of the most excellent quality. He is one of the principal members of the Tile Manufacturers' As- sociation of Illinois, and has given a great deal of time and attention to this industry, and it may justly be said of him that he has brought as much good common sense, enterprise and means to boar in the manufacture of tile as any man in this sec- tion of the State. He owns 780 acres of excellent land, the home farm consisting of 3G5 acres, on . which he has erected a modern brick residence and excellent farm buildings, and we are pleased to pre- sent, in connection with this brief sketch of his life, a full-page view of the homestead and tile factory, I i , 4 world, both on the good and the bad side, during his life, is now a fanner and fc , -loek-rai.-eron section ">'!. Long Point Town- He is a native of Waterville, Vt., and was born on the 10th of March, 1822. lie is the son of John and Amy (Thomas) Oakes, who were the parents of the following-named children: Darius, who was a fanner by occupation, and died in Michi- gan, leaving a wife and three children : Nathan, who was twice married and died in Vermont, leaving two children; Esther, who married Amos Thomas and had one- child, and whose ha-baml died in 1884, at the age of eighty years: Cyrenus died in Belvi- dere, Vt., and left three children ; Oscar died in 1 879, leaving :\ wife and two daughters; Horatio married Mrs. Ann Gregg, and they have a family of five children, and live at Blackstone. 111. Romulus J. Oakes lias been married twice. The lirst wife was Mrs. I Inldah (Leonard) Wilkison, who w,-is born on the 31st of March, 1K26, and died at 0:30 A. M.. Feb. 27, 1870, at the age of forty-nine years, ten months and twenty -seven days. This marriage occurred in October. 1S71. The second marriage wa> on the 30th of December, 1877, to Mi-s Nancy Rickey, of Long Point, and the result of this union lias been one child, Don Carlos, who was born on the 1 1th of September. 1X7*. and is now attending school at home. Nancy Rickey, the wife of Mi-. Oakes. was born on the Kith of December. 1 SOI. and was the daughter of Thomas ]>. Rickey, who was born on the 14th of March, 1835, and died June 2.1, 1870, aged thirty-five years, three months and nine days, and Mary A. (Smith) Rickey, who was born on the 4th of July, 1838, and the date of wbose death is not remembered. Thomas B. and Mary A. Rickey were the parents of the following- named children: Sarah A., born Dec. 22, 185C, and was married to L. G. Belt March 2, 1882 ; Mary Isabelle, born June 10, 1858, and died Jan. 5, 1860, aged eighteen months and twenty -six days; Foster, born April 1, 1860, and died Aug. 27, 1867, aged seven years, four months and twenty -seven days; Armendy, bom Aug. 12, 1863, and was married to Freeman Smalley, has two children, and lives in Kan- sas; Lillie, born June 2, 1855, was married to John Russel Feb. 15, 1883, has two boys, and lives in Livingston County; Josephine, born Nov. 28, 1806, married Charles Wedding, and lives in Kansas; James P. was born Sept. 25, 1868; Rose Ann, March 23, 1878. ' R. J. Oakes was educated in the common schools for a short time, and is largely a self-educated man. He came from Vermont to Ohio in 1836. From Ohio he went to Michigan, where he stopped one year, and from there back to Ohio, remaining one summer, and in 1839 went to work on a Mississippi River steamboat. At St. Louis he enlisted in Com- pany C, 5th United States Infantry, where he served for four years, eleven and one-half months, and was discharged at the expiration of his time. He enlisted under the name of Joseph Simpson, the ob- ject being to keep his parents and relatives from knowing of his whereabouts, and for seven years they had no tidings whatever from him. After be- ing discharged from the army at Detroit he went to the State of New York, where he engaged for six years in keeping a canal station during the summer months. From New York he went back to Michi- gan and worked for one year in a sawmill, and then came to Illinois but did not remain long, going to Minnesota, where he staid two years. In the fall that Uncle Abe Lincoln ran for President he came back to Illinois, and dates his residence in this State from that time. His re.-idence since that time in Illinois has been continuous. Mr. Oakes now owns eighty acres of land, which is eligibly located on section 33. Long Point Town- I .;<; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ship. Besides fanning he devotes considerable at- tention to stock-raising. and lias been successful in both. He is in politics an independent Republican, which means that he will vote for the Republican in preference to a member of any other party, provid- ing he is a good man : in oilier words, while his be- liefs are in harmony with the doctrines of the Re- publican party, he does not feel himself in duty bound to vote for a scalawag simply because he N a Republican. lie is a man who has seen both the dark and the bright sides of the world, but makes it an object now to put himself into a position to look upon the bright side all the time. His wife is a lady of good education, and has a natural taste for cer- tain lines of artistic and fancy work, and is an expert in the making of tissue paper boquets, hair work, Kensington embroidery and fancy work, and the walls and windows of her residence show many evidences of her skill in this line. They are happily and pleasantly situated and well surrounded with the comforts of life. ' MOS EDWARDS, retired farmer and now a resident of Cornell, is one of the hon- ored pioneers of Livingston County, who nearly fifty years ago pushed his way into an unsettled country, and entered a quarter section of land from the Government. He did not, how- ever, take possession of this until the following year, but returned to his native State of New York, and completed his preparations for the pro- posed change. He had already a wife and family and when starting for Illinois the second time was equipped with a lumber wagon and two horses, by which means he transported his family and house- hold goods, and arrived at his destination on the 7th of September, 1839. On his land there was not even shelter for their heads, and they moved into the house of a neighbor, said structure being built of logs, and furnished in the most primitive manner. In May following Mr. Edwards had erected under great difficulties a frame dwelling after the Eastern fashion, and which was considered a very tine affair for those dnys. This he occupied for many years, and until after his children had grown up, and leaving the home shelter had estab- lished themselves in domiciles of their own. Mr. Edwards is the offspring of some of the best and oldest stock of the East, originally New Englanders, but subsequently locating in New York State. His parents, Paul and Deborah ( Wage ) Edwards, were natives of Connecticut, the former born Aug. 3, 1774, and the latter in 177C. The paternal grandparents were Peleg and Margaret (King) Edwards, who traced their ancestry back to England. Mrs. Deborah Edwards was the daughter of Amos and Chloe (Brown) Wage, and by her mar- riage with the father of our subject became the mother of the children whose record is as follows: Deborah, born in 1801, was married, and died in 1833, leaving an infant about three weeks old ; Sam- uel was born July 20, 1803, was married and became the father of three daughters, and one son, who died in the South while serving as a soldier in the Union army; Amos, our subject, was born in Sar- atoga County, N. Y., Dec. 15, 1806: Nathan was born April 14, 1808, and died in 1857; Lydia was born March 5, 1810, became the wife of Philip Nigh, of Ohio, and died in November, 1875; Pe- leg was born in April, 1814, and died in Amity Township, this county, in 1862, leaving a wife but no children; William, born in 1817, died when five years old. The mother of these children departed this life at her home in Amity, in December, 1851. Paul Edwards had passed away Aug. 27, 1850, in Amity Township. Our subject remained a resident of his native State until twenty-eight years of age, being em- ployed mostly in teaching, for which he received fifty cents per day, twenty-four days in the month for seven years. Finally, in 1835, he migrated to Sandusky County, Ohio. He had while in New York State been married, Sept. 19, 1833, to Miss Abigail Coflin, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Providence. Mrs. Edwards was born Dec. 1. 1811, and became the mother of three children: Maria, born March 16. 1835; Harriet. Nov. 28, 1836, and Henry C., April 21, 1838. Mrs. Abigail Edwards departed this life at her home, Oct. 13, 1840. Our subject sub- sequently married Laura Lounsberg. Jan. 21, 1841 : she died Jan. 27, is?"). Mrs. Jemima Talbot, May 1 f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 167 21,1876, became his third wife. This lady was born in Ohio, Dec. 16, 1809. She came to Illinois with her parents in 1838, and remained with them until her first marriage. Mr. Edwards has been in all respects one of the most useful and enterprising men of his township, and as the country settled up around him he was tacitly chosen as a leader, and a man suitable to be the incumbent of the first offices. He was elected County Surveyor in 1844, serving four years, and re-elected for a second term. At the next election the candidate either could not or would not qualify, and Mr. Edwards was called upon to fill the office thus made vacant, officiating twelve years thereafter in this capacity. He was appointed Postmaster of the infant town of Amity under Cave Johnson, who sent his commission to the house and invested him with the office, which he held until 1861, when he lost his political scalp. Mr. Edwards' first Presidential vote was cast in 1832 for Andrew Jackson, and he has since remained an uncompromising Democrat. On account of his extraordinarily retentive memory he is one of the most interesting men to converse with to be found anywhere. His knowledge of early events enables him to chronicle a long series of interest- ing events, many of which have escaped the notice and memory of the pioneers who were connected with them and are now fast passing away. Our subject did not particularly bend his energies to the accumulation of wealth; however, he owns a com- fortable home in the village and some town prop- erty besides. J. SPANG LER. "Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well" is a motto that should be faithfully adhered to all the way through life; but unfortunately such is not the case. Where a man is found who personifies in his work and business affairs this axiom, there system, order and harmony prevail, and there i.s no uncertainty about the resultant prosperity. The writer is prompted to these reflections by a visit to the mag- nificently ordered stock farm on section 18, Belle Prairie Township, owned by the subject of this sketch. Mr. Spangler was born in Lebanon County, Pa., -on the 13th of January, 1840, and is the son of Jacob and Maria (Beckley) Spangler, natives of the same State. The father was born in 1806 and died April 25, 1879, on the old homestead in Pennsyl- vania, lie spoke and wrote German influently. He was a shoemaker by trade, but a part of his time was engaged in the management of a small farm. The mother was born in 1808, and died in 1851. She was a kind and gentle woman, and was much beloved by all who knew her. They were both members of the German Reformed Church, and were the parents of twelve children, including our subject: Michael; Jonathan, deceased; Samuel lives in Pennsylvania; David lives in Columbus, Ohio; Maria; Israel; Harriet died at the age of five years; Joseph lives on the homestead: Catherine; Rudolph, now in Arkansas, and one child who died in infancy. Mr. Spangler came to Illinois in 1861, reaching Bloomington penniless, and pawned his watch for the small sum of $2.50, to enable him to get to Pontiae; from there he proceeded to a farm adjoin- ing the one he now owns, where he entered the serv- ice of Benjamin Walton as a farm hand. He was married, on the 31st of January, 1866, to Ellen A,, Wareham, a native of Ohio, where she was born on the 18th of March, 1849, and reared to womanhood. They had five children: Delia; John, who died at the age of eight months; George S. r Francis died in childhood; Isaac J. was killed instantly in Ohio by the falling of a pile of lumber. Mr. Spangler was married a second time, on the 29th of Septem- ber, 1881, to Miss Emma A. G. Brant, a lady of high culture and refinement. She is the daughter of Leonard and Susan Brant, natives of Pennsyl- vania and Virginia respectively, who were residents of Livingston County, where the father died in 1883. By this marriage two children have been born James B. and Ira J. Mr. Spangler is the owner of 168 acres of land, which is cultivated after the most approved meth- ods. His farm house is a model of its kind, and the barns and other out-buildings are as complete in all their details as they could possibly be made. He 4fi8 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 purchased this farm in 1868, and has been assidu- ous in making improvements. He is a great ad- mirer of fine stock, and makes a specialty of breed- ing Norman, Belgian and English draft horses, and high-grade Short-horn cattle. He has held the of- fice of School Director, and acquitted himself to the perfect satisfaction of the people. During the struggle of the nation for an existence from 1861 to 1 865, he served three years in Company K of the 3d Illinois Cavalry, enlisting in August, 1861. His service was principally in the southwest, and the first chance that he had to smell gunpowder was at Pea Ridge, Ark., at which engagement he was taken prisoner, and conveyed to Ft. Smith, where he was confined for thirty days until exchanged. He was in the siege of Vicksburg, and in the en- gagements in front and rear which preceded it; and at the battles of Germantown, Guntown, and Mem- phis, Tenn.; he was mustered out in September, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Spangler are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and take great inter- est in their church affairs. In political matters Mr. Spangler approves of the doctrines taught and practiced by the Republican party. M. KILGORE,of Saunemin Town- ship, and a gentleman in the prime of life, is eminently worthy of a place among the records published in this work, as that of an enter- prising and useful citizen who located in Saunemin Township about 1870, and is now the proprietor of a good farm on section 23, where he mostly em- ploys his time in general farming and stock-raising. He is a native of this State, and was born in Mar- shall County, Oct. 4, 1841. He is consequently in the midst of his usefulness, and has fully established himself in the esteem and confidence of the people around him. The paternal ancestors of our subject were of Scotch-Irish descent, and his parents were Jesse and Mary (Quigley) Kilgore, natives of Pennsylvania. William Kilgore was orphaned early in life, his mother dying when he was about two years of age, and his father two years later. He was then taken into the home of his grandparents, Joseph and Mary Quigley, residents of Cumberland County, Pa., and with them remained until a youth of seventeen years. Then, ambitious to commence life for himself, he started for the West, and after reaching this State located in Marshall County, of which he remained a resident until his removal to Livingston, in the spring of 1870. Here he has since been a resident. He had received a common-school education, and his entire life has been employed in farming. The wife of our subject, to whom he was married in Marshall County, Nov. 7, 1872, was formerly Miss Loisa B. Barnes, who was born in Marshall County, Sept. 28, 1843. Mrs. K. is the daughter of Henry B. and Jane M. (Kilgore) Barnes, natives of Delaware and Ohio, and her father now resides in Snunemin Township. Our subject and his wife commenced life together on the farm at this place, and there were born to them two children Harry B., Feb. 4, 1877, and a boy, who died in infancy; unnamed. Mr. and Mrs. K. are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Saunemin, in which our subject officiates as Trustee and is one of the chief pillars. Politically he is Re- publican, like his father before him, and has in all respects proved the friend of education and prog- ress. The property of himself and his wife in- cludes 160 acres of valuable land, each being the owner of eighty acres. Mr. K. when starting out for himself, received the munificent salary of $5 per month, and in looking upon his surroundings to- day, it is hardly necessary to say that he has made good use of his time and opportunities. W. FERRIS, Superintendent of Livingston County schools, has made the eause of edu- cation principally his life work, having commenced his career as a teacher before he was sixteen years of age. He has been a resident of Pontiac and vicinity since 18o9, and has been a prominent figure in the educational interests of Livingston County. He was born May 23, 1840, in Addisou County, Vt., and is the son of Melanc- thon and Elizabeth (Shepherd) Ferris, also natives of the Green Mountain State. His paternal grand- LIVINGSTON COUNTY- 469 father, Darius Ferris, was a native of England, who emigrated to the United States and settled in Ad- dison County, assisting largely in building up the village which afterward bore his name. He had followed the sea many years, and died at Ferrisburg about 1840. The mother of our subject was the daughter of William Shepherd, a native of Panton, Vt. Melancthon Ferris, the father of our subject, sailed on the lakes with his father when a boy, and afterward served in the War of 1812. He was born in 1795, and died in Panton, Vt., in 1870. The mother rested from her labors in middle life, in. 1844. The parental household included nine children, eight of whom grew to mature years and seven are now living, namely: Charles; Augusta, Mrs. Bailey; Mary, Mrs. Vancor; Samantha, who also married a Mr. Vancor; Elizabeth, Mrs. Mat- thews; George W., our subject; Martha, Mrs. Farr, and Carlisle. The last-named brother was the eld- est of the family, and during the late war^served in the 1st New York Infantry and was killed at the battle of Fair Oaks, Va. The father of our sub- ject was an old-line Whig in early manhood, but afterward alh'liated with the Republicans, and both parents were members of the Baptist Church. For twenty-five years Melancthon Ferris commanded a lake schooner of which he was the owner, and which ran on Lake Champlain and to Canada. He finally retired from a seafaring life, and his last years were spent on a little farm in Panton, Vt. Mr. Ferris during his boyhood attended Un- common school in his native county, and afterward a select school under the instruction of James Ten Brocke. Subsequently he attended the academy of Lunenburg, Mass., one year, then taught for a time in his own county, and subsequently attended Barre Academy near Montpelier, Vt. He came to Illinois in the fall of 1859, locating first in Owego Township, this county, where he was employed two winters as a teacher, and in 1861 settled on a farm. The same year he was united in marriage with Miss Martha Stinson, who was born in Indiana, April 13, 1842, and is the daughter of James L. and Mary (Herschburger) Stinson, natives of Indi- ana, win-re James L. was engaged as a civil en- gineer. Mr. Ferris remained on the farm until 1884, during which time he had been somewhat employed in teaching, and was also engaged in the nursery business. He put up a handsome resi- -dence in 1873, and beautified his home by planting evergreens and fruit trees and surrounding the dwelling with choice flowers. The homestead is the admiration of the passer-by, and indicates the refined and cultivated taste of its proprietor. Mr. Ferris was elected County Superintendent of Schools in 1882, and re-elected in 188(5. He moved to Pontiac in 1884, and purchased a home on Liv- ingston street, where he now lives. Of his mar- riage there were born six children, namely: Aldace M., Jessie E., Carl I., Milly M., Claude and Claire. The eldest son, Aldace M., married Miss Electa O. Hull, of Marshall County, and was formerly en- gaged in the drug business at Pontiac ; he is now a resident of San Diego, Cal. Jessie E. is the wife of Samuel Morrison, and has one child, a son, Claude; Carl is occupied as a drug clerk in Pontiac. Mr. Ferris is an extensive reader and keeps him- self well posted upon matters of general interest. He votes the straight Republican ticket, and socially, belongs to the I. O. O. F. \I? ANSING HUTCHINSON. This eiiterpris- I ( ' n ^> y un S farmer not many years ago >*_* -^ launched out for himself in a field of labor to which he is most admirably adapted, both by training and natural qualifications. He enters with genuine interest into the cultivation of the soil, and nothing appears pleasanter to his eye than the spec- tacle of growing grain, the well-kept and thriving live stock, and all the other appurtenances of a well conducted farm. Possessing this true spirit with which to operate, there is no conjecture in predict- ing for him that complete success of which he is so eminently deserving. His land lies on section 20, Avoca Township, and includes 154 acres, under a good state of cultivation with a comfortable resi- dence and good out-buildings. Our subject was born in New Jersey, Feb. 17, 1857, and is the son of Gideon and Susannah (Shan- gle) Hiitchinson. Tradition has it that the family came from England to the United States with the 470 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Pilgrim Fathers, and landed at Plymouth Rock. They became prominent among the Colonists as people possessing in a marked degree those traits of character which fostered the early spirit of liberty, and assisted in throwing off the yoke of the op- pressor. They married and reared families, and their descendants have, almost without exception, reflected the virtues of their ancestors. The father of our subject, a native of New Jersey, came to the West when his son Lansing was a little lad four years of age. They located first in McLean County, this State, where they resided until the spring of 1867, and then took up their abode in this county. Gideon Hutchinson soon after his arrival purchased a tract of land, only a part of which had been cul- tivated, and which now constitutes the home of our subject. He cultivated the soil, and added year after year the improvements which made the place attractive and valuable. He occupied it until the spring of 1881, when he removed across the Missis- sippi into Carroll County, Iowa, where he now re- sides. Gideon Hutchinson was Supervisor of Avoca Township a number of terms, and served as School Director many years. Both parents were members in good standing of the Presbyterian Church, in which the father served as an Elder, and did good service in building up the society and encouraging its growth. Politically, during his later years, he has affiliated with the Republican party. Although, perhaps, not the hero of any thrilling event, he has employed his time and tal- ents worthily, and is esteemed as an honest man and a good citizen. Of a large family of children born to the parents of our subject, six now survive, namely, Philip, Lansing; Catherine, Mrs. George Cook, of Eppard's Point Township; Howard, Frederick and Mary. Lansing Hutchinson passed his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, spending his winters at the district school and his summers on the farm, where his services were utilized in as- sisting to plant and garner the crops. He was a bright and ambitious boy, fond of good books, and supplemented his school advantages by a course of sensible reading at home during his leisure hours. He remained a member of his father's household until ready to launch out in life for himself, and was married, Feb. 27, 1879, to Miss Lillian J. Taylor. Mrs. Hutchinson was born in Jefferson, Mo., Oct. 23, 1858, and is the daughter of Hiram J. and Sybil (Gibbs) Taylor. The father was a native of Scotland and the mother of Missouri. The former departed this life at his home in Mis- souri in 1860; the mother survived her husband twelve years. Mr. and Mrs. Hutchinson have a blooming family of four children : Lottie E. was born Dec. 28, 1879 ; Arthur L., Sept. 2, 1881 ; Albert E., July 14, ixx;!, and Bessie M., Feb. 8, 1 8X0. Mr. H., following the example of his honored father, votes the straight Republican ticket and is now serving his second term as Clerk of Avoca Township. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church, while Mrs. H. is a Meth- odist in religious belief. E STUCKEY, farmer and stock-raiser on section 7, Forest Township, first became a citizen of the State of Illinois in 1856, when he settled at Hudson, McLean County, and engaged in farming on a rented place. In 1867 he came to Livingston County, and bought eighty acres of land, to which he has added until, at the present time, his farm consists of 160 acres, which is well stocked with Ilolstein cattle, Norman mixed horses, and Poland-China hogs. There are six acres planted in choice varieties of apples and other fruit trees. He was one of the very earliest settlers in Livingston County, 111., among whom but few are left, including Messrs. Marberly, Weeks, Thomas and Riley. Our subject was born in Somersetshire, England, on the 14th of February, 1828. He is the son of Kdward and Margaret (Gillett) Stuckey, who were farmers in the old country, and came to the United States in 1862, locating in McLean County, where they remained a few years with their people. The father died in 1 *67, and the mother soon afterward. Our subject was first married, in 1X.~>4, to Eliza Doble. By this marriage there were born seven children William Edward, Walter, Frank, Mary, Hattie E., Elizabeth and Lettie. Edward married, and located in Livingston County, where he is en- f f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 473 f gaged in farming: Mary married Job Manning, a farmer, and the others are unmarried. This wife died in July. 1877. In March, 1881, Mr. Stuckey was married to Mrs. Elmira Conn, a native of Ni- agara County, N. Y., where she was born on the 4th of August, 1844. Her parents, Patrick and Hannah (Smith) Mahoney, came West about 1837, first settling in McLean County, 111., where they lived about ten years, and then came to Fairbury, this county, where they now reside, retired from active work. They are the parents of eight chil- dren, whose names are Cordelia, Edward, Susan, Elmira; Amanda Jane, who died at the age of four years, and the same name was conferred upon the sixth child ; Josephine and Effie, all of whom are now married. By Mrs. Elmira Conn's first mar- riage were born four children James, Leslie, Will- iam and Freddie. Her husband died in 1870. He was a farmer and a native of Pennsylvania. The son, James, is married, and is now located in Ne- braska. Mr. Stuckey is a Republican in politics. In religion, Mr. and Mrs. Stuckey are members of the Baptist Church at Fairbury, 111. THOMAS H. EDWARDS. Whatever of his- tory that has been made in that part of Illi- nois comprised in Peoria and Livingston Counties, ought to be very familiar to the subject of this sketch, who is a farmer on section 30, Owego Township, for he is a native of Peoria County, and was born Jan. 1, 1815. He is the son of Edward D. and Susan E. Edwards, who were natives of Vir- ginia and Maryland, respectively. His paternal ancestors were Scotch-Irish, and the maternal ances- tors of German descent. The grandfather, Thomas Edwards, was a soldier in the War of 1812. The parents of Mr. Edwards left Virginia in 1833, and emigrated to Peoria County, where they were among the very first settlers, and indeed at that time not a house had been built where the city of Peoria now stands. The father for several years operated a sawmill on the banks of the Illinois River, on the spot now decided to be near the foot of Fayette street in the city of Peoria. The father died in October, 1857, and the mother still resides in Peo- ria County. There were born to them eight chil- dren, five of whom are living: Nellie,- wife of D. S. Gigley, of McLean County, 111. ; Francis A., of Peoria County; Edward D., of Peoria County; Susan E., wife of Francis Van Arsdall, of Peoria County ; and Thomas H. The latter grew to manhood in Peoria County, where he attended the common schools, in which he received a good education. Mr. Edwards was married in Peoria County on the 14th of March, 1869, to Virginia A. Woolford, a native of Virginia, who was born on the 24th of April, 1845. She is the daughter of George Wool- ford, of Peoria County. To Mr. and Mrs. Ed- wards there have been born eight children, seven of whom are living, as follows: Edward D., George H., Thomas J. ; Leslie, deceased ; James H., Benja- min F. and Quiucy Adam. Mr. Edwards came to Livingston County in 1882, and settled on his farm in Owego Township in the spring of 1883, the farm consisting of 120 acres in Owego, and forty acres in Pontiac Town- ship. He also owns eighty acres on section 35, in Owego Township. On the 14th of February, 1865, Mr. Edwards enlisted in Company A, 151st Illinois Infantry, and served one year, the 'greater por- tion of the time performing patrol duty at Colum- bus, Ga. In February, 1866, he was honorably dis- charged and returned home. The parents of Mrs. Edwards were natives of Virginia, but resided about twenty years in Peoria County, where the mother died in December, 1881. They had a family of seven children, and six of them are living: Mary, the wife of D. W. Hudson, of Peoria County; Sarah E., of Peoria County; Benjamin F., of Peoria County ; Adam L., of Liv- ingston County; Christiana, wife of James Helsey, of Peoria County ; the one deceased was Pha'be J. The father is still alive, and resides in Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Edwards are both much attached to the Methodist Church, of which they are members. Mr. Edwards is a Republican in politics, and has been constant in his affiliations with that party. For nine years he served as School Director in Peo- ria County, and for three years in Owego Town- ship. In the spring of 1885 he was elected one of the three School Trustees of Owego Township for a term of three years. In Mr. Edwards is illustrated 474 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. what can be accomplished by industry, frugality, and good management, when one is thrown upon his own resources. In whatever has been accomplished since his marriage, his efforts have been seconded b his excellent wife. J. BENNETT, located on section 24, Char- lotte Township, and identified with the business and agricultural interests of that region, is considered one of the important factors in a community highly prosperous and in- telligent, and operates 200 acres of some of the fin- est farming land in Livingston County. The hand- some property of which he is now the possessor is the result of his own persevering industry, as he re- ceived no legacy to begin with and has fought his way single handed amidst many difficulties. The people born upon the soil of New York State are tacitly given credit for excellent business ca- pacities, which were usually supplemented with a practical education. Our subject was born there in the town of Erie, Cayuga County, Jan. 25, 1 838, and passed his childhood and youth on the old homestead belonging to his parents, Otis and Clar- inda (Savery) Bennett. They were natives of Mas- sachusetts, in which State the parents of both had settled at an early day. Otis Bennett, like his father before him, understood all about farming, in which he engaged considerably, while in the meantime working as a shoemaker, which trade he had learned in his youth. He also followed this after his re- moval to New York State. The family came to the AVest in the fall of 1856, locating on a rented farm in Peoria County, this State, whern the mother died the following year. She was a lady of most excellent qualities of heart and mind, and was greatly mourned by her family and friends. The father continued to reside on the farm in Peoria County, where his death took place in 1877. The early education of our subject was conducted in the district school, and he was a youth of eighteen years when his father and the family came to this State. He soon afterward started out for himself, working by the mouth, and the year following had saved a sufficient sum of money with which to buy :i team and commence operations for himself on a tract of rented land. This he occupied three years, and, still climbing up little by little, purchased, in I860, forty acres of improved land in Peoria County, of which he remained in possession seven years, and with excellent results. In the fall of 1867 he pur- chased eighty acres of wild prairie on section 1 2, in Charlotte Township, and the year following came to Livingston County. In the summer of 1868 he broke a part of his first purchase, and a fe.w months later sold the forty acres in Peoria County and purchased eighty acres on section 24, and sold the eighty on section 12. The affairs of Mr. Bennett had now assumed such shape that he considered he was in good con- dition to establish a home of his own and take upon himself the responsibility of a family. Accord- ingly, in the spring of 1869, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Margaret llidgeway, a native of Franklin County, N. Y., and born March 24, 1 850. She was the third child in the family of John H. and Lydia (Wheeler) Kidgeway, natives respect- ively of Ireland and Canada, and the parents of seven children. The young people at once re- paired to their farm, where there had been erected a modest dwelling, and where they are still located. Mr. Bennett has added considerably to his original purchase, and in 1873 erected a more substantial residence which, together with the barn and adja- cent out-buildings, completes a handsome and com- fortable home. The farm stock includes graded Durham and Holstein cattle, Morgan and Clyde horses and Poland-China swine. Mr. Bennett brought with him to this section that high regard for the establishment of educa- tional institutions which is an essential feature of the men of the Empire State. He greatly aided in the organization of the school districts and the put- ting up of the various buildings required, and has served as Director in his district for a period of twelve years, besides occupying other important offices. He takes very little part in politics, but votes with the Republican party. He is liberal in church matters, and one of the first men called upon to contribute toward the furtherance of those enter- prises which will benefit the people, both morally and financially. Mrs. B. is a member in good stand- t. I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 475 ing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They have an interesting family of four children, namely, George Francis, Nellie Maud, Roy Earnest and Stella Fern, comprising an unbroken circle, and all at home. The children have all been well educated, and in taking their proper stations in life will do honor to their estimable parents. bEONIDAS T. STOUTEMYER. One of the best qualities a business man can possess is conservatism, a quality which prompts him to take no important step until he is sure he is right, and then, as was said by David Crockett, go ahead. Men frequently accumulate fortunes by taking steps on the spur of the moment, regardless of conse- quences, but that kind of a fortune seldom stays by a man. Those who reach ultimate success, and wind up their long lives having accomplished all which they set out to, are the men who are cautious and conservative in all their transactions. These are qualities which are largely possessed by the subject of this sketch, who is a prominent farmer, located on section 13, Chatsworth Township, and whose residence in the county dates from 1865. He is a native of Miami County, Ohio, and was born on the 8th of December, 1841. His father, "William B. Stoutemyer, was a native of Virginia, but when twelve years of age he accompanied his parents when they removed to Miami County, Ohio, where the family were pioneer settlers. The father grew to manhood in Miami County, where lie was united in marriage to Nancy Ross, who was born in Pennsylvania, and her parents were early pioneers of Clarke County, Ohio. They followed fanning in Miami County until 1864, when they emigrated to Illinois, and settled on a farm near Bloomington, where the mother died in February, 1879. The father then came to Livingston County, and died in April of the same year. They were the parents of three sons and one daughter, the lat- ter dying in childhood. The sons are still living, and are: William E., who resides in Livingston County; John B., who resides in Bloomington; and the subject of this sketch, who is the oldest of the three. He was about nine years old when the family removed to Logan County, Ohio, where he was educated in the common schools, and assisted in the work upon the farm. In 1862 he enlisted in the month of July, and was mustered into the Uni- ted States service in Company E, 45th Ohio In- fantry, with which he served three years, and soon after entering the army participated in the battles of Dutton Hill and Campton West. He was with Gen. Burnsides in his famous raids through Ken- tucky and Tennessee. The winter of 1863-64 was passed by the regiment at Ml. Sterling, Ky., after which it joined Gen. Sherman at Chattanooga, and participated in the Atlanta campaign, subsequently returning with Gen. Thomas and participating in many a hard-fought battle. In the battle at Knox- ville, he received a gunshot wound in the head, which rendered him unfit for duty for a few weeks, but he did not go fnto a hospital. At the expira- tion of his term of service, he received an honor- able discharge from the army, and came to Illinois, as during the interim the family had moved to Mc- Lean County. In 1866 he came to Livingston County, where his father owned land, which Mr. IStoutemyer improved, and has since followed farm- ing as a constant occupation. He now owns 320 acres of land, which he cultivates after the most approved methods, and devotes a large share of his attention to the propagation and raising of stock, in which business he has attained a large measure of success. His farm buildings are of ample dimen- sions and excellent quality. He is a strong ad- vocate of the principles of the Republican party, and believes that the affairs of the nation ought to be administered by the men who saved it. He has held several local offices, and served nine years as a Trustee. In religious matters he espouses the doc- trines and tenets of the Baptist Church, of which he is a Deacon and a Trustee. Mr. Stoutemyer has been married three times. In 1868 he married Sarah Kinnan, who was a native of Ohio, and died in January, 1869. On the 6th of June, 1871, he married Mary E. Newman, who was born in Ohio, and died in April, 1872, leaving one daughter, Mary E. In 1875 he married Anna J. Little, who was born in Logansport, Ind., and they have five children Flora May, Nancy E., Edwin Ross, Howard and Sarah Margaret. Mr. Stoute- 17(1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. myer and his family are very pleasantly situated in their home, and are able to command almost any of the com forts of life that they require. They are highly esteemed by all their neighbors, with whom they are on the best of terms. YLVESTER LONGNECKER. The peo- ple who settled in Livingston County over forty years ago found it a vast expanse of wild prairie, isolated almost from civiliza- tion and wholly devoid of comfort. Since that time they have seen the country transformed from its original condition to productive fields and val- uable farms, dotted here and there with cities and villages, with a dense population of intelligent, pro- gressive, prosperous people, who are happy and contented in .ill their surroundings. These condi- tions have been brought about by just such active and courageous people as the subject of this sketch, who were the pioneer settlers. Mr. Longnecker, a farmer on section 32 in Sun " bury Township, was born near Cincinnati, Ohio Jan. 22, 1827, and was the fourth child in a family of eleven born to Jacob and Sarah D. (Porter) Long- necker, natives of Maryland and Kentucky respect- ively. The paternal grandparents, Andrew and Elizabeth (Rhinehart) Longnecker, were natives of Germany, and emigrated to America at an early day, settling first in Maryland, whence the}- re- moved to Kentucky, and thence to Ohio. lie died in Ohio and she went to Ottawa, 111., and spent her last days there with her daughter. The maternal grandfather was a native of Kentucky, and his fa- ther, John Porter, was a soldier in the Revolution- ary War, and was reputed a bold and fearless sol- dier. He was taken prisoner by the Indians, by whom he was wounded, and curried two musket balls in his body until his death. The father of our subject was a shoemaker by trade, and while engaged in that occupation also carried on farming. In 1833 he moved to Clinton County, Ind., remain- ing two years, when he removed to Tippeeanoe County, where he farmed .until 1844, and then took the overland route with horses and oxen for llli- nois, bringing his sheep, cattle and hogs with him. Our subject was seventeen years of age when the family arrived in Livingston County. While liv- ing in Indiana he had no opportunity for obtaining an education, but since arriving at manhood he has applied himself diligently to study, and succeeded in fitting himself for business affairs. He and his father bought and entered 320 acres of wild land upon their arrival in Livingston County. At that time there was plenty of deer, turkeys, wolves and small game. On the land then purchased they built a house on the edge of a strip of timber, and it is 3'et occupied by our subject and his family. They cultivated a small portion of the land at the beginning, and gradually developed it until it has all been placed under cultivation. The township of Sunbury was organized after their arrival in Livingston County, and took its name from a post station which was located on a road for general travel through that part of the county. In this county seven of a large family of children grew up, only one of whom, besides our subject, is now liv- ing in the county a sister, Mrs. Gates, of Cornell. Of the children we have the following record : John, born Dec. 19, 1820; William W., Sept. 23, 1822; Elizabeth, May 19, 1825; Sylvester, Jan. 22, 1827; Mary J., born Dec. 27, 1821), died July 1C, 1842; Rachel, born Oct. 13, 1830, died July 14,1843; Absalom, born July 13, 1833, died Aug. 28, 1842; Jacob, born May 30, 1836; Newberry S., July 27, 1838; Sarah M., born Aug. 13, 1840, died Aug. 25, 1842; Jeremiah, born Nov. 6, 1842. The fa- ther of our subject was born in November, 1798, and died in April, 1860, aged sixty -two years. The mother was born Oct. 7, 1801, and died in 1870. Mr. Longnecker was married, Oct. 12, 1854, to Laura M. Hampton, who was born in Darke Coun- ty, Ohio, on the 14th of July, 1836. and was the eldest in a family of eight children born to John and Eliza (Booth) Hampton, natives of Ohio and Connecticut respectively. Her parents came to Illinois about 1837, making the journey overland with teams. They bought and improved a farm on Fox River, and after a time settled in Livingston County. The mother died in Grundy County, and the father married again, and settled in Livingston LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 47' County permanently immediately after the second marriage. Mr. Longnecker has 150 acres of land in Sunbury Township, and twenty acres in Esmen Township, all of which is highly improved. He devotes much attention to raising graded stock, and to the de- tails of farming. Mr. and Mrs. Longnecker ar3 the parents of eight children, whose names are as fol- lows: Eliza B., born Oct. 16, 1855; Mary E., May 31, 1857; Andrew, Dee. 1, 1859; Oscar, June 22, 1862; Arthur, Jan. 8, 1865; Martha Ann, March 28, 1867; Leroy, Dec. 27, 1870, and Frederick, July 14, 1876. Mary E. married John Webb, who is engaged in farming and stock-raising in Barton County, Mo. These children have all been given a good education, and two of them, Oscar and Ar- thur, have developed considerable talent for music. Andrew was in the Chatsworth railroad disaster of 1887, but escaped without serious injury. Our subject has served as Road Commissioner and School Director. While he is a member of the Republican party he does not take an active part in politics, and in the selection of township officers he is wholly non-partisan. He is decidedly in favor of choosing the best men for the administra- tion of local affairs regardless of the political party to which they belong. As a citizen and neighbor Mr. Longnecker is held in high esteem, and in his business relations enjoys the confidence of all with whom he comes in eoiitact. ICHAEL MARTIN. One reason why the population of the United States contains so large a per cent of foreign born citizens is because i >f the oppressive laws of many of 1ho European countries. While an Irishman loves his native country as he loves himself, the systems of landlordism and tenantry in that country for many years have been so unjust and oppressive as to compel hundreds of thousands of the people to leave their native land to seek homes in new countries. America has become a rallying point for the greater number of these people, and when once hero and settled down they have become the most lawful and law-abiding of our citizens. There are no anarchists nor socialists among the American citizens of Irish descent. As a rule they readily assimilate with the native-born citizen, and respect law and order while the}- enter with zest into all movements for building up American institutions. The subject of this sketch, a resident of Union Township, is the son of a man who was compelled to leave the land of his birth on account of the tyranny of landlordism, and seek a home in this country. Michael Martin was born in Kerry County, Ire- land, on the 2.">th of June, 1842, and was the third child in a family of four born to Thomas and Mar- garet (O'SulIivan) Martin, natives of Ireland. His paternal grandparents were Michael and Mary (Fitz- gerald). Martin, and the maternal grandparents were Daniel and Margaret (Welsh) O'SulIivan; all were natives of Ireland and farmers by occupation. The father of the subject of this sketch was a farmer in Ireland, but because of the oppression of the land- owners was compelled to leave that country. He came to America, where for a time he engaged in railroading, and afterward located on a farm in Bureau County, where in 1864 he was enabled to buy a farm of his own. In 1855 one of his daugh- ters came and located in the East, ami soon after the subject of this sketch and the remaining mem- bers of the family came to the United States. They embarked on the " Lady Rnssel." and after a stormy voyage of nearly five weeks landed at New York. They went to Massachusetts, where they lived until tlie'noxt spring, and then he and his mother proceeded to Bureau County, 111., where the}' joined the hus- band and father on the farm. The subject of this sketch was reared to farm life and had but limited chances for obtaining an education. In November, 1868, Mr. Martin was married to Ellen Lines, who was born iji Vermont, and was the (laughter of Thomas and Julia (Dunn) Lines, natives of Ireland. They first settled in Bureau County, where he purchased 100 acres of land from his father, and lived there for about twelve years, when they sold out and came to Livingston County, where lie bought 160 acres of partly improved land, and on which lie lias resided ever since. They have had a family of ten children, nine of whom are living Margaret Theresa. Julia Agnes, John Joseph, Thomas William, Michael Allen, Enos Patrick, f 17* LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Edward, Daniel Henry and Mary Ellen, the latter two being twins. One child, Thomas, i> de- ceived. These children are all at home with their parents, and attending school. They are all bright and intelligent, and it is the ambition of their parents that each shall be well educated. Mr. Martin devotes considerable time to raising a fine grade of cattle and horses, and in this line of business has met with excellent success. While he is not an active participant in politics he invariably casts his vote with the party of his choice, the Demo- cratic. He and his family are devout members of the Catholic Church, and are regular in their attendance. As citizens Mr. Martin and his family are respected and esteemed, and so far as neighbor- ship is concerned there are none better. Whatever is intended to elevate the condition of the people of 1'nion Township meets with Mr. Martin's most hearty and cordial support, and he is always fore- most in such enterprises. The pages of thjs ALBUM would be incomplete without this biographical sketch, and it gives us pleasure to present it here- with. ,1. SHEARER migrated from his native State of Pennsylvania when a yoiing man, having in view the establishment of a per- manent home. The country was then pass- ing through its first stages of settlement, and was waiting for just such industrious hands and strong- hearts of which our subject was a striking example. He had been reared to habits of industry and econ- omy, and the fact that hardship stared him in the face, together with many other difficulties, did not in the least dismay or discourage him. He went to work with a will, and can now look around him upon the result of his labors with a just feeling of pride and satisfaction. He put his shoulder to the wheel, and year after year pushed ahead steadily, and has no regret for the muscle which he expended, for the result has been satisfactory to the last de- gree. He owns a fine property in Sullivan Town- ship, consisting of 200 acres of land on section 24, where he is carrying on farming and stock-raising, surrounded by all the comforts of life, and held in the highest esteem by his neighbors. The early years of Mr. Shearer were spent in Franklin County, Pa., where his birth took place on the llth of May, 1828. He was the eldest of six children born to Michael and Mary Ann (Stewart) Shearer, who were also natives of the Keystone State. His paternal grandparents, Michael and Mary (Rhodes) Shearer, were also natives of Penn- sylvania, and on his mother's side his grandparents, Thomas and Mary Stewart, were born in Scotland and Virginia respectively. Grandfather Stewart was a shoemaker by trade, and in the Colonial days made shoes for the slaves of Gen. George Washington. He also voted for the Father of his Country when he was a Presidential candidate, and was a member of the same Masonic lodge to which Washington belonged. Michael Shearer carried on farming in Pennsyl- vania until 1850, and then removed to Franklin County, Ohio, with his family, where he spent the remainder of his days employed as before, and where his death took place in July, 1885, when seventy-nine years of age. His excellent wife had preceded her husband to the silent land in August, 1882, when seventy-five years old. Our subject continued with his parents in Penn- sylvania, and was married before their removal to Ohio, his bride being Miss Catherine Lehman, and the wedding taking place at the home of her par- ents, March 14, 1850. Mrs. Shearer was born in Franklin County, Pa., Aug. 6, 1825, and is the second child of Samuel and Elizabeth (Kanffman) Lehman, also natives of that State and where they spent their entire lives. Directly after marriage, the young people removed to Ohio with the father of our subject, where they went to housekeeping, and Mr. Shearer employed himself at farming. They remained residents of Franklin County for a period of eighteen years, and in the fall of 1867 Mr. Shearer, having caught the Western fever, came to this State and purchased a quarter section of wild land in Sullivan Township, where he now resides. The following spring he was joined by his family, and then commenced the improvements which now stand as a silent monument of his en- terprising industry. He added 1.51 acres to his LIVINGSTON COUNTY. first purchase, has now 200 acres near Cullom, and upon it a fine set of farm buildings. In addition to this he also purchased 151 acres in Ford County, which he has since sold to his sons upon easy pay- ments. The home farm of our subject is in a high state of cultivation, and he exhibits some of the finest live stock in this section of country. This includes high-grade Norman and Clyde horses, with Dur- ham cattle and Poland-China swine. In consider- ation of the large interests which he has controlled in so praiseworthy a manner, it is not surprising that he has found little time to take part in politi- cal affairs. He, however, performs the duties of a good citizen at the polls each year, and usually supports the Republican candidate. He has offici- ated as Town Clerk, and held the office of School Treasurer nearly twenty years. He represented Sullivan Township in the County Board of Super- visors, which is sufficient evidence of the estima- tion in which he is held by his fellow-citizens. He has been warmly interested in educational matters, and taken an active part in the organization of school districts. These are now all complete, and the township boasts of ten good school-houses, which are excellent indications of the class of peo- ple by which it is settled. Mr. S. and his excellent lady are prominently connected with the German Reformed Church. The six children of Mr. and Mrs. Shearer are all living, most of them married and settled in com- fortable homes of their own. Samuel VV. is farm- ing in Ford County; Joseph P. assists in the labor> and management of the homestead ; John L. is en- gaged as a grain-dealer at Cullom; Mary E. is the wife of William Hildebrand, who is carrying on fanning in Adams County, Neb.; Uriah S. is Sta- tion Agent and operator at Flanagan, this county; Emma F. is the wife of J. W. Null, Station Agent of Buckingham, Kankakee County. Mr. Shearer, it is hardly necessary to state, gave his children the best of school advantages, and they have grown iil> around him intelligent and accomplished, and form a group of which the parents may reasonably be proud. Two brothers of Mr. Shearer served as soldiers in the late war, and our subject himself, as a mem- ber of the Ohio militia, was on active duty at the time of Morgan's raid in the Buckeye State. He has seen much of life, made the most of his oppor- tunities, and his social and financial standing to-day is the result of his own industry and determination. xp^EORGE W. BILLINGS, one of the most |l[ (=-, promising young men of Long Point, and 5^5) one who has thoroughly popularized himself with the people of the community, is now the tele- graph operator, express, freight and ticket agent at this point. He is the son of John and Hannah Bill- ings, who were natives of Maine, and both of whom are dead, the mother dying on the 20th of October, 1880, and the father on the 10th of December, 1883, at Ancona, Livingston County. Their family con- sisted of seven children, whose record is as follows: Sarah, who married George II. Fisher, a grain in- spector, lives in Indianapolis, Ind., and has one child ; Mercy married C. 11. Crowell, who is a far- mer and stock-raiser, and resides in Maine; Artie G. married W. F. Edgerly, who is a farmer, living near Stewart, Iowa: Mary E. and Hannah J. are twins; the former married E. N. Gillman, who is a fanner, and they live at Rutland, 111., and the latter lives with their brother, George W. Eva C'. married A. II. Edgerly, a farmer, and lives in Maine. The father was a physician of the Eclectic School, and was a graduate of the Metropolitan College of New York. He was a practicing physician for about forty years, and was successful in his profession. He came from Maine to LaSalle County, the first time in 1867, and soon after returned to his native State, where he remained about one year, when he returned to Illinois and located in LaSalle County, living there until 1872, when he went to Champaign County, where he remained for two year.- and then went back to LaSalle County, and in 1875 moved to Livingston County, where he died in 1883, at the age ot sixty-nine years. George W. Billings came with his parents to Long- Point in 1875. and studied telegraphy in the railroad ollice at Ancona. Since then lie has devoted most of his time to telegraphy, and two years ago took possr-- sion of the oflico at this place, and in addition to its t , , 480 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. management is ;ils<> express. freight and ticket agent. He never enjoyed any educational advantages other than tliose afforded by the common schools. but he was so studious that he obtained far more than an average education, lie does not assay to lie an active politician, but has earnestly espoiwd the doctrines of the Greenback party. t PRED DUCKETT, wlio is engaged in the drug trade at Forest, is a native of Somer- setshire, England, where he was born on the 10th of November, 1840. His parents were Benjamin and Jane (Redmond) Duckett, also na- tives of England, where they passed their lives, the mother dying in 1885. There were born to them seven children, five of whom are living: Francis lives in Sac County, Iowa; Daniel; Sarah, Mrs. Ar- ney; Fred, and Gabriel, who resides in Australia. The subject of this notice resided in his native country until 1854, and then emigrated to the United States, where his two elder brothers had pre- ceded him. He landed in New York, going at once to the central part of the State, and worked as a farm hand in Oswego and Onondaga Counties. In the fall of 1850 he made his advent into the State of Illinois, first stopping at Henry, Marshall County, where he was engaged as a farm hand for a few months. He then proceeded to Peoria Count}- and worked at farming until 1862. During the Rebellion Mr. Duckett enlisted in the arm}-, and in June was mustered into Company K, llth Illinois Cavalry, serving until September, 18G5. He was with Gen. Grierson in his raid into Eastern Tennessee, and participated in all the sub- sequent raids and engagements in which the regi- ment took a part. He was promoted from private to Corporal and then to Sergeant, and in March, 18C5, he was commissioned Second Lieutenant, in which rank he was mustered out in September, 1865. He then returned to Peoria County, where he engaged in growing hedge plants until 1807, when he came, to Forest and entered the employ of his brother, Dr. Daniel Duckett, with whom he served as drug clerk until July, 1884. On the 4th of July of that year Mr. Duckett was badly injured by a prem- attire discharge of fireworks, and when he recov- ered from his injuries in September, he purchased his present business. On the 19th of February, 1H6G, Mr. Duckett was married to Mary E. Munhall. a native of Ohio, who is the daughter of Samuel and Sarah Munhall. To them have been born six children, whose names are Jennie, Arthur F., Jessie S., Nellie M., Mabel M. and Loie A. Mr. Duckett is a Republican in poli- tics, and takes considerable interest in public affairs. He has served as Township Collector and Village Trustee, and in both of these capacities gave good satisfaction to the people. He takes great interest in social and benevolent orders, and is a prominent and leading member of the Masonic fraternity. He is a Knight Templar, and for nine years served as Worshipful Master of Forest Lodge No. 614, A. F. & A. M. In his social intercourse he is genial and pleasant, and is a man of good business ability. He has already secured a large and profitable trade, which he will have no difficulty in increasing. \T SAAC T. RAMSAY, of Long Point Township, j owns a sung farm of eighty acres on section 27, jl of which he has been in possession since the spring of 18(58. He has good buildings, and his fields are handsomely laid off with hedge, which con- tributes greatly to the beauty and value of the prop- erty. He also uses wire fence considerably, which is a great improvement upon the the clumsy and old- I'a-hioned rails. He is recognized a^ a skillful far- mer, a man who provides well for the wants of his family, and in all respects a valued factor in the community. The early years of our subject were spent in Montgomery, Pa., where he began life on the 28th of April, 1840. His parents, Thoma* and Rebecca (Conog) Ramsay, were also natives of the Keystone State, the former born in 1 S07 and the latter two years later in 1809. The mother departed this life at the old home in Long Point Township, where the father is still living at an advanced age. Our subject came to this State with his parents in 1854, locating first in Northampton, Peoria County, where he was engaged a year at farm work. i f RESIDENCE or STEPHEN POTTER ,SEC .15. ROUND GROVETOWNSHIP. .UNION TOWNSHIP. RESIDENCE: or AMOS H ERTZ, SEC 9. BROUGHTON TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 481 and thence came to this county, where he developed into manhood. In 1863 he took unto himself a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Maria Moffett, a native of Illinois, and at that time a resident of Bu- reau County. She is the daughter of Hugh and Jane (Langhlin) Moffett, and was born in 1837. By her union with our subject there are six children: Allen J. was born June 10, 1864, makes his home with his grandmother Moffett, and is engaged in fanning and stock-raising; Jennie, born Sept. 23, 1866; Jessie, in 1869; Hugh, Jan. 17, 1872; Maud B., Aug. 29, 1875, and Walter, July 20, 1878, are at home with their parents. Mr. Ramsay, politically, is a Democrat "dyed in the wool." He is a gentleman of decided opinions and fearless without being offensive in the expres- sion of them. He takes pride in his farm, and has always aimed high in his career as a citizen and a member of the agricultural society. He has served in his township as Road Commissioner and School Director, and is always approachable upon those matters having for their object the general welfare of society. The maternal grandparents of our subject were of stanch Pennsylvania!! stock, honest and reliable people, who figured as worthy members of the community, and made for themselves and their chil- dren a desirable and worthy name. The mother of Mrs. Ramsay was a native of North Carolina, and her father of Ohio. RS. CHLOE C. BARTLETT, of Fairbury, is the widow of the late Dr. Cicero C. Bartlett, formerly a practicing physician, tit who later in life took tip farming pur- suits which he followed for a number of years suc- cessfully. He spent his last days in Indian Grove Township, where his death took place on the 5th of March, 1 883, when he was fifty-six years old, his birth having occurred Dec. 4. 1 826. Dr. Bartlett was a native of Hamilton County, Ohio, where he spent his childhood and youth, and commenced the study of medicine under the in- struction of his uncle, W. II. Bartlett, M. D., of Butler. Subsequently, he entered the Columbus (Ohio) Medical College, from which he was gradu- ated in 1852, and on the 13th of April, that same year, he was united in marriage with Miss Chloe C. Beach. Mrs. Bartlett was born in Madison County, Ohio, Sept. 17, 1831, and is the daughter of Dr. Lorenzo and Edith (Bull) Beach, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York State. Dr. Beach was born in 1798, and died in August, 1878. The mother was born in 1805, and departed hence several years previous to the death of her husband, her decease occurring in 1874. They were the parents of four children James, Thomas, Chloe and Hester. Dr. and Mrs. Bartlett after their marriage com- menced life together in a modest dwelling at Dills- boro, Ind., whence they removed, in 1855, to this county, and Dr. B. opened up a farm, where he cultivated the soil two years, then took up his resi- dence in the town of Fairbury and engaged in gen- eral merchandising, including extensive transactions in grain. About 1870 he instituted the private bank which was afterward familiarly known under the firm name of Bartlett, Beach & Dominy. On account of failing health, however, Dr. Bartlett was obliged to retire from active business, and spent the last four or five years of his life at home retired from active labor. Dr. Bartlett was public-spirited and liberal, and did much toward building up the town of Fairbury, being foremost in those enterprises calculated for the progress and welfare of its people. The great ambition of his life was to provide a handsome and comfortable home for his family, which he was per- mitted to accomplish. The fine residence now oc- cupied by his widow is as much an ornament to the residence portion of the city as it is a credit to him who projected it. It is pleasantly located on Walnut street, and both within and without gives evidence of cultivated tastes and ample means. The grounds comprise half an acre, finely laid out and planted with choice shade trees and shrubbery. The carriage-barn stands in the rear and all the ap- purtenances of the homestead combine to give it an air of comfort and plenty, which is extremely pleasant to the eye. As a husband, father and member of society, Dr. Bartlett presented in his whole career the character of a man whoso example t > , 4S2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. was eminently worthy of imitation. He had iden- tified himself with the Methodist Episcopal Church early in life and remained a consistent member un- til his death. He was mourned as the useful and valued citizen whose loss it is is difficult to replace. He filled the various township offices, the duties of which he discharged with conscientious fidelity, and in politics uniformly voted the Republican ticket. Dr. and Mrs. Bartlett became the parents of six children, two of whom died in infancy. Edith, the eldest daughter, is the wife of Elmer Lewis, of Fairbury, who is engaged as a commercial traveler; Albert C. married Miss Emma McDowell, and re- sides in Fairbury; Emma, Mrs. Hiatt B. Taylor, is a resident of Ohio; Harry remains at home with his mother. Mrs. Bartlett is a member of the Pres- byterian Church and a lady highly respected in her community. EDWIN R. LUCAS, one of the most skillful farmers and stock-raisers of Amity Town- ship, is a gentleman in the prime of life and in the midst of his usefulness. His has been a varied and interesting career, a part of which was devoted to the service of his country during the late war. Upon retiring from army life he returned to his native State, and took up the farming operations which had been interrupted by the terrors of the Rebellion, and since that time has given most of his attention to the improvement and embellish- ment of his property. This comprises eighty acres of finely cultivated land on section 19, which he thoroughly drained with tile, and which yields in abundance the choicest crops of the Prairie State. Mr. L. has proved himself public-spirited and lib- eral, improving his opportunity to encourage en- lightenment and education as carried on in the schools in his township, in connection with which he has served as Director for several years. He votes the straight Democratic ticket, and though no office-seeker is serving his second term as Road Commissioner. Although not identified with any religious organization, he is honest and upright in his transactions, a good neighbor, a kind man in his family, and universally popular with his associ- ates. He keeps himself thoroughly posted upon current events, and is interesting to con verso with. Our subject, a native of this State, was born in Vermilion County Feb. 27, 1844. His parents, John H. and Sally (Smith) Lucas, were natives re- spectively of Ohio and Pennsylvania. John Lucas came to Illinois with his parents in 1831, when a lad thirteen years of age, and remained in Vermilion County until the fall of 1855. He had in the niean- time been married, and now with his family re- moved across the Mississippi into Davis County, Mo., but not liking the country came back to Illinois :md located in Amity Township, this county, where he still resides. The mother of our subject departed this life at her home in Vermilion County when Edwin R. was a young child. His father subse- quently married Miss Elizabeth Bixler. Of the first marriage there were born four children Pres- ton, Levina, John B., and Edwin R., our subject. John B. yielded up his life as a sacrifice during the late war, dying after a lingering illness in the hospital at Bowling Green, Ky., in December, 1862. Of the second marriage of John Lucas there were born Bruce, Steward, Nettie, Agnes and Delia. Edwin R. Lucas was a youth of but seven- teen years upon the breaking out of the Rebellion, and at once experienced an intense desire to assist in whipping the Confederates. He was considered much too young to enlist at that time, but he would not abandon the idea, and in August, 18C2, became a member of Company A, 129th Illinois, and served until the close of the war in June, 18C5. Upon being mustered into service the regiment remained at Pontiac, whence it was ordered to Louisville, Ky., and became a portion of the 38th Brigade of the 12th Division, under the command of Maj. Gen. Gilbert. Soon afterward they were de- tailed to pursue the rebel General, Bragg, and his troops who were threatening the city of Louisville, Ky. This duty accomplished our subject, with some of his comrades, was stationed as guard along the river and around Bowling Green, and to harrass the guerrillas. Afterward, marching to the southeast, he participated in the battle of Resaca, Ga., which resulted in victory for the l/nion forces. After sev- eral engagements and skirmishes he found him-clf before the city of Atlanta, which, after a siege of ; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 483 I six weeks, was surrendered by the enemy, and the Union army took possession. Our subject was one of those who crawled up to the ramparts at night, and from his concealment in a ditch conversed with some of the "Johnnies" while they also lay in hid- ing. Young Lucas shortly afterward, while assist- ing some of his comrades in hauling a log, was greatly injured on account of over exertion as his Lieutenant, who was helping to hold the other end, was disabled by a bullet, which left the main weight on Edwin. The latter, with his usual persistence, determined to carry his end, and strained himself to a serious extent. However, by good care of him- self, he recovered from this. At Atlanta seventeen of his brave comrades yielded up their lives before the log defense was made. Our subject subse- quently entered Milledgeville, and was afterward at Ft. Hardy, which was erected during the troubles of 1812. On the 16th of December, 18C4, after making a charge on the enemy at Aversboro, they retired a short distance, and Mr. Lucas with a com- rade picked up a pine log which they contemplated carrying a short distance for the purpose of using for defense. While returning for their guns the log was fully occupied by their comrades, so there was no room for themselves. His companion proposed that they should go for another, although the ene- my's balls were flying thick around them, and al- though Mr. Lucas considered it a suicidal move, which it proved to be, for his comrade received a bullet in the heart and died in the arms of Mr. L. This is only a specimen of the dangers which they endured, and which they bore heroically forsake of the end to be gained. After many other hairbreadth escapes news came of the surrender of Gen. Lee, and not long afterward our subject received his honorable discharge and returned home. Mr. Lucas resumed his old life and farm labors in Amity Township, and in due time began to make arrangements for a home of his own. One of the first steps toward this was his marriage, on the 10th of April, 1870, to Miss Martha A. Con well, which took place at the home of the bride. Mrs. Lucas is the daughter of John and Nancy (Carlisle) Con- well, natives of Ohio. She was born in Zanesville, that State, in 1847, and was deprived by death of her father's care when a small girl. She remained with her mother a few years and then removed to McLean County, where our subject made her ac- quaintance. Mrs. Conwell, now Mrs. Dean, subse- quently removed to Kansas where she now resides, and is remarkably well preserved for an aged lady. She is sixtj'-niue years old and has the same glossy, black hair as in her youth, with a trace of gray. Mrs. Lucas has one sister and two brothers: David C., who is married and lives in Missouri ; Sarah E., the wife of G. W. Simpson, residing near Bloomington, and the mother of four boys ; and Stephen W., who resides in Atchison County, Mo., is married and the father of one child. To Mr. and Mrs. Lucas there have been born nine children, three of whom have been laid away to their long sleep. Of the six remaining the rec- ord is as follows : Amy, the eldest daughter, was born Oct. 2, 1872. and is now an interesting maiden of fifteen summers, pursuing her studies in the dis- trict schools; Viota G. and Viola (twins), were born April 19, 1875, and are also attending school; Lillie L. was born Sept. 13, 1877; Edwin II., Jan. 28, 1880, and Jessie Ross, Sept. 5, 1886. The deceased were Jasper H., who was born Jan. 28, 4871, and died Oct. 22, 1872; Justin, born March 5, 1 882, lived but a day, and Myrtle May, bom July 9, 1883, died October 22 following. HOMAS Y. BROWN, of the firm of J. E. Brown & Co., bankers at Chatsworth, 111., is numbered among the pioneers of Livingston County, as his settlement dates from May, 1855, when he first settled in what is now Germantown Township. He is a native of Jefferson County, N. Y., and was born on the 15th of November, 1810, being a descendant of George Brown, who emi- grated from England in the early settlement of America. The father, Henry Brown, was born in 1786, in Bucks County, Pa., but when only four- teen years of age he accompanied his parents to the Black River Country of New York, in 1799, where he grew to manhood, and became one of the successful farmers of Jefferson County. He died in April, 1868. The mother, Sally (Brown) Brown, was also born in Bucks County, Pa., and moved < ^484 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ' t t with her parents to New York, where she was mar- ried to Henry Brown, and they had five children : Lysander H., a lawyer by profession, residing at Ogdensburg, N. Y. ; Thomas Y. ; Loretta, who died at the age of two years; George M., who was an iron founder at Carthage, N. Y.,and died at the age of fifty-two, and Sarah, who married Alexander Brown and lives in Jefferson County, N. Y. The mother died in 1818, at the age of twenty- eight years. His father lived a widower for fifty years. From the fact that the mother died of consumption, it was predicted that the children would all die young, but not a death occurred among them for fifty years after her demise. T. Y. Brown was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools, never having the advan- tage of an academical or college course. In 1 837 he was married to Miss Mary A. Everett, who was born at Sackett's Harbor, N. Y., inDecember, 1818, and in connection with his father conducted a dairy farm of 800 acres and 100 cows until 1855, at which time he came to Illinois and purchased 1,200 acres of land in what is now known as Gcr- mantowu Township, for which he paid $5 per acre. This land he improved and resided upon until 1870, when he removed into the village of Chatsworth to retire from active business. In 1885 he associated himself with his son, Jacob E. Brown, and suc- ceeded C. A. Wilson & Co. as bankers. To each of his three children he gave a good farm of 150 acres, and has since disposed of the remainder of his land, and invested his capital in banking. Mr. and Mrs. Brown have been married for over half a century, and have three children: Jacob E. ; Sarah A., the wife of J. C. Shear, and Mary F.,the wife of Joel R. Strawn. Mr. Brown's first vote was cast for Andrew Jackson, and he affiliated with the Democratic party until 18C4, when he voted for Abraham Lincoln, and has since supported the Re- publican ticket. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are both highly esteemed by the people who have the pleas- ure of their acquaintance', and have one of the most pleasant homes in the county of Livingston. They are hospitable people, and take great delight in en- tertaining their friends. Mr. Brown and his wife boarded the fated excursion train which \v:is wrecked near Chatsworth, on the 10th of August, 1887; they entered one of the forward cars, and after the train left the depot passed back to a sleeper. They had just entered and closed the door of the first sleeper, when the crash came, and all the cars in front were wrecked. Eighty persons were fatally injured, and hundreds of others were badly hurt, but Mr. and Mrs. Brown escaped with- out injury. ;ILLIAM WALLACE SEARS, Postmaster of Chatsworth, and one of its well-known business men, came to the southeastern part of Livingston County when the ground now occupied by the village was comparatively va- cant. He located at E) Paso in 1857, where he fol- lowed his trade of shoemaker and was the first rep- resentative of St. Crispin. In 1864, desirous of a change of occupation, he went into McLean County, and located on a small tract of land, from which, however, he removed the next year to Chatsworth where he had already purchased. It was not long before he was acknowledged as one of the most val- ued citizens of the hamlet, which now began to assume the semblance of a village, and in 1866 lie was elected Justice of the Peace, which office, with the exception of four years, he has held to the present time. In connection with this he has also carried on a thriving insurance business in connec- tion with collecting and dealing in real estate. In 1862-63 he was elected Supervisor of El Paso Township in Wood ford County, and has held the same office in Livingston County several terms, and is the present incumbent. Politically he has always been a stanch supporter of the Democratic party. In a pleasant and attractive home his fam- ily consists of his estimable wife and the five chil- dren which have been spared to them out of a fam- ily of ten, the offspring of a congenial marriage. These latter are Frank, Barna, Libbie, Grace and Fannie. Mr. Sears was born in Short Tract, near Portage, N. Y., April 21, 1828. He is the scion of an ex- cellent old English family whose first represent- ative to the United States was the grandfather of our subject, who settled near Boston, Mass., and f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4851 there reared a family among whom was Franklin, who became the father of William W. Franklin Sears left his native city when a young man, and emigrating to New York State, located in Living- ston County during its early settlement. He fol- lowed the trade of a shoemaker, and became the possessor of a small tract of land which he culti- vated in a moderate way, and where he spent the remainder of his life. His death took place in 18G9, after he had attained his fourscore and four years. He had married in earl}' manhood Miss Elizabeth Shadders, who was born in Hagerstown, Md., and removed with her parents to Livingston County, N. Y., when a child nine years of age. She became the wife of Franklin Sears about 1820, and they lived together for nearly half a century. She survived her husband scarcely a year, her death taking place in 1870, and her age being seventy-four. The parental household consisted of seven daughters and two sons, of whom four girls and the two boys attained their majority, and with the exception of our subject, continue to re- side in Livingston County, N. Y. Edward W. is a resident of Moscow ; Elizabeth, Mrs. Harvey Ewart, of Groveland; Jane is the wife of Daniel T. Barnnm, who is now ninety years of age; Julia married William Crawford, of Champaign County, I 111., returning to Moscow after becoming a widow; Mary, Mrs. Bickford, is deceased. Our subject was but a small boy when the fam- ily removed from Portage to Moscow, N. Y., where he pursued his studies -hi the Black School- house. Subsequently he learned shoemaking under the instruction of his father, which he followed in his native State until the fall of 1857. He then turned his steps westward, arriving in Woodford County on the 20th of October. His subsequent course we have already indicated. He has been prominent in local affairs, ^identified with many of the important interests of Chatsworth, and is the man usually first called upon to endorse the meas- ures set on foot for the welfare of the community. At the time of the terrible railroad disaster at Chatsworth, he was foreman of the Coroner's jury which held the inquest over the bodies of seventy- four victims. The wife of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Margaret Poorman, a native of Waterloo, Seneca Co., N. Y., and born Dec. 9, 1832. Her marriage with Mr. Sears was celebrated at the home of her parents in September, 1855. She is the daughter of Jacob and Isabel (Hogan) Poorman, and is the mother of the ten children heretofore mentioned. She accompanied her husband to this county and has stood bravely by his side in his difficulties, proving at all times his closest friend and counselor, and has contributed her share to- ward his prosperity. EUBEN OUTRAM, saddler and harness- maker, shoemaker and repairer at Long Point, is a native of the county of Kent, and, and was raised in the town of Sevenoaks. He is the son of James and Sarah (Gunner) Outram, and his father was the son of William Outram. The subject of this sketch re- mained in England until he was twenty years of age. He was educated in the National schools of his native county, which are supported by legacies and endowments principally, the law requiring the pupil to pa}' one penny per week, which is equiva- lent to two cents of American money. The schools at Sevenoaks furnished all the books and other school equipments. Sevenoaks stands on high ground amidst fine and varied scenery, and is in the midst of several populous villages. It de- rives its name from seven oak trees which have long since disappeared, but are now represented by other trees about one mile distant on the Turn- bridge road. The name was given in ancient times. The place possesses man}' attractions for the inva- lid and the tourist. It has a spacious church, and a grammar school founded in the fifteenth cent- ury. It has a population of about 5,000. The county of Kent, in which Sevenoaks is located ; forms the southeastern extremity of Great Britain, having on the north the Thames and the North Sea, on the southeast the straits of Dover, and on the south Sussex and the English Channel. The products of Kent are more varied than in any other county in England, and generally superior in I 480 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. quality. Wheat, barley and other grain, turnips, hops and clover, are of the finest growths ; cherry, plum and filbert orchards are extensive. Agricult- ure is in an advanced state. The estates are small, owing to the Saxon custom here still maintained, by which the lands of the father d3 r ing intestate are divided among all the sons alike. Kent was the first established Kingdom of the Saxon Hep- tarchy. The parents of the subject of this sketch emigrated to the United States in 1873, and he accompanied them. Reuben Outram was married to Sarah Ann Grove on the 18th of October, 1876; she is the daughter of Richard and Sarah (Smith) Grove, who were'na- tives of England. To them have been born five children Alice Maud, Reuben Edward, Grace Beatrice, Alfred James and Lucy Ann. Mr. Out- ram first lived in DuPage County, and from there removed to Streator, where he remained one month only, and in March, 1876, moved to Long Point, where he owns ten lots, on one of which is located his business house. He is a man of considerable business ability, is a splendid workman, and has the reputation of being a square man in his business transactions, and is much respected by all the people who know him. EMAN MILTON BANGS, druggist, and also proprietor of a book-store at Ch.-its- worth, is numbered among the successful business men of the town and a man who been the architect of his own fortune. He commenced business in a modest manner in 18C7 and his progress, though perhaps slow at first, was sure, and he is now plainly on the wave of pros- perity. He possesses good business capacities, has made it a point to live within his income, and may be properly classed as a model business man and citizen. Mr. Bangs, in common with many other substan- tial residents of the southeastern part of Living- ston County, migrated from St. Lawrence County, N. Y., where his birth took place in the town of Hammond, Aug. 10, 1847. His parents, Heman and Almira (Phillips) Bangs, removed with their young family from the Empire State to Sheboygan, Wis., and later to Lake County, 111., where our sub- ject pursued his early studies and subsequently en- tered the academy at Waukegan, 111., where he took a thorough course and completed his educa- tion. Upon attaining his majority and starting out for himself, he engaged as clerk in a drug-store and availed himself of all the information within his reach in order to become posted in this important branch of business. In 1866 he associated himself in business with his brother, Edward A., in the drug and grocery business. This partnership was dissolved in 1876, and our subject established him- self in the drug business at Flora, 111., whence he came to Chatsworth a year later and engaged in the sale of drugs, medicines and notions, which he has since carried on successful^. Ten months later he added a stock of books, and from the two depart- ments of trade enjoys a comfortable income. He has been quite prominent, in local affairs, serving as Chairman of the Livingston County Republican Central Committee, besides holding other offices, and socially belongs to the Masonic fraternity, be- ing Secretary of Chatsworth Lodge No. 539. It is scarcely necessary to state that he votes the straight Republican ticket. The wife of our subject, to whom he was mar- ried Jan. 16, 1873. was in her girlhood Miss Tilla A. Brown, who was born in Fredonia, N. Y., Aug. 19, 1854, and is the daughter of William D. C. and Mary (Plank) Brown, who are still residents of the Empire State. This marriage has resulted in the birth of two children Clarence M. and Mabel Ithia. The latter was taken from the home circle by death at the tender age of four years and three months. OSEPH BROWN, located on section 19, in Pleasant Ridge Township, owns and occu- pies 160 acres of valuable land which he purchased in November, 1882. A large part of his time and attention is given to the breed- ing of fine stock, including Norman horses and Short-horn cattle. Although in the prime of life Le has long been identified with the educational and i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 487 . business interests of his township, holding its vari- ous offices, and is largely interested in the mainten- ance of schools and all other enterprises calculated to promote the cause of education and benefit the people generally. Mr. Brown is a native of the Empire State, and was born near the town of Camillus Sept. 7, 1840. His parents, John and Rebecca (Conklin) Brown, were natives of Scotland and New York State respectively, the father born in 1810, and the mother in 1820: the latter died at her home in New York in the spring of 1852. John Brown emigrated to America in 1832, and located in New York, where he lived until the spring of 1856, when he came to Illinois and settled in Peoria County, whence he removed to Livingston in 1868. He engaged in farming, and is spending his last years at the homestead in this township. Their family included seven children, namely, Margaret, Joseph, George, John, Shadrach, Robert and James. Two of the brothers during the late war enlisted in an Illinois regiment. Shadrach was killed in the en- gagement at Mission Ridge, while John contracted an incurable malady, and died after coming home- Another one was wounded at Kennesaw Mountain but recovered. Mr. Brown became familiar with farm pursuits at an early age, and was perfectly content with the pursuits and enjoyments of a country life. His chief ambition was to secure a farm of his own, and another, the establishment of a home with a con- genial companion. On the 24th of October, 1865, he was accordingly united in marriage with Miss Emily, daughter of William and Sarah Archdale, of English extraction. She was born Nov. 16, 1844, and by her marriage with our subject became the mother of eight children, namely, William, Alice, Charles, Joseph, Eddie, Florence, and two who died in infancy, named James and George. Mr. Brown soon after the outbreak of the late war joined his brothers in the struggle for the pres- ervation of the Union, enlisting in the 122d New York Infantry, and serving as a private in Com- pany II for a period of three years. He was pres- ent at the battles of Gettysburg and Antietam, and went down the Shenandoah Valley with the armv of Gen. Sheridan, lie was under fire upon three different occasions at Fredericksburg, and was also present at the battles of the Wilderness and Win- chester, and met the enemy in various other minor -engagements and skirmishes. He was remarkably fortunate, escaping wounds, capture and serious illness, and at the close of the war received his honorable discharge, on the 3d of July, 1865. ship. ARQUIS D. SPENCE, one of the best known and most highly respected farmers and stock-raisers of Livingston County ? resides on section 4, Belle Prairie Town- It was on the farm where he now lives that he was born, and the date of the event was June 29, 1856. The residence of his parents at that time was a roughly constructed log house, which was re- placed some years ago by a modern residence. The parents were Williamson and Mary (Darnell) Spence. The father came to Illinois in 1831, and the mother, who was born in Kentucky, came in 1830, and both were among the very earliest set- tlers of Livingston County. Mr. Spence, beinga native of Livingston County, passed all his boyhood days here, and availed him- self of all the opportunities presented for obtaining an education in the common schools. After this he attended the select schools of Fairbury for two years, and then spent two years at the Eureka Col- lege, at Eureka, 111., at the end of which time his health became impaired and he was compelled to abandon the school-room and travel for the benefit of his health. With this end in view he made a journey to Leadville, Col., and other places in the far West, crossing the plains twice in the year 1876. In 1880 he found it necessary to again engage in travel, and repeated his trip across the plains, this time by train, at which time he pre-empted 160 acres of land, which he afterward sold to good ad- vantage. In the fall of 1880 he returned home and settled on the old homestead, and for the next three years, jointly with his brother Malachi M., managed the farm. At the end of that time the brothers divided the land and its appurtenances, of which Marquis took 240 acres, which he has since continued to cultivate, and is now also largely en- 488 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. gaged in raising horses of the Hambletonian breed and Hamlet-Denmark saddle and roadster stock, and is also extensively engaged in the breeding of fine cattle. He has in his herd at this time two Short-horn cows of the purest blood that can be ob- tained. He also has eighty head of pure-blooded Cotswold sheep. He takes great interest and dis- plays much enterprise in the breeding of stock, in which line of business he has already obtained an enviable reputation. He has 'attained that position among the leading breeders of this section of the State of which a much older man might justly be proud. It may also be mentioned in this connec- tion that no other portion of the great Northwest has made equal progress in the breeding of blooded stock with this portion of the Prairie State. Here we find some of the most magnificent specimens of horses, cattle, sheep and swine to be seen anywhere in the United States. More real benefit has been conferred upon the entire country by the enterpris- ing men who have taken such a deep interest in this business than most people realize. They de- serve the highest commendation for elevating the grade of the animals that we work, as well as those we use for meat, and no one of the younger men is worthy of more praise than the subject of this sketch. We present a view of his home and sur- roundings, as well as a picture of one of his fine horses. Mr. Spence is an ardent member of the Masonic fraternity, and affiliates with the Tarbolton Lodge No. 357. The family do not have any active church connections, but they are in sympathy with all movements of a moral or religious character. In politics Mr. S. acts with the Democratic party, to which he demonstrates his loyalty without seek- ing office at its hands. Mr. Spence's excellent ed- ucation and the experience growing out of travel make him a valuable member of the community, and he is looked upon as a man of sound judgment, and the wisdom of his arguments is seldom dis- puted. Mr. Spence was married, on the 1st of January, 1883, to Miss Cora B. Myers, who was born on the Kith of April, !(!!, in McLean County, 111., and is the daughter of John F. and Sarah (Birdsall) My- ers, both of whom were natives of Kentucky. The father of Mrs. Spence is an accomplished musi- cian, and endowed with remarkable literary talent, and has written many poems which have been widely published. He now resides in Indian Grove Township, where he is a wealthy and respected farmer, and is largely engaged in growing fine stock. There has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Spence one child, Marquis Mcurl, whose birth oc- curred Oct. 31, 1887. stead. TEPHEN HERR settled on a quarter sec- tion of land in Fayette Township in the spring of 1869, and commenced in earnest the building up of a permanent home- His land was in a wild and uncultivated state, and he realized that it would require the out- lay of years of labor and thousands of dollars to bring into existence the home which he had pict- ured in his mind, and of which he determined he would j'et become possessor. He is one of the happy few who have been permitted to realize in a large measure the fruition of his hopes and plans. He is now the owner of 320 broad acres, lying on sections 8 and 18, and with their neat and substan- tial buildings, the fine assortment of live stock and the various modern improvements, constitutes one of the most desirable spots in Livingston County. Mr. H. for the last ten years has been giving his at- tention principally to the purchase ana sale of grain, in which he has become largely interested and from which he realizes annually a handsome profit. The early home of our subject was on the other side of the Atlantic, in the Province of Baden, Germany, where his birth took place Dec. 9, 1842. ilis parents, Sebastian and Josephine (Stukle) Herr, were also of German birth and parentage, and traced their ancestry back for several generations. Sebastian Herr was a stonemason by occupation, which he followed until retiring from active labor. Hi' emigrated to the United States when a young man, going to Tazewell County, 111., in 1856, where he was joined by his wife and family four years later. The parents were married in their na- tive Province in November, 1839, and are now res- idents of Tazewell County, 111. Like his father t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. before him. he is connected with the German-Cath- olic Church. Grandfather Ilerr was a miller by trade, and spent his entire life on his native soil. The parental household of our subject included Stephen, Theresa, Hermann and Bertha, all of whom are married and settled in comfortable homes of their own. Stephen remained under the home roof until the spring of 1863. and then began the estab- lishment of a home which is viewed to-day by the admiring traveler, and is a silent monument of the thrift and industry of the proprietor. In 1865, the prospect being favorable as to his ability to support a family, Mr. Herr was married to Miss Harriet Wageman, a native of the Province of Bavaria, Germany. The event occurred on the 8th of August. Her parents emigrated to America in early life and located in Tazewell County, where the father is still living, the mother dying June 14, 1873. Our subject and his wife have a family of six children, namely : Katie, Johnnie, Mary, Emma, Frank and Eddie, the eldest twenty years old and the youngest three years. They are all at home with their parents. As is naturally to be expected Mr. Herr has been prominent in all matters of importance connected with the affairs of his township, having served as School Director and Trustee, still occupying the latter office, and has also officiated as Road Com- missioner. He has watched with interest the im- provements which have been effected on the face of the country since he settled here, and has con- tributed in no small measure to the importance and prosperity of Fayette Township. Among the il- lustrations given in this volume may be found that of Mr. Herr's residence. PRANCI8 W.STEWART, from early boy- hood bred to farming pursuits, is the sub- ject of a history which in its main points is as follows: He was born in Putnam County, this State, May 6, 1858. and is the son of Stephen and Agnes E. (White) Stewart, also natives of Illinois, and both now deceased. The mother had been in ill- health for some months and was taken South to Flor- ida, where her death took place in 1801. Stephen Stewart survived his wife twenty years, his death occurring at the home of Dr. J. T. Stewart in Pe- oria in January, 1881. Our subject was but a child two years of age at the time of his mother's death, and had accompanied her to the South. He was brought back soon after- ward, and was reared to manhood on his father's farm. The latter was of Scotch-Irish ancestr}' and followed agriculture his entire life. He owned a fine tract of land in Putnam County, and became quite prominent as a successful stock-raiser. He was a native of Bond County, 111., and had been a resident of Putnam County since 1832. In 1878 he removed from Putnam to Livingston County. Although mostly engrossed with his farming operations he was a conscientious sup- porter of Republican principles, and with his wife and family, belonged to the Congregational Church. The household circle was completed by the birth of three children, of whom our subject is the only remaining member, one babe having died in in- fancy, and their little son, Willie, when ten years of age. Mr. Stewart remained a member of his father's household until 1876, acquiring his early educa- tion in the district school, and later entering the college at Jacksonville, 111., from which, after a course of five years, he was graduated June 6, 1881. He then returned to this county, where he has since been engaged in farming and stock-rais- ing. He is the owner of 625 acres in Forest Town- ship, a part of which he rents and the balance is devoted to his stock operations, which include mostly graded cattle with a sprinkling of excellent common stock, the heads of each herd being all thoroughbred. This property lies not far from the village limits, within which Mr. Stewart took up his residence in 1881. He has one of the most desirable homes in the village, the handsome resi- dence being finished and furnished in modern style and all its surroundings in keeping with the habits of a gentleman of intelligence and means. Mr. Stewart was married in October, 1881, to Miss Jennie T. McVay, who was born in Ohio, Nov. 27, 185!l. Mrs. S. is the daughter of Rev. Homel- and Harriet (Thompson) McVay, natives of Scot- land and Ohio respectively, and now residents of 4 4!)2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Urbana, this State, where the father ofHeiates as a minister of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have one child, a son, Homer Willis, born July 18, 1886. They spent the winter of 1882-83 in Florida, visiting the principal cities of the Southeast, and the grave of the mother of Mr. Stewart, at Milton. Our subject, although not thirty years of age, has a fine start in life, and possessing natural busi- ness capacities and great energy of character, is bound to succeed financially, while his excellent personal qualities commend him to his fellow-citi- zens as one who in time will justly become prom- inent among the various interests identified with the welfare of the people. NDREW J. BRADBURY is a representa- tive young fanner of section 30, Avoca IS Township, and is a native of Massachu- setts, where he was born on the 8th of May, 1845. lie is the son of Joseph S. (deceased) and Mary M. Bradbury, natives of the States of New Hampshire and Massachusetts respectively. The former's paternal ancestors are of English, while the latter is of French-English descent. Of the twelve children born to his parents, five survive Charles W.. Andrew J., Jennie L., Benjamin F. and George R. When the subject of this sketch was three years of age, he accompanied his parents when they emigrated to West Virginia, where they resided for two years, and then came to Peoria Count3', 111. In that county they resided until the spring of 1868, when they came to Livingston County and settled in Eppard's Point Township, where the father died in the year 1880. The mother still survives and is living on the old homestead. While the father was a citizen' of Eppard's Point, he took great interest in all matters pertaining to the development of his township and county. He had the esteem and confidence of all who knew him, and it may truly be said that in his death the county lost one of her best citizens and most pub- lic-spirited men. Andrew J. Bradbury when a boy received 4 good district-school education, and with the ex- ception of a few years spent in the occupation of a carpenter, he has been engaged in farming all his life. On the 20th of February, 1872, he was mar- ried to Miss Christina Watson, and they have had two children Robert E., born on the 2d of Sep- tember, 1875, and James Franklin, on the 20th of July, 1877. Mr. Bradbury's farm consists of 108 acres of well-improved land, on which he has con- structed all the buildings necessary for the com- fort of his family and domestic animals, and the care of the products of the farm. He has under- drained his land in such an admirable manner that every foot of it is available for cultivation. When Mr. Bradbury was twenty-one years of age, the time when he started in life for himself, his cash capital consisted of $3, but with that small begin- ning he went to work with a will, and the result can be seen by a visit to his excellent farm, and an inspection of the premises. In the fullest sense of the word he is a self-made man, a representative New Englander, coming from a class of people noted for their hardiness, their sterling worth and their indomitable energy. Mr. Bradbury is a Democrat in his political proclivities, to which party he confesses constant allegiance. ? ALTER S. RAMSAY, Postmaster at Long Point and dealer in general hardware, is the owner of good village property, be- sides an 80-acre tract of Kansas land which is partly improved and will in time be valuable. He was born in Montgomery County. Pa., Feb. 20, 1850, and came to Illinois with his parents when a little lad four years of age. They located in Peoria County during its early settlement, and the father now resides at Long Point with his son. The parents of our subject, Thomas and Rebecca (Carnog) Ramsay, were also natives of Pennsyl- vania, and after coming to this State resided in Peoria County until the fall of 1-867, when they took up their residence in Livingston. Walter S. pursued his studies in the common schools of Peoria County, and worked on the farm with his LIVINGSTON COUNTY. = 493 t . father until ill-health compelled him to abandon manual labor. He then commenced teaching, which he followed in Livingston County five terms, and then engaged in the hardware business. On the 3d of January, 1875, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Welsh, who was born May 25, 1854, and is the daughter of Jacob and Adcla Welsh, natives of Ohio. She never looked upon her father's face, as her birth took place after his death. She is one of four children, namely, Henry, who died when an infant of eighteen months; Julia A., who now re- sides with her sister Mary; Robingney, a brick- mason of Stafford County, Kan., and Mary, the wife of our subject. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay have three children: Flora M., born Aug. 6, 1876; Lillian A., June 2, 1878, and Thomas B., Aug. 8, 1884. Mr. Ramsey is Democratic in politics, and was appointed Post- master July 1, 1886. He has served as Township Collector two terms and the same length of time as Justice of the Peace. He has been Town Treas- urer since 1879, and was Town Clerk one year. He is a member in good standing of the Masonic fra- ternity, and as a man and citizen enjovs the respect of his community. ENRY F. ANDREWS, a prosperous farmer on section 25, Waldo Township, was born in Fayette County, Pa., March 10, 1854. He is the son of Joseph and Sarah (Freel) Andrews, and is the second living child in a family of six, whose names are as follows: Mary, who is the only girl, was born in January, 1851 ; Henry F., our subject; John K., who was born June 7, 1856; Thomas, July 3, 1858; Joseph, Jan. 30, 18GO; James, Jan. 31, 1863. These children all live in Waldo Township. Mr. Andrews' parents are natives of Pennsylvania, the former of Irish and the latter of German descent. The father was born in 1815, died on the 21st of March, 1879, and was buried in the Gridley Cemetery. The mother was born in 1825, and is still living in Waldo Township. Mr. Andrews was reared on a farm, and assisted in such work as he could perform during his boy- hood days, while in the winter months, as was the custom in those days, he attended the district schools. He accompanied his parents when they came to Illinois, when he was about fifteen years of age. They located in Waldo Township, where they purchased 160 acres of land, which Henry as- sisted in tilling until he was about twent}' years of age, and then went out to work by the month for one summer. He then made an arrangement whereby he farmed forty acres, for the rent of which and the use of a team, he gave one-half of his crops; the next year he purchased a team and rented sixty acres of land. On the 1st of October, 1876, the subject of this sketch was married to Miss Hattie E. Houghton, daughter of Thomas B. and Sarah (Jaunt) Hough- ton, of Gridley, III. His wife was born in Bloom- ington, 111., on the 24th of August, 1856, whence her parents removed to Gridley when she was about five 3'ears of age, and at this place she was reared and received a fair common-school education. Her father was born Sept. 25, 1828, and was a native of Massachusetts, as was also her mother, who was born in July, 1828, and they were married in that State. The father was a blacksmith l>y occupation. In 1861 he became a soldier in the Union army, in which he served for a period of three years, during which time his health became very much impaired, and he died Nov. 5, 1869, and was buried in the Gridley burying-ground. The mother still sur- vives, and lives in Gridley. The parental family of Mrs. Andrews included the following-named children: Samuel E., who was born in June, 1852, and at the age of five years ceased growing, at which time he was thirty-one inches in height and weighed but forty -one pounds. He remained at this stature and weight until he was twenty-eight years of age, when he began grow- ing again, and now weighs seventy-five pounds. For many years he traveled with the amusement troupe known as "Jack, the Giant Killer," and in that way assisted materially in the support of the family; he now lives in Gridley. Benjamin F. was ! born in 1854, and died at the age of five years; Hattie E., the wife of the subject of this sketch, was born Aug. 24, 1856; Grace was born Dec. 27, 1858, married Frank Kent Oct. 1. 1876, and died Feb. 14, 1878, leaving one child, Bessie Grace, who I I'.H LIVINGSTON COUNTY. /OHN BUTLER. In the minds of a great many people the impression is lodged that railroad corporations employ inferior and unskillful men because they can secure that class of men at wages less than skilled men will work for. This is an erroneous impression. Rail- road managers are wise in their day and generation, and have learned by the saddest kind of experience that true economy in the management of a railroad demands the most competent and skilled employes in every department, particularly so far as the run- ning of trains and the management of the physical affairs of the railroad is concerned. It can be said lives with her father in Gridley; Eva, born Sept. 20, 1860, married Fred W. Klein, Dec. 7, 1879, has two children, and lives in El Paso; Etta was born June 30, 18G3, married Henry Killenbach, June 29, 1886, and has one child; Frederick B. was born Nov. 5, 1867, and is engaged as a telegraph oper- ator in New Mexico. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Andrews, Thomas Houghton, lived to be ninety-four years old, having been born on the 5th of June, 1792. in Massachusetts. He is said to have been the oldest man in McLean County when he died, on the 5th of October, 1886. For the last twent3'-five years of his life he was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is his wife, who survives him. Since the marriage of Mr. Andrews he has con- tinued in the occupation of farming, and during the past six years has remained on the farm where he now resides, and for which he has a lease for [ four ye.irs longer. To Mr. and Mrs. Andrews have been born five children: Thomas J., on the 12th of August, 1877; Frank B., Aug. 24, 1879; Sarah E., Oct. 14, 1881 ; Walter Lee, June 5. 1*84, and Charles, Aug. 19, 1886. The children are all bright and perfectly healthy, and in them the parents take pardonable pride. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews occupy a good social standing among their neighbors, and thoroughly interest themselves in all movements for the benefit of the community in which they live. truthfully, that no Western railroad management exercises greater care in the selection of men to carry out the details of its management than the Illinois Central Railroad. This is evidenced by a careful inspection of the personel of the present em- ployes of their road, one of whom is Mr. Butler, of Pontiao, the Roadmastcr of that division. Mr. Butler was born in 1832, in Ireland, and is the son of John and Margaret (Hassett) Butler, natives of Ireland, who engaged in farming during life, and had a family of ten children, three of the sons coming to America, the subject of this sketch in 1849. Before coming to this country, he re- ceived three years' careful education in an Irish agricultural college. The first point at which he settled after arriving in America, was at Janesville, Wis., where he devoted two years to farming, and then went into the employ of the Chicago & Alton Railroad, commencing as a common laborer. lie was so faithful and trustworthy that he was soon asked to take the position of section boss at Buck- ley, on the Illinois Central Railroad, Iroquois County, 111., which he did, and passed from that grade to the position of Road master, which place he has occupied for seventeen years. Mr. But.ler moved to Pontiac in 1880, and pur- chased a fine residence on Mills street, north of the court-house, where he now resides. He has also purchased a store building on Madison street, which yields him a good rental. In addition to his rail- road business, he is engaged in real-estate transac- tions, having bought and sold large amounts of farm land. Coming to this country when a young man, without money and without friends to lean upon, he has by his business capacity and close attention to whatever he might be engaged in, become one of the leading railroad men of the West. Mr. Butler was married in 1858 to Miss Jane B. Tyrell, a native of Ireland, and they have a family of six children living: Margaret A.; William, ticket and local agent for the I. C. R. R., married Miss Gusta Gunsell, daughter of H. B. Gunsell, one of the prominent citizens of Pontiac, and they have one son: Charles E., who is telegraph operator at Kankakee, 111.; John II., our subject; Mary and Francis J. Mr. Butler has alliliated with the Democratic LIVINGSTON COUNTY. part}', but does not take an active part in politics. as his whole time is given to the work that he loves above all others railroading. He and his family are members of the Catholic Church. OHN CUMMJNGS. The future is full of possibilities for the young man who has se- cured a foothold in Illinois, for he has none of the conditions to contend with that the early settlers had. The difference between the early settler and the young man who becomes the farmer of to-day, is about like the difference be- tween traveling by a path whose course is marked by blazed trees, and going upon a good broad high- way. The difficulties surrounding early citizen- ship have all passed away, and the conditions now, if not luxurious, are at least comfortable, and if one becomes possessor of an Illinois farm now, it is all ready for the plow and the reaper. There are no wild prairies to reduce to a state of cultivation, no swamps to drain or trees to fell. This prelimin- ary -work has been done by a hardy set of pioneers, and it is only necessary for those who follow them to reap the benefits of their labor. The subject of this sketch was born at a time when the pioneer days in Illinois were just closing, and he comes upon the stage of action at a time after the trans- formation has taken place. Mr. Cummings is a native of the Hoosier State, being born near the town of Columbus, Bartholo- mew County, in 1859, and is the son of Nicholas (deceased) and Lavinia Cummings, who were na- tives of Germany. Of his father's family he is the oldest son, and when he was six years old his par- ents moved to Bloomington, 111., where they re- sided for fifteen years, and where his boyhood days were spent in assisting in work upon a farm, and at such seasons, when it was possible, attending the common schools, where he made such reasonable progress that when he came to manhood he had a tolerably fair education. In May, 1881, Mr. C. was married to Emma Youle, a daughter of William and Sarah Youle, of Delavan, 111., who were natives of England, and came to America in 1851, coming direct to Illinois upon their arrival, and where they reside in Taze- well County. Mr. and Mrs. Cummings have one daughter, Iva A., born on the 25th of December, 1881 . Mr. Cummings settled in Livingston County on the farm of his parents, in 1883. He is now the owner of 100 acres of land on section 29, Pon- tiac Township, and is making one of the snuggest farms of it in Livingston County. He cultivates it under all the improved methods, and is fast ac- cumulating modern labor-saving machinery. He is a Republican in politics, and displays his loyalty to that party by casting his vote for its candidates at every election. He and his excellent wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are highly esteemed by their neighbors and ac- quaintances of the township in which thej' live. BERRY, deceased, was a native of Devonshire, England, and was born about 1829. He grew to manhood in his native country, where he was fairly well educated, and emigrated to this country about the year 1850, taking passage at Liverpool. After a pleasant ocean voyage, he landed in New York City, and was employed for about one year as a farm hand near Batavia, in the State of New York. He then came to Illinois, and for several years was located near Ottawa, LaSalle County, w here he was engaged in farming. He came to Livingston County about the year 1858, and settled on section 13, Owego Township. On the 12th of March, 1853, in the town of Ot- tawa, Mr. Berry was married to Hannah E. Howe, a native of England, who was born on the 21st of June, 1831, and is the daughter of Alfred and Elizabeth Howe, of England. Through hard work and good management he accumulated an estate of 320 acres of land and a good store property in the town of Rugby, III. He was known for his quiet, unassuming manner, and sterling integrity, and al- ways strove to do right. For a short time he car- ried on a grain business at Rugby, in which he was very successful. He was widely and favorably known throughout his locality, and was respected and esteemed by all who enjoyed his acquaintance. t. 496 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Mr. and Mrs. 15. were confirmed in their native land in the Church of England, by the Bishop of Exeter, but there being no church in Livingston County, they united with the Methodist Church, in which he remained a consistent member until his death. He filled many important offices, and was among its most prominent members, always advancing its in- terests, both by example and the substantial contri- bution of means. He was a kind and loving hus- band, and a good neighbor. He passed away in March, 1883. In Mr. Berry's demise Livingston County lost one of her best citizens, who, during hisi life, was in favor of every measure to elevate society, and improve all the conditions of the county. In poli- tics he affiliated with the Republican party, but he would never permit his name to be placed upon a ticket for office. have OHN BENNETT, one of the honored pio- neers of Avoca Township, is now pleasantly located on section 36, where he is passing his declining years in the midst of a people who known him long and well, and who have learned to thoroughly respect and esteem him for his excellent traits as a man and a citizen. He has looked upon the changes transpiring in his adopted State with the interest peculiar to the intelligent and progressive spirit which first impelled him to leave his native State, near the Atlantic coast, and make the long journey toward the setting sun. Mr. Bennett was born in Cape May County, N. J., Feb. 5, 1821, which county was also the birth- place of his parents, James and Deborah (Goff) Bennett. His paternal ancestors were natives of Ireland, and his mother descended from an excel- lent old Welsh family which afterward was repre- sented by many descendants in the New England and Middle States. When John was a youth of fourteen years, with his father and step -mother, he started off on a long journey westward and lo- cated in Tippecanoe County, Ind., during its early settlement. His mother had died when he was a little lad four years of age. His father only sur- vived until 1847, his death taking place at his home in Tippecanoe County. John Bennett was there reared to manhood, receiving a limited education, his early studies being conducted in a log school- house which was built after the manner of those days, with puncheon floor and a place to let in the light which by no means could be dignified by the name of window. He continued at fanning, to which he had been reared, and to which his tastes naturally inclined, and after reaching his twenty- fifth birthday was married, Oct. 6, 1846, to Miss Rachel Shaw, a native of his own State and born in 1824. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett commenced life in a mod- est manner on a farm in Tippecanoe County, where they continued to live until 1853, when our subject disposed of his interests there, and coming to Avoca Township operated for a time on rented land. In 1856 he purchased 120 acres of wild prairie, from which he eliminated his present comfortable and valuable homestead. Not a furrow had been turned when he took possession of it, and viewing the splendid farm of to-day the passer-by can easily imagine what years of labor and persistence must have been employed in order to bring it to its pres- ent condition. Mr. Bennett was thrown upon his own resources early in life and was content to start in a small way and labor and wait for results. When settling upon the land which he first purchased in Avoca Township he had about $80 in cash, a few rude farm implements and some live stock. He is now the owner of 320 acres, embracing one of the finest bodies of land in the southern part of Liv- ingston County, and which is a standing monument of his industry and perseverance. He is intimately acquainted with the hardships and difficulties of pioneer life, and the "shifts" which all the early settlers were obliged to make in order to keep soul and body together. Besides carrying on the cul- tivation of his land in a wise and judicious manner, he still took time to interest himself in the welfare of the people about him, representing his township in the County Board of Supervisors three years, and serving as School Director and Trustee in his dis- trict. The community long ago learned to look upon him as one of its most trustworthy citizens, and he has never disappointed them. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, in addition to the other LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 497 good things which befell them as the reward of worth and integrity, became the parents of a bloom- ing family of eight children, who are recorded as follows: Sarah was born Aug. 29, 1848, and is at home; Miriam was born July 20, 1850, and be- came the wife of Joshua Mills, of Ottawa, 111. ; Win- field S. was born Nov. 15, 1851, and is at home: John E. was born March 5, 1855, married Minnie Merrit, and lives in this township;' George H. was born Nov. 19, 1857, married Jennie Crmn,and lives in Belle Prairie Township; Rachel Emma was born March 17, 1862, and married John Mitton, of Fair- bury, 111.; Aaron J., born Feb. 28, 1864, and Mary D., May 9, 1868, are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett are members of the United Brethren Church. In politics Mr. Bennett has always voted the Republican ticket. TEPHEN A. HOYT, banker, at Forest, has been a resident of this vicinity since the spring of 1 865. He then engaged as a lum- ber and stock dealer, and afterward em- barked in the grain trade. He still buys and sells cattle., shipping them to the Chicago market, and is the owner of 1,000 acres of valuable land, 800 of which is in Dakota, and the balance in Illinois. He is distinguished as a gentleman of enterprise and energy, who has been uniformly successful and one who has a thorough contempt for the idler. The main points in the career of Mr. Ho3't are substantially as follows : He was born in Ulster County, N. Y., July 27, 1834, and is the son of Curtis and Maria A. (Myer) Hoyt, natives respect- ively of Connecticut and New York. Neither of his parents reached old age, both dying before fifty years old. The father was a hatter, which trade he followed many years, and spent his last days in Delaware County. His mother died in Saugerties, N. Y., about 1853, and the father a few years later. Their seven children are recorded as follows : Sarah. Mrs. Turner, is a resident of Forest, 111. ; Theodore became a sailor, and was wrecked on the Feejee Islands, where he married the daughter of a mis- sionary and has since remained; Francis M. married Miss Emma Hale, and is a resident of Eureka, 111.; Peter M. married Miss Kate Diedrich, and lives in Forest; George died in infancy; Elizabeth married T. J. Kerr, of Forest; Stephen A., of our sketch, is the oldest of the family. Young Hoyt remained under the parental roof in his native county until after the death of his par- ents, and in the fall of 1857 migrated westward to this State. After a brief sojourn in Chicago he went to Prairie du Chien, where, two months later, he was attacked with chills and fever and suffered from this malady for some time. He had learned the carpenter's trade while a resident of New York, and followed the business up to the time of enlist- ment. The outbreak of the Rebellion, which turned the current of the lives of so many young men, also in- terfered with the plans of our subject, as he consid- ered it his duty to forego his present interests and array himself on the side of the Union. Ac- cordingly on the 12th of May, 1861, soon after the firing upon Ft. Sumter, he enlisted in Company G, 17th Illinois Infantry, and followed the fortunes of war until its close. He was soon promoted Second Sergeant, the Orderly Sergeant being H. D. Clark, now a Christian minister of Bloomington, and the Captain, O. A. Burgess, also a Christian minister. Young Hoyt proceeded with his regi- ment to the scene of conflict, and at the battle of Shiloh was wounded in the left arm. He was de- termined not to be sent to the hospital, and was ac- cordingly detailed to headquarters, where he acted as clerk for Gen. W. R. Rowley. He met the enemy in various engagements and skirmishes, and per- formed his duties in such a manner as to gain the approval of his superior officers and the esteem of his comrades. At the expiration of his term of en- listment he was mustered out at Springfield, 111., in July, 1864, receiving his honorable discharge. His army life was like that of many another soldier whose hardships and privations remain unchroni- cled; but who performed their duty faithfully and well, and have perhaps for their only consolation the approval of their own consciences. Mr. Hoyt, after leaving the army, engaged as a builder and contractor, which business he followed in Eureka until the spring of 1865. On the 3d of October following, he was united in marriage with 198 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Miss Rutilia Gillum, Rev. Dr. Allen, of the Eureka Christian Church, officiating. Mrs. Hoyt was born in Christian County, Ky., in 1840, and is the daugh- ter of James and Eleanor C. (Harvey) Gillum, also natives of the Blue Grass State. The bank with which Mr. Hoyt is connected was established on the 5th of January, 1881!, under the name and style of Hoyt & Co., with a capital stock of $25,000. Its business transactions extend over a large section of country, and its projector, and also the other gentlemen who are identified with it, are citizens of standing in the community, and in whom it has implicit confidence. It is fast becoming one of the indispensable institutions of Livingston County, and its methods are such as will insure suc- cess. Mr. Ho\'t has distinguished himselfOas a liberal- minded citizen, and politically is a Republican, with strong Prohibition principles. He believes in giving to all classes of people the rights to which they are naturally entitled, and mantains that woman's work in particular should receive its just compensation, and that she should be eligible to all the offices under the Government. He has repre- sented his township in the County Board of Super- visors, and has officiated as School Director and Justice of the Peace. He and his excellent wife are members in good standing of the Christian Church. I PEARSON. The "village blacksmith" has been immortalized in song, but the ideal blacksmith of the poet is not the blacksmith of the present, but the one of many years ago, when he not only welded and forged but made wagons as well, and in those days they made honest wagons too, as all the wooden parts were made by hand and of the best timber obtainable, and the ironing was done substantially if not as artistically as to-day. The village blacksmith, whose praises are sung by the poet, has almost passed out of ex- istence, for mechanical inventions have supplanted him, and about all he finds to do now is to make repairs. At the time the subject of this sketch followed the occupation of blacksmith and wagon- maker the great establishments which now monop- oli/.e manufactures in those lines had not come into existence; since theyjhave assumed the sway they enjoy, the early mechanics who did all the work honestly and with their hands have been driven to the farm or other occupations. The subject of this sketch chose the life of a farmer, which he has followed for several years in Avoca Township. He is a native of Tippecanoe County, Ind., and was born on the 12th of July, 1835. He is a son of Lot and Sophia Pearson, of whom further men- tion is made in the biographical sketch of Martin Pearson, his brother. When about five years of age Mr. Pearson was left an orphan by the death of both his parents, and was thrown entirely upon his own resources. When old enough to do so he learned the trade of blacksmithing and wagon- making, which he followed for about twelve years, and has devoted his life since to the occupation of a farmer. He and his brother, Martin Pearson, were the first mechanics in the line of wagon- making and blacksmithing to settle in the ancient village of Avoca, in Avoca Township, of which only a few ruins remain to mark the spot where once stood a prosperous hamlet. During his boy- hood days Mr. Pearson received a fair common- school education, which has availed him well in after life. He came to Livingston County, 111., in 1851!, and has been here continuously since that time. On .the 20th of April, 185(1, Mr. Pearson married Mahala Virgin, daughter of Jeremiah M. and Amanda Virgin, who were among the early pioneer settlers of Livingston County. They have had four children: Alonzo, Meredith M., Ulysses G., and Floi'a, wife of Edward DeMoss. Mr. Pearson owns 100 acres of good land, and as a farmer has been quite successful. When he came to Livingston County he had $100 in cash, and a sufficient quan- tity of tools with which to carry on his trade, in the prosecution of which he accumulated sufficient means to purchase and equip his farm. In his po- litical affiliations he acts with the Democratic party, whose principles and candidates receive from him an earnest support. For seventeen years he has served as Assessor of Avoca Township, and lias been Col- lector for two years. He interests himself in all matters which involve the welfare of the commnn- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 503 ity in which he lives. He is quite liberal in his contributations of time and money to all local enterprises, and is considered in every respect a first-class citizen. He and his wife identify them- selves with the best elements of society, by whom they are deservedly esteemed and respected. ' POLLOS CAMP, an aged and retired far- mer and capitalist who has lived a useful life and completed the sum of more than fourscore years, is now sheltered in an ele- gant home in the city of Pontiac, by whose people he is held in peculiar veneration and respect. An original Yankee, he was born in Plymouth (since known as Thomaston), Litchfield Co., Conn., March 19? 1806. His parents, Ephraim and Mabel (Par- dy) Camp, were also natives of Plymouth, where the father engaged in milling the earty part of his life, and subsequently retired upon a competence. He had served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and possessed the hardy and resolute spirit of the men of his time. The subject of this sketch was reared upon a farm, and upon reaching his majority learned the trade of a stonemason. After becoming proficient in this he engaged as a contractor exclusively for heavy work, and was thus occupied five years. In 1828 he was appointed foreman of the farm and superintendent of material in the shops of the great clock-maker. Seth Thomas, at Hartford, in whose employ he remained fora period of eighteen years. Mr. Camp, now desirous of a change, invested his capital in 120 acres of land in his native county of Litchfield, which he tilled aj>out two years. In May, 1852, he sought the great West, and entered from the Government 320 acres of land in Sunbury Township, this county. He returned to Connecti- cut in October following, and in May, 1853, moved his family to Illinois and purchased about 800 acres more land, mostly in Esmen Township, some, how- ever, reaching over into Amity Township. The same year he built a house on his first farm and gradually effected the valuable improvements which made it so well known throughout the county. Mr. Camp was married in Connecticut, in June, 1833, to Miss Nancy Thomas, a native of that State. Of this union there is but one child living, a daughter, Harriet, now Mrs. Bennet Humiston, of Pontiac, with whom Mr. Camp makes his home. Mr. Humiston settled in Esmen Township in 1852, and engaged extensively in farming. In 1876 he moved to Pontiac and took a fine residence, remain- ing there until his death, Nov.'l4, 1883. Edward T. Camp, the only son of our subject, was born in Thomaston, Conn., Dec. 24, 1843, and was nine years of age when his parents came to this county. His early years were spent on the farm in E.smen Township, and at school. He was a student one winter in Clark's Seminary, at Aurora, and after- ward for three years attended Lombard University at Galesburg, 111. He was intensely ambitious, and as the result of too close application to his studies, his system became in a measure enfeebled, and readily succumbed to an attack of typhoid fever during the summer vacation. He died Sept. 14, 1864, after an illness of ten daj's. He was a young man of great promise and fine intellectual attain- ments. The blow to the stricken father was doubly hard to bear on account of the recent death of the wife and mother. Mrs. Nancy (Thomas) Camp departed this life Jan. 21, 1864. Mr. Camp was one of the most successful farmers and stock-raisers of Livingston County. He con- tinued to live in the country until 1880, then re- tired from active labor and took up his residence in Pontiac. Seven tenant farmers attend to his rural interests. In Pontiac he is a stockholder and Director in the National Bank, and owns valuable shares in the Pontiac Coal Company. He was al- ways active, stirring and industrious, and retains much of his old-time vigor with his mental capaci- ties. His accumulations stand as the best evidence of his prudence and economy. He never sought or wished for office, but has invariably voted the Dem- ocratic ticket. Mr. Camp is of a particularly kind and generous disposition, and in him the poor and needy have always found a reliable friend. We take the lib- erty of citing an instance of his manner of doing the right thing at the right time. One of hi* ten- ants for a period of nine years had cultivated the soi! with little profit, the seasons having been al- \ t t , 504 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. t most without exception unpropitious. Not long since Mr. Camp requested this tenant to accompany him to the Recorder's office and pay $1 he owed there. The tenant did so, and upon the payment of the dollar was handed a warrantee deed to the farm, the only stipulation being that he should pay the usual rental during the lifetime of Mr. Camp. It is needless to say that the tenant accepted the deed and the terms with alacrity. The portrait list of Livingston County would by- no means be complete without the pictured features of this honored pioneer and the companion of his youth, who has preceded him to the better land, and we accordingly give them place as representa- tives of a by-gone time, whose history and whose people will be cherished in future years by their proud descendants. NJ.NCENT I. AARON, the subject of this sketch, is engaged in the hardware trade in the village of Strawn, where he has con- ducted a successful business for several years. He is a gentleman who fitted himself for business af- fairs by education in one of the most prominent business colleges of the country, and his practical life has been a success. He is a native of Penn- sylvania, was born in Jefferson County June 6, 1850, and is the son of Thomas H. and Mary T. Aaron, a biographical sketch of whom will be found in another part of this ALBUM. Our subject came to Livingston County with his parents in 1869, and they located in Fayette Township on section 4, where they now reside. Vincent remained with them until he was twenty-three years of age, giving excellent service on the farm, and attending school in the winter. In the winter of 18C9-70 he at- tended the Bryant & Stratton College of Chicago, in which he studied the principal branches, includ- ing book-keeping, banking, commercial law and penmanship. After leaving the school he returned to Livingston County and worked on his father's farm for about two years. In December, 1 s7:'., he abandoned farm life and opened a hardware store iii the village of Strawn. He is the only hardware dealer in the village, and enjoys an extensive trade. On the 5th of January, 1875, Mr. Aaron was married to Miss Mary T. Winslow, who was born in Avoca, 111., Oct. 17, 1855. She is the daugh- ter of Thomas and Kate (Clark) Winslow, natives of Ireland, and farmers of Livingston County, where they have for man}' years been successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising. To Mr. and Mrs. Aaron have been born four children: Mary Rosemma, ten years of age; Margaret Cointha, eight years of age ; Stella Catherine, six j'ears of age, and Thomas Vincent, five months old when this sketch was written. Mr. Aaron is a member of the Democratic party and takes quite an active interest in political affairs. He has been School Treasurer of Fayette Township since 1877, and is the present incumbent of the office. He has been President of the Village Board for the period of two years, and for eight years has been Assistant Postmaster, the Strawn post-office, during this time, being located in his store. Mr. Aaron and his family belong to the Catholic Church, of which they are regular attend- ants and devoted members. Mr. Aaron takes a lively interest in all public affairs, and is a leading and influential citizen. BYERS, a leading farmer and stock- grower of Owego Township, owns eighty acres of well-developed land, and is being prospered in his farming operations, while at the same time he enjoys the respect and confi- dence of the community. His farm is supplied with a neat residence, a good barn, and the other buildings required .by the modern agriculturist, while the whole premises wears the air of thrift and prosperity. He is serving as School Director in his township, and is one of the most worthy mem- bers of the Presbyterian Church. The early home of our subject was on the other side of the Atlantic, in County Donegal, Ireland, where he was born in February, 1849. His parents, Robert and Mary A. (Hutchison) Byers, were also of Irish birth and parentage, and are still residents of their native isle. John remained under the home roof until he was twenty-two years of age, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 505 and then decided to seek his fortune across the water. He had received an ordinary education, but possessed very little capital, depending mainly upon his resolute character and willing hands to carve out his fortune. He boarded the " London- derry" at Liverpool, and after a voyage of eleven days, landed in New York City. His stay in the metropolis was very brief, and proceeding west- ward he came direct to this county, where he took up his abode and has since remained. He was first employed as a farm hand for a number of years, and saved something each year from his somewhat limited earnings. When possessed of what he con- sidered sufficient means, he took unto himself a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Susan Wilson, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Harrisburg. Pa., Feb. 9, 1876. Mrs. Byers is the daughter of David and Elmer (Ervin) Wilson, natives of Ireland, and was her- self also born there in County Donegal in 1849, but emigrated with her brother to this country in 1870. Of her union with our subject there have been born six children, namely, Robert, David, Mar\ r A., William J., Ellen and Isabella. They form an interesting little family, the elder ones just commencing their studies in the district schools. Mr. Byers possesses all the elements of a good citizen, and nothing pleases him better than to note the progress and prosperity of his adopted country. ENJAMIN F. BARNES. In Livingston County are many extensive land-owners, and often these gentlemen have amassed their property by their own energy and business tact. Prominent among this number is Benjamin F. Barnes, who is the owner of 450 acres on sections 33 and 31, Indian Grove Township. This farm is finely improved and cultivated, pro- vided with a handsome and commodious residence, from which may be obtained a fine view of the surrounding country. Our subject is one of the enterprising and progressive farmers of Livingston County, who has made the most of his opportunities, and taken advantage of modern progress. His barns and out-buildings are of first-class description and finely arranged for the shelter of stock and the storing of grain. He has a fine lot of high-grade cattle, hogs, and blooded horses, and everything about the premises indicates the supervision and enterprise of an intelligent man. In addition to his farm and stock operations, Mr. Barnes, associated with Mr. George King, is largely engaged in the manufacture of drain tile. The factory buildings are fitted up with the most approved machinery, and the}' give employment to quite a number of men. Benjamin F. Barnes was born on the 31st of October, 1834, in Jefferson County, Ind., and is the son of John and Telitha (Wllkerson) Barnes, natives of Indiana and Virginia respectively. The father died about 1852 and the mother about 1862 ; they were the parents of the following children: Sarah A., Elizabeth, Benjamin F., Willis, Mary, Jane, Rebecca, Henry, Lemuel and John. On the 12th of March, 1862, Mr. Barnes was married to Miss Apphia Spence, who was born Jan. 19, 1843, in Livingston County. She is the daughter of Carrie and Abigail (Cunningham) Spence, na- tives of Kentucky and Indiana respectively. They were early settlers of Livingston County, where they located in 1830. They are both deceased. There were born to them six children, as follows : Apphia married Benjamin F. Barnes; Malachi mar- ried Emeline Phillips; Robert married Hannah Moore; Josiah married Miss Mary Combs; Isabelle married James Roan, and Absalom is deceased. In the year 1835 Mr. Barnes accompanied his parents to Illinois and located near Metaniora, Woodford County, where the father entered land and went to farming and stock-raising. In 1860 our subject located in Indian Grove Township where lie has since remained, and owns 450 acres of most excellent land, all of which is under cultivation and well stocked with graded horses and fine cattle and hogs. For the past fifteen years he has made a specialty of high-grade horses and hogs, and in this business has been signally successful. The interesting family of Mr. and Mrs. Barnes consists of Isabella, married to William Mundle; Frank, married to Miss Anna Cooper, and lives in ' ' 506 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Indian Grove Township; Martin, Mary E., Rachel, William B., Elgin E. and Cora G. In his political affiliations Mr. Barnes has a decided preference'for the Democratic party. f B. CUMMINS, a model farmer of section 5, Esmen Township, was born in Rook's Creek, Livingston County, on the llth of Novem- ber, 1844, and was the eldest child born to Hugh and Hannah (Chew) Cummins. Our subject was brought up to farm life, and for a time served in the Streator Glass Works. During his boyhood days he attended the common schools, in which lie obtained a fair education. At the age of eighteen years, on the llth of November, 1862, at Ottawa, he enlisted and was mustered into the 6th Independent Light Artillery, under Capt. E. C. Henshaw, and was soon after sent to Louisville for duty. He remained there a short time and then went to Glasgow, where the battery was attached to a brigade and sent after the raider Morgan, un- der Gen. Judy. They remained in Kentucky until Morgan was finally captured, after which they went to Lebanon, Ky., and Loudon, Tenn., at the latter place participating in an engagement. During the rainy season they were under Burnside, who was opposing Longstreet for the purpose of drawing troops away from and weakening Bragg. They fell back from Huff's Ferry to Leonora Station, where they had an engagement. After this they were almost constantly engaged in skirmishing until the siege of Knoxville, in which they took part. They were then ordered to London, Tenn., where they remained until they were called to Camp Butler, and discharged on the 18th of July, 1865, receiving their pa}' on the 21st and arriving at home on the 22d. Mr. Cummins remained on the farm for three and one-half years, and then went into Southern Illinois and engaged in the stock business for two years with E. G. Rice, after which he returned, and has remained on the home farm ever since. On the 4th of September, 1871, he was married to Ellen E. Garretson, daughter of William and Mary E. (Golay) Garretson. She was born near Bridge- port, W. Va., on the 27th of April, 1848, and was the second in a family of eight children. Her father was killed in the battle of Piedmont, in June, 1864, being the fourth man to die in an at- tempt to place the Union flag upon the rebel fort. His widow came to Illinois in 1864, and here her daughter was married to Mr. Cummins. Immedi- ately after their marriage they came to this farm, where they have resided ever since, except about eighteen months while Mr. Cummins was working in Streator. To Mr. and Mrs. Cummins have been born eight children whose names are as follows : Hannah E., Hugh L., Susan R., Sarah A., Mary E., Fannie B., Tessie V. and Emily M., all of whom reside at home with their parents. Mr. Cummins does not take an active part in political matters, and he casts his vote independently. He has served as School Director and Road Commissioner, in both of which positions he has served the people well, and takes an active interest in all matters that are calculated to promote the best interests of the township. He is a comrade in the G. A. R., Post No. 68, at Streator. c. NETTLETON is a successful farmer and stock-raiser of Odell Township, and is comfortably located on section 16, where he pursues his vocation with satisfactory re- sults. He was born in Litchfield County, Conn., Dec. 29, 1833, and was the fifth in a family of eight children born to Elijah and Rhoda A (Ful- ler) Nettleton, both of whom were natives of Con- necticut. The maternal grandparents were Isaac and Mary (Holley) Fuller, natives of Connecti- cut, and he was an Elder of a Baptist congre- gation and a local preacher for many years. Of the brothers and sisters of our subject only two are living: Mrs. Caroline M. Blinn, residing in New Milford, Conn., whose oldest son was Col. Blinn, of the late war; and Mrs. Jane E. Lawton, wife of Benjamin Lawton, a merchant of Bridgeport, Conn. Isaac F. was n First Lieutenant in the late war, and died in a hospital at New Orleans: Alfred II., a teacher by profession, died in Goshen, Conn.; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i; Sarah A., the second child, married E. N. Jencks, a Baptist minister and missionary to China; Lydia M. died in Goshen, Conn., at the time of Alfred's death, and Ellen Louisa in the fall of the same vein'. The father of our subject was a carpenter by trade, and carried on a small farm besides. Mr. Nettleton worked upon a farm when a boy and attended the common schools with considera- ble regularity. His education was completed at Farm Ridge Seminary, LaSalle County, where his sister settled with her husband, who was a Princi- pal of the school at that time. He left his home for Illinois on the 13th of September, 1852, being then nineteen years of age. The year following his term at the seminary he began teaching at Deer Park, and continued teaching in the winter and do- ing work upon the farm in the summer for seven years, and then, Nov. 3, 1861, he enlisted in Com- pany A, 53d Illinois Infantry, for three years, un- der Capt. J. B. Wright, and was mustered in at Ottawa, by C. B. Watson. The company was first sent to Chicago, and guarded prisoners until the following spring and then went to Savanna, Tenn., where it remained until the 7th of April, and was then in the battle of Pittsburg Landing. It then went by way of Corinth to Memphis, Tenn., cau- tiously fortifying on the way until the evacuation of Corinth. During this time it was under the com- mand of Gen. Halleck. The company then went to Bolivar, Tenn., where it remained until the sec- ond battle of Corinth, and after that participated in the engagement of Hatchie River. After this engagement our subject was placed in charge of a wagon of the wounded on its way from Hatchie to Bolivar, and he drew rations for the post hospital. At the end of this time the sick were sent to La- Grange hospital, and Mr. Nettleton was assigned to the 59th Regiment, Colored Volunteers, of which he was made Hospital Steward, and served in that capacity until the close of the war. He was in the battle of Tupelo while connected with the colored regiment. He was stationed at Memphis until the expiration of his term of enlistment and was dis- charged on the 29th of March, 1864, and re-en- listed at once. His final discharge was on Aug. 4, 1865, at Memphis, Tenn. While iu the army Mr. Nettleton procured a furlough and came North, and on the 14th of No- vember, 1864, was married to Sarah A. Putnam, daughter of Carlos and Lavinia Putnam. Imrue- -d lately upon his discharge from the army he came home and began farming where he now resides. He purchased after coming from the army, in the spring of 1861, eighty acres of wild land on sec- tion 16, upon which he built a house. His wife died July 15, 1877, having borne him no children. She died in the full Christian faith and had always been an earnest Christian woman. Mr. Nettleton remained on his farm until April, 1884, and on the 24th of that month was married to Mary J. Jencks, who was born in Erie County, Pa., on the 28th of March, 1850, and was the youngest in a family of six children born to Obed and Hannah (Muz/ey) Jeiicks, who were natives of New York. Her father died in Pennsylvania and her mother came to Illinois and settled in Will County. She lived with Mr. and Mrs. Nettleton until her death in June, 1886. She was an earnest Christian woman, and her life was very largely devoted to the per- formance of good acts. Mr. and Mrs. Nettleton are both members of the Baptist Church, in which they have been active for many years. In politi- cal matters he has always acted with the Repub- lican party. As a farmer and stock-raiser he dis- plays much enterprise and is looked upon as one of the most progressive of Odell Township. SEATON, one of the principal farmers of Fayette Township, where he is pleasantly located on section 6, was born on the 18th of February. 1817, in Henderson Town- ship, Jefferson Co., N. Y. He is the son of Willard and Polly (Adams) Seaton, who were natives of Connecticut. Our subject's great-great-grnndfather was a native, of Ireland, who came to the United States and first located in Connecticut. He had ten sons, some of -whom served in the Revolutionary War, and the regiment of which the}' were mem- bers went on an expedition to Buffalo, N. Y., and was to form a junction with a fleet which was to supply the army with provisions. The fleet failed to make its connections, and on returning they 508 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. were surprised by Indians, who captured two of the sons and burned them at the stake. The re- mainder of the party managed to escape. Our sub- ject's grandfather was a sailor for seven years, after which he went into the army. At the conclusion of the war he went to farming in New York State, in which occupation lie continued for several years. From there he removed to Canada, where he lived with our subject's father until his death. Mr. Sea- ton's father was reared a farmer, and remained with his parents until he was twenty-one years of age. At that age he was married, and then engaged in farming and school-teaching, at which he continued until his death, which occurred in Ohio in 1848. His family consisted of ten boys and four girls, thirteen of whom lived and grew to manhood and womanhood. Our subject remained at home with his parents in Stark County, Ohio, until he was twenty-five years of age, during which time he gave a helping hand on the farm during the cropping season, and attended school in the winter. Being of a studious disposition be applied himself assiduously to his books, and thus obtained more than an average ed- ucation. After leaving home he worked out by the month for one and one-half years, and then managed a rented farm for one year. March 11, 1844, Mr. Scaton was married to Miss Florinda Wilson, who was born in Niagara County, N. Y., July 14, 1826. She is the daughter of William and Mary (Wood) Wilson, who were natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania respectively. They came to Kendall County, 111., in 1843, and engaged in farming. Her father died in 1848, and the mother in 1866. There were five children in their family: Florinda, Achsah, Andrew J., Charles W. and Elizabeth Jane. The latter married George D. Weeks ; they have five children, whose names are Wilson R., Mary F., Charles M.. Corella B. and Rebecca S. Mr. and Mrs. Weeks are located in (raw ford County, Kan., where he is engaged in the business of a drayman. Mr. and Mrs. Seaton have four children, whose names an- Mary, Charles W., Ida J. and Hattie E. Mary married W. T. Kerr, a minister of the Gos- pel, and resides at Milan, Rock Island Co., 111.; Ida married Albert Cording, a hardware merchant at Saunemin, 111.; Charles W. and Hattie are unmar- ried and live at home. Mr. Seaton is a Republican in politics, and has been selected by his fellow-citi- zens to hold several official positions. He has been School Director of District Xo. 1 for three terms, and was elected Assessor of Fayette Township for one year in 1877. He and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which they take an active interest and occupy a leading posi- tion. ENRY BLOOM, late of Avoca Township, and one of its most highly respected citi- zens, was born in the city of Emden, Ger- many, Nov. 20, 1817. His parents, Fol- kert and Lumka Bloom, were also of German birth and parentage, and spent their lives on their native soil. Mr. Bloom was reared to manhood in his native Province, and was placed in school at an early age, where he continued until fourteen years old. Some years after reaching manhood he was united in marriage with a maiden of his own Province, Miss Ida Gruter, their wedding taking place in the spring of 1852. Mrs. Bloom was born Oct. 20, 1817, and by her marriage with our subject became the mother of four children, two now living, namely, Fannie and Folkert, and two deceased Lumka, who died in infancy, and one who died unnamed. Our subject continued in his native Province un- til 1854, when, accompanied by his wife and one child, he embarked on a sailing-vessel at Bremen. and after a voyage of over nine weeks landed in the city of New Orleans. Thence they came di- rectly to this State, locating at first near Peoria, where they resided three and one-half years, and then removed to Tazewell County. Mr. Bloom engaged in labor there two and one-half years, but not being quite satisfied with the result he came to Avoca Township, this county, where he subse- quently became possessor of 300 acres of land frmn which he built up a fine homestead, and where his death occurred July 4, 1884. Mr. Bloom was one of the finest representatives of the German element in this State that has con- tributed so largely to the development of its re- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. sources, lie was industrious and enterprising, and possessed that resolute and determined spirit which admitted no such word as fail. He had practically nothing when he came to Illinois, while at his death he left to his family one of the most valuable farms in Central Illinois. He was greatly respected by his entire community, and in his family was kind and indulgent, while outside he was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need, or to what- ever project would result in the general good. He was one of the pillars of the German Reformed Church, which in his death lost one of its most cheerful and liberal supporters. His widow and daughter still occupy the homestead, while his son Folkert is part proprietor of a lucrative mercantile business at Evansville, Ind. Mr. Bloom after be- coming a naturalized American citizen, informed himself thoroughly upon the politics of this coun- try, and identified himself with the Democratic party as representing his sentiments and beliefs. He never sought office, but was content in a quiet way to encourage those enterprises set on foot for the building up of educational and religious insti- tutions, and which would most surely effect the happiness of the people. j^ILLIAM CAINE is a native of the Isle of Man, which is an island in the Irish Sea west of England, east of Ireland, south of Scotland and north of Wales, the extreme length of which is about thirty miles, with an irregular breadth varying from six to twelve miles. The principal streams of the island are the Neb, at Peel; the Colby, near Ramsey, and the Black and Gray Waters, near Douglas. It was latterly held as a feudal sovereignty by the Earls of Derby, and more recently by the Dukes of Athol, from whom it was purchased by the British Crown in 1806. Its legis- lative and judicial authorities are principally vested in the House of Keys, a self -perpetuating body. The Governor is named by the Crown. The Manx language, derived from the ancient Celts, is still in common use, although part of the inhabitants speak English. The principal towns are Castletown, Peel, Douglas and Ramsey. It was upon this island that Mr. Caine was born and reared to manhood, and his life there furnishes some interesting details, which are set forth in the following sketch : Mr. Caine, who is now engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 4, Esmen Township, was born on the Isle of Man about Jan. 1, 1833, and the seventh child in a family of eight born to John and Isabella ( Boyde) Caine, who were natives of the Isle of Man. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Caine, was a farmer. The father of our subject was a farmer and butcher, and died on the island of his birth. His widow survives him there, and is nearly ninety-seven years of age. He followed butchering in the country, and took the meat to a town thirteen miles distant in baskets suspended by straps across a horse's back. Our subject was reared on a farm, and at fif- teen he went to serve his time at milling with a brother; at eighteen he had completed his trade, and remained at home until about twenty years of age, at which time he began the life of a herring fisher- man. At first he was cook, and for three years received fifty cents per week as compensation for his work. After working at these wages for three years he bought a seine at an expense of $4.75, for which his father went security, and with his uncle. Thomas Caine, embarked in the fishing business on board the smack Beagle. He continued in this for five years, and then with 5 went into partnershp with his cousin in building the "Persia," He sailed on her as quarter owner under Capt. Gerret, for a considerable time. His accumulations enabled him to buy a quarter interest in another vessel called the "Express," of which he was made Captain. He retained this position for eight years, most of the time working eight seines successfully. He was once wrecked on the coast of Ireland, and once thrown overboard. At the time of the wreck he swam ashore with a line, and by that means saved the whole crew. When he quit the ocean on the 1st of December, 186G, Mr. Caine was married to Mary Ann Coole, the ninth in a family of eleven children born to William and Elizabeth (Cowin) Coole, natives of Kirkbraden, where their daughter Mary was born May 1, 1838. Her paternal grandparents were William and Elizabeth Coole, and the maternal 510 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. grandfather was Thomas Cowin, and they all re- mained there until their death. Mr. and Mrs. Caine sailed from Liverpool on the "City of Baltimore" in the spring of 1867, and after a stormy voyage of two weeks, during which time Mr. Caine was se- verely injured while helping to save the vessel, they landed at New York. They immediately pro- ceeded to Ohio, where they remained a few weeks in Cayuga County, sojourning with a cousin named James Boyd. Mrs. Caine remained there for a while, and Mr. Caine went to Ottawa, 111., where she joined him later. He worked in Ottawa until the nexf spring, and then came to Livingston County in 1868, and purchased eighty acres of partly im- proved land in Esmen Township. After a fruitless attempt for two years to pay for this land he had to give it up, and disposed of it to a man named Beckwith, realizing but $500 for the improvements made. After this he purchased eighty acres where he now resides, and settled upon it, and within five years met with such success that he was enabled to pay for it. Since that time he repurchased the first 80-acre tract and now has an excellent farm of 160 acres, five acres of which are well covered with timber. He has a good house and commodious farm buildings, all of his own construction. His farm is stocked with 100 head of Leicestershire sheep, and many fine horses, cattle and hogs. He takes great pride in the quality of stock he produces, for all of which he finds a ready market. Mr. Caine has never held office in this country excepting those of Pathmaster and School Director, and only two years ago took out his full naturalization papers. Mr. Caine has been so careful in his business and so correct in his contracts that he has never been sued, although transacting an extensive business for many years. He has never had a case of his own in a court of record, and so conscientiously has he obeyed the laws that he has never been called upon by an officer of the law. He is a strict temperance man, both in practice and precept, and has never been addicted to the use of tobacco or intoxicat- ing liquors. lie and Mrs. Caine are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and he was instru- mental in building the first church constructed in the neighborhood. In their early beginning they encountered much adversity, but iu their later life they have been successful. Honesty and integrity have characterized Mr. Caine's everyday life, and he is emphatically a self-made man, who has by his own unaided efforts succeeded admirably in busi- ness, the pathway of which was at first strewn with adversity. In political matters he acts with the Republican party because the principles of that party more nearly coincide with his views than any other of the existing parties. Mr. and Mrs. Caine are the parents of eight chil- dren, seven of whom are living: William N.,John S., Robert T., James E., Walter D. ; Alfred C. died in infancy ; Lyda E.. Mary A.; William Nelson is a telegraph operator at J. B. Farwell's, and the other children are at home. None of the boys use liquor or tobacco, and in this respect follow closely the | example of their father. Taken all in all it is one of the best conditioned families in Livingston County, a family in which all the members live to- gether in the most perfect harmony, each seeming to thoroughly understand the other. jENJAMIN TURNER, a praiseworthy and useful citizen of this county, is engaged in general farming and stock-raising on a farm of 160 acres of choice land, on section 25 in Fayette Township. He has been accustomed to country life since his boyhood, and is entirely fa- miliar with farm pursuits. lie is the possessor of a comfortable income, and has no one with whom to share it, for he is still unmarried. Our subject was born near the city of Philadel- phia, Pa., Nov. 19, 1822, and is the son of Robert and Nancy (Felkenner) Turner, natives respect- ively of England and Pennsylvania, who went to Ohio when Benjamin was a child, whence they re- moved several years later to Virginia. In 1842 he came to Illinois and settled in LaSalle County, whence he removed to his present home in the spring of 1867. Robert Turner was a member of the old Whig party until its abandonment, and he then cordially endorsed the Republican principles. He was a woolen manufacturer in this country, and passed his last years in Fayette Township, depart- ing this life about 1885, when ninety-one years of t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY- age; Mrs. Turner died in 1881, aged eighty-three years. The parental household included six children Benjamin, Sarah, Mary, Robert, Anna and James. Mary became the wife of William Lloyd, of Penn- sylvania, who was also engaged as a woolen manu- facturer, but finally crossed the Mississippi and lo- cated in Elk City, Kan., where he now lives with their family of six children, three sons and three daughters Edgar, Minnie, Mollie, William, Annie and Cornelius. Mrs. L. died in 1884, and Mr. L. was subsequently married to her sister Anna. The others are living in this county. Our subject began life for himself when about twenty-two years of age, in the woolen factory at Steubenville, Ohio, where he was employed until the spring of 1867, at which time he determined to seek his fortune farther west. Although perhaps not the hero of any very thrilling event, he has ac- quitted himself as an honest man and a good citi- zen, attending strictly to his own concerns, and by his straightforward business methods he has en- joyed the esteem and confidence of the people wherever he has lived. He is bringing about va- rious improvements upon his farm, which bears fair comparison with those of his neighbors. We present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Turner's residence, as representative of the build- ings of this section of country. L. CONINE, one of the wealthy and sub- stantial farmers of Livingston County, finely illustrates what can be accomplished by industry, good management, and close attention to business. He began his career in life without capital or other resources than his own hands and a determined will to succeed. In trac- ing his career in this sketch it will be seen how completely his anticipations have been realized. He now owns a magnificent farm on section 31, Indian Grove Township, which is one of the most eligibly situated in the county, and under the in- telligent manipulation of Mr. Conine has become remarkably productive. The improvements in the way of buildings and fences are first-class. It is a model farm in every respect, and its owner looks upon it with pardonable pride. Among the illus- trations in this ALBUM we present a view of Mr. Conine's residence. The subject of our notice was born on the 30th of November, 1 835, in Licking County, Ohio, and is the son of John S. and Nancy (Monnet) Co- nine, who were natives of New Jersey and Virginia respectively. The father was a resident of Ohio, and a house carpenter by trade, which business he followed all his life with such energy and persever- ance that he became quite wealthy. He was not a man of any pronounced religious views, nor did he ever attach himself to any church organization, but was a very sincere member of the Masonic frater- nity, and had great faith in the teachings of that order, believing that if its mandates were strictly lived up to a man would be about as good a Chris- tian as possible. During the existence of the Whig party he was a member of that organization, and when it was merged into the Republican party he transferred his political allegiance to the latter, to which he adhered during the remainder of his life. He died at his home in Ohio, in 1875. His wife, who died some years previously, was a member of the 'Presbyterian Church. Of their nine children, three died in infancy, and the following-named are still alive : Nancy, Norman, Salvenas L., Gifford, Wellington and Marinda. Mr. Conine remained under the protecting care of the paternal roof until he was twenty-one years of age, during which time he assisted in the work which fell to the family, and devoted a part of the time to attending the schools of the neighborhood. He then went to Chicago, where he remained but a few days, when he went to Bloomington, and then to Mackinaw in the same county, where lie en- gaged in work for William Hainline during the fol- lowing three and one-half years. From Mackinaw he came to Livingston County, and for the next three years engaged in breaking prairie, employing two teams of four yoke of cattle each. In 1865, having accumulated sufficient monej', he purchased eighty acres of land, and from time to time has added to the original purchase until he now has 209 acres in Livingston County, and eighty acres in Newton County, Mo. On the 1st of March, 1860, our subject was t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. : married to Miss Martlia Moore, who was born in Illinois in 1846, and is the daughter of Richard and Paulina (Phillips) Moore. The father came from Tennessee to Illinois about 1820, making the journey in an ox-cart, and their first year of res- idence in Illinois was in a rudely constructed rail pen. But prosperity smiled upon them, and they now own 20C acres of land on section 28, In- dian Grove Township. Mr. and Mrs. Conine have been blessed with a family of six children, whose names are, John R., Charlie A., Iva N., Nina, Vena A. and Glenis V., the youngest yet an infant. To demonstrate the measure of Mr. Conine's success it is only necessary to refer to the tax duplicates of Livingston County, which show that during the first two years of his farm life he paid into the treasury for taxes assessed against him the sum of fifteen cents each year. By turning over the leaves of the book until coming to the record of last year it will be found that the amount assessed against him, and for the payment of which he holds a receipt, was $112.50. It does not require much of a mathematician, taking these figures for a basis of calculation, to determine the per cent of Mr. Conine's increase in property during his residence as a free-holder in Illinois. lie takes great interest in live-stock matters, and at the time of the writing of tliis sketch he has upon his farm twenty-eight horses and mules, seventy-four cattle and forty hogs, and they are all of fine strains of blood. Mr. Conine has always affiliated with the Demo- cratic part}-, although lie does not neglect his busi- ness to devote much time to politics. He has served as Road Commissioner and School Director, in the latter office for thirteen years. He takes a special interest in school matters, and has been in- strumental in largely improving the schools under his jurisdiction. I/OHN BODLKY, Avoca Township. In every new settlement that has attained to promi- nence and success in the building up of its industrial and educational institutions :md also its agricultural interests, there have always been a few leading spirits to plant the standard of prog- ress and serve a> a watcher. as it were, on the walls. so that things should keep on moving and not be allowed to stagnate or turn back. The gentleman whose name heads this biography has largely repre- sented one of the moving spirits of his communitv, of which he became a member in the fall of 1 854, more than thirty years ago. In him were at once recognized the intelligence and resolution >o essential in the settling up of a new country, and his whole course through life has been that of a helper and a leader. He has been identified with the educational and religious interests of the southern part of Liv- ingston County ever since he was numbered among its citizens, and is accordingly held in due res]>ect. Our subject, a native of Montgomery County, Ohio, was born in a modest homestead near Dayton, Feb. 9, 1829. His parents, Thomas and Anna .1. (Duncan) Bodley, were natives respectively of Ken- tucky and Ohio. His paternal ancestors are of pure English descent, while his mother's side represented some of the best blood of the Scotch-Irish. His great-grandfather Bodley came to this country in time to assist the Colonists in their struggle for liberty, and his grandfather Duncan later served in the War of 1 81 2. Having sprung from such a race of people, it is not to be wondered at that John Bodley stands where he does to-day. The parents of Mr. Bodley soon after his birth removed from Ohio to Fountain County, Ind., dur- ing the early settlement of that region. He took up a tract of Government land and succeeded in building u]) a comfortable homestead, where he cultivated the soil, and with his estimable wife spent the remainder of his days. His death took place in IK.'iO, and that of the mother in 1SC>8. The parental household included eight children, six now living, and residents of Illinois, Indiana and Kansas. The boys are cnu'aucd in fanning, and the girls mostly married "sons of the soil." ' Our subject was reared to manhood in Fountain County. Ind.. with limited advantages, his educa- tion lieinu' conducted in the subscription schools, mainly during the winter season. In summer, as soon as old enough to be of service, he was made useful on the farm and became familiar with its various employments. He liegan to lay his plans early in life, and soon after reaching his majority took unto himself a wife and helpmeet in the person LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 515 \ of Miss Mary A., daughter of William and Margaret ( Whitehall) Boliva, of Fountain County. The wedding was celebrated at the home of the bride on the 5th of June, 1850, and they began life together in a modest dwelling in Shawnee Township, Foun- tain Co., Inrt. There they became the parents of three children, and later five more were added to the household circle. Of these but four are living, namely, Thomas, John, William, and Dora, the wife of George Bentley, who lives near Pontiac. Those deceased died at an early age. They were Mary E., Elizabeth, Delia and Eddie. Mr. and Mrs. Bodley continued to reside in Fountain County until the fall of 1854, then com- ing to Central Illinois, located at Avoca, where Mr. B. had entered 360 acres of land from the Govern- ment. Not a furrow of this had been broken and there were no buildings upon the entire tract. He secured a small tenement for the shelter of his family and in addition to beginning the cultivation of the soil, superintended the cutting of timber with the design of building a frame house. The trees were felled in June, 1855, the lumber dressed in a sawmill and kiln-dried, and the following August the house was completed, the whole busi- ness being done inside of two months. It was put up in the substantial manner which was characteris- tic of all the operations of our subject, and was the wonder and admiration of the country around. In due time a barn and other necessary out-buildings followed, together with the fencing of the fields and the gathering together of convenient machinery and all the other appliances required by the pro- gressive and enterprising agriculturist. The prop- erty now presents one of the most attractive spots in the southern part of Livingston County, the land being under a high state of cultivation, the farm stock of the best description, and everything about the premises kept in the best of order. Mr. Bodley has parted with a few acres, having now but 352. Our subject was one of the first Supervisors of Avoca Township, has served as Road Commis- sioner, and uniformly votes the Republican ticket. He has been deeply interested in church matters since coining here, and was one of the prime movers in the establishment of the Centennial Methodist Epis- copal Church at Lodemia Station, the edifice being built during the year 1876. To the support of this society he contributed liberally, and has represented the Onarga and the Kankakee Districts as delegate to the General Conference four sessions. He and his wife are at present connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church at Lodemia, in which Mr. B. is Sfeward and has been Sunday-school Superintendent for a number of years. He is also Steward of Kan- kakee District. Mr. Bodley is little past the prime of life and is in the midst of his usefulness. In a world where there is so much room for action on the part of the benevolent-minded, he is destined to continue an important part, and receives ample reward in the esteem and confidence of the people of his com- munity. f^ EORGE G. BREESE, who is a" farmer of broad ideas, and owns eighty acres of land on section 31, Poutiac Township, is a native of Jennings County, Ind., and was born on the 12th of April, 1858. He is the son of John and Mary Breese, who are at present residing in the State of Oregon. The father was a native of England, and the mother was born in Scotland. The father emi- grated to the United States about the year 1850, and proceeded to Ohio, where he married Marv Rook, and they were the parents of three children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the young- est. In the fall of 1868 they moved to Livingston County from Indiana, and settled in Waldo Town- ship. They lived there one year, and then moved to Rook's Creek Township, where they remained until the spring of 1 882, when they moved to Ore- gon, where they now reside. They are both mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and much devoted to that religious organization. He is a Re- publican in politics, and has always taken a great interest in the affairs of that part}-. Mr. Breese has been engaged in agricultural pur- suits all his life, and when a youth received a good education in the common schools of Indiana. On the 23d of March, 1882, he was married to Hattie A. Piper, a daughter of Richard and Hannah (Vaz- son) Piper, of Rook's Creek Township. The mother 4 516 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of Mrs. Breese is deceased, and the father is a resi- dent of Hook's Creek Township. Mr. Breese set- tled on his present farm in 1885, and during the short time of his residence there has met with ex- cellent success. He is practically a self-made man, having'bcen left dependent upon his own resources by the removal of his parents to the far West when comparatively young. He and his wife are well known throughout their section of country, and en- joy the esteem and respect of a very large circle of acquaintances. They are broad and liberal in their views, and are valuable members of society. Mr. Breese has renounced his connection with the old political parties, and has put on the armor of the Prohibitionist, and conscientiously devotes as much time as he can possibly spare to that cause. KL1NGELHOFER. The snug farm property of this gentleman comprises eighty acres of good land on section 35, in Owego Township, where he has been located twelve or thirteen years. He has been largely en- gaged during this period in attending strictly to his own concerns, tilling the soil and adding improve- ments as time passed on and his means justified. He has served as School Director in his district, and is in all respects regarded as a reliable and substan- tial citizen, whose advent to this part of the county was a fortunate occurrence both for himself and the neighborhood around him. Our subject was born in the Province of Kur- Lies- sen, Germany, April 6, 1JS33, and is the son of John and Catherine (Maurer) Klirigelhofer, who were also of German birth and parentage, and spent their entire lives on their native soil. Herman was reared to manhood under the parental roof, and in common with the youth of his native country, was placed in school at an early age and continued his studies until fourteen years old. After reaching his majority he was first married to Miss Catherine Reitz, also a native of Germany, who became the mother of eight children, four living, namely, Valentine, Christian, Annie and Julia. The wife and mother died about 1*79. Mr. K. was the sec- ond time married, about 1880, to Miss Kreszentia Kellar, and they became the parents of one child, a daughter, Rosa. This lady died in 1882. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married in Strawn in 1883, was formerly Mis> Julia Faust. Mrs. K. is also a native of Germany, and wa> born May 15, 1835. Mr. K. emigrated to America in 1861, taking passage on a sailing-vessel at Bremen, and after an ocean voyage of nearly ten weeks, landed in New York City, whence he pro- ceeded directly to this State. He located first in LaSalle County, where he was employed as a day laborer until 1865, and then took up his abode in this county. He operated on rented land until about 1875, in the meantime living economically and saving what he could of a limited income. He purchased his present farm not long afterward, and has gained each year a little capital, adding gradu- ally the improvements most needed, so that he is now comparatively independent, and can take time to enjoy the fruits of his early industry. Upon be- coming a naturalized citizen, he first identified him- self with the Republican party, but of late years has voted independently, aiming to support the men whom he considers are best qualified to serve the people. HARLES W. BARBER, who is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 8, Odell Township, wns born in Sar- atoga County, N. Y., on the 7th of July, 1834, the second child in a family of three born to Zina and Sarah A. (Potter) Barber. The grandparents were all early sellers in the Mohawk Valley, where they spent the best part of their lives. Grandfather Potter was noted for physical strength and power- ful manhood, and served as ('unstable, Justice of the Peace, etc., during the greater part of his life. The father of Mr. Barber was a mechanic, and fol- lowed lumbering and sawinilling in the Slate of New York. He was born in Old Saratoga Town- ship on Ihe 9th of November, 1809. and lived there until 1851, when hi- sold all his interests there and came West where he bought a quarter section of land in LaSalle County, 111., and after establishing his family upon it, he engaged in carpentering ami LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 517 his boys conducted the farm. In the summer of 1855 lie attempted to help in the harvest field, and died from the effects of sunstroke, on the 25th of July. He was a strong Abolitionist, and was an ardent supporter of the Constitution, and an enthu- siastic Unionist. While he took an active part in political matters, he never sought office. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and was one of the earliest Seceders from that denomina- tion on account of his anti-slavery views. He was twice married, and was the father of ten children, two of whom were killed in one week near the close of the Civil War, as they were advancing toward Richmond. Mr. Barber was reared to lumbering, learned the trade of a carpenter, and was educated in the com- mon schools. At the age of eighteen he went to the city of Chicago, where he followed his trade for three years, and then returned to LaSalle County, where he spent two years at his trade, and then on the llth of October, 1857, he was married to Adeline Harris, who was born in Livingston, 111., on the 26th of September, 1835. She was the sixth child in a family of seven born to Harvey and Elizabeth Harris. Soon after they were married Mr. and Mrs. Barber settled on a farm, and he di- vided his attention between farming and carpenter- ing. After continuing thus with varied success for several years, they came to Livingston County. During his residence in LaSalle County he at one time concluded to try cabinet-making and contract- ing, and formed a partnership with another party and began business in Ceutreville, 8t. Joseph Co., Mich. One year's experience in this line was suf- ficient, and he returned to the farm. In 1806 he located on a farm which he purchased near Odell, and built a house upon it. The following year he moved. to town and opened a carriage and wagon shop, and'about a year later purchased eighty acres, upon which he immediately moved and now re- sides, having recently added another eighty acres. Mr. and Mrs. Barber are the parents of nine chil- dren, eight of whom are living Mary E., Rozelle A., Emma J., Harvey C., Fanny B., Mabel A., Nel- lie L. and Edith A. A twin sister to Nellie died in infancy. Mary married Robert Flack, who was accidentally killed by a street car in Chicago, in which city he was engaged as a foreman of a car- penter-shop, lie had wisely provided himself with a life insurance policy of $3,000, which was paid soon after his death, and the widow invested it in a farm of eighty acres near the home of her parents in Livingston County. Rosa married Fred G. Church, and lives on a farm in Odell Township; Emma married Charles Burke, a farmer, and lives in Greene County, Iowa. The other children are at home with their parents. Rosa is the mother of two children Susie and Robbie; Emma has two children Mabel and George. Mr. Barber has served as Road Commissioner and School Director for many years, is conservative in his politics, but casts his vote with the Republican party, having voted for the first time for the first Republican candidate for President, Gen. John C. Fremont. Mrs. Barber is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and both have always been active in their support of religious and moral enterprises. Mr. Barber is now a stock-raiser, making a specialty of Holstein cattle, Norman horses and Poland hogs. With all of his farming enterprises he has been sig- nally successful. IIARLES R, B AMBER resides on a beauti- fully located farm on section 6, Waldo Township, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising. His farm consists of eighty-eight acres eligibly situated, and contains good buildings of all kinds, besides a never-failing supply of water. Mr. Bamber was born in Washington, Taze- well Co., 111., Aug. 6, 1846, and is the son of John B. and Angeline (Emmitt) Bamber. The father was a tailor by trade, in Washington, but owned a farm about three miles from the town, where the family resided a portion of the time. The father was born in Lancashire, England, in 1810, and was an only child. He came to America with his par- ents, locating on a farm in Illinois. The paternal grandfather, Robert Bamber, was a weaver by trade, which occupation he followed for some time in this State, but finally embarked in the drug busi- ness, in which he was engaged at the time of his death, which occurred while on a trip to St. Louis t t. 518 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. to purchase goods. Our subject's mother was born in Winchester, Va., Jan. 17, 181f>, and came of German parentage; she is still living in Washing- ton, 111. She became the wife of the father of our subject in December, 1839, and bore him four chil- dren, of whom our subject is the youngest. Their names are as follows: John B., born Aug. 27, 1840, was a private in the 47th Illinois Infantry, in which he served during the entire war; he married Susan Beauchamp, deceased, and resides in Tazewell Coun- ty, and has one child, named Charles William. Jane, born Nov. 19, 1842, married John Hugill, has five children, and lives in Washington, III. ; Robert, born May 24, 1844, was a private in the 14Cth Illinois Infantry, and served about eleven months; he mar- ried Thankful Trowbridge, has two children, and lives in Washington, 111.; Charles R. Our subject did not enjoy very good opportuni- ties for obtaining an education, but succeeded in familiarizing himself with most of the elementary branches. At twenty -one years of age he contracted to farm his father's estate, and on the 24th of No- vember, 18C7, which was Thanksgiving Day, he was married to Miss Pauline Noel, daughter of Jacob and Pauline (Tyria) Noel, of Tazewell County, 111. She was born near Paris, France, June 12, 1848, and was three j'ears of age when her par- ents came to this country and located in Tazewell County, where they still reside. She is the third child in a family of fourteen, of whom three died young, and eleven are still living, as follows: Mary married James Brown, has six children, and lives in Iowa; Harriet married Solomon Betz, has four children, and lives in Washington, 111. ; Pauline is our subject's wife; Rosella married John Beatty, has six children, and lives in Washington,. Ill,; John also lives in Washington; Julius lives in Iowa; Sophia married George Parsons, has three children, and lives in Waldo Township; Elizabeth married John Taylor, has one child, and lives in IVoria ; Sa- rah, Ella and Joseph are unmarried, and live in Peo- ria. Mrs. Bamber's parents are living in Wash- ington, Tazewell County, atan advanced age. The}' were born in France, the father in 1808, the mother in 1823: they were married Feb. 23, 1844. For one year after marriage Mr. Bambcr engaged in farming, and for two years afterward followed various pursuits, when he resumed farming in 1870, on the ground where the village of Benson now stands. In the fall of 1871 he assisted in platting that town, and in the same 3'ear purchased forty acres of ground on section 26, Minonk Town- ship, Woodford County, to which he moved in the spring of 1872. He continued to live on this land for eleven years, and then sold it and bought his present farm. Mr. and Mrs. Bamber are the parents of nine chil- dren, as follows: William Edward, born in Wash- ington, 111., Nov. '19, 1869; Robert J., born at Benson, 111., Aug. 11, 1871; John F., at Benson, Dec. 27. 1872; Charles S., in Minonk Township. Woodford County, May 28, 1874; Delia M., born Oct. 20, 1875, died March 25, 1876; Jennie B., born Oct. 23, 1878; Orpha W., Dec. 17, 1881, in Minonk Township, Woodford County; Minnie Orah E., Dec. 12, 1882: Pearl A., in Waldo Township, Sept. 13, 1P84. Mr. Barnber takes a prominent part in the affairs of his township, and is the encourager and sup- porter of every measure having for its object the advancement of education and morality. He started in life without means of his own, and his present possessions are the result of his own industry and good management. Aside from the ordinary pur- suits of agriculture he gives considerable attention to stock-raising, in which he has been quite suc- cessful. OHN LONG has been a respected resident of Dwight Township since the spring of 18.09. In his history we have an illustra- tion of one of the most intelligent and observant of the sons of Erin, who, from the "land of great possibilities" has watched with deep inter- est the struggle of his countrymen and possesses a good knowledge of the various events which have taken place since they began to agitate the question of their freedom. The Irish-American citizen has taken kindry to the institutions of this country, and there are few great public works, canals, railroads or buildings, in which their industry has not been utilized and where they have not proved them- selves eminently ingenious and reliable. Thisper- i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 510 haps accounts for the almost universal sympathy which Americans feel for struggling Ireland, and to which they often give voice in both public and private. Mr. Long was born in the city of Dublin, in 1833, of parents more than ordinarily intelligent but who could only bestow upon him a common-school edu- cation. The boy, however, made the best of his opportunities, and eagerly devoured everything which came within his' reach in the shape of in- structive reading. The old traditions of his coun- try had for him an especial interest, and he believes, with thousands of others, that the dawn of a better day for Ireland is not far off. He remained upon his native soil until reaching manhood, and when twenty-two years of age was married to Miss Ann O'Brien, of Mead, and for their wedding tour they embarked upon a sailing-vessel bound for America. Our subject and his bride, after a safe voyage of forty -five days, landed in the city of New York, and a month later started for the West, locating first in LaSalle County, this State. From that time until the spring of 1869, Mr. Long was em- ployed at various work, principally mining, and in the meantime had accumulated a snug little sum of money. He now determined to change his occu- pation and location, and coming to this county wisely invested his capital in a tract of land which is now included in his present homestead. This was but slightly improved, with rude buildings, and only a part of the land under cultivation. Mr. Long- has affected a marked change in the con- dition of things, having now a home comfortable in all respects, a goodly assortment of farm machin- ery, with horses and cattle in good condition, and everything about the homestead creditable to the industry of its proprietor. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Long, eight in number, were named respectively, Peter, Richard, John, Michael, Christopher, Mar}', Catherine and Julia. The eldest son. Peter, married Miss Mar- garet O'Connor, and is engaged in a wiremill in Joliet. The remaining ones are at home with their parents. Our subject upon becoming a naturalized citizen identified himself with the Republican party, and in religious matters, with his excellent wife and their children, closely adheres to the Catholic faith of his fathers. No man is more up- right and honorable in his business transactions, and consequently none is more respected by his neighbors. GILBERT L. HEADLEY. Livingston County contains among her citizens many men who have had a hard struggle in life, and been dependent entirely upon their own resources for whatever of success they have attained. Among these is the subject of this sketch, who owns and resides upon a 150-acre farm on section 6, in Saunemin Township. lie began life a poor boy, having none of the advantages which fall to even the poorest of the present day, and it is creditable to him to say that he has attained a measure of suc- cess much above the average. Mr. Headley is a native of Ohio, and was born in Trumbull County on the 22d of January, 1834. He is a son of Amos and Experience (Lindley) Headley, and comes from English descent. In the family of his parents there were twelve children, of whom our subject is the sixth in their order of birth. At the age of sixteen years he was thrown upon his own resources, and began working in Pennsylvania on a salary of $6 per month, and continued at this place for one year. Being compelled to work the greater portion of the time in order to support himself he was denied those advantages, limited though they were, that other boys of that day were afforded for obtaining an education. In 1855 he came to Illi- nois and settled in LaSalle County, and resided there until 1870, in which year he came to Liv- ipgston County, and settled on the farm he now owns, injSaunemin Township. This farm consists of 150 acres of as good land as may be found in Livingston County. On the 29th of November, 18G3, Mr. Headley was married to Miss Persis S. Thompson, of La- Salle County, 111. She is a native of Vermont, and was born iu Windsor County, that State, on the 14th of June, 1847. She is the daughter of John W. and Sarah E. (Leonard) Thompson, both natives of Vermont. In her tenth year she accom- panied her parents when they emigrated from Ver- mont to Illinois, and settled in LaSalle County. | t i 520 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Her mother died in that county in 1868, and the father now resides in the State of Kansas. To her parents were born four children, of whom three survive : Rachel B., wife of Clay Burgess, of Kan- sas City, Mo.; Laura V., wife of Robert Haverfield, of Lamed, Kan., and Mrs. Headley. Her parents were pioneers in LaSalle County, 111., and assisted materially in opening and improving that county. Her father has been for many years an ardent member of the Congregational Church. To Mr. and Mrs. Headley have been born eight children: Laura, born Aug. 22, 1864; Emma, born May 7, 1806, wife of Albert Schnurr, of Union Township, this county; Benjamin F., born Nov. 20, 1867: Samuel, born Sept. 11, 1869, and now resides in Saunemin Township; Neota, born May 22, 1872; Cephas, born Sept. 11, 1874; Victor, born July 4, 1877, and Luther, born Feb. 6, 1880. Mr. Head- ley is a Democrat in politics and gives the men and measures of his party a cordial support. He has served as Director of his school district, in which capacity he gave perfect satisfaction to his constituents. leading furni- ^ELSON G. BENNETT, the ture dealer and undertaker of Saunemin. al- though comparatively young in years, con- trols a lucrative trade of probably $5,000 per an- num, which he established in 1883. His business house occupies an area of 28x68 feet, and two floors are utilized in the storing of his finely assorted stock of merchandise, which includes queensware, glass- ware, organs and sewing-machines. In glancing at the details of the business of our subject, we are not surprised to find that ho was born among the wide-awake and ingenious Yankees of New England. He first opened his eyes to the light May 3, 1849, in Litchfield County, Conn. His parents, William and Sarah (Bronson) Bennett, were natives of the same locality, and descended from excellent English ancestry, from whom they inherited those reliable and substantial traits of character which constituted them honest men and good citizens. About three years after the birth of our subject, his parents determined upon a change of location, and after due preparation, he started with their little family on an overland journey to the great West. They came within the boundaries of the young Prairie State, and located in LaSalle County during its earliest settlement, upon a tract of land in Farm Ridge Township, and about two years later moved to Deer Park Township. The death of the father occurred in 1856, when he was in the sixtieth year of his age. The mother, al- though now a resident of Normal, still retains the old homestead in LaSalle County. The parental household of our subject included nine children, eight of whom are living, and the record is as follows : Diana became the wife of Rev. A. S. Calkins, engaged in the ministry at Normal, 111. : Isaac, George A. and Henry F. are carrying on farming in LaSalle County; Charles F. is in Cali- fornia; Edgar in Mendota, and Edwin in Marshall County, Iowa. Nelson G., our subject, was reared on the homestead in LaSalle County, and being the youngest of the family, escaped m&ny of the sterner duties and privations of pioneer life. He received a good education in the schools which were later organized under competent teachers, and remained a member of his father's household until his mar- riage. The maiden of his choice, Miss Hattie A. Trout, was one of the most attractive young ladies in Deer Park Township, and the wedding was cele- brated at the home of his brother Edwin. Oct. 15, 1876. Mrs. Bennett is the daughter of Hiram and Vi- anna Trout, who were natives of Ohio and Missouri, and are now residents of Andersonville County, Kan. Their household included nine children, and Hattie A. was born in Wisconsin in 1850. Mr. and Mrs. B. after their marriage, came to this county and located on a farm four and one-half miles south of Forest, where they remained three j-ears and until the removal to Saunemin. Here Mr. Bennett, in partnership with Mr. A. Cording, put up the first business house of any importance after the village was laid out. Together they purchased a stock of general hardware and groceries, including a goodly assortment of farm implements, and car- ried on business about eighteen months. Mr. B. then withdrew and established his present business, which was first located where the drug-store of Benkma tfe Dow now stands. In the summer of RESIDENCE OF JOHN G.LOCKNER.SEC.S. GERMANVIUE TOWNSHIP. RESIDENCE OF A. A. MAJOR, SEC. 35. FOREST TOWN SHI P. R ESI DENG EOF J.W.JENNINGS , SEC. 34. PLEAS ANT RIDGETOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 523 188fi he moved to his present quarters, which af- ford more room and better facilities. The family residence of our subject is pleasantly located and he and his amiable lady are the valued members of an extremely pleasant and cultivated social circle. Their only child, Daisy E., was born Aug. 8. 1887. Mr. B., politically, is a stanch Re- publican, and with his wife is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Socially, he be- longs to the I. O. O. F. at Saunemin. He is con- tributing his full share to the business interests of the town, and has made himself quite valuable both as a citizen and business man. T fUDGE BILLINGS P. BABCOCK, one of the earliest settlers of Livingston County, first came to this State in 1847, after having finished his legal education and been admit- ted to practice in the courts of New York, his native State. He did not remain here, however, upon his first trip, but returned the following year and purchased a large acreage of beautiful rolling prairie, which was designated as the Grove property, so named on account of a natural growth of forest trees, which afterward received the name of its purchaser, and was considered one of the most beautiful spots in the State of Illinois. His nearest neighbor was then four miles distant, and the Bloomington & Chicago State Road running by was traveled by State officers, and merchants going to Chicago, and was a great thoroughfare for cattle- drovers in autumn, who in this manner transported thousands of head each year. Judge Babcock since that time has been prominent in the affairs of this locality and the leader in most of the enter- prises which have brought it to its present status. He, with two Associate Justices as County Com- missioners, built the first truss bridge over the Vermilion River at Pontiac, and the brick court- house, which was destroyed by fire in 1874. Both were substantial improvements and a much greater undertaking for those times, than the iron bridge .ind beautiful court-house of the present, with the later facilities for construction. Our subject is a native of Oneida County, N. Y., and was born March 29, 1814. He is the son of Dr. Charles and Nancy (Pratt) Babcock, the former a native of Connecticut and the latter of New York. The family is of English descent, and its first representative in this county was John Bab- cock, who emigrated in the early part of the seven- teenth century, settling in one of the New England States. Col. Babcock, of Revolutionary fame, was a direct ancestor of our subject, and the father of the latter participated in the War of 1812 as a surgeon, and was stationed at Sackett's Harbor. After the war he settled at New Hartford Village, Oneida Co., N. Y.. where he followed his practice successfully and attained to a high position among his medical brethren. He was several times elected President of the Oneida County Medical Society, which was one of the most prominent in the State, and there were few who possessed his knowledge of materia medica in its various departments. He spent his last years in Oneida County, where his death took place in 1850. The parental family in- cluded three children, of whom only two survive Billings P. and his sister Mary C., the wife of Henry G. Abbott, of Utica, N. Y. The Judge was reared to manhood in his native county, where he pursued his early studies and distinguished himself as a pupil fond of his books and anxious to excel. When eighteen years old he entered Hamilton College in his native county, and studied two years, then entered the senior class of Union College at Schencctady, from which he was graduated one year later. He commenced read- ing law with the celebrated firm of Noyes & Tracey of Utica, and was admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the State in 1835, while at the same time passing his examination successfully for admission to practice in the Court of Chancery. He entered upon his professional duties at New Hartford, but owing to ill-health was obliged to abandon for a time his chosen profession and engage in active out-door exercise. About this time he emigrated westward, and obtained his first view of Livingston County, where he deter- mined to establish a permanent home. After in.-ik- ing his second trip to the West and taking possession of the land which he had purchased, he commenced dealing in stock, making sheep a specialty, and T .5-24 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. greatly increasing the wool product of this section of country. He invested his surplus capital in ad- ditional land, and in all his undertakings was remark- ably successful. He was elected Judge of the County Court in 1852, the duties of which office he discharged in an efficient manner three years, and then resigned in order to attend to personal matters of importance. A mail route from Wilmington to Pontiac wa> opened soon after the arrival of Judge Babcock in this locality, and through his exertions a post-office was established at the Grove for the accommodation of the settlers on the Mazon. Our subject was appointed Postmaster, and was the means of bring- ing about other measures which added greatly to the building up of the community and encouraged immigration. He cast his first Presidential vote for Henry Clay, and at the organization of the Republican party became one of its most cordial supporters, and still gives to it his vote and in- fluence. M. GREGORY is one of the prom- ising young men of Amity Township, where he owns sixty acres of land on section 211. He comes of English stock which has been noted for several generations for intelligence and morality. Having been born in 1805 he now comes upon the stage of action at a time when the country is nearly in its zenith of progress and improvement, and necessarily he does not have to contend with the trials and tribulations which were met at every step by the pioneer settlers of Illinois. Instead of the crude and unwieldy implements of the farm of the early days, he finds the work of the agriculturist now performed almost wholly by the most perfect ma- chinery the ingenuity of man has been able to pro- duce. With such machinery as they now use as farming accessories Mr. Gregory can accomplish as much now as five men could in the days of the wooden moldboard plow. In writing thi> sketch of one of Amity Township's coming men it i- not amiss to say that he is a native of this township, ami was born where lie now lives on the 20th of February, 180"), and is the son of Thomas .1. and Ellen Gregory, natives of England. Mrs. Gregory was the daughter of Henry and Eliza- beth (Moss) Hols worth, who were natives of Lan- castcrshire, England. Elizabeth Holsworth died on the 4th of March, 180]. Thomas Gregory, the father of our subject, was born in England on the 18th of November, 1827, and died on the 4th of February, 1X80. lie was married to Ellen Hols- worth, a native of England, on the 18th of July, 1847, and came to America in April, 1855, landing at New York. Soon after they went to Chicago. remaining one month, and from Chicago to Living- ston County. He was a Protestant Methodist min- ister, and labored as such for over thirty year>. He devoted altogether about forty years to the min- istry, lie was in the Union army for about eleven months as a member of Company C, 12!)th Illinois Infantry, and was discharged on account of disability incurred while serving as a cook in the hospital. To Thomas J. and Ellen Gregory were bom ten chil- dren: Elizabeth Ann, born in England in 1849, married William Ellis, and has two children ; they are located in Butler County, Kan, and their post- office address is El Dorado. Thomas Gregory was bom in 1847. and died when four years of age in England: Thomas John was born in 1849, and died in England when eleven months and two weeks old ; Richard was born in 1851, and when nearly five years old died in England; Thomas John married Miss Julia Louderbeck, has three children living and one dead, and resides in Livingston County; Philip Wilbur, born March 4, 1851), married Elizabeth Campbell, has two children, and is a farmer of Amity Township: Charle- Henry, horn June 27, 1863, mar- ried Olive Widdifield, and is a farmer in Amity Township; James Abram. born May 10, 1862, was graduated at Keokuk. Iowa: he married Marcella Boycr, and is a practicing physician at Chat>worth. William Morris Gregory is the subject of this sketch. His land is under a high state of cultivation and is very productive. It is very eligibly located, being near churches, school- and markets. Politically, Mr. Gregory i> a >tanch Republican, and by the members of that party is considered one of the active workers. When a boy he received a good education, and is now a great reader, and is very food of books and new-paper-. lie is pro- grosivc in all his ideas and very liberal minded. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 525 i He i> :i young man who is very popular with all his acquaintances, and takes a leading position in the affairs of liis township. JOSEPH S. BABCOCK, deceased, was a na- tive of Steuben County, N. Y., and was born on the 26th of June, 1828, the son of Joseph (|f|// and Pha>be Babcock. His paternal ancestors were of English descent, while those on the mater- nal side were French, and were among the Hugue- nots who left Europe to escape religious persecu- tion. Joseph Babcock grew to manhood in his na- tive county and State, and was educated at Lima Seminary, New York. His early days were spent on a farm, and when he was in his twenty-sixth year he engaged in the mercantile business in New York City, and continued in that business for sev- eral years. In about the year 1857 he removed his entire stock of merchandise to Pontiac. the ob- ject of his removal being to improve his health. He also had extensive money interests in this lo- cality. He was one of the pioneer merchants of Pontiac, and independently of that business was an extensive money lender. He remained in business in Pontiac for five or six years, but owing to con- tinued bad health was obliged to remove to his farm, one and one-half miles northwest of the town, where he remained until his death, which oc- curred on the 6th of July, 1870. On the 1st of December, 1861, Mr. B. was married to Mary 0. Norton, a native of Farmingtou. Me., and daughter of lion. Samuel and Mary (Norcross) Nor- ton: her father a native of Martha's Vineyard, and her mother of Farmington, Me. In 1861 her par- ents came to Pontiac, where they spent the remain- der of their lives. To Mr. and Mrs. Babcock were born three children Stanton, deceased; May and Stanton (2d). Mr. Babcock died on the 6th of July, 1870, respected by all who knew him, leav- ing a large circle of friends and relatives to mourn their loss. lie was a kind and loving father and hus- band, and of unquestioned honor and integrity in business affairs. In his demise the county lost one of her best citizens, and the community a valued member. His remains were interred in the ceme- tery at Pontiac. The widow and two children sur- vive him, and reside on the farm, which is one of the best improved in the county. They are lead- ing members of society. Mr. Babcock was a Republican in politics, and was closely identified with all the important move- ments of that party in his county. He "was one of the original founders of the Baptist Church in Pon- tiac, and always contributed liberally of his means for the support of that denomination, while he al- ways favored every movement for the benefit of so- ciety and the improvement of the county. Ebben Norton, the grandfather of Mrs. Babcock, represented Kennebec County in the Legislature of Massachusetts when Maine was yet a province, and in the year 1843 Samuel B. Norton, her father, was a member of the Maine Legislature. He had al- wa3 T s been in public life, and for a considerable time served as Treasurer of Franklin County, Me. EDMUND T. METZ, the leading insurance and real-estate agent of Odell, was born while his parents were residents of Will- iamsburg, Pa., Dec. 29, 1848. He was the fourth child of Peter and Augeline (Johnson) Metz, who were also natives of the Keystone State, and a sketch of whom appears on another page. Edmund T. was reared to farm life and received his educa- tion in the district schools, making his home with his parents until twenty-three years of age. Mr. Metz when first starting out for himself, his parents having come to this State in 1860, opened a general store in Odell and associated himself in partnership with William Vaughn. They continued together five years, the firm being dissolved by the death of Mr. Vaughn. The business was then closed out, and Mr. Metz embarked in the insurance busi- ness in company with his brother William, who at that time was practicing law at Odell. They con- tinued together until the spring of 1885, when Will- iam withdrew and Edmund T. has since carried on the business alone, and conducts also a real-estate, and the largest insurance agency in the city. Mr. Metz was married rather late in life, Oct. 12, 1882, to Miss Birdie Losee, a native of Dwight, t 520 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. this county, and born Jan. 9, 1863. Mrs. Metz was the youngest child of her parents, whose family included three sons and four daughters. Her father was a native of New York, whence he came to Illi- nois during the early settlement of Livingston County, and where he first engaged in general mer- chandising. He became quite prominent in public affairs and was elected Justice of the Peace. Finally he abandoned trade, and in connection with his office carried on a thriving business as a collector. He is now deceased. His wife, former!}' Miss Lydia Miller, was also a native of the Empire State, and is now living in Dwight. Mr. Metz, after becoming a voting citizen, iden- tified himself with the Democratic part}', although he meddles very little with political matters. His estimable lady is a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. With a snug home on Prairie avenue they are fond of those matters which conduce to the growth of the intellect, and enjoy the esteem of a large circle of friends. -*- fifiOHN A. BUELL, a prominent young farmer of Owego Township, is the owner of eighty acres of good land on section 12, of which he took possession in the spring of 1886. and is meeting with good success in his farming opera- tions. He represents the intelligence and enter- prise of that locality, and is a citizen of whom much is expected in the future, possessing those natural abilities which with ordinary effort on his part will bear their legitimate fruits. Mr. Buell was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., June 30, 1853, and is the only child of Samuel and Harriet (Beach) Buell, who were also natives of the Empire State. The mother is now deceased, but the father is living and a resident of California. John A. was reared by his grandparents until four- teen years of age, and then, in company with his paternal uncle, James Buell, came to the West and at once located in Livingston County, where he lias since resided. He was reared to farm pursuits, and received the advantages afforded by the common 1 schools. After passing his twenty-seventh year he was united in marriage with Miss Luella Tucker, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in McDowell, Avoca Township, Dec. 23. 1880. Mrs. B. is the daughter of Willard and Matilda Tucker, natives of Ohio, but now residing in Avoca Township, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of three children : Irvvin A., who was born April 4, 1882; Earl B., June 19, 1884, and Bertha. Mr. and Mrs. Buell began life together in a mod- est dwelling at Avoca, whence they removed to their present home, which with its neat residence and convenient out-buildings, forms a pleasant pic- ture of quiet country life. They number their friends by the score in this section, and are fair rep- resentatives of its intelligence and worth. Mr. Buell uniformly votes the Republican ticket. r AMES H. HOWARTH. Lancashire, En- ll gland, is the great seat of the British cotton manufacture, which has increased since 1770 with a rapidity unparalleled in the history of mechanical industry. Woolen, worsted, linen, silk, hats, paper, soap, chemicals, etc., are also man- ufactured on a large scale. Manchester is the prin- cipal seat of cotton manufacture in the county, and Liverpool of the shipping trade; the former, how- ever, is carried on to a great extent in numerous other towns in the shire, including Preston, Bolton, Old ham, Ashton, Blackburn, Bury, Chorley, Wigan and other minor points. A complete network of railways and several important canals afford means of rapid conveyance between Lancashire and all parts of the kingdom. Lancaster is the capital of the shire, and it is picturesquely situated upon an eminence crowned by the church and castle. It is a city of 20,000, and was formerly a port which en- joyed a large foreign trade, but in later years that has been transferred to Liverpool. Mr. Howarth. now a farmer and stock-grower on section II, Belle Prairie Township, is a native of Lancashire, England, and was born on the 27th of February, 1 847. He is the son of John and Selina (Fielding) Howarth, who were also natives of En- i 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 5-27 ir gland. The father was born on the 24th of Janu- ary, 1814, and was a coal miner and stonemason by trade, and in his youth received a very limited education. He first came to the United States in 1842, and in the same year located in Peoria County, 111., where he followed his trade until about 1862, when he began farming with the assist- ance of his boys, and also dealt in coal until 1872, when he retired from the latter business. He is now the owner of about 600 acres of land, and still resides in Peoria County. The mother was born in 1820, and is still living. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and has been for many years. They are the parents of six children, all of whom are living James II., Colonel D., Benjamin, Sarah A., John and Selina. On the ,)th of April, 1871, Mr. Howarth was mar- ried to Miss Alice Hindle, who was born on the 6th of April, 1849, in Peoria County. She is the daughter of John and Susannah Hindle, who were natives of England and came to America in 1842, and located at Peoria. The mother and father were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he had been a Class-Leader for many years. The father died in 1879. They were the parents of nine children, viz.. Martha, Alice, David, Mary A., James II., Richard, Lilly, Arvesta J. and Selina M. Mr. Howarth came to Livingston County in 1870, and purchased 120 acres of land, to the cul- tivation of 'which, and the raising of stock, he de- votes his time. In the spring of 1882 he was elected to the office of Township Supervisor, which office he filled for four years, and then after a year's intermission he was re-elected, and is now in his fifth term of that office, in which he is serving to the entire satisfaction of the people of Belle Prairie Township. He has held the position of member of the Committee on County Equalization, in which position he has been of much valuable service to the people. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity, and is an active member of Tarbolton Lodge No. 351. Mr. and Mrs. Howarth have had six children Flora A., S. Lilly, Richard B. (deceased), Jesse D., Martha A. and John P. The parents are both active members of the Presbyterian Church, and take a lively interest in the affairs of that organiza- tion. Mr. Howarth gives his political adhesion to the Republican party, and takes an active part in .its campaigns. A. SMITH. This country has become a safe harbor for thousands of men whose ideas of right were so pronounced as to preclude their remaining in their native land. In the case of the subject of this sketch the fortunes of war were such that to remain in Denmark he might be compelled to raise arms against his own people. After the southern portion of Denmark passed un- der the sway of Prussia the rigorous military law compelled the Danes to serve in the Prussian army and even fight their own countrymen, if it were the will of the King. Under these circumstances Mr. Smith had to chose one of two alternatives remain and submit to this military service, or seek a home in some other country. He chose the latter, and became a citizen of the United States, and it is safe to predict that he has never regretted the step he took in the matter. Mr. Smith, who is a progressive farmer of D wight Township, is a son of J. Schmidt, and was born in Denmark in 1843. His father was a blacksmith at Berklew, near Sleswick, Denmark, now a Province of Prussia, and was the father of the following- named children : Jep, Paul, Catherine M., Maria, Meret, Peter S., Abbe, Andreas, and one child who died in infancy. Mr. Schmidt was married three times, :ind of his children, J. A., Andreas and Peter came to this country. Andreas is a farmer in Gruudy County, 111., and Peter is a blacksmith in Chicago. The remainder of the family are living in Denmark. J. A. Smith, our subject, learned the trade of a shoemaker while a boy, and received a common- school education. At the age of twenty-three years, in 18(16, he emigrated to this country and settled in Dwight, where he began working at his trade, in which business he continued at that place four years, and for a time at Gardner. In 1867 Mr. Smith was married to Miss Annie M. Nielson, daughter of Niels C. Nielson, of Jutland, Denmark. T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Their household consists of the following children: Marias, Mary, Finne, Caroline, Andrew and Will- iam; they have also reared a girl named Hannah Howson. In 1870 Mr. Smith rented a farm in Union Township and began farming. He remained on this farm for two years and then rented a farm in Dwight Township, on which he lived for four- teen years, when he came to the farm which he now owns and lives on near Dwight. Politically, Mr. Smith is strongly Republican, and uniformly casts his vote in support of the candi- dates of that party. Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Lutheran Church, and participate actively in the affairs of the congregation to which they belong. Mr. Smith is providing liberally for his family, and is giving each the advantage of a good education. The family residence is pleasantly located, and within and without is indicative of cultivated tastes and ample means. The friends and associates of our subject comprise the cultiva- ted people of Dwight Township, and they are most worthily filling their places as worthy members of society. 1 HRISTIAN BECKER, an industrious and thrifty young farmer of Charlotte Township, is pleasantly located on section 8, where he has 100 acres of valuable land, and has already dis- tinguished himself as a successful breeder of high- grade English, Norman and Clyde draft horses and good cattle. Although located here less than a year, he has already established himself in the con- fidence of his neighbors, and is recognized as a valued accession to the community. Mr. Becker was born in Pontiac Township, this county, April 28, 1859, and is the elder of two children, the parents being John II. and Matha (Williams) Becker, natives of Germany. They emigrated to America in early life, and the father was a farmer by occupation. He is now a resident of Chats worth Township, and one of the most in- dustrious and well-to-do citizens of that locality. He began life in this country a poor man, and is now the owner of a fine homestead comprising 160 acres of land, with good buildings and all the other appurtenances of a valuable country estate. A sketch of him will be found elsewhere in this work. Mr. Christian Becker remained with his parents until twenty-two years of age, becoming familiar with the various employments of the farm, and de- veloping the habits of industry and economy in which he had been trained by his excellent parents. He was married, Feb. 28, 1887, at the home of the bride in Chats worth, to Mies Hilka Muller, who was born in Germany, and is the youngest of the three children of Heinrich and Franka (Johnson) Muller. She came to the United States alone in 1885, and is a lady greatly respected wherever known. Mr. Becker with commendable forethought, had laid the foundations for a future home, and they have begun life comfortably and surrounded by all that makes it desirable. .^ - v^==- i fc -i ^ig.r'-y LFRED E. HARDING, attorney-at law at Pontiac, came to this place thirty years ago. and establishing an office immediately commenced practice. In July following he assumed charge of the editorial columns of the Livingston County Neirs, the first Democratic paper published in the county. He remained con- nected with this until December, 1859, and since then has given his entire attention to the duties of his profession. He is the oldest living practitioner in the county, and for mairy years has been one of the leading attorneys of the Livingston County bar. Mr. Harding, a native of Genesee County, N. Y., was born in the town of Bethany June 24, 1830. His parents were Alfred and Maria (Gilbert) Hard- ing, natives of Connecticut, and his paternal grand- parents, Ephraim and Susan (Wheeler) Harding, were natives of the same State, and of English de- scent. Ephraim Harding servod as a soldier in the Revolutionary War five years. When he entered the army he was a well-to-do farmer, and when the war was over he found that the British soldiers had stolen his horses, cattle, and whatever else of value they could lay their hands upon, which theft made him practically a poor man. He engaged in farm- ing until quite well stricken with years, and at seventy-five years of age became blind. He was of a literary turn of mind and composed poetry, which LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 529 ir t his grandchildren would write down for him. He lived in this manner nearly ten years, his death occur- ring when he was eighty-four years old. His wife was nearly one hundred when her death occurred, and both died at Bethany, N. Y. They were the par- ents of thirteen sons and two daughters, all of whom lived to mature years. Alfred, the father of our subject, was reared on a farm, and when about twenty 3'ears of age entered the Amerjcan army, and was soldier and Sergeant in the War of 1812. Afterward he married, and became the owner of a farm in the Holland Purchase. He first secured possession of a moderate extent of land, to which he added until he became one of the most extensive land-owners in Genesee County. The parental household embraced thirteen children, of whom seven are now living, namely, Erastns D., Elias E., Harriet B. ; Alfred E., of our sketch; Julia, Marcia and Thomas J. The father was a Democrat in his younger days, but later in life wheeled over into the ranks of the Republicans. He and his estima- ble wife were members in good standing of the Baptist Church. Both are now deceased. Our subject remained at his father's homestead until sixteen years of age, pursuing his early stud- ies in the common schools. He then took a three years' course in the Genesee and Wyoming Semi- nary and commenced reading law in 1854, in Alle- gany County. He was admitted to the bar at Buffalo, in May, 1856, and afterward practiced in Allegany County one year, then started for the West. His career in Illinois has been one eminently creditable to him as a citizen and a member of the legal profession. Mr. Harding was married, in October, 1855, to Miss Laura G. Manwaring, of New London, Conn., and they became the parents of three sons, two of whom are now living Benjamin A. and Alfred. The mother of these children died at her home July 31, 1875. Mr. Harding was again married, in 187G, to Miss Mary E. Haines, of Dwight, 111., who died in September, 1882, leaving no children. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married in Ottawa, Oct. 21, 188"), was formerly Mrs. Alice J. Stephens, who has borne him a daugh- ter, Atossa Louise. The family residence is located at the corner of Livingston and Division streets, and is one of the substantial dwellings which are an ornament and a credit to the city. Mr. Harding votes the straight Democratic ticket, and was elected Mayor of Pontiac in 1875. He was at one time a Director in the Livingston County National Bank, and attorney for the Chi- cago & Alton Railroad. ; HALL. The 4th of July, 1803, will stand as one of the most important days in the history of the United States, for on that day the Union army was successful in the memorable battle of Gettysburg, and the Gibral- tar of the South, Vicksburg, which had blocked the Mississippi from the day of the commencement of hostilities, was surrendered to Gen. Grant, and the Southern Confederacy was cut in twain. The suc- cess of Meade's army at Gettysburg settled no question of advantage, but was simply a grand vic- tory of the Union troops, while the capitulation of Vicksburg gave us complete control of the great river from St. Paul to New Orleans, and made two minor Confederacies instead of one solid and com- pact bodj r . The defeat of the Confederate army was virtually assured by the capture of Vieksburg, and it could only remain a question of time when all the Southern States would be subdued and would surrender. It is not the intention to put in this ALBI'M a history of the war, but, the subject of this sketch having participated in the siege of Vicksburg and witnessed the surrender of that stronghold, it is proper that the importance of the capture be set forth ; for if he lives until history records all the facts of the war, the proudest boast he can make will be "I was with Grant at Vicks- burg." This will be an honor equal to that claimed by the heroes at Waterloo, who fought with Wel- lington. Mr. Hall is a representative citizen of Avoca Township, and resides on section 21. He is a na- tive of McLean County, 111., and was born on the 28th of September, 1845, being the son of Jere- miah S. and Jane C. Hall, both natives of New En- gland. Two of his paternal great-uncles were sol- diers in the Revolutionary War. Of the five chil- I 530 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. dren born to his parents but three survive : William F., of McLean County: Hannah, and George, the subject of this sketch. His parents settled in Mc- Lean County in 1 834, and were among the early settlers of that county. The father died in Sep- tember, 1882. and the mother in April. 1874. They were widely and favorably known in that county, where the} 1 enjoyed the esteem and confi- dence of all who knew them. Mr. Hall was reared to manhood in his native county, where he secured a good common-school education. On the 8th of December, 1861, he en- listed in Company K, 26th Illinois Infantry, and remained in the service until the 20th of July, 1865. The 26th Regiment was initiated into the realities of war at New Madrid and Island No. 10. which were the first engagements looking to the opening of the Mississippi River from the North. Afterward they participated in the siege of Corinth, the first and second battles of luka and the battle of Corinth. When Gen. Grant started with his army toward Vicksburg, the subject of this sketch was wounded, north of Holly Springs, Miss., in the right leg. After being at the hospital for about four months, he rejoined his regiment in time to participate in the operations in front and rear of Vicksburg, and in the siege, which lasted forty- seven days and nights. Subsequently he was in the battles of Jackson, Chattanooga, siege of At- lanta, and in Sherman's entire campaign, which cul- minated in the memorable inarch to the sea, and wound up with the grand review at Washington. He was honorably discharged on the 20th of July, 1865, and then returned to Illinois. On the 21st of December, 1871, Mr. Hall was married to Marian McKee, daughter of William and Sarah (Moore) McKee, of Woodford County, 111., and to them have been born four children: Frederick J., born on the 28th of January, 1874; Corbin G., born May 18, 1877; Jennie M., born March 24, 1879, and Elsie R., born Jan. 21, 1883. In the spring of 1873 Mr. Hall went to Nebraska, and resided in Buffalo County until the fall of 1876, when he returned to Illinois, and resided in Ford County until 1880. In that year he came to Livingston County, and settled on the farm which he now occupies, and which consists of eighty acres of very excellent land, where he is meeting with success in all his operations. He is independent in political matters, and does not owe allegiance to either of the old parties. He and his wife both oc- cupy an enviable position in society, for which they are fitted both by education and intimacy with the affairs of the world. Mrs. Hall is a mem- ber of the Christian Church. eHARLES C. BOYS, a native of Monroe County, Pa., located in Saunemin Town- ship, on section 34. in the spring of 1876, and has, by his energy and industry, already laid the foundations of a good home and a competency. He has but just passed his fortieth year, and is one of the men in the prime of life, to whom a com- munity naturally looks for leadership in the enter- prises which are constantly being set on foot in this lively and progressive age. He is proving equal to the emergency, and in addition to his own extensive transactions as a farmer and stock-raiser, has still found time to contribute of his means and attention to the various matters involving the wel- fare and happiness of the people of his commu- nity. He has been uniformly successful in his farming operations, and has become quite promi- nent as a stock-raiser, from which business he en- joys a handsome income. Our subject was born in Monroe County, Pa., May 23, 1847, and is the son of Samuel and Cath- erine (Andre) Boys, who were also born in the Keystone State. In 1857, in company with his father, Charles C. came to Illinois, and they subse- quently settled in Marshall Count}', where the death of the father occurred on the 22d of Au- gust, 1878. The mother of our subject died when he was only six years old, in 1 8,~>3. The father's second wife was Hannah A. Tanguy, by whom one child was born. The six children, of whom five survive, were: Leonard A., a resident of Kansas; Mary H.,the wife of William Watt, of this county: Jane R., who married S. V. Jones, of Turner County, Dak., where they now reside; Charles C., our subject, the fourth in order of birth : Elizabeth T., who married W. H. Hull, a farmer of this f tc LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 533 township, and Martha 13., who died when thirty- eight years of age. Our subject continued with his parents in Mar- shall County until reaching manhood. Me attended school quite regularly in his district, and later en- tered college at Quincy. 111., where he spent three years. Subsequently he engaged in teaching, which he followed several terms, and in the meantime made the acquaintance of Miss Margaret J. Thomp- son, to whom he was married on the 4th of March, 1874. Mrs. Boys is the daughter of Asa and Ma}' (Orr) Thompson, the former one of the earliest pioneers of Marshall County, and whose death took place there Feb. 15, 1874. The mother still re- sides [on the old homestead, in Marshall County. Mr. B. for two years after his marriage, continued in Marshall County, and in 1876 came to Living- ston and settled on section 33, Saunemin Town- ship, where he remained until the spring of 1882, when he removed to his present farm. This com- prises 156 acres under a good state of cultivation, and to which he has added many improvements .since taking possession. lie is a worthy member of a most intelligent community, and several }'ears ago identified himself with the Methodist Episco- pal Church, in which he officiates as Trustee, and has been Superintendent of the Sunday-school for many years. Mrs. Boys has proved in all respects the worthy companion of her husband, and with him is a member in good standing of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. They have five bright children, namely: Stella, born Sept. 26, 1875; Asa T., May 9, 1878; Samuel E., July 26, 1882; Will- iam L., April 13, 1884, and Milford C., April 3, 1886. AVID W. HILSBACK has been a resident of the Prairie State for over thirty-five years. During this time he has mostly en- gaged in farming, but in January, 1881, re- tired from active labor, and is now enjoying the fruits of his industry in tlie comforts of a pleasant home in the city of Fairbury. When coming to this locality, in common with his brother pioneers, he established himself upon a tract of uncultivated land, which he transformed into a fine farm sup- plied with a substantial set of buildings and every- thing necessary to complete a modern country home. This comprises 160 acres in Livingston and Ford Counties. Mr. II. has been prominent in the local affairs of this section, and turned his attention largely to religious work, having been for over thirty years a licensed preacher of the Methodist Episcopal Church. It has always been his disposi- tion to do good, and he has exerted a great in- fluence to this end among both young and old, who have come within the sphere of his influence. Mr. Hilsback was born in Stokes Count}', N. C., Jan. 9, 1819, and is the son of John and Catherine (Fulk) Hilsback, natives of the same State. His father was born Dec. 9, 1791, and departed this life at his home in Owen County, Ind., April 8, 1847. The mother was born in August, 1792, and died in Iowa in 18CG. Both were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church for more than thirty years, and carried out in their daily lives the prin- ciples which they professed, rearing their children piously and carefully, and doing good to those around them as they had opportunity. Their views were liberal, and while the Methodist Church was their choice, they attended others and permitted their children to do so. The parental household in- cluded the following: Elias, Joseph, Eliza, David W., William, Elizabeth, Catherine, John and Permelia. Of these, eight are living and all married with the exception of Catherine. Joseph was married, and died about 1886. Mr. Hilsback came to Illinois in the spring of 1851, and located first in Woodford County, where he purchased land, and upon which he remained twelve years. In 1864 he removed to the eastern part of the county, where he had purchased a farm, which he sold upon coming to the city of Fairbury. In the meantime the outbreak of the Rebellion had stimulated his patriotism, and on the 13th of August, 1802, he enlisted in the 77th Illinois In- fantry, and soon afterward marched with his com- rades to Covington, Ky. On account of failing health, however, he was only permitted to serve until March following, when, after having been confined in the hospital at St. Louis two months, he was dis- charged for disability. Since then he has never been able to do manual labor, and receives a pen- ' ' 534 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. sion from the Government. He is a member of the G. A. R., Post No. 75, at Fairbury, of which he has been Chaplain for many years, and is also Post Commander. Our subject, when twenty-two years of age, was united in marriage with Mrs. Martha (Carmichael) Holder, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, in Greene County, Intl., Dec. !l, 1841. Mrs. H. is a native of the same State as her husband, and was born June 7, 1810. She went with her parents to Indiana about 1833, and there met her husband. Their children, seven in number, were named respectively, James C., Solomon E., John R., Jennie; Sarah, now deceased; Mary E. and Mar- tha A. Those surviving are all married and set- tled comfortably in life. Mr. Hilsback served as School Treasurer four years in Wood ford County, and has held the office of Justice of the Peace since 1883. His decisions have been marked by excel- lent judgment, none of them having been reversed by a higher court. Mr. and Mrs. II. united with the Methodist Church in 1842, and our subject, be- sides his ministerial duties, has served as Class- Leader, and in other ways manifested his zeal for the cause of religion. He has been zealous at re- vivals, and in 1864 conducted a protracted meet- ing in Penolia Township, Wood ford County, upon which occasion large numbers were added to the church. Politically he is a stanch Republican. ETER MET/, retired farmer, and now a resident of Odell, is familiarly known as being one of its most wealthy and promi- nent citizens. Commencing life with mod- erate means, but possessing more than an ordinary amount of persistence and enterprise, he has ac- cumulated a large property, and now surrounded by the comforts and luxuries of life, is spending his later days in the enjoyment of his prosperity. Mr. Metz is a Pennsylvania!) by birth, and first opened his eyes to the light of day in Blair County, on the 2.">th of May, 1815. His parents were also natives of the Keystone State, where they were reared and married, and spent their entire lives. Their family included six children, of whom our subject was the second in order of birth. His early advantages were exceedingly limited, and he began at an early age to practice those habits of industry which were the secret of his later suc- cess. After an apprenticeship of four years at the plasterer's trade, he began contracting for himself throughout the State. He remained in his na- tive State until his marriage, in 1845, the lady se- lected to share his future being Miss Angeline Johnson, the second child of Thomas Johnson, of Ironville, Pa. Mrs. Metz was born in February, 1824, and during her early years remained in Penn- sylvania, where the death of her father occurred. Her mother afterward removed to Iowa and spent her last years with her children on the other side of the Mississippi. Mr. Metz and his young wife began life together in Blair County, Pa., where they remained until the spring of 1859. Our subject then desiring something better than the prospect afforded in that section of country, resolved to seek the Western country. After reaching this State he purchased 215 acres of wild land in Union Township, where he put up a house and prepared for the reception of his family, who joined him in the following year. He remained a resident of the farm which he had built up from the uncultivated prairie for a period of eighteen years, during the latter portion of which time he became largely interested in real estate. lie finally became agent of Eastern land speculators, and carried on extensive transactions, while at the same time he superintended the culti- vation of his farm and added to his own real estate until he was the possessor of 800 acres. In 1878 he left the farm and removed to Bloomington for the purpose of educating the children who had grown up around him. This being accomplished he returned to Odell, where he felt most at home, and put up one of the handsomest and most commodious dwellings in the place. Here he has since resided, and there are few permanent residents of the town who are not familiar with the form of Mr. Metz, and with the fact of his being one of its most sub- >t:intial and reliable citizens. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Metz, Seward, a plasterer by trade, is a resident of Chi- cago ; Gallic is at home with her parents; Thomas t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 5:55 i > E. and Ernest cany on the farm in Union Town- ship; William is a practicing attorney of Wyo- ming Territory; Edmund is in the insurance and real-estate business at Odell; Calvin, Louisa P. and Florence L. are deceased. ^ILLIAM CHAMBERS, one of the public- spirited men of Saunemin Township, has contributed his full quota toward its busi- ness and agricultural interests. In glancing at the results of a community of enterprising men it may perhaps be difficult to single out one who has achieved more than another, but were he taken from his place the vacancy would at once be apparent. Tliis gentleman, although perhaps not the hero of any very thrilling event, has pursued the even tenor of his wav in a most creditable manner, and has proved himself an important factor in establishing the reputation of his locality as a desirable place of resi- dence and as one which has been settled up by a class of wide-awake and reliable men. The property of Mr. Chambers lies on section 4, and includes a tract of choice land under good cultivation, with suitable buildings and all the con- veniences required by the modern farmer. His early home was on the other side of the Atlantic, in Lincolnshire. England, where he first opened his eyes to the light March 14, 1N44. His parents, George and Jane Chambers, were also natives of F^ngland. and the mother died there when her son William was a lad five years of age. The father then decided to emigrate, and accompanied by his family, took pa-sage on a sailing-vessel at Liverpool on the 12th of April. 1853. arriving in New York City on the 3d of June following. Thence they removed directly to Fountain County. Ind., where the father employed himself at whatever he could find to do in order to support his family. In IS.'ili he came with his family to this county, of which our subject has since been a resident, together with the father, who now makes his home at Saunemin. where he has lived for the last twenty-three years. Young Chambers commenced early in life to do for himself, and being of an enterprising turn of mind, resolved upon having a farm of his own as soon as hard work would accomplish it. When but a youth he commenced breaking prairie with an ox- team on the present site of Saunemin Village. His plans, however, like those of many others, were broken in upon by the Rebellion, and in August, 1K<>2, he enlisted in Company C. 12!)th Illinois In- fantry, and with his comrades was assigned to guard duty along the Louisville & Nashville Railroad until in February, 18(>4. He was then transferred to the army of Gen. Sherman, and fought at Uesaca and the siege of Atlanta, besides being in the entire campaign in the southeast, including the march to the sea. Subsequently he was detailed from his company on a foraging expedition which extended the entire distance from Atlanta to the sea. Some days they marched as many as fifty miles, carrying a knapsack and often leaving the lines to obtain provisions. Mr. Chambers, however, was blessed with a good constitution, and although many times in the midst of danger and death, he escaped without serious injury, with the exception of being struck by the bark of a tree while on picket duty in front of Atlanta, the tree being riddled by shots from the enemy. At Resaca the companions of Mr. C. on both sides of him fell, one dead and the other wounded, and he expected each moment would be his last. lie was spared, however, and after going up through the Carolinas, participated in the grand review at Washington, and received his honorable discharge in June, 1865. Upon returning from the army Mr. Chambers located in Saunemin Township, entering the employ of Spaft'ord Bros. He hauled probably the first rails laid in fence upon their farm, and first broke the sod upon the land now owned by Thomas Spaft'ord and at this time occupied by an orchard of choice apple trees. Mr. Chambers remained in single bles- sedness several years afterward, but in the meantime made the acquaintance of Miss Susan P. Potter, of Will County, 111., to whom he was married on the 2d of March, 1873. Mrs. Chambers was born in Will Comity, June 18, 1850, and is the daughter of William and Mary Potter, natives of Ohio, and now . residing in this township. Of this union there have been born three children, namely, Myrtle J., born July 22, 1876; Ettie M., born Dec. :i, 187*, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. died Nov. 11, 1885, ami Guy H., born May 1."., 1880. The Republican principles in which Mr. Chambers had been reared were strengthened by his experience in the army, and he is a member in good standing of the G. A. R. Post at Saunemin. lie and his estim- able wife are popular aim mg their neighbors, re- spected in their community, and numbered among its most worthy i>eople. eHRISTOPHER C. ALLEN. One of the neatest farms in Pontiac Township is lo- cated on section 29, adjoining Pontiac, and contains fifty-one acres. This farm is owned by the subject of this sketch, who is just now in the prime of manhood, and is the head of an interest- ing family of four members. His farm is not so large as those which belong to some of his neigh- bors, but it is just as productive, and to till it ac- cording to his ideas keeps Mr. Allen busy, while he makes every rod of it available in some way. He takes great pride in doing well whatever he finds to do, and as a result, his crops are always abundant and his domestic animals are kept in ex- cellent condition. Mr. Allen is a native of Illinois, where he was born on the 18th of December, 1845, in the county of Jefferson. He is a son of Abel and Prudence Allen, his father a native of Kentucky, and his mother of Tennessee. His ancestors, on both sides, were of English descent. The subject of this sketch was the youngest child of his father's family, which consisted of eleven children, of whom five are now living: Dr. Joel Allen, of Livingston County; Jackson, of Hancock County; Lewis V., of Lincoln County, Wash. Ter. ; Henry C., of Lo- gan County, Col., and the subject of this sketch, who was reared to manhood in Jefferson County, and received an excellent common-school educa- tion. His boyhood days were spent exclusively upon the farm, and he was assiduous in his assistance to his parents. On the 4th of June, 1871, Mr. Allen was mar- ried to Miss Anna M. Judd, daughter of John C. and Surah Judd, natives of Ohio. She was born in Lawrence Count}', Ohio, and came to Hamilton County, 111., with her parents when but two years of age, where she resided until her marriage. They have been blessed with three children : Ethel S., who was born on the 19th of June, 1873; Nora J., Aug. 22, 1875, and Ida M., May 1, 1883. Our subject is a Republican in politics, and takes a deep interest in all matters which enhance the popularity and promote the prospects of that grand old party. While a citizen of Jefferson County he served acceptably as Clerk of Moore's Prairie Township. He is not a seeker after office, and whatever he may do in a political way is purely through patriotism. Mr. Allen's success in life is very largely due to his own efforts, and since mar- riage, to the cordial support given him in all his affairs by his excellent wife. LEXANDER McINTOSH. One of the most enterprising and successful farmers and stock-raisers of Rook's Creek Town- ship is the subject of this sketch, whose farm is located on section 7. Mr. Mclntosh was born in Scotland on the 19th of June, 1821, and came to the United States on the 1st of June, 1851, and almost immediately upon his arrival located in Marshall County, 111., where he purchased land and carried on farming for about five years, at the end of which time he sold his lands and moved to Put- nam County. In that county he had mail con- tracts and engaged in various occupations for about fifteen years, in the meantime indulging in a little land speculation. On the 1st of March, 1870, he located on the farm where he now resides. Mr. Mclntosh was married, on the 19th of June, 1851, to Emma Gillespie, in Marshall Count}-. They have had six children: John C., who was married, Oct. 10, 1883. to Miss Nellie L. Mclntire, and has one child, Alfred A.: Thomas M., Alex- ander G., Alfred A., Frank E. and William G. Thomas married Beatrice Fyffe, Dec. 25, 1882, and has one child, Emma L. ; Alexander G. and Alfred A. are dead; William G. lost his hearing when about nine months old. and has been educated at the school for mutes, at Jacksonville, from which LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 537 institution he was graduated in 1886, and is now at- tending National College, in Washington City, D. C. The subject of this sketch was the fourth child in a family of five; his parents' names were Daniel and Isabel (Grant) Mclntosh; the former was b< >rn in 1755 and died in 1844, the latter was born in 178(5 and died in 1838. His brothers and sisters all died in Scotland and England. The father of Mrs. Mc- lntosh was John Gillespie. a native of Montrose, Scotland, who was born in 1794 and died in 1838. Her mother's name was Charlotte A. Merall, and she 7 was born the 23d of November, 1794, in England. She was married in 1829, in London. Her husband died in 1838, and in 1842 she was married a second time, and removed to Illinois in the year 1850. Mrs. Mclntosh finished a course of study at West- brook House Seminary, which included French, and she was graduated at the age of sixteen. Mr. Mc- lntosh was educated in Scotland, and completed a course of study at the High School of Scranton, Scotland. Mr. Mclntosh is a member of the Republican party, and has been from the date of its organiza- tion, having cast his first vote for John C. Free- mont, in 1856. He has occupied several minor offices, and is now serving as Road Commissioner. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and has been a Trustee of that body ever since it was organized, and took an active part in the erection of the building, and gives liberally for the suppoit of the church. ENRY HORNBECK. Some of the most in- telligent and progressive farmers of Illinois came from Fayette County, Pa., a count}' which is located in the southwestern part of that State, bordering on West Virginia, which is drained by the Monongahela and Youghiogheny, and Redstone Creek. The surface is finely diver- sified with valleys, hill.s, and two long ridges called Laurel Hill and Chestnut Ridge. A large part of the county is covered with forests in which the i sugar maple abound. The soil is fertile, and pro- i duces corn, oats, wheat and hay, so the Fayette | County man locating in Illinois does not leave his native home because of bareness of soil and predom- inance of rocky hills, but comes West where he can find a broader scope for action than he could have had in the more densely settled State of Pennsylvania; and this was the motive which brought Mr. Hornbeck, who is a farmer and stock- raiser on section 21, Indian Grove Township, to Livingston County. He was born in Fayette County, Pa., on the 4th of October, 1831, and is the son of Abraham D. and Esther (Dobbs) Horn- beck, who were natives of New York and Pennsyl- vania respective^'. The father was of German ancestry and was born in 1808, dying in Livingston County on the 10th of October, 1878. lie was a merchant and hotel-keeper, and at times during his life a farmer by occupation. In about 1870 he came to Illinois, having lost his wife in 1865, and died in this place. He was a man of sterling worth and more than ordinary ability, which in all politi- cal matters was devoted to the Democratic party. Henry Hornbeck lived in a village until he was twenty-six 3'ears old, when he came West, and settled in Livingston County in 1857, where he carried on the business of quarrying stone for a period of about twenty years. His first purchase of land occurred in 1861, and consisted of forty acres, to which he has from time added until his farm now consists of 190 acres which he has taken great care to cultivate after the best methods and improve bv the erection of commodious and well- equipped buildings. Mr. Hornbeck was married, on the 3d of January, 187N, to Mrs. Sarah J. Harrison, who was born in Livingston County on the 4th of March, 1842, and is the daughter of Isam and Polly A. (Spence) Moore, natives of Tennessee and Kentucky re- spectively. The father was born on the 18th of June, 1818, and is still living; the mother was born on the 3d of December, 182(i; and they are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he being a C'lass- Leader and exhorter for many years. The names of their four children arc: James I. Sarah J., Susannah K. and John II. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hornbeck have had five children Hank B. : Davis B., deceased; Harvey, Bessie and Daisy. Mrs. Hornbeck was twice married, the first union f 588 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i being with Preston Harrison, in 1860, by whom she had six children Annie E., Richard I., Rosina, Benjamin A., James N., deceased, and Lillie. The father of Mrs. Hornbeck came to Illinois in 1833, and located in Livingston County, where he mar- ried Miss Polly A. Spence, who was a native of Kentucky, and came to Illinois in 1832. Mr. Moore, the father of Mrs. Hornbeck, is the owner of fifty-three and one-half acres of land, is a Green- backer in politics, and for fifty-three years has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Henry Hornbeck is one of the leading men of In- dian Grove Township, a representative of her prog- ress, and a firm believer in her material prosperity in the future. He is a man of the largest liberality in his political views, and never permits himself to he bound by the dictates of political caucuses. BARREN II. DANFORTH, one of the sub- stantial and reliable farmers of Owego Township, is pleasantly located on section 10, where he owns eighty acres of land, upon which he is operating after the most improved modern methods. He commenced in life with little or no means, but by the exercise of his inherent industry and good judgment, has attained to a good position among his fellow-men, both socially and financially. Mr. Danforth is of New England birth and par- entage, his earliest recollections being of a spot in Worcester County, Mass., where he first opened his eyes to the light May 27, 1844. His parents, George P. and Fidelia (Royers) Danforth, were also natives of the Bay State, and the descendants of excellent English ancestry, whose first representa- tives in this country came over in the Mayflower with the Pilgrim Fathers. George and Fidelia Dan- forth became the parents of two children only Ella M. and Warren H., our subject. The mother passed away when the latter was a little lad five years of age, and he was then taken in charge by relatives. Seven years later he came with his father and other members of the family to Woodford County, this State, at an early period in its history. He was there reared to manhood, and received a limited education in the pioneer schools. In com- mon with the other settlers of that time, they en- dured hardship and privation, but were made of the stern stuff which characterized the people of that day, in whose vocabulary there was no such word as "fail." They had come to establish a home in the waste places, and set themselves resolutely about the task before them. The comfortable sur- roundings which were built up gradually from the primitive soil, attested in due time how successful they had been in their undertaking, and constituted a rich reward for that which they had endured. Our subject has been a farmer his entire life, commencing at an early age to mark out his future career. One of his most important undertakings was his marriage, which occurred before he had reached his twenty-fourth year, on the 23d of March, 1868, his chosen bride being Miss Mary A. Greene, and the wedding taking place in Minonk. Mrs. Danforth was born in Rensselaer County, N. Y., Aug. 8, 1846, and is the daughter of Nathan and Sarah (Main) Greene, who were of New En- gland birth and parentage. They emigrated West during the fifties, and located in Woodford Count} 7 , this State, among the pioneer settlers. They have since passed to their long home, the death of the mother occurring in 1857, and that of the father in 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Danforth became the parents of five children, namely: George N., born Feb. 26, 1869; Frank L., July 16, 1870; Minnie E., April 9, 1878; Perry W., Sept. 12, 1885, and Charles E., Feb. 26, 1875. The last named died when less than ten years old, Nov. 2, 1884. Our subject, in 1874, came with his family to this county, locating first in Eppard's Point Township, where he resided five years, and then purchased his present farm. This comprises eighty acres of fertile land which yields in abundance the choicest crops of the Prairie State. The residence with its adjacent buildings is neat and substantial in appearance, the farm stock well fed and well cared for, and the machinery all that is required for the successful operation of the farm. Mr. Danforth has pursued the even tenor of his way in a quiet and unobtrusive manner, is held in high respect as a member of society, and for several years has been a Deacon and Trustee in the Baptist Church. He meddles little with politics, but nni- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 589 forrnly casts a straight Republican vote at the gen- eral elections. His snug little property is the ac- cumulation of his own industry. NTON HUBER is comfortably located on a 160-acre farm on section 23, in Waldo ]j\ Township, where he is engager! in stock- raising, in addition to general farming. He was born in the Grand Dukedom of Baden, Germany, on the loth of May, 1822, and is the son of Fidele and Theresa (Stetter) Huber. Our sub- ject is the fifth child in a family of six, only one of whom besides himself ever came to America. This brother, Joseph, was married, and died in Peoria, 111., Jan. 22, 1885, leaving five children. Mr. Huber was reared in the town of Stockach, where he was educated in his native language in the common schools. His father was a carpenter by trade, and with him he served an apprenticeship, and followed that occupation during his residence in Germany. Aug. 4, 1847, Mr. Huber was mar- ried to Mary Kleiner, daughter of George and Ida (Waltz) Kleiner, of Stockach, Germany. He continued to live in Germany for six years after his marriage, and during this time four children were born. In October, 1853, he sailed for Amer- ica, and landed at New York on the 4th of Decem- ber. He did not tarry there but proceeded to Peoria County, 111., where a brother resided. He remained in that county and followed his trade for five years. In 1858 he removed to El Paso, Wood- ford County, where he engaged in the brewery business, and in which he continued for nine years. He disposed of this business in the fall of 1866, and in the spring of 1867 moved to his present home in Livingston County, where he purchased eighty acres of land. In 1881 he bought eighty acres more, and now has a good and valuable farm, which is well drained by tile ditches, and on which are located good and convenient buildings. Pre- vious to his marriage, above recorded, Mr. Huber was married on the 16th of May, 1846. to Caroline Klotz, who died on the 14th of February, 1847. The result of this marriage was one child, Caroline, born Feb. ( J, 1847. She became the wife of Joseph Stuckel, a farmer who lives in Montgomery County, Kan., and they have six children. By Mr. Huber's second marriage there were born nine children, whose record is as follows: John died in infancy; John (2d), born April 12, 1850, married, has three children, and lives on the home farm; Josephine, i born Dec. 27, 1851, and died in infancy; Polly, born June 7, 1853, and died in London when her parents were en route to America; Polly (2d), born Oct. !), 1854, in Peoria, 111., married John Pfefflnger, has four children, and lives in Waldo Township; Joseph, born Feb. 8, 1857, and died in infancy; Mary Ida, born Oct. 13, 1858, married Adam Jacob Schreck, has three children, and lives in Waldo Township; Wilhelmina, born Jan. 3, 1862, and lives at home; Rosina, born Feb. 24, 1864, married Hugo Hendricks, and lives in McLean County. Mrs. Huber was born Jan. 16, 1822; she is now sixty-six years of age but is as spry and active as a woman of forty. Mr. Iluber votes the Democratic ticket and has held the offices of Road Commissioner three years, Township Clerk nine years, Assessor five years, and School Director for six years. He was reared a member of the Catho- lic Church, but is very liberal and tolerant in his religious views. Since his residence in Livingston County, by his many sterling qualities he has pop- ularized himself with the people of the county. ARRY HILL, deceased, late of Pontiac Township, was born in Miami County, Ohio, Jan. 21, 1835. His parents, Henry and Sarah A. Hill, were also natives of the Buck- eye State. They came to Livingston County when their son was a young man during the early settle- ment of Central Illinois, and built up a home from the uncultivated soil, experiencing in common with hundreds of others the hardships and difficulties of that time. Mr. Hill received a common-school education and was reared to farming pursuits. He was united in marriage July 4, 1863, with Miss Emeline, daughter of Philip Rollins, a pioneer of Liv- ingston County, whose biography appears elsewhere T I* 540 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in this volume. Of this union there were four chil- dren: Carey W., born Feb. 16, 1864, was married to Miss Elizabeth Smith, Jan. 23, 1887; Nettie was born Feb. 10, 1866; Tillie L., Nov. 7, 1875, .-mil Harry L., Aug. 8, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Hill after their marriage located on a tract of land which constitutes the present home of the widow, and which now includes a comforta- ble farm residence with good barns and out-build- ings. Mr. Hill labored industriously and built up a worthy record as a member of society, the head of a family, and a man interested in everything that pertained to the welfare of his community. He departed this life at the homestead Aug. 1 1 , 1881, when in the prime of life, forty-six years of age. He left to his family a comfortable property, 120 acres of land under good cultivation with the improvements already mentioned. The farm is now carried on by Carey W. Mrs. Hill is a lady greatly respected among her neighbors, and a de- voted member of the Christian Church. Her chil- dren are being carefully reared and well educated, and the family rank among the worthy and sub- stantial residents of Pontiac Township. \H OSEPH M. PORTER. The gentleman whose name heads this biography, and who is a representative farmer and stock-raiser, occu- pies a fine homestead on section 19, Owego Township, where he is comfortably situated, and is in the possession of all the comforts of life and many of its luxuries. The worldly goods of which he is possessed have been accumulated solely by the exercise of his own industry, as he never re- ceived any legacy to assist him on the high road to prosperity. He has been a resident of the Prairie State for a period of twenty-seven years, and dur- ing that time has established for himself a reputation as:i fair and honest man and a good citizen. The subject of this biographical sketch is a na- tive of Licking County, Ohio, and was born on the 1'Jth of June, 1837. He is the son of David and Elizabeth Porter, natives of Pennsylvania and Virginia respectively, who were the parents of twelve children, of whom the following survive: John, of Livingston County; Joseph; Jane, wife of William Priest, of Licking County, Ohio; Martha, wife of Morgan Willey, of Licking County; Ezra N., of Licking County; Matthew T., of Ohio; Perry, of Pontiac, 111. ; Francis M., who was a soldier in the late Civil War; and Minerva, wife of Garrett Gifford, of Linn County, Kan. Until after attaining his majority Mr. Porter re- mained in his native State, devoting his time to work upon the farm, and when it was possible for him to do so, attended the common schools in his section'of the State, and succeeded in securing a lair common-school education. Preceding his re- moval to Illinois, which event occurred in 1860, he engaged in school-teaching for four terms. Upon his arrival in Illinois he went directly to Livingston County, where he procured employ- ment in Owego Township, and in 1874 settled upon his present farm, where he has since continuously resided. Mr. Porter was married, on the 9th of October, 1861, to Elizabeth M. Porter, daughter of Luther Porter, of Vermont, and she had also been en- gaged in the occupation of teaching for several years. To Mr. and Mrs. Porter have been born six children, two of whom, John W. and Eva J., are living, the four deceased being as follows: Rosa B., David L., Frank E. and Milo. Mr. Por- ter and his wife are both zealous members of the Baptist Church, as is also their daughter, and at the present time he is serving as Trustee of the church, both being respected members of society, and on account of their amiability are much be- loved by their neighbors. Mr. P. is now officiating as President of the Owego Township Sabbath- School Association, in which he takes a great in- terest, and also devotes much time to the cause of temperance and his church. So far as politics go he has use for no other party than the one which will prohibit the manufacture and sale of ardent and malt liquors. Mr. Porter has served as Clerk of Owego Township, as Tax Collector for one year, and Trustee of the Owego Township schools for ovor twenty years. In the discharge of the duties \ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 543 of these various offices his sound judgment and practical knowledge of affairs have stood him well in hand. ICHARD HANNA, a resident of the Prai- rie State for the last thirty-seven years, has spent the most of his time since coming here in this county. He is now pleasantly located on section 27, Indian Grove Township, where he has 120 acres of valuable land under a high state of cultivation, with a neat and commod- ious dwelling, a good barn and all the other farm buildings required by the progressive agricultur- ist. He has been prominent in the affairs of this and Belle Prairie Townships, having held the offices of Collector, Commissioner of Highways, School Treas- urer and Director, and while in Belle Prairie Town- ship, adjoining, was a member of the County Board of Supervisors four terms, and Chairman of the Finance Committee. He has discharged the duties of the offices to which he has been called in a highly creditable manner, and comprises no unim- portant factor of an intelligent community. Mr. Hanna is the- scion of an excellent old fam- ily of Welsh and Irish descent, whose ancestors settled in Pennsylvania more than a century ago. He was born in Fayette County, that State, Nov. 26, 1825, and is the son of Jesse and Sineah (Will- iams) Hanna, also natives of the Keystone State. Jesse Hanna was born in Fayette County in 1801, and departed this life at his home in Belle Prairie Township, in the fall of 1868. In addition to general farming lie was also a stock-trader of con- siderable note, and at the time of his death had been a resident of Illinois for a period of eighteen years, having come here in 1850. He located first in Woodford County, whence he removed five years later to Belle Prairie, which remained his per- manent home. He also was Supervisor of Belle Prairie Township and served as Assessor and Treasurer, besides holding the other offices. The Baptist Church recognized in him one of its chief pillars, and he was ever a liberal and cheerful con- tributor to those enterprises calculated for the good of the community. The parents of our subject were married Feb. 25, 1824. The mother was born in February, 1801, and survived her husband six years, her death tak- ing place in 1 875. She was a lady who enjoyed the highest esteem of all who knew her, being re- markably kind and gentle in disposition, and ful- filling in all respects her duties as a wife and mother, rearing her children carefully, and instill- ing in them those principles which are the basis of all good citizenship. The household included eight sons and four daughters, namely : Richard ; Thomas, now deceased ; Johanna, who became the wife of Richard Crouch, died June 4, 1887; Will- iam, deceased; Mary, David, Robert; Margaret, the wife of George R. Conn; Alpheus, Nancy, James and John M. The paternal grandfather of our subject was of Irish birth and parentage, and emigrated to this country in 1774, in time to serve as a soldier in the Revolutionary War. He mar- ried a Welsh lady, and they spent their last years in Pennsylvania. Our subject was reared to farm pursuits and re- ceived his education in the common schools. He came to Illinois with his parents in 1850. Five years before, however, he had left the farm and engaged at boiler-making at Pittsburgh three years, and for two years afterward was with the firm of Lippincott & Co., shovel manufacturers in the same city. He was first married in Erie County, Pa., to Miss Eliza J. Miller, a native of Crawford County, and they became the parents of two chil- dren Leslie P. and Jessie -F. the latter died in infancy. Leslie, who is a youth of more than or- dinary intelligence, is pursuing his studies in Wes- leyan University at Bloomington, in the Sopho- more class, and seems naturally adapted for the legal profession. The mother of these children died at her home, Sept. 18, 1865. Mr. Hanna was subsequently married, in 1872, to Miss Phebe A., the daughter of Owen D. and Ann (Thompson) Hanna. She was born in Butler County, Ohio, Jan. 16, 1841). Her parents were natives of Penn- sylvania and Ohio respectively, the father born Oct. 5, 1819, and the mother Dec. 14, 1822. They were married Feb. 20, 1844. They reside in Piatt Countj'. The parental household included eight children, of whom one died in infancy unnamed. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. The others were named respectively, Mary E., Al- bert J., Phebe A., Sarah E., Samuel L., Benjamin F. and Stephen A. Mr. and Mrs. Kanna are the parents of four children Orestes D., Edna H., Harold A. and Liz- zie E. Mr. H. is a member of the Missionary Bap- tist Church, and was one of the five who organ- ized the society at Fairbury in 1858. He was at that time appointed Clerk, and has since been one of the most liberal and cheerful contributors to the support of the cause. I PRINGER DIXON came to Livingston County in 1866, and has since been a resi- dent of Forest Township. Since coining to the West he has resided in Iowa and several localities in Illinois, but was not quite satis- fied with any of them until he stopped in Forest Township, where he will probably spend the bal- ance of his days. He owns and occupies one of the most ample farms of the county, which consists of 400 acres, and every acre of it is rich, product- ive ground. Mr. Dixon is a native of Fayette County, Pa., and was born March 1, 1833. The paternal grandfather, James Dixon, was a native of the North of Ireland, and carne to the United States when a young man and married Miss Montgomery. Of six children, the third also bore the name of James, and he was the father of the subject of this sketch. Mr. James Dixon in early life engaged in a woolen factory, and afterward became a merchant, in which line of business he obtained success. The later years of his life were spent in farming, and he died in Pennsylvania at the age of about sixty- six years. The mother of our subject was Lucy Ann Springer, who was also born in Fayette Count}-, Pa. She was of Dutch ancestry, but the Springers settled in Delaware previous to the Revolutionary War. She was the mother of four children. Mr. Springer Dixon was educated in the common schools of his day, and during his boyhood and young manhood assisted his father in conducting the affairs of the store. In the spring of 1854 he was married to Mary Sampey. a daughter of James and Rebecca Sampey, who was born in Fayette County, Pa. In the spring of 1855 Mr. Dixon, accompanied by his wife, emigrated to Davenport, Iowa, where he worked in a sawmill and gristmill for about two 3'ears. He then removed to Putnam County, III., where he rented land and engaged in farming for a time. lie afterward removed to La- Salle County, and from there came to Livingston County in 1866, and settled in Forest Township, locating on his present farm four years later. He now owns 400 acres of land, and engages exclus- ively in raising grain. To Mr. and Mrs. Dixon have been born six children Charles, Lincoln, George, Ellen, James and Adeline. In their relig- ious beliefs Mr. and Mrs. Dixon are adherents of the doctrines taught by the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which they are active members. Polit- ically, Mr. Dixon is a Republican, and gives to the men and measures of that party a hearty support. In all their conditions Mr. and Mrs. Dixon are hap- pily situated. Their large and productive farm affords them remunerative crops. With a large circle of friends, and with loving children, verily their lines are cast in pleasant places. "Sp^lDWARD BUNTING, who is successfully |Wj engaged in farming in Dwight Township, /i' ^l this State, comes of a family of English origin. He was born in Stanfield, Norfolk Co., England, in 1827. He is the son of Robert and Hannah (Belcham) Bunting, who spent their lives in England, where they were engaged in farming. His father held the position of steward of the same farm for a period of forty years. Young Edward spent the principal part of his time at work upon the farm until he was twenty-six years of age, and during that time became skilled in all the details of practical fanning. His parents afforded him such facilities as were possible for acquiring a com- mon-school education, and by hard stud} 1 and close application he made considerable advancement. In 1853 Mr. Bunting was married to Miss Har- riet Place, daughter of William and Hannah (Hoi- den) Place, of Norfolk County, England. In a short time after their marriage they left England 1 ' f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 545, L t for this country, in company with three brothers of Mr. Bunting. His brother John and himself were married on the same day, and together with their wives took passage on the same vessel. After a pleasant and safe voyage they arrived at the city of New York, where they remained a short time. Edward and his wife came West, first stopping in Ohio, where they remained for nine months, during which time Mr. Bunting was engaged at work upon a farm. In 1854 he moved to Illinois, and settled on a farm in DuPage County, where he remained until 1865, and then moved to D wight Township, Livingston County, and rented a farm. In 1880 Mr. Bunting bought 1 GO acres of landjn this town- ship, where his son Robert now resides. Mr. and Mrs. Bunting have had three children, all of whom are living William J., Robert E. and Frank A. J. Frank resides at home with his.par- ents; Robert E. occupies the farm above named, and William J. is living on a farm in Dwight Town- ship. The boys partake largely of the characteris- tics of the father, particularly in matters of enter- prise, economy and good management. They are all succeeding in the enterprises in which they are engaged, and are substantial and estimable citizens. LFRED DES VOIGNE, dealer in harness, sewing-machines and organs in Odell, this county, was born in Switzerland on the iltli of February, 1 S4.j, and was the only child of John Peter and Elizabeth (Colon) Des Voigne, who were natives of Switzerland, although the mother was of French blood. The father was a cabinet-maker by trade, and followed that occupa- tion in his native country until 1H45, when he sailed from Havre to America and landed in New York, where he engaged at his trade and remained until his death, with the exception of a few years spent in the West. The subject of this sketch was born in New York City, where he attended school one year, when his parents removed to Ottawa, 111., and he had no fur- ther opportunities for education. He was engaged for four years on the telegraph line for the million- aire C'aton, and then came to Odell, where he en- gaged at harness-making, while his father followed his trade, until, at the age of sixteen years, he left home and set out in life for himself. He went to Peoria, and there followed his trade nearly a year. The Civil War was then in progress, and in the month of May, 1862, he enlisted in Company F, (!8th Illinois Infantry, and was mustered into the service at Springfield. This regiment was uniformed and drilled as a Zouave regiment, and was composed exclusively of young men, most of whom were reared in or near Bloom ington. They were first sent to the Shenandoah Valley, and the first engagement in which they participated was the second battle of Bull Run, where the regiment was under the com- mand of Col. Stewart, and the company to which the subject of this sketch belonged was under the command of Capt. Moore. The regiment was mus- tered in for three months, but served in the Shen- andoah Valley, skirmishing and doing guard duty, for five months, and was then ordered to Spring- field and discharged. Mr. Des Voigne returned to his work at his trade in Peoria, but six months later he went to St. Louis and enlisted in Company F, 1st Missouri Light Ar- tillery, which was commanded by Capt. Morse. The company was mustered in at St. Louis, and sent by boat down the Mississippi River to Memphis, thence to Helena, Ark., and on to Duvall's Bluff, to the interior of Arkansas on White River, where they remained a short time on guard duty. They then went to Little Rock, where there was a light en- gagement with the rebels under Gen. Marmaduke, a detachment of Gen. Price's command. Here they made their headquarters for a considerable time, de- fending the city. All the troops which had been concentrated here were called off to accompany Sherman on his famous march to the sea, excepting twelve artillery companies left to guard the city. The rebel General, Price, endeavored to checkmate Sherman by threatening the city, but the artillery companies impeded his progress so much by felling trees and destroying roads that lie was unable to ac- complish his purpose. The remainder of Mr. Des Voigne's service was with these companies, guarding the city of Little Rock and skirmishing in the sur- rounding country until Lee and Johnson surren- dered their armies. Five months later thev were 546 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. called to St. Louis, where they were discharged, and he was given transportation home to Odell. At the close of the service our subject found himself the possessor of $500, and the first six months after his return he went to school. At the close of this school term -he opened a shop, which he sold in 1873 and went to Canton, Ohio, where he again opened a shop, but remained only one year. He invested some money in land in this county on his return, which proved to be a very profitable transaction. He then erected the first brick build- ing in the town of Odell, and he now owns one- fourth of the block in which his business is conducted. For one year he engaged in business in Bloomington, but never gave up his interest, in Odell. Besides the business he conducts here he is largely interested in western lands, and now owns more than 1,000 acres in Nebraska and Kansas. Mr. Des Voigne was married, on the 26th of De- cember, 1868, to Adele Chenot, who was born in France, and is the daughter of George and Kat- rina Chenot, who were natives of France, but be- came residents of the United States about the time of the war. Our subject and wife are the parents of two children, named Ida and George, both of whom are at school. Mr. and Mrs. Des Voigne arc supporters of the Congregational faith, and are act- ive in all matters that pertain to the welfare of the community. Mr. Des Voigne is not very active in politics. He is a genial man in his social intercourse, and has a good and kind word for every one. In business affairs he is shrewd and enterprising, and has been very successful. ) DWARD A. BANGS, banker and merchant Chatsworth, is the oldest business man of the place, having located here in 1861, when the present thriving village was an unimportant hamlet. He spent his younger years upon his fa- ther's farm in St. Lawrence County, N. Y., where his birth took place Dec. 15, 1835. He has made good use of his time and opportunities and possesses those manly traits of character which have made him dignified and pleasing in manner, and indicate a gentleman born and bred. He is also of that se- date and thoughtful mien which at once commands respect, while the kindly undercurrent of his char- acter is evident here and there as he walks in and out among his fellow-citizens, by whom he is held in high esteem. The Bangs family is of pure English ancestry, of whom the first representatives in this country crossed the Atlantic probably 200 years ago. The}' located in New England and formed a large proportion of the substantial and reliable element of Massachu- setts and Vermont. Heman .Bangs, the grand- father of our subject, for a long period carried on farming and stock-raising in the Green Mountain State, and served as a soldier in the War of 1812. He reared a fine family of sons and daughters, among them being Heman A., the father of our subject, who was born in 1779, and followed farm- ing principally, though for a time he conducted a hotel. He migrated to St. Lawrence County, N. Y., while still a young man, and was there united in marriage with Miss Almira A. Phillips, a native of his own State. They resided in New York State until 1848, then removed to Sheboygan County, Wis., and thence to Illinois in 1851, and for a pe- riod of nearly twenty years were engaged in farm- ing in Lake County. The labors of Heman Bangs were rewarded, and he became the possessor of a fine property. From Lake County he removed to Chatsworth, where he passed his declining years, retired from active labor. He folded his hands for his final rest in March, 1884. The mother is still living and has passed her eightieth birthday. She resides witU her son in Wymore, Neb. Heman Bangs, when first becoming a voter, identified himself with the Democratic party, but upon the organization of the Republicans, in 1856, wheeled over into the ranks of the latter, with whom he afterward remained. He was a man of fine business capacities, and possessed all the ele- ments of good citizenship. While a resident of the Empire State he served as Sheriff of Jefferson County, and wherever he made his abiding-place was recognized as a valued factor in the commu- nity. The parental household of our subject included six children, of whom the record is as follows: Charles G., a skilled mechanic, is at Waukegan, III. ; LIVINGSTON COUNT r. 547 4 liis sister, Susan C., now Mrs. Whitmore, also re- sides there; Edward A., our subject, was the third in order of birth; Ann C. is the wife of A. W. Thompson, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; George is a resident of AVymore, Neb., and Milton, of Chats- worth, this county. The early educational advantages of Mr. Bangs were somewhat limited, but his sound common sense, and naturally keen observation, provided him with a good education for business and society. He was a youth of thirteen years when the family removed from New York to Wisconsin, and he re- mained under the home roof during their success- ive removals, and until after becoming residents of Chatsworth. During the winter of 1859 he was engaged in the lumber regions of Wisconsin, and after coming to Chatsworth followed for a few months the trade of a carpenter. In the fall of 1861 he became associated with W. E. Esty, and under the firm name of Esty & Bangs, they estab- lished a store of general merchandise, with which Mr. B. has since been connected. Mr. Esty re- tired from the firm in 1868, and after that time George A. Bangs filled his place. Our subject established a private bank in 1877, and considering the fact that he enjoys the entire confidence of his community and the people of Livingston County, there is no question but that it will continue in the successful manner which is marking the first year of its operations. Mr. Bangs was first married in 1863, to Miss Harriet E., daughter of Moses Esty, and formerly of Lake County, ID. Of this union there were born two children, Frank II. and Gay, who are now twenty-one and thirteen years of age. The mother of these sons departed this life at her home in Chats- wortii in 1871. Seven years later Mr. Bangs was married to Miss Ann M. Crumpton, daughter of AVilliam and Nancy Crumpton. Mrs. Bangs was born in Maine, in 18 12, and has become the mother of one son, Hal C., who was born in 1878. The fiimity residence is pleasantly located, and is a neat and shapely structure, fully in keeping with the character of its proprietor, and the head of the family. Mr. Bangs gives his attention mainly to his business concerns, although he has held various local offices, and is warmly interested in the estab- lishment and maintenance of schools, and is now School Treasurer. He votes the straight Repub- lican ticket, is identified with the Masons, and in matters of religion is a Spiritualist and a Free- thinker. \fiOHN R. BIGHAM, a thrifty farmer and fruit-grower, located in the southeastern part of Livingston County, has a town residence in Chatsworth, and has been in this vicinity since the spring of 1867. His first recollections are of a country home near Hamilton, Butler Co., Ohio, where his birth took place Oct. 27, 1831. Since coming to this State he has engaged mostly in ag- ricultural pursuits, making a specialty of fruit- growing, and industriously engaging in the im- provement of his land, which comprises eighty acres on section 4. The paternal grandfather of our subject, William Bigham, Sr., was born in Williamsburg, Va., Nov. 1, 1750, and when a young man removed to Lan- caster County, Pa., where he married Miss Mary Reed, Nov. 25, 1779. This union resulted in the birth of thirteen children, of whom the youngest, William, born April 12, 1802, became the father of our subject. William Bigham, Jr., in due time re- moved with his parents to Butler County, Ohio, where he was reared to manhood and married, first, Miss Jane Clark, of Hamilton County. This lady died soon after her marriage. His second wife and the mother of our subject was, in her girlhood, Miss Martha C. Ross, who was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, Jan. 16, 1807. William Bigham, Jr., inherited a portion of his father's farm in Butler County, where he remained, cultivating the soil, until he rested from his earthly labors, Jan. 27, 1853. The mother has survived her husband for a period of thirty-four years, and is now living with her son, our subject. The par- ental family included eight children, five of whom lived to reach their majority: Lydia became the wife of Rev. James H. Burns, and is now deceased; John 11., our subject, was the second in order of birth; Caroline died in Ohio,"aged about eighteen years; William Ross is a lumber dealer at White City, Kan. ; Darwin L. is engaged in handling ag- I t 548 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. rictiltural implements at Redwood Falls, Minn., and three children died in early life while the par- ents resided in Ohio. William Bighain was a true Christian man, and a member in good standing of the Presbyterian Church for a period of thirty-five years, and in 1 847 was chosen Elder, to .succeed his brother who had died. He was a man of few words, of quiet and unobtrusive manner, but one in whom his family and the community had abso- i lute confidence. He is remembered as a kind hus- band, indulgent parent and good citizen. The boyhood and youth of John R. Bigham were spent in the rural districts, where he entered upon his primary studies, and afterward completed his education in the academy at Hamilton, Ohio. He remained a citizen of his native State until 1856, and then concluded to seek the farther West. Af- ter his arrival in this State he purchased a quarter section of unimproved land near El Paso, in Wood- ford County, to which he gave his undivided at- tention until the spring of 1867. Then selling out, he removed within the town limits of Chatsworth and took possession of his town residence, where he has gathered around him all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. In connection with his residence property he owns eighty acres of val- uable land within the town limits, where he gives full scope to his tastes for horticulture, and also raises corn and vegetables. Upon this he has erected a neat dwelling, with a good barn and the various out-buildings required by the modern farmer, the whole combined making one of the most attractive places in Chatsworth Township. The marriage of Mr. Bigham took place at Sparta, Livingston Co., N. Y., Oct. 11, 1859, the maiden of his choice being Miss Rose B. Traxler, who was a native of that county and born May 20, 1833. Her parents were Peter and Elizabeth (Kuhn) Traxler, natives of Pennsylvania and New York respectively, and now deceased. Of this union there were born seven children, of whom Rose died in 1872, when eighteen months old. Those sur- viving are Carrie, Elizabeth, Kate, William, Marv and John. Mr. Bigham has discharged the duties of the various local offices, and politically, uni- formly votes the Republican ticket. He became connected with the Presbyterian Church many years ago, in which he has been an Elder since 1 860. lie was a member of the Coroner's jury which held the inquest upon the remains of seventy-four vic- tims, whose death was occasioned by the terrible railroad disaster at Chatsworth, and which calamity will be remembered by the people of this section for many years to come. It was an occasion call- ing forth the sympathies of the whole community, and our subject was equal to the emergency and, in common with many others, assisted as far as possible in mitigating the terrors of the scene. McKAY, Treasurer of Liv- ingston Count}', was elected to his respon- sible office in November, 1886, for a term of four years. He is a gentleman in the prime of life, and has been a resident of this county for over twenty years. His native city was Mon- treal, Canada, where he began life on the 3d of January, 1842. The parents of our subject, James and Mary (McAllister) McKay, were of substantial Scotch ancestry, and natives of Scotland, as were also the grandparents, John and Margaret (Campbell) Mc- Kay, who spent their lives in the agricultural dis- tricts, where their remains now lie at rest. Their family included six children, of whom five are now living, but only two in America Estee and James. The other children are named Man 1 , Margaret and John. The maternal grandparents of our sub- ject were Godfrey and Jane (Wilson) McAllister, natives respectively of Scotland and Ireland. The}' emigrated to Canada in 1836, where the father en- gaged in farming on an extensive scale. The wife and mother departed this life in 1862, and Mr. Mc- Allister died two years later. Their family in- cluded ten children, seven now living, namely, John, Duncan: Mary, the mother of our subject; Ann, Mrs. Campbell; Jeanette, Mrs. McDermott; Margaret, Mrs. Montgomery, and Rachel, Mrs. McEwen. James McKay, the father of our subject, was reared to farming pursuits, and went to Canada in f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 549 1836, when a young man twenty-one years of age, accompanied by his bride. He secured possession of a large body of land, upon which he operated until the spring of 1880, when lie removed across the Mississippi to Washington County, Kan., where he now lives, engaged as before in carrying on a large farm. He belonged to the militia of the Do- minion of Canada, and was given the rank of Major. The parental household included twelve children, eight now living, namely: John ; Alexander, our subject; Godfrey, Robert, Peter, Charles; Jeanette, Mrs. Galloway, of Dakota, and Mary, Mrs. Campbell. Robert and Peter are large stock-dealers in AVash- ington County, Kan., and operate together under the firm name of McKay Bros.; John is connected with a stage route in British Columbia, and God- frey is in the canning business in that portion of the Northwest; Charles is a teacher in Simcoe County. Canada. Our subject continued his studies in his native Province until fifteen years of age, and the follow- ing two years farmed with his father. He then served a four years' apprenticeship at harness-mak- ing, and in 1864 migrated to Chicago, where he followed his trade a year, and afterward continued it in Dwight, this county, until 1884. He was elected Justice of the Peace, and engaged in the real- estate and insurance business. He served three terms as Supervisor of Dwight Township, and was also a member of the School Board, besides being Village Trustee and Town Treasurer. His harness business at this place in due time assumed consider- able importance, and he gave employment to five hands. In the meantime he put up a substantial dwelling and a business house, besides other build- ings, from the rent of which he received a hand- some income. The famil}' residence which he pur- chased in 1887 is pleasantly located on Howard street, and is one of the most tasteful and comfort- able of its kind. The marriage of Alexander McKay and Miss Lou- isa Lytle took place at the home of the bride in Dwight, Nov. 23, 1865. Mrs. McKay was born in Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of James Lytle. a native of the same State. Of her union with our subject there are two sons: James L., born in 1869, and Harry A., in 1872. Mr. McKay is a decided Republican, politically, and a member in good standing of the I. 0. O. F. He also, with his es- timable lady, is connected with the Presbyterian Church. X HOIJCK has resided in Pontiac and vicinity for the last eight years, and is now comfortably located on a good farm of eighty-one acres on section 3, in Eppard's Point Township. He has all his life been familiar with farm pursuits, and at this vocation has met with fair success. His land is well cultivated and pro- ductive, and the buildings upon it neat and sub- stantial. Our subject was born near Troy, Miami Co., Ohio, in November, 1836, and is the son of John and Catherine (Rhodocker) Houck, the former a native of North Carolina, and born Oct. 4, 1788. The father of our subject left his native State when a youth sixteen years of age, and in 1804 located near Cincinnati, where he engaged in milling, and whence he removed, some years later, to Mi- ami County, and engaged in farming. There his death took place May 27, 1865. When a young man he had served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and although not the hero of any particularly thrilling event, performed his duties in life in a worth)* manner, and did honor to his excellent German ancestry. His wife, Catherine, was born in Pennsylvania, April 28, 1800, and was married about 1818-19. Their twelve children were born as follows: William, born Jan. 31, 1820, died Februaiy 11 following; Elizabeth, born May 14, 1821, died Aug. 14, 1822; Rebecca, born May 26, 1823, died November 26 following; Susanna, born Oct. 7, 1824, died Dec. 14, 1848; she was the wife of J. L. Dye, and the mother of two children. They were living in Indiana at the time of her death. Mary, born Jan. 25, 1827, is the wife of Jacob DeHaven, with whom she lives on the old Houck homestead, in Miami County, Ohio, and has four daughters; the eldest, Alice, is married and lives with her mother. John Houck, Jr., was born Oct. 8, 1829, and died April 9, 1844; Jacob was born Feb. 1, 1832, and died July 5, 1863, in the hospital at Memphis, Tenn ; he was taken ill at Vicksburg, and his brother Felix went to the South and took care of f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. him until his death. His remains fill a soldier's grave in the Chapel Cemetery on Spring Creek, two and one-half miles northeast of Troy, Ohio. He left a wife and three children who are still liv- ing. George t W. Houck was born April 7, 1834, and is engaged in the furniture business at Prince- ton, this State ; he has a wife and one son. James M. was born Oct. 20, 1840, and was burned to death in Winnebago County, 111.; he left a wife and two children. Sylvester, born Aug. 24, 1842, is a commercial traveler, and makes his home near Dayton, Ohio, where he has a wife. Mrs. Cather- ine Houck departed this life July 14, 1862. Our subject continued with his parents until about twenty-five years of age, and assisted in car- rying on the farm. When prepared to establish a home for himself, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary J. Ralston, who was born Oct. 13, 1840, and is the only daughter of David and Amanda (Sims) Ralston. She is a native of the same county as her husband, and became the wife of the latter on the oth of March, 1868, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Piqua, Ohio, Rev. Mr. Shepherdson officiating. The father of Mrs. Houck died when she was but a child, and her mother not many years later, in about 1867. Of. her union with our subject there have been born four children, namely, Mamie, born Dec. 9, 1871; Amie, Jan. 20, 1873; Edward Chase, Aug. 1, 1874. The youngest, George Sims, was born in Pontiac, Aug. 26, 1876. Mrs. Houck is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, and our subject, politically, is independent. They enjoy the com- forts of a nicely located and tasteful home, and in addition to general farming, Mr. Houck carries on stock-raising with good success. I ILLIAM B. HEWITT, a very well-edu- ucated and intelligent gentleman, fond of country life, is one of the most extensive and successful fanners and stock-raisers of Eppard's Point Township, and finely located on section 31. His land has been brought to a high state of culti- vation, and the value of the property is enhanced by the existence of a flue stone quarry which lies along the banks of Rook's Creek. Mr. II. illus- trates in the highest type the modern and progres- sive farmer, who, in addition to the cultivation of the soil, has given due attention to the improve- ment of his mind. He also possesses considerable literary talent, and is at present compiling a sta- tistical work, which will be quite voluminous, 300 pages being now ready for the press and more to follow. He has been largely identified with the best interests of Livingston County, and both as a busi- ness man and a member of society, is extremely popular. Mr. Hewitt was born in Fayette County, Pa., Feb. 4, 1836, and is the son of Jonathan and Eliza- beth Hewitt, the former born in 1807, and a native of the same county as bis son, where he spent his entire life, occupied mostly as a millwright. His death took place near Collinsville. Pa., at the house of his friend, James Collins, and was the result of an accident, he having strained himself by over- lifting around the machinery of a sawmill. A frac- ture of one of his limbs some years before had di- minished his muscular strength, and was indirectly a cause of the accident. He was a skilled me- chanic and a good man in the broadest sense of the word. He set the first 120-horse-power engine that was utilized in Fayette County, and was identified with many of its other enterprises. He was married at the age of twenty-one years to Miss Eli/abeth Brownneller, who was born and reared in the same county, and was the daughter of Frederick Brown- neller, of German birth and parentage. The lat- ter was married in his native Empire, whence he emigrated to America in the pioneer days. The mother of our subject was formerly Miss Elizabeth Brownneller. The parental household included eight children, who are recorded as fol- lows: Joab, the eldest, died in infancy; Rebecca married Thomas Warender, of Pontiac, and died in 1872, leaving eight children; John H. is a resi- dent of Chicago; Susan B. married Oran Wither- all, and resides in Normal, 111.; William B. of our .-ketch is the fourth child; Mary, Mrs. II. Stilllmm- mer, resides in Kansas; Elraira, Mrs. Elliott Mil- ler, lives at Jamestown, Dak., and David II. is car- rying on the real-estate business in San Diego, Cal. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 55:; The mother of these children died at Bloomington in 1878. She was born in 1804, and was conse- quently seventy-four years of age. The youth and boyhood of William B. Hewitt were spent on the farm in his native county, where he resided until sixteen years of age, and then started out by himself to seek a location in the West. He made his home with his uncle at Ton- ica, LaSalle County, two years, and after a visit of three months in his native State, crossed the Mis- sissippi and traveled over the States of Iowa, Ne- braska and Dakota. Upon returning to Illinois he settled down in Clienoa, where he purchased a tract of land and proceeded to build up a comfortable homestead. In the fall of 1874 he erected a handsome residence on his farm and moved there, occupying this house until the 27th of June, 1877, when it was destroyed by fire, together with most of its-contents. It was one of the most finely ar- ranged dwellings in McLean -County, and its de- struction was the cause of universal regret. Not long afterward Mr. Hewitt came to this county and took possession of his present farm, where he has a comfortable dwelling and a particularly fine barn. The wife of our subject, who became the sharer of his fortunes Feb. 13, 1860, was formerly Miss Rebecca Ellen Vanarsdale, their wedding taking place at the home of the bride in the city of Bloom- ington. Mrs. Hewitt was born in Owen County, Ky., Feb. 24, 1831), and is the daughter of Abram and Rebecca Vanarsdale. This union resulted in the birth of eight children, who are recorded as follows: Ellsworth, named after the well-known young hero of the late Civil War, died in in- fancy ; Charles H. is serving an apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade at Chenoa; Mary for the last two years has been teaching, and at the present writing (October, 1887) is visiting in Grand Rapids, Mich.; Arthur is connected with a wholesale car- pet store in Grand Rapids; Eleanor, Albert, How- ard and Edward H. are at home with their parents, ' the two latter attending school. Mr. Hewitt be- lieves most decidedly in giving to the young those advantages which will enable them to become intel- ligent and worthy citizens. His children form a bright family group, inheriting largely the talents of their father, and the love of study, which is one of his chief characteristics. The latter wields the pen of a ready writer, and exerts his influence in favor of everything which shall conduce to the welfare and enlightenment of the people. He is a stanch Republican, politically, and was a .great admirer of the martyred President, Abraham Lin- coln. He meddles little, however, with political mat- ters, and has steadily declined becoming an office- holder, although at one time he served as School Director. f OHN W. EAGLE, dealer in hard and soft coal at Pontiac, is transacting a profitable business, and has a convenient office and yard near the tracks of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad. He is one of the early settlers of the town, having come in when there were but eleven houses, and purchased the entire stock of lumber in the place with which to build a shanty, and then did not have ertough shingles to cover it. As may be supposed, he has watched with interest and satisfaction ihe growth of his adopted town, and has contributed in no small degree to its present importance. ' Mr. Eagle, a native of Gallia County t Ohio, was born Dec. 20, 1819, and is the son of George and Susannah (Williams) Eagle, the former a native of Harrisburg, Pa., and the latter of Greenbrier County, Va. George Eagle was reared to farming pursuits, and left his native State when a young man, going into Greenbrier County, Va., where he married the mother of our subject. They removed to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1812, at an early period in the history of that State, and purchased Govern- ment land at $1.25 per acre. It was all timber and George Eagle secured possession of 1,700 acres. He was a man of great force of character, and strong physically, and cleared 500 acres of land, building up a fine homestead and becoming one of the most extensive farmers of that region. He and his wife occupied this place during the remainder of their lives, and both died on the 4th of July, the mother, in 1865, when seventy-five years old, and the father five years later, in 1870, after having reached fourscore years. He was Justice of the Peace eight years and County Commissioner twelve -),-, 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i ' I years. Both were members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church. The parental household included nine children, four now living, namely, Matilda, Mrs. J. Hughes, of Gallia County, Ohio; Sahrina, Mrs. A. M. Barlow, of Pomeroy, Ohio; John W., our subject, and Frances A., Mrs. J. Rhodes, a resi- dent of Missouri. The paternal grandfather of our subject, also George Eagle by name, was born on the River Rhine in Germany, and learned the trades of cooper and carpenter. He emigrated to America before the Revolutionary War and entered the army as a wagonmaster, in which capacity he served until the struggle was ended. He then moved with his family to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1812, where he followed his trade and lived to be seventy-five years of age. His death occurred in 1836. His wife survived him several years, her death taking place when she was ninety-seven years old. The maternal grand- parents of our subject were William and Polly (Watts) Williams, natives of Greenbrier County, Va. Grandfather Williams was a farmer by occu- pation and spent the greater part of his life near Lewisburg, Va., where his death took place after he had reached the advanced age of one hundred and eight years; he was the father of nine children. The mother had preceded him to the silent land when about sixty-eight years old. The subject of this biography passed his boy- hood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, and received a limited education. His early studies were conducted in a log cabin two miles from his home, and which was finished and fur- nished after the manner of those days, with slabs for seats and desks and greased paper for window- panes. The floor was of puncheon and the roof covered with clapboards. The teacher, as was customary at that time, ruled with the rod and made liberal use of it. The children were taught to make obeisance to people whom they met. and if they failed in this were promptly punished. Young Eagle attended school during the winter season until twenty years of age, and remained under the home roof four years later. He was then united in marriage with .Teannetta Woneldorff, a native of his own county, and the daughter of Michael and .lane (Waddle) Woneldorff, natives of Ohio and of German descent. They spent their entire lives in the Buckeye State, and were the parents of eleven children, seven now living, and located as follows: Mary A., Mrs. G. W. Holmes, is a resident of In- diana; John, of Missouri; George, David, Francis and James are residents of Ohio. Jeannctta, Mr.-. Eagle, was the youngest of the family. Our subject and his wife after their marriage continued on a farm in their native county, where Mr. Eagle cultivated 240 acres of land for a period of eight years. He then sold out and repaired to Middleport, Meigs County, where he engaged in general merchandising four years. He then sold out, and in 1856 came to Livingston County, this State, and purchased 240 acres near Pontiac besides 040 acres on Rook's Creek. The following year he lost 300 acres of wheat by wet and freezing weather, and the next year he lost (iOO acres, be- sides $5,000 in Ohio by a bad debt. These mis- fortunes ruined him financially for the time, and in the spring of 1859 he went to Pike's Peak, where he took up some fine claims and was cheated out of these b}- border ruffians who swore that they had a prior claim. His feelings as he returned home in the fall of 1861 can be better imagined than de- scribed. Resolving, however, to make the best of circumstances, he went to work at &1 per day, and by the exercise of the most rigid economy, sup- ported his family, and at the end of six months had 150 ahead. He continued working by the day for two years longer, and in due time his fortunes be- gan to mend. He had assisted in organizing Liv- ingston County and the city of Pontiac, and in 1865 was elected City Marshal, in which position lie served four years. Afterward he was made Deputy Sheriff. In 1867 he leased a quarter sec- tion of land in Pontiac Township, upon which he operated successfully four years, then returned to the town, where he has since resided. He estab- lished his coal business at that time, and in the winter of 1864-65 put up his present tasteful and substantial residence, which is located at the corner of Main and North streets. Mr. and Mrs. Eagle became the parents of three children, a son and two daughters, namely, George W., deceased; Mary E., the wife of C. L. Bige- low, engaged in a restaurant and bakery at Pontiac: LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Frances L. is the wife of B. W. White, engaged in the trade and manufacture of cigars. Mr. Eagle, politically, was in early manhood n member of the Whig party, but upon its abandonment identified himself with the Republicans. Of late years he has voted independently. The celebrated "Blue Jeans" Williams, ex-Gov- ernor of Indiana, was own cousin of our subject. He was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser of La- fayette County. The sobriquet was applied to him from the fact that he wore a blue jeans suit while "stumping" the State during his candidacy for Governor. H. McDOWELL, who is one of the leading members of the bar of Pontiac and Master in Chancery for Livingston County, is a na- tive of Montgomery County, Ind., and was born on the Gth of March, 1840. He is the son of John and Elizabeth (Price) McDowell, respectively natives of Kentucky and Ohio; his father being a farmer by occupation. The latter died in Indiana, and after his death the mother, with her family, moved to Illinois in 1850 and settled in Livingston County. Of a family of nine children there are now only four living: Isaac P., President of the First National Bank of Fairbury, Livingston Coun- ty; Oliver P., of Fairbury, now retired; Mary E., now Mrs. Ladd, of Pontiac, and H. H. The subject of this sketch divided his time be- tween working on a farm and attending school un- til he was seventeen years of age, when he returned to Indiana and entered the Thorntown Seminary, located in Boone County, about thirty-five miles north of Indianapolis, .and remained there about three years. In May, 18G1, almost at the begin- ning of hostilities between the North and the South, Mr. McDowell enlisted in Compaivy B, 17th Indiana Infantry, and remained in that regiment for nearly one year, when he returned home and assisted in organizing the 12!ith Illinois Infantry, of which regiment he was made Sergeant Major, and subse- quently was commissioned a Lieutenant of Company E. He participated in all the battles in which this regiment was engaged, and with a few picked men he captured the noted guerrilla chief, Capt. Bur- ton, near Gallatin, Tenn. On account of his pe- culiar fitness for the position, he was detailed as an aid-de-camp to Brig. Gen. Harrison who has since represented Indiana in the United States Sen- ate from Atlanta to Washington, and was mus- tered out in June, 1865. After his return from the war Mr. McDowell engaged in mercantile busi- ness at Fairbury, making hardware a specialty. At this time he began to read law, and after three years of study was admitted to the bar in 1872; then he located in Pontiac, where he has since re- sided, and devoted his time to the practice of his profession. Mr. McDowell has been a member of the Board of Education for ten years, and by ap- pointment of President Hayes was the Superintend- ent of the census of thirteen counties in 1880. He is the attorney for the First National Bank of Fair- bury, and in his practice is generally on one side or the other of all the important causes tried in the Livingston County Courts. Mr. McDowell was married on the 1st of January, 1866, to Miss Emma C. Thayer, a native of New York, and daughter of Dr. Gilbert Thayer, Presi- dent of the Morgan Park Female College, of Cook County, 111. They have an interesting family of four children Julia M., Louis Donald, William Thayer and Isaac Price. Mr. McDowell is a Re- publican, and during the campaign preaches the doctrines of that party upon all proper occasions. He is an enthusiastic comrade of the G. A. R. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and take a lively interest in the affairs of that body. From the success he has at- tained in the past the prophecy of a brilliant career in the future of Mr. McDowell is amply justified. ALBRIGHT. This gentleman is one of the most striking illustrations of the good result of energetic and por>istent labor that can be found in the great State of Illinois. He commenced in life at the very foot of the ladder, without means and with little encouragement, hav- ing only his strong hands and resolute will. These, 550 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. is will be seen, he employed to the very best ad- vantage. He is now the owner of 160 acres of the finest farming land in Central Illinois, and his home- stead is embellished with a set of farm buildings not excelled by any in the township. The residence is built in the most substantial manner, and finished and furnished in modern style. The barns and other out buildings are admirably adapted to all the requirements of the progressive agriculturist, and the homestead is the admiration of all who pass by it. A well seventy-three feet in depth and fed from a living spring of the purest water, is operated by a wind pump of the latest improved pattern, and the general machinery of the farm is of the most convenient description and finely adapted to the general purposes of agriculture. Our subject, a native of Bedford County, PH., was born Oct. 2, 1821, and is the son of Christo- pher and Margaret (Prakner) Albright. The former was born in Lancaster County and died while com- paratively a young man, in the spring of 1828. He was a good business man. a wagon-maker by trade, and also fond of farming pursuits. He owned a small tract of land, and in connection with his other business, carried on blacksmithing and the manu- facture of plows. He had already accumulated a good property, and left his widow in comfortable circumstances. The parental household included fourteen children, thirteen of whom lived to mature years. They were named respectively John, Cath- erine, Elizabeth, Christian, Susan, Hannah, Solo- mon, Mary, Uachel, Samuel, Jacob, Henry, George and Margaret. It will thus be seen that our subject was next to the youngest child of his parents. He received but a limited education and early in life was made ac- quainted with hard labor. He worked some at the carpenter's trade which was the main industry of his native county. He continued in Pennsj'lvania until in the fall of 1848, in the meantime having been married. He was not satisfied, however, with j the result of his labors in that section of country, and on the 15th of September started with his wife j and child for Washington County, Wis. He \v;is one of the pioneers of that section and took up a tract of land, where he opened up a fine farm of 240 acres, and at the end of eight years was worth $8,000. He had gone there with a capital of $300. He spent many a week and month chopping down the forest trees, digging out stumps and preparing his land for cultivation, but in the end felt duly repaid for his labor. After a residence of twenty years in Washington County, in which he carried on carpentering as well as farming, he sold out in the spring of 1867, and coining to this county, purchased 160 acres of land in Pleasant Ridge Township. Eighty acres of this had been broken and he soon had the whole under a good state of cultivation. Mr. Albright, while a resident of Bedford County) Pa., was united in marriage with Miss Charity A. Smith, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, July 2, 1 845. Mrs. Albright was born in Bedford County in 1826, and .by her union with our subject became the mother of four children. Of these Rebecca married William Bell, and lives in Pleasant Ridge Township; Margaret A. is the wife of Albert Gray, of Pleasant Ridge Township; and Bellzenia married George Gray, brother of the above, and they are living with her parents. Mr. Albright, politically, is a Democrat of the first wa- ter. He cast his first Presidential vote for William H. Harrison and nothing has availed to turn him from his first principle. Solomon and Samuel Al- bright, two brothers of our subject, are carrying on farming successfully in Washington County, Wis. ENRY HILTON, who resides on section 34, Avoca Township, is a native of England, and was born in Yorkshire, the laruv-t county in the Kingdom, situated in the north part, and having on the east the North Sea and land- ward the counties of Durham, Westmoreland, Lanca- shire, Cheshire. Derby, Nottingham and Lincoln. The Mirfaee is very much diversified. In the northwest are some of the highest mountains of England, and eWwhere barren moors, alternated with some of the richest tract> in the Kingdom. The rivers are all tributary to the Ouse and (lumber, excepting the Teo forming the northern boundary, and the Rib- ble in the extreme \ve>t. Yorkshire is an agricult- ural, grazing and manufacturing county of the lirst 1 * tf LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 557 rank, while the west division of the county is the chief sent of mining and manufacturing industry. York, the second city of England in point of rank, though not in size or commercial importance, is a parliamentary and municipal borough, and is the capital of Yorkshire. In this county the subject of our sketch was born on the 2d of August, 182-2. Henry Hilton is the son of James and {Hannah Hilton, both natives of England. In the spring of 1830 with his parents he emigrated to America, taking passage at Hull on a sailing-vessel, and after an ocean voyage of about six weeks landed at New York City. His parents settled in Chautauqua County, N. Y., where they resided many years. They were the parents of nine children, six of whom survive. William died Oct. 13, 1887, in Chautauqua County, N. Y. ; John is in the East; James, in Indiana; Thomas, in Minnesota; Henry; Anna, Mrs. Thomas Starr, of Dunkirk, N. Y. ; Eliza, Mrs. Fox, also of Dunkirk, N. Y. The subject of this sketch was reared to man's estate in Chautauqiia County, N. Y., and received but a moderate education at the common schools in that count}'. In the spring of 1850, during the ex- citement consequent upon the discovery of gold in California, he went to that State, arriving in Au- gust, 1850. He remained there as a miner until the fall of 1 85 1 , when he went to Oregon, and was en- gaged there in various occupations. In going to Cali- fornia he went via the overland route and returned by the way of the Isthmus of Darien to New York State, where he remained for several years. On the 6th of January, 1863, Mr. Hilton was married to Harriett Odell, who was born in New York City on the 20th of March, 1 830. She was the daughter of Peter and Elizabeth Odell, her father being a native of New York and the mother a Virginian by birth. To Mr. and Mrs. Hilton have been born six children, five of whom are liv- ing: Sophia is the wife of George Day, of Pleasant Ridge Township; Josephine, Mrs. Elliott Gifford, of Linn County, Kan. ; Belle, wife of George Cot- tingham, of McLean County, 111.; Emma and Julia. In 18(>5, with his family, Mr. Hilton came to Liv- ingr-ton County, and settled on his present farm in Avoca Township, where he has continuously re>ii led. He owns forty acres of well-improved land, which i> well equipped in the way of buildings and fence:-. He has been a hard-working man all his life, and whatever he possesses is the result of his own industry and good management. He has served as School Di- rector, in which position he has given good satis- faction. Politically he votes and acts with the Re- publican party, and he and his wife are both con- sistent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the affairs of which they take an active interest. They enjoy the respect and esteem of all the people by whom they are surrounded. I 9 OIIN KINGDON. Our subject comes from original English stock, being a native of Devonshire, one of the best known counties, on account of the thriftiness of its people, in England. He is now successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 17, Sullivan Township. His birth occurred on the 24th of No- vember, 183',), and he was the second in a family of five children. His parents were Henry and Eliza- beth (Westcott) Kingdon, natives of England. The paternal grandparents were Henry and Mary King- don, and the maternal grandparents were Christo- pher and Mary Westcott, who were born in En- gland. The father of our subject was a farmer and butcher in that country, and in the former occupa- tion our subject was reared. He received his edu- cation in the private schools, and was considerably advanced when, at the age of seventeen, he resolved to try his fortunes in the New World. On the 1 5th of April, 1858, he set sail from Plymouth on the sailing-vessel " C'ape St. Roque," and after a very pleasant voyage of four weeks, he landed at Quebec. From there he went direct to Pcoria County, where a brother was living, and immediately engaged at farm labor. In September of the following year he en- li>ted, in Pcoria County, in Company IT, 47th Illi- nois Infantry, and was in the service four and one- half years. During the time he was in the army he participated in the engagements at Corinth, Cuya- hoa'a. llollv Springs. N:i-hville. Yieksburg and other places. During the latter part of the war Mr. King- don served in the 2d Iowa Uattery. to which he had been transferred, but was again returned to his reg- 558 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. inii'iit. He was honorably discharged at Springfield, 111., in February. 1 *<'>."(, as Third Sergeant, and im- mediately went t<> Woodford County, where he en- irasrcd at farm labor for one year, and then attended rented land for one year. On the 1st of March, 1868, at Chillicothe, 111., Mr. Kingdon was married to Miss Mary Thome, who was born in Devonshire, England, on the 6th of November, 1847. She was "the fourth ina fam- ily of ten children born to William and Deborah (Passmore) Then-lie, who were natives of England and emigrated to this country in 1857. The father died in Peoria County in 1883, at the age of sixty- four years; the mother still resides in that county. The father of our subject came to this country, and after remaining for a while, returned to En- gland, and died at the age of sixty-five. The mother died two weeks after reaching America. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Kingdon set- tled on a rented farm near El Paso, where they re- mained for one year. Mr. Kingdon came to Sul- livan Township, Livingston Count}', in February, 18G9, having purchased eighty acres of wild prairie the previous fall. He had built a house upon the land, into which the family moved on the date above mentioned, and then began in earnest the work of improvement and cultivation. Since then he has added eighty acres, and now owns 160 acres, all under an excellent state of cultivation. The house and barn are among the best in the township. The barn now standing is the second he has- built upon the place, as the first one was destroyed by lightning when it was filled with hay, oats, imple- ments and horses, the latter being the only part of the contents saved. Mr. Kingdon has stocked his farm with Clyde and Morgan horses, graded Dur- ham cattle, Poland-China hogs and a limited num- ber of fine wool sheep. He has not been very act- ive in politics, but what attention he does give in that direction is in the interest and for the benefit of the Democratic party. He has been Overseer of Highways, and for twelve years has discharged the duties of School Director. Five children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mr-. Kingdon, and they are all living. Their names are Edwin James, Cora Elizabeth, John. William Ervy and George. They are all at home with their parents, and are being given all the op- portunities possible for procuring an education. They are all bright and intelligent children, and will doubtless live to be a credit to their parents and an honor to themselves. S. MclLDUFF. It is a notable fact that the larger per cent of the leading lawyers of Illinois of to-day belong to the younger generation, and this can be ac- counted for by the fact that within the past three or four decades the facilities for obtaining a legal education have been much increased, both in the schools and colleges, while the literature of the law has received important additions. The system of reports now in vogue in the States, and the numer- ous current publications peculiar to the profession, are great aids to the modern disciples of Blackstone which the older generations did not enjoy, and the libraries of the younger generation of progressive lawyers may be found freighted with all the neces- sary adjuncts. Mr. Mcllduff, the senior member of the firm of Mcllduff & Torrance, in reaching his present envi- able position at the bar, has availed himself of all valuable publications of the day, and has constantly kept himself abreast with the decisions and opin- ions of the best legal minds of the day. He is a Pennsylvania!! by birth, having been born in Hunt- ingdon County on the 1st of June, 1848, and is the son of James and Agnes M. (Speer) Mcllduff, natives of County Down, Ireland, and Huntingdon County, Pa., respectively. .County Down, Ireland, has furnished the United States some of her best Irish-American citizens. It is a county in Ulster, and contains a population of* 295,000, most of whom are intelligent farmers. Agriculture is car- ried on with great skill and success. The capital is Downpatrick. which claims to be one of the oldest towns in Ireland, having been the place of residence of the ancient native kings of Ulster, and the chosen residence of St. Patrick, who founded religious es- tablishments here and presided over them until his death, in 493. James Mcllduff came to America in 1834, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 559 first settled in Philadelphia, engaging in a commis- sion house as accountant. He was a graduate of the Belfast Academical Institute at the age of twenty, and in his studies had fitted himself for a navigator, but his father protested against his en- gaging in that vocation. His father was John Mc- Ilduff, a farmer who lived and died in Ireland. He had a family of four children, two of whom are living James and Edward, the latter residing in Brooklyn, N. Y. James Mcllduff was married at Cassville, Hunt- ingdon Co., Pa., in 1847. From 1835 he owned and ran a line of boats on the Pennsylvania Canal until 1848, when steam knocked the canal-boat out of water. Subsequently he engaged in merchandis- ing at Cassville and Eagle Foundry, and continued in that business till 1854. Then, after settling up matters, he came with his family to Dwight Town- ship, Livingston County, in 1855, and engaged in farming, breaking the first farm ground in Dwight Township in 1855. He continued farming until 1866, when he retired, and moved to the village of Dwight. where he has since resided. He served as Postmaster three years. Police Magistrate thirteen years, and has also held the offices of School Di- rector, Justice of the Peace, and Town Clerk. His children, all now living, are: Robert S. ; Agnes C., a teacher in the Dwight schools, and Thomas E., now engaged in the mercantile business at Memphis, Tenn. The parents of Agnes M. Speer were Robert and Agnes (Cowen) Speer, who were natives of County Antrim, Ireland, and came to America in about 1822. They settled near Shade Gap, Huntingdon Co., Pa., where they engaged in farming, afterward removing to Cassville, where he carried on mer- chandising, lumbering, farming, and buying and shipping grain. They had a family of nine chil- dren, three of whom are living: Agnes M., Mrs. Mcllduff; Isabella II., Mrs. Baker, of Dwight, 111., and Hon. R. Milton Speer, of Huntingdon, Pa. Robert S. Mcllduff spent the years from 1855 till 1866, except 1851) and 1860, on a farm, and had the usual experiences of Illinois fanners' boys of that period. He had the benefit of the public schools only of that time, working on the farm dur- ing the summer and going to school in the winter, either walking nearly three miles from home, or, vhen so fortunate as to get the opportunity, doing chores for his board for some one in town. From beginning school until he quit, in 1867, the entire time of his attendance would not aggregate more than five years, all at the Dwight school except one year at Cassville before his father removed to Illi- nois. The public schools of those days did not occupy the advanced position of to-day, and the Directors of the Dwight school forbade the Princi- pal. O. F. Pearre, now Police Magistrate of Pontiac, teaching Latin, geometry and trigonometry to By- ron Smith, son of Col. Smith, 129th Illinois Volun- teers, and Mr. Mcllduff. Mr. Pearre pluckily said he would hear thenf recite at recess and noon, and to Mr. Pearre the subject of this sketch feels greatly indebted. In the fall of 1867 he became Assistant Postmaster, and acted in that capacity till the spring of 1868, when he returned to Penn- sylvania, and began reading law with his uncle, Mr. Speer, remaining one year. During this time he took lessons in grammar, English and Latin. Upon his return to Dwight he was employed to teach the grammar department of the public school, and taught two terms, at the same time prosecuting his law studies. In the spring of 1870 he returned to Huntingdon to finish his law course, and was ad- mitted to the bar on the 1 3th of August, 1 870, by Hon. George Taylor, Presiding Judge, after an ex- amination by a committee of the bar appointed by the Court. After his admission to the bar Mr. Mcllduff re- turned to his home and there remained till Janu- ary, 1871, when he went to Bolivar, Polk Co., Mo., where he hung out his shingle, remaining five or six months. He then came back to Dwight and remained till the spring of 1872, having charge on two or three occasions of the Dwight schools dur- ing the temporary absence of the respective Prin- cipals. In the spring of that year he went to Kan- sas City and opened a law office, remaining till the fall of 1874, when his western ardor was cooled by the grasshopper plague. On his return to Dwight he formed a partnership, Oct. 20, 1874, with L. G. Pearre, for the practice of law, which firm contin- ued till April, 1878, when it was dissolved by mu- tual consent. Mr. Mcllduff continued the practice 560 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of law at Dwight until the llth of October, 1881, when he removed to Pontiac, where he has since remained. In 1880 he was elected State's Attor- ney, in winch capacity he served four years, and during that time never had an indictment quashed. He reluctantly consented to be a candidate for re- election, but because of his vigorous prosecution of offenders against the laws, was defeated, al- though he led every other candidate on his ticket from Elector down. He was elected Alderman from the Third Ward in Pontiac, in 1885, and served one term. The present law firm of Mcllduff , which office he held three years, and has been School Trustee also for three years. He is considered entirely re- sponsible and reliable, and a solid citizen of whom the township may justly be proud. - jl- KLESTUS BEABDSLEY, of section 27, Es- men Township, is a model farmer and dairy keeper. He was born in the town of Mc- Donough, Chenango Co., N. Y., on the 22d of No- vember, 1823, and was the fourth child of a family of ten. His parents were Belah and Rebecca (Smith) Beardsley, natives of Litchfleld County, Conn., the father of the village of Kent, and the mother of Goshen ; their parents emigrated to New York during their youth. The paternal grandpar- ents were William and Rachel (Benton) Beardsley; he was a farmer, and fought in the War of 1812 as a private, being crippled in the hand by the burst- ing of a gun. The maternal grandfather was Jo- seph Smith. The father of Mr. Beardsley was a practicing physician the greater portion of his life, and died in his ninety-fourth year, on the 6th of July, 1887. He was born on the 5th of October, 1793. His long and eventful career was one of great usefulness, and he was devotedly attached to his profession. His last days were spent with his children, who resided in New Jersey. His excel- lent wife was born on the 24th of April, 1795, and died in March, 1875. Mr. Beardsley was educated in the common schools, and worked on a farm until he was seven- teen years of age ; he then followed the tow path on the canal. At seventeen he left home, and for the next seven years his life was a checkered one ; he worked at all kinds of common labor, as oppor- tunities presented themselves, and on the 19th of August, 1847, at the age of twenty-four, he was married, the lady of his choice being Amanda Palmer, the second child in a family of six born to George R. and Mary Ann (Briggs) Palmer, natives of Rhode Island, where Mrs. Beardsley was born on the 9th of June, 1826. Our subject first settled in Qortland County, N. Y., where he bought a farm. Here he remained six years, and then left the farm and became a day laborer again ; after three years of wajidering he rented a farm in Chautauqua County, N. Y., which he managed for five years. He then bought a farm, and after working it for three years, sold it and moved to Illinois. In 1866 he settled on section 27, where he lived on a rented farm for two years. He then bought forty acres of this land, and has resided on this tract ever since. He has added to the farm forty acres, which is all the land he owns, having given the balance to his children. He is the father of four children, all of whom are living: Oscar, born April 30, 1848; Arthur Eugene, Oct. 4, 1853; Mary Ella, June 30, 1855; Dora Ellen, Sept. 17, 1862. In 1875 Oscar married Alice Palmer, and lives near his father's homestead ; Eu- gene married Ella Pearson, of Trinidad, Las Ani- mas Co., Col., where they now reside; he is a civil engineer and a graduate of Cornell University. Mary married John A. Cross, and they live in Da- kota, where he is engaged in farming; Dora is with her sister in Colorado. The parents took great pride in giving each of their children a good education, and each of them have taught school. Mr. Beardsley and his son Oscar jointly manage the farm, the active management being in the son's hands. Mr. Beardsley was elected Justice of the Peace and served five years, and has also served as .Road Overseer, but has never sought office. He is not very active in political affairs, but votes the Re- publican ticket. lie is an independent thinker and reasoner, and is a strong advocate of any cause he espouses. It is with pleasure we present the portrait of Mr. Beardsley in connection with this brief sketch, as being that of a worthy and representative member of the farming community of Esmen Township. HILIP K. HILTON is one of Livingston County's prominent and highly respected citizens, and has met with success in his chosen vocation in life. He resides on his country estate of 315 acres of excellent land, free from encumbrances, on section 30, Snnbury Towu- I 564 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 ship. He was born in Delaware County, N. Y., May 25, 1820, and is the son of John V. and Anna (Grummon) Hilton, natives of New York. The paternal grandparents, William P. and Martha Hil- ton, were also natives of that State, and the grand- father was a Revolutionary soldier, serving through the entire war. He was a physician by profession, and spent his declining years in the town of Blen- heim, Schoharie Co., N. Y. The father of our sub- ject was a farmer, and moved to Warren County, Pa., in 1 830, going by canal to Buffalo, and mak- ing the balance of the journey overland. Twelve years later he came to Illinois, and settled in Liv- ingston County, on Wolf Creek, where he remained for several years, his death occurring in October, 1864. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, for which a pension was granted him, the certificate bearing the date on which he died. The subject of this sketch was reared to farm life, and received his education in the common schools. Five or six years after his father settled in Pennsylvania, our subject left home to do for him- self, starting away without any money, his entire possessions consisting of twelve pounds of maple sugar and a small surplus of clothing which he car- ried in a bundle. At Columbus, Pa., he sold the sugar for money to pay his fare to Erie, Pa., where he shipped on board a schooner, and worked for two months. In 1836 he took a trip through Michi- gan, but returned to Pennsylvania. In 1837 he went to Grand Haven, Mich., where he engaged in a sawmill, and there had a severe spell of sickness. In the same year he went to Will County, 111., and shortly afterward came to Livingston County, where he made his home with a brother on Mud Creek. This county has been his home since that time. Soon after coming here he worked on the Michigan Canal at and near Joliet for three years. At that time the settlements through this section of Illinois were located along the creek. The Indians had all disappeared, but the country was yet wild anc! un- broken, and there were plenty of wolves, deer, tur- keys and prairie chickens. He spent a season in Vermilion and LaSalle Counties engaged in saw- milling. In 1842 he went to Iowa, and thence to New Orleans with a flatboat loaded with corn. On the return up the river the boat was blown up. and several men were lost. Mr. Hilton had his face and hands badly scalded. In the fall of that year he returned to Iowa, and reached his home in Living- ston County in the winter. The following year he engaged at farming, and later on fanned on shares at Babcock's Grove. At this time he hauled wheat to Chicago, and sold it at fifty cents per bushel, and frequently hauled corn across the prairie, which was fed to the hogs that were being driven to Chicago. During those trips he was much exposed to the weather, and one time became belated, and had to remain out all night, surrounded by wolves, and was nearly frozen to death before reaching a house. It had rained until he became wet, and then sud- denly turned cold and froze his clothing. Two or three years later he returned to the neighborhood of Mud Creek. On the 9th of April, 1848, Mr. Hilton was mar- ried to Matilda S. Longnecker, daughter of Heze- kiah and Polly A. (Crouch) Longnecker, natives of Pennsylvania and Kentucky respectively. After marriage Mr. Hilton settled in Esmen Township, and began farming in earnest. He lived in the edge of the timber, and cultivated the prairie ad- jacent. Two years after marriage he took up a claim of 160 acres, and began improving it by building a log house and cultivating the land. He entered this land by 40-acre lots, during the sum- mer time being engaged in breaking prairie to ob- tain money for the support of his family, and to pa}' for the entry of the land. After this he bought an 80-acre tract, and through enterprise and good management, has been able to increase the farm to 315 acres, of which eighty acres is well covered with timber. He remained on this farm without inter- mission until his wife died in 1857, leaving one child. She was a member of the United Brethren Church, and a lady of many excellent traits of character. After the death of his wife, Mr. Hilton rVmnined on the farm until 1^65, and then spent considerable time in travel through Michigan and Canada. He went to Niagara Falls, and thence to Schoharie, N. V.. afterward traveling in Pennsylvania, and re- turning home by Chicago. Accompanied by his son, he went overland to Iowa in 1873, and then liv team to Denver, Col., visiting all the parks. 4 KS, ' 'I -*- '4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 565 springs, and mountain scenery in that State. In 1874 he went to Boulder and spent the winter in teaming to the camps. On his trip to the West he went alone, and was the first to cross the plains after the Indian outbreak of 1874. At Boulder he sold his outfit and went to California, stopping at San Francisco, from which place he went by steamer to San Pedro and Los Angeles. From there he went by rail and stage-coach to San Jose, traveling in one day 116 miles by stage ; thence he went to Santa Cruz, and from there to see the big trees. He measured one tree which was sixty feet in circum- ference. He spent several months in travel in Cali- fornia, returning to San Francisco and back to Den- ver by rail. On the return trip he stopped at Salt Lake City, and attended a Mormon Church, and heard music made by the great organ in Brigham Young's Temple. He returned to this county in the fall of 1875. Mr. Hilton's farm being rented until September, 1876, he concluded to again indulge his propensity for travel, and started East, visiting Chicago. Niag- ara Falls and Albany, and thence to New York City by boat. He spent eight days at the Centen- nial Exposition in Philadelphia, and from there went to Washington, where he visited the grave of the Father of his Country at Mt. Vernon. Thence by the way of Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit, lie went into the pineries of Michigan, to visit his brother, Alanson V. Hilton, now deceased. He re- turned to his home in Illinois in the spring of 1876, and in the spring of 1877 he started West again, going by the way of Yankton, and by river to Ft. Pierre, and with teams overland to Deadwood. He engaged in mining twenty-five miles west of Dead- wood, at Bear Gulch, for one season, and was fairly successful. While here the Indians were trou- blesome, and they were compelled to break camp and move out. He then went by team to Chey- enne, and thence by rail to Denver, returning home by the way of St. Louis. In 1884 he made a trip to Iowa, and wns in a railway collision near Des Moines, where one was killed and one wounded. After traveling nearly all over the East and the West, he returned to the farm and began to culti- vate it himself, which he has continued to do since. In 1885 he was disabled by nearly severing one of his feet with an ax. Since then he has made a trip to Denver for his health, and remained there five months. He partially recovered and returned home by the way of Iowa. Mr. Hilton is not very active in politics, but votes the Democratic ticket. He was the only one in Sunbury Township who voted the straight Demo- cratic ticket while the war was in progress. He is a member of the Royal Arch Masons, and united with the Masonic fraternity in 1858. He became an Odd Fellow in 1876, of which he has remained a member in high standing ever since. He has been a member of the Grand Lodge for two years as a representative, and attended the Grand Lodge of the State of Colorado in Denver. Mr. Hilton's extensive travel has made him a man familiar with nearly all sections of the country, and he is possessed of a valuable fund of knowledge on general subjects besides. We take pleasure in presenting on an adjoining page a portrait of Mr. Hilton. H. BECKER, one of the most highly esteemed citizens in Chatsworth Township, resides near the town limits, where he owns eight acres of land and a handsome and con- venient residence, with the out-buildings required by the suburban dweller. In another portion of the township he has a quarter section, the cultivation of which he superintends and from the proceeds of which he enjoys a handsome income. He is one of the self-made men of Livingston County, who came from across the Atlantic hoping to better himself both socially and financially, arriving here with but $15 in his pocket. He is now the owner of a good property, which he has accumulated by hard work and the exercise of the strictest economy. Mr. Becker was born in the Province of Olden- burg, Germany, in the city of Jever, July 6, 1825. lie was reared in the agricultural districts and re- mained near his birthplace until the spring of 1853, and until twenty-eight years of age. The labors of many years had been quite unsatisfactory in their results and he determined upon a change of loca- tion. Embarking on a sailing-vessel at Bremen, he \ 4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. with quite a company of his f'cJlow countrymen bound for different places, set sail for the New World, and after a voyage of six weeks landed in New Orleans. A few days later he proceeded up the river to St. Louis, Mo., and thence to Peoria in this State. From there he went into Wood ford County, where he engaged in farming, and in due time made the acquaintance of his future wife, Miss Matha M. Williams, to whom he was married in the spring of 1858. Mrs. Becker was born in the Kingdom of Han- over, and came to the United States with her mother, brother and sister about 1 857. Her father had died in the old country. Our subject after his marriage came to Livingston County and located with his bride near Pontiac, where he engaged in farming, and from there he removed some years later to Charlotte Township, and occupied the farm which he now owns until 1882. He then abandoned active labor and took possession of his present home- stead, where he is passing his later years in the ease and comfort to which he is amply entitled. To Mr. and Mrs. Becker there were born only two children: Christian J., an enterprising young fanner of Charlotte Township, whose biography will be found elsewhere in this work; and Manno M., the wife of Henry M. Flassiier, a resident of Char- lotte Township. Mr. Becker, after becoming a naturalized citizen, identified himself with the Re- publican party, to which lie still closely adheres. lie and his excellent wife are members in good stand- ing of the Evangelical Church, and are held in the highest respect by the residents of Chatsworth and vicinity. Mr. Becker's only sister, Anna, is the wife of Carl Sigert, and lives in Chatsworth. iILLIAM BLAIX, who is not only an ex- it-tin ve farmer and stock-grower on section 31, but a prominent man in all the affairs of Pleasant Ridge Township, was born in Orange Comity. X. Y.. on the 30th of September, 1821. He i> the son of Abia and Fannie (Baird) Blain, both natives of New York. The father was born in 17!i:i. and died on the 23d of September. 1847. When .Mr. Abia lilain was a young man lie wa- ap- prenticcd to a wagon-maker in Newburg, and served for three years. After the expiration of his apprenticeship he opened a shop of his own at War- wick, where he remained for six years. From there he went to Butler, Wayne Co.. N. Y., where he re- mained until his death. He was a prominent mem- ber in the Presbyterian Church and belonged to the Democratic party. The mother was horn in 1800, and at the time of the writing of this sketch, in 1887, is still living, and envoys fairly good health. She has been a widow since 1847, and has resided with our subject in Pleasant Ridge Township. She is the mother of seven children, William, our sub- ject, being the oldest; Sarah is the wife of Henry Lovely; Mary E. died Dec. 10, 18:ii;, aged ten years, four months and thirteen days; Cynthia mar- ried George B. Holland, and died Feb. 17, 1870; Paulina was born May 27, 1832, and died Jan. 5, 1842; Christina, bom in October, 1835, married William Xeek, and died Jan. III. 18GC; Abia M., born July 15, 1838, died Jan. 18, 1847. William Blain, the subject of our sketch, was mar- ried to Mary II. Center, a native of the State of New York, on the 30th of September, 1851. She was born July 13, 1832, and is the daughter of Nathaniel and Mary (Dewey) Center, natives of New York State. Her father was born on the I Mi of December, 1793, and died at the age of fifty-six years: he was a farmer by occupation, and through industry and good management accumulated large property interests. The mother was horn on the 9th of December, 1805. and died on the Kith of August, 1884, in LaSalle County, 111. They were the parents of the following children: Helen, born July 13, 1832; Hallet ('.. born Dec. 20, 1833; John, born May 11, 1830: Dow 1).. born Aug. 8, 1838; Eliza B., born May 12, 1841, and Harriet J., born Feb. 12. 1845. All these children are still living. To Mr. and Mrs. lilain have been born four chil- dren: Theron, Ann. 3(1, 1853: Ida W., Nov. 14. 1855: Nathaniel A., Nov. 18, 18.V.I, and Fannie M., born Feb. 20. 1*05. and died on the (ith of Novem- ber, 1867. Mr. Blain came to Illinois in 1807. and purchased 240 acres of land in Pleasant Ridge Township, upon which he now resides, lie also owns a snug little farm of seventv-nine acres in Ford County. 111. His early i I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 5C.7 education wae obtained in the district schools, and hv constant reading he has kept abreast of the times in the way of information about current events. His political beliefs are in harmony with the principles of the Democratic party, and in such official positions as he has been placed he has discharged his trusts to the satisfaction of the i>eople. In 1 872 he was elected Supervisor for Pleasant Ridge Township, and served in that capacity for two years. He takes a prominent part in the political, religious and busi- ness affairs of the township. He is a Trustee and an Elder of the Presbyterian Church at Fairbnry. and for lifteen years has served as School Director. He is a prominent member of the Masonic fraternity, in which lie has filled some of the principal chairs. In all respects he is a first-class citizen, a man who looks closely after his own business, and devotes but little time to the management of the business of other people. J^ OIIN T. MOBTIMOBE. No county in the great Prairie State can boast of such an ar- ray of intelligent agriculturists as Living- / ston. Everywhere are evidences of thrift, wisdom and enterprise, and on section 33, Owego Township, is comfortably located the farm where one of Livingston County's good farmers is prose- cuting his chosen calling with success. This farm consists of eighty acres of finely cultivated land, with a tasteful and substantial farm building, a good barn, and all the accessories of the intelligent and progressive farmer, and here he spends his time as an industrious and law-abiding citizen, en- joying the respect of his neighbors and fulfilling the obligations incident to his station as a sub.-tan- tial member of the community. Mr. Mortiinore is a native of Putnam County, 111., and was born on the sth of April, 1 858. He is the son of Henry T. and Hannah .1. Mortiinore, of Pontiac, the father a native of New Jer- sey, and the mother being born in Rochester, N. Y. The parents were married in Putnam County in 1857, and have been blessed with four children, whose names are as follows: John T., Frank M., llarvy O. and Mary L. The settlement of the parents in Livingston County occurred about twenty years ago, when they took up their resi- dence in Owego Township, where they remained until the spring of 1887, when they moved to Pontiac, where they now reside. ThcN' own 320 acres of land in Owego Township; upon which they spent twenty of the best years of their lives. The father has always been an ardent advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and his fellow- citizens of Owego Township chose him as their Trustee. The father and mother are both active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which the father was for many years a Trustee, and a leading man in the management of church affairs, for which he was admirably fitted, on account of his good judgment and ability to grasp all ques- tions as they presented themselves. During their long and active life both of the parents labored zealously for the improvement of their neighbors, as well as themselves, and now that they have retired from active life to spend their declin- ing years in the city of Pontiac, they carry with them the best wishes and kindest regards of all their old neighbors of Owego Township. The parents of the Mibject of this sketch came to Livingston County when he was in the tenth year of his age, and his life from that period has been spent in this county, as a farmer boy, as a pupil in the common school.-, and as a farmer after he reached the age of maturity. His education is as thorough and complete as could lie obtained in the schools of the day. but lie has kept abreaM of the thought of the day by constant reading of the current publica- tions. Mr. Mortiinore was married, on the :id of Febru- ary. IKSli, to Ida A. Ililtabrand, of Owego Town- >hip, and one child has been born, upon whom they have conferred the name of Mytia J., its birth hav- ing occurred on the 20th of May, IMS?. As stated above, Mr. Mortimore's farm consists of eighty acres, every acre of which is tillable, and i> made availa- ble either in the production of annual crops or for grazing purpo-o. Mr. Mortiinore. as was his father before him, is a Republican in politics, and is thor- oughly imbued with all the modern and progressive teaching* of that party. He has served three years in the capacity of School Director, and in all edn- I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. cut ii uml w< >rks he enters with the ardor and enthusiasm of young manhood. Mrs. Mortimore is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the affairs of which she takes an active interest. 1; 4" J"~l OHN W. STEWART is one of the self-made | men of Long Point Township, and is now I engaged in farming on section 21. He was I born Jan. 10, 1833, and is the son of John and Mary Elizabeth (Miller) Stewart, who were na- tives of Pennsylvania. The father died Oct. 9, 1858, at the age of seventy years, and the mother Jan. 2, 1867. To them were born the follow- ing-named children: Solomon, who was a steam- boat man on the Ohio River, and died from the ef- fects of an injury received in May, 1885, was married twice, and left a wife and children; John- son is unmarried, and a farmer living near Monon- gahela City, Pa.; Washington, who died in 1884, married Sarah Billeter, and was the father of three children, one of whom is deceased ; John W. is the subject of this sketch ; David married, and after the decease of his wife he enlisted in the Union army, and died at the end of two years, leaving two children ; William, who married Louisa Root, had six children, one of whom is deceased, and he died at Princeville, Peoria Co., 111., in August, 1884; Harriet is now living with her brother in Pennsylvania; Joseph, who lives in Washington County, Pa.; Henry, who is married to Henrietta F. Borgordon, and lives in New Albany, Ind., and Mary, who is teaching school in Pennsylvania. John W. Stewart was married on the 27th of September, 1860, to Rosalie A. Kenyon, daughter of John and Betsy (Maxson) Kenyon, natives of New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon were born the following children : Thomas J., born May 9, 1829, married three times, the names of his wives being Polly Church, of New York, Lucinda Allen, who bore him one child, and Hannah Maxson ; he now lives on a farm in Dakota. Maria, born in 1K30, married Joel Hakes, of New York, who died July 10, 1K86, leaving two children; Rosalie, wife of our subject, born Oct. 30, 1832; Betsy Angeline, born June 20, 1834, married Joseph Fuller, of New York, has a family of five children, and now resides in Iowa; Luman K., born June 6, 1837, married Elizabeth Mason, has two children, and lives in Kan- sas; Mary Almeda, born Sept. 11, 1842, married Warren Lamphere, of New York, who died in 1881, leaving six children. To Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have been born the fol- lowing-named children: Emma Louisa, July 28, 1861, now married to George C'oleman, of Illinois, lias two children; George, born March 24, 18G7, is a farmer; William Henry, born Jan. 25, 1870, is at home attending the common schools in which he is making good progress. Mr. Stewart, the subject of this sketch, received a fair common-school education while he remained at home. At seventeen years of age he left home, and for three 3'ears was at work upon the river, and came to Livingston County in 1869, where he has remained most of the time since. He now owns 120 acres of land, eight} 7 of which are on section 21, where he has spent $150 in tile ditching, and forty on section 22, all of which is under cul- tivation. Mr. Stewart's home is four miles from Long Point, his post-office. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are both members in good standing of the Methodist Church. Her parents were Seventh- Day Baptists. Mr. Stewart in polit- ical matters acts with the Republican party, to which lie gives faithful adherence at all times and under all circumstances. He is a citizen who en- joys the confidence and esteem of all his neighbors. J~ ACOB E. BROWN, of the firm of J. E. Brown iV- Co., bankers, of Chatsworth, is the eldest of the family, and only son of Thomas Y. and Mary A. (Everett) Brown. He was born in Brownsville, Jefferson Co., N. Y., on the 29th of September, 1838, and received his educa- tion in the common schools and academy at Brownsville, N. Y. When not in school he assisted in the lighter duties around the farm, and also for a time clerked in a store. In 1856, when he was in liis nineteenth year, his family moved to Living- ston County, 111., and settled in ("lermnnvillc f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 569 il Township. He assisted in the work on a farm until the winter of 1859, at which time Chats worth sprang into existence, and he entered into the em- ploy of C. D. Brooks, Chatsworth's first merchant, ' Postmaster and Station Agent, as a clerk. In the ' spring of 1860 Mr. Brown returned to his home and took charge of his father's farm, which con- , tained about 1.200 acres. In August, 1862, his bosom thrilling with patriotism, he offered his serv- ices to the Government as a soldier, which were accepted, and he was mustered in and assigned to Company M, 9th Illinois Cavalry, and served as a member of that company until May, 1865, when he was mustered out. Upon entering the army he joined the company at Helena, Ark., then under command of Gen. Steele. He was detailed under different commanders as a scout, and served in different portions of Arkansas. After the downfall of Little Rock, in the spring of 1863, the cavalry command was removed across and up the Missis- sippi River to Memphis, Temi., and placed under the command of Gen. Grierson, and during the following year he served as detail at the headquar- ters of that General and Gen. Hatch, during the summer of 1864, doing like duty for Gen. Grier- son. Nov 19, 1864, he together with forty others, while on detached service, on Shoal Creek, near Florence, was taken prisoner, and was held by the rebels until April, 186."), a greater portion of the time being in the prison at Cahaba, Ala. When he was paroled, and while on parole, he was com- missioned Second Lieutenant, but being in very poor health he accepted a final discharge in May. and returned home. For one year he did but little, excepting that in the spring of 1866 .he took a course at Eastman's Commercial College in Chi- cago. Then he returned to the farm and was a tiller of the soil until 1874, when he removed to Chats- worth, but his health being so precarious he gave but little attention to business for that year. In 1875 he was engaged as a clerk by the hardware firm of Hall A- Crane, where he remained until 1877. In August of that year he accepted the posi- tion of book-keeper in the banking house of C. A. Wilson tt Co., from which position he soon became cashier and served in that capacity until 1 188f>, w'uen he. as senior member of the (inn of J. E. Brown t~ <>l iiunemin, is a native of Plainfield, N. J., :ind was born June :iO. 1854. His parents, William and Helen (Benckma) Beukma, were born on the other side of the Atlantic, in the Kingdom of the Netherlands, whence they emigrated to America in 18.".<;, and in company with relatives, located in LaFavettc. Ind. Thence they removed eastward to New Jersey, where they located and remained until 1 *<;:!. In |8<;:> the parent> returned to Eu- - LIVINGSTON COUNTY. rope, but the mother died after landing at Bremen, Germany. The father now resides not far from the place of his birth. Mr. Beukma accompanied his father to Europe in 1803, when a lad nine years of age, where he re- mained eleven years and completed his studies in the High School at Groningen, a noted institution under the supervision of highly educated instructors. The educational institutions of Holland have a world-wide reputation, and there young Beukma was admirably fitted for the further duties of life and gained a tine insight into business methods, also acquiring a valuable fund of general information. He returned to America in 1874, and taking up his abode near his birthplace, in Plainfleld, N. J., was there engaged one year as a book-keeper, then mi- grated to the West and to this county. Here he en- gaged as a drug clerk two years at Odell, and subse- quently entered the employ of Richard Evans, the well-known coal operator of Streator, where he kept books and made himself useful in the large interests centered at that point. Mr. Beukma came to Saunemin in 1 882, and entered the drug-store of Dr. C. C. Hemphill, with whom he remained two years, and in the meantime applied himself closely to the business. In 18X2 he received his certificate from the State Board as a licentiate in pharmacy and in 1884 he established himself in business at Pontiac, 111., where he continued three years. In the spring of 1887 he associated himself with his present partner at Saunemiu, and they have since been successfully engaged at their present location in building up a lucrative trade. Their correct business methods have established them in the con- fidence of the community and they are rapidly be- coming important factors among its leading inter- ests. Mr. Beukma, while a resident of Pontiac, was mar- ried, Sept. 4, 1884, to Miss Frances Camelin, the wedding talking place at the home of the bride in Nebra-ka Township, Livingston County. Mrs. B. wai> born in Nebraska Township April 2."), 18(11, and is the daughter of Thomas N. and Mary Came- lin, who located on a tract of land in Nebra>ka Township during it- earlie-t settlement, and built up a comfortable home where they >till rc-ide. Of this union there is one -on, William, born Nov. I, 1885. Mrs. Beukma is a lady of intelligence and good biisincv capacity, and i> conducting a millinery business at Saunemin. Our sulrcct, politically, is a warm -npporter of Republican principles, and served one year a> Clerk of Saunemin Township. Socially he belong- (o the Masonic Lodge at Pontiac, and is also a member of the I. O. (). F. at the >ame place. He keeps him- self posted upon all matters pertaining to his bu-i- ness, and takes a lively interest in the enterpri>e> -et on foot for the general good of the community. UDWIG BISCIIOFF is well known through- out Avoca Township as one of its most in- dustrious and enterprising German farmers, who commenced life in this -ection practically with- out means, and by a continued course of indu>try and determination, has secured a good homotcad and a good position among his neighbors. Ili> property includes 120 acres of good land on section 14, which is enclosed with neat and substantial fencing and supplied with good buildings. His farm stock and machinery are creditable alike to the man and the township, and bear fair comparison with those adjacent. Our subject was born in the Kingdom of Wurtem- berg. Germany, Aug. 17, 1828. Hi- parent-, Mat- thew and Margaret (Polus) Blschoff, were also of German birth and ancestry, and pa,-sed their entire lives on their native soil. Our subject, in common with the 3'outh of that Empire, which represents largely the education and cultivation of Europe. commenced his studies in the schools of his native Province when a lad six year.- of age and continued until fourteen. Thereafter he was employed in masonry and farming until twenty-six years of age. when, becoming dissatisfied with hi> condition and pro>pectr- in his own country, he determined to >eek his fortune across the Atlantic, lie set sail from I lay re in February, 18,"i4. and after a voyage of forty-two da\> on a >ailing-ve>sel. landed in New York City and came directly to the Prairie State. After a -liort time spent in the city of Chicago he came into Stephenr-on County, of which he 'a- a resident two year> and \va.- employed at farming. . RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH R . Kl NG , 5 EC . 24-, WALDO T P. - . RESIDENCE OF G. A . G ARR E LS , 5E C.16 .NEBRASKA T P. RESIDENCE OF JACOB Kl N G ,5EC . 14, WALDO TP. m t, f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 573 ' \ Thence he removed to McLean County, where he rented a tract of land several years, and came in 1865 to his present farm in Avoca Township, where lie ha.- since resided. While a resident of McLean County Mr. Bis- ehoff was married. Oct. 25, 1860, to Miss Mary Alendorff, a native of Prussia, born in 1840. She became the mother of five children and departed this life at her home in Avoca Township April 27, 1 884. She was a faithful and affectionate wife, a wise and kind mother, and performed all her duties in life in a praiseworthy manner. She is remem- bered by her family and friends as a lady who pos- sessed all the womanly virtues, and was greatly mourned by a large circle of friends. Mr. Bisehoff has but two children living 1 , namely, Wilhelm, born Feb. 5, 1862, and Matilda, Sept. 10, 186U. He meddles little with political matters, but n}X)ii occa- sions of important elections casts his vote with the Republican party. lie is recognized as a man hon- est in his transactions and as a valued factor in a community more than ordinarily intelligent. t of those live in Illinois; Susan is in Kansas. Byron enlisted in the Union army during the late war and took the smallpox when about twenty-one years of age. He was brought home and died, and was buried in Central Cemetery, Nebraska Town- ship. The parents are now deceased. Mr. Hopwood was reared to farm pursuits and received but a limited education. He remained with his parents until their decease. During the late war he was drafted into the Union army, and paid 1900 for a substitute, who afterward deserted, was captured and suffered a deserter's fate. His marriage with Miss Catherine Ann Simpson took place at the home of the bride in Woodford, 111., Feb. 18, 1865. Mrs. II. is the daughter of Harri- son and Maria (Combs) Simpson, and was the third in a family of eight children, all of whom are now living. She was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, Nov. 7, 1844, and came to Illinois with her parents when a child three years of age. She remained under the home roof until her marriage with our subject. Of this union there are six children, namely, Charles Harrison, Lorn Jan. 8, 1866; Carrie Ellen, born Dec. 7, 1867, and died June 7, 1872; Sarah M., born Feb. 18, 1870; Benjamin F., Dec. 15, 1872; James A., Oct 31, 1876: John Edward, June 5, 1880, and Mark V., Feb. 26, 1886. The parents of Mrs. Ilopwood were natives respect- ively of Ohio and Virginia, the father born in 1811), and the mother in August, 1814. Harrison. Simp- son spent his last years in Collins County, Tex., where his death took place in January, 1885. His remains were taken to Minonk, 111., for burial. The mother is still living in Texas. Mrs. II.. like her husband, is of German descent on her father's side. i ONRAD MUN/, whose farm is located on section - f " ) ' an 'l '* Considered the finest in the township of Pleasant Ridge, was born in the canton of Tliurgau, Switzerland, on the 2!)th of April, 1841. This canton is in the northeastern part of Switzerland, and is separated from Baden by the River Rhine. It has an area of 270 square miles, and a population of about 100,000, of whom four- fifths are Protestants. The surface is undulating and fertile, and the country is watered by the Thur, 574 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. f the Sitter and the Murg Rivers. Agriculture, spin- ning and weaving arc the chief operations of the inhabitants. The parents of Mr. Mnnz were Jacob :iiid Elizabeth (Altwegg) Munz, who were natives of Switzerland. The father was born on the 1th of September, 1812, and died June 21, 1858. He was by occupation a fanner and wine dealer, and achieved considerable reputation for the vintage of his wines. The mother was born in Switzerland July 29, 1822, and died Jan. 3, 1801. They were both devoted to zealous Christian work. The names of the children were as follows: Conrad, Jacob, Ida, Emil. Anna, John and Wilhelmina, two of whom died in infancy. Mr. Munz came to America in 1873, and landed in New York October 28. lie came almost imme- diately to Livingston County, and purchased 120 acres of land, to which he has added forty acres. He has erected a full complement of farm buildings, all of which are constructed with a view to comfort and beauty. lie has put in over 30,000 tiles, and Ins. therefore, a most completely drained farm. Tak- ing its appointments throughout Mr. Munz lias as fine a farm as there is in Pleasant Hidge Township, and he has recently purchased 104 acres of very ex- cellent land near Fairbury, Livingston County. August 2!), 1871, Mr. Munz was married in Switzerland to Catherine Blumer, who was born Feb. 2, 184!). To them have been born the following children: Frieda, Annie. David, Paul. Jonathan and Conrad. Two children died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Munz are both members of the Omish Church, in which church they were both raised. Mr. Mimz is an enterprising cattle grower, and raises a considerable number of horses, but docs not make any pretensions to cultivating blooded horses. He has on his farm a large vineyard, and each year manufactures from six to eight barrels of wine. Mr. Munz procured the papers which made him a full citizen of the Fnited States only about two years ago. He has not taken a very active interest in politic-, csaring nothing for office-holding, and the only ollicial position hi 1 lias consented to hold was that of School Director, for which he was eminently titled by education. In his native country Mr. Mini/ received a high education, and while in that country he was engaged most of the time as book- kce[KT and clerk in a large silk and damask factory. a position which required considerable knowledge of business. At one time in Switzerland he was quite wealthy, but reverses overtook him which swept away the greater portion of his fortune. He is now one of the most enterprising and substantial men of the township in which he resides, and enjoys the confidence of everybody who knows him. AMES BESGROVE, of Belle Prairie Town- ship, is a prominent representative of its wealth and prosperity, and the proprietor of one of its choicest farms, comprising 1(10 acres on section 1. He obtained the land while it was in its uncultivated state, purchasing first cightv acres which he improved, and then doubling the amount. He put up later a fine residence and all the other structures required by the intelligent and skillful agriculturist. For many years he diligently tilled the soil and took careful note of his expendi- tures, and ere long found himself on the high road to a competency. He wisely invested his surplus capital in additional land. Soon after coining to this section of country he was recognized as a valued addition to the community, and is resected no less for his straightforward business methods than for his kindly personal character. A large proportion of Livingston Count v is set- tled by substantial English residents, and our sub- ject was himself born in Somersetshire, Dee. 13, 1846. His parents, Charles and Eliza (Browning) Besgrove. were also of English birth and parentage. and the father who died in 18(12 spent his entire life in his native land. The mother is still living in England, and is now a very old lady. The parental family included seven children, of whom one died in infancy. Those surviving were named respect- ively. William, Henry, Mary A.. James, of our sketch, Alfred and Charles. Most of the brothers and sisters are located in Missouri. Mr. Besgrove came to the I'liited States when a youth of sixteen years of age. starting out by him- self after the death of his father, and bidding adieu to the associates and friends of his childhood. Af- ter a tedious vovatreof live weeks and three (lavs on LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 575 a sailing-vessel, he landed in the city of New York, whence lu> proceeded to Albany, where ho found himself penniless and a stranger. He found means to communicate with his brother Henry, who had preceded him to thi> country, and was located in McLean County. III., who sent for him, and he worked thereafter in that vicinity by the month about three years, at $200 per year. By the most rigid economy at the end of this time he had man- aged to save the sum required to make his first pur- chase of uncultivated prairie land. An important event in the life of our subject was his marriage with Miss Elizabeth Mastis, which took place in Indian Grove Township, Jan. 1, 1872. Mrs. B., born Sept. 4, 1853, is a native of the same shire as her husband, and came to this country in 1870. Her parents died in England. Their family included four children Mary, Susan, Elizabeth and Sarah N. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Besgrove, seven living and one dead, were born as follows: Frank, Nov. 18, 1871!: Herbert J., Oct. 4, 1875; Mary ('., Oct. 4, 1877; Blanche E., Sept. 3, 1879; Fanny, Aug. '.), 1881 ; Charles, April 23, 1883; Annie, Jan. 26, 18X5; and Eliza, born Sept. 12, 1887, and died Sept. 27, 1887. They constitute a bright and promising family, receiving a good education as they reach the proper age to attend school and bene- fit by its advantages. Mr. Besgrove is a Repub- lican in politics. jARAK M. BULLARD, the leading livery man at Forest, is a native Of Fullerville, St. Lawrence Co., N. Y., and was born on the 6th of October, 1836. He is the son of Luther and Sallie M. (Lee) Billiard, natives of Ver- mont. Luther Billiard, in early life learned the trade of bellows-making, and subsequently engaged with others in the manufacture of potash and iron, operated a saw and grist mill, and thus became widely and well known. In the fall of 1844 the family removed to Bureau County, 111., making the jour- ney in wagons. While living there, the father be- ing of :i mechanical turn, adopted the trade of a carpenter, to which he applied himself during the remaining days of his life. He died in December, 1847, while his wife survived him many years. She died in April, 1886, having lived more than seventy-five years. Four boys and two girls Constituted their family of children: one girl died in infancy, and one son, Cheselton, died of typhoid fever in 1847, one month prior to the death of the father. Those living are Lncian, who at present occupies the position of Postmaster at Forest; Lockhart was a carpenter, and resides in Iowa; Delcena is the wife of D. C. Igon, of Forest; Morenns resides in Kansas City, Mo., and B. M. is our subject. Mr. Billiard was eight years old when the family settled in Illinois, and has since been a resident of his adopted State;. He was reared to work upon the farm, and resided in Bureau County iintil 1861, when he enlisted and was mustered into the service in Company E, 33d Illinois Infantty. It was known as the Normal Regiment, as nearly all the officers, and many of the privates, were from the Illinois State Normal University, having been organized at Bloomington. The regiment was mustered in on the 15th of August, 1861, under Charles E. Hovey, formerly President of the Illinois State University. The officers and men were drawn from nearly all portions of the State, many of them being former students and teachers in the Normal University. On the 20th of September the regiment entered act- ive service at Pilot Knob, Mo., then a frontier post, where it remained for nearly five months. Three companies were stationed on the Iron Mountain Railroad, on guard duty. On the 15th of October two of the companies, to one of which Mr. Billiard belonged, were attacked, and he with others was taken prisoner. On the 21st of October the re- mainder of the regiment participated in the battle of Frederickstown, in which Jeff Thompson's army was routed with heavy loss. On the 1st of March. 1862, the regiment inarched southward with Gen. Steele's column, which united with the main arm}' under Gen. Curtis at Batesville, Ark., and then made the celebrated inarch to White River Valley, in which the army was for some time lost to the knowledge of the Northern public, and suffered con- siderable hardships and privations. During this march, on the 7th of July, ti portion of the regi- ment was concerned in a severe fight at Ceche I 576 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Bayou, in which Gen. Rust's Texans were defeated with great loss. On the 13th of July the army ar- rived at Helena, Ark., and the regiment was sta- tioned at and near Old Town Landing, below He- lena, until October, and during this time made fre- quent expeditions into the interior, and had numer- ous skirmishes with the enemy. At St. Genevieve in Southern Missouri, under (ten. Davidson, on the 16th of March the regiment embarked, and descended the river to Milliken's Bend, La., where it joined the expedition and en- gaged in the great campaign against Vicksburg. It composed a part of Carr's Division, of the 13th Army Corps, and at the battle of Champion Hills, on the Kith of May, it was in the foremost lines. After the surrender of Vicksburg, the regiment Was transferred, on the 19th of August, to the Depart- ment of the Gulf, which was under command of Gen. N. P. Banks. On the 19th of November it embarked on a vessel for Texas, and planted the Union colors on the walls of Ft. Esperanza on the 30th of November. Afterward it occupied Iii- dianola, where the regiment re-enlisted in the veteran service, and in January, 186 1, departed for Illinois on veteran furlough. After spending thirty daysat home, the regiment returned to New Orleans, where it was largely increased by recruits. It then en- gaged in guarding railroads in Louisiana until the 1st of March, 1865, when it went to Mobile, and partici- pated in its capture. It then went to Montgomery, Ala., and was the first regiment of Union troops to appear in that city. The regiment was subsequently stationed at Meriden, Miss., and was mustered out of the service at Yazoo City in December, 1865. The first time our subject was under fire was at Big River Bridge, on the Iron Mountain Railroad, within forty miles of St. Louis, on the 15th of Octo- ber, 1861. There were only about forty men in the engagement, and the3' were surrounded by Gen. Jeff. Thompson's command, and taken prisoners. They were soon paroled, and in February, 1862, were exchanged, and on the 1st of March rejoined the regiment at Pilot Knob, Mo., and with it marched to Helena, Ark. On the march to that place our subject wa.- attacked by brain fever, and for fourteen days lay unconscious at Poealiontas. .Mo. On June 23, having partially recovered, he started with a provision train, and was soon again with the regiment. After the war he returned North, and settled in Pleasant Ridge Township. Livingston County, where he engaged in fanning. On the 27th of March, 1867, Mr. Billiard was married to Mrs. Mary (Hoover) Chambers, who was born in Richland Township, Marshall Co., 111. He continued farming until August, 1884, and then came to Forest, and engaged in his present business. To Mr. and Mrs. Billiard have been born five chil- dren, whose names are, Dell, Mason, John, Byron and Nellie. Mr. Bullard still owns his farm of eighty acres in Pleasant Ridge Township, and also owns properly in Forest. In politics Mr. Bullard adheres faithfully to the doctrines of the Republican part}', and gives to its candidates a cordial and hearty support. He was Assessor of Pleasant Ridge Township for twelve years, and in 1880 was the census enumerator. He has served as School Trustee for three years, School Director for five years, and was President of the Village Board for one year. He is a member of Forest Lodge No. 614, A. F. & A. M., and at the time of the writing of this sketch is Commander of Forest Post No. 114, G. A. R. In both of these orders he takes an active interest, and occupies a prominent position. GRACE W. W1NSOR, the owner of a fine and valuable farm of 160 acres in Dwight Township, traces his family history back to England, and tradition has it that the pat- ronymic and that of Windsor Castle, one of the favor- ite residences of the reigning Queen, were in some vague manner closely connected, although the lapse of years has partially obscured the detailed history. The family, however, are certainly of English de- scent and of great antiquity, and were the holders of valuable estates in England in the eighteenth century. Time, however, which works changes in all men and conditions, constrained one of the later defendant- to seek his fortune in the Neiv World. This gentleman. I he great -grand father of our sill iject, crossed the Atlantic during the Colonial days, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. .".77 settled in Rhode Island near his kinsman, Roger Williams, the eminent champion of religious free- dom and the founder of the Baptist Church in this country. The Winsor family for many generations, true to their natural instincts and their early training, con- tinued Baptists of the Old School, and strictly ad- hered to the peculiar and strict doctrines of that faith. From this branch of the Winsor family there were two sons David and Charles, who after marriage located in Sterling, Windham Co., Conn. . David, the grandfather of our subject, married Miss Lydia Angel, of Situate, R. I., and they be- came the parents of thirteen children. David Win- sor was very successful in life and became the owner of a valuable farm of 200 acres, where he carried on agriculture, but only lived to be middle aged, his death occurring when he was forty-two years old. His wife, however, a lady of more than ordinary intelligence and excellent business capac- ity, kept her children together until they were old enough to go out into the world for themselves. She spent the remainder of her life upon the home- stead, and reached the advanced age of ninety years. Among the sons of David and Lydia Winsor was Daniel, the father of our subject. He was born at his father's farm near Sterling, Conn., Dec. o, 1794, and was the eldest of the children. He continued under the home roof, becoming familiar with all the employments of farm life, and was a youth of eighteen years at the death of his father. He then became manager of the farm and discharged his responsible duties with rare good judgment. He remained the support and counselor of his widowed mother for ten years following, when he was mar- ried to Miss Sallie Westcott, of Coventry, R. I. This lady was the daughter of Silas and Annie (Wicks) Westcott, and after her marriage repaired to the homestead of her husband, where they con- tinued five years. Mr. Winsor then purchased the farm adjoining, where he resided for a period of thirty years, and after the death of his wife came to the home of his son. our subject, where he spent his last days, his death occurring April 30, 1878. His life had been characterized by great energy and industry, and he was widely and favorably known as a quiet and inoffensive citizen, ever at- tentive to the call of duty, a kind neighbor and friend, and one who always had in mind the welfare and comfort of his family. The family included nine children, named respectively, Annie, Phebe, Horace W., Lydia, Lucy, Christopher, David, Lucy (2d) and Thomas, all born in Sterling, Conn. Of these two are living and residents of Livingston County. Horace W. Winsor was born at the old homestead, Oct. 14, 1822. In common with his brothers and sisters he received a fair education in the public schools, and learned the trade of a shoemaker, at which he worked seven years in Worcester County, Mass. Before reaching his twenty-third year he was married, April 7, 1845, to Miss Sabra, daughter of John A. and Polly (Barbar) Gallup. The parents of Mrs. W. were descendants of an old Puritan family, which is further referred to in the biogra- phies of Orrin and Daniel Gallup, found elsewhere in this volume. Our subject after his marriage assumed the man- agement of his father's farm, where he continued four years. Then, desirous of seeing something of the great West, he came to Illinois and purchased a farm near Waltham, LaSalle County, which he operated fourteen years, and from which he re- moved to his present homestead. Here, as else- where, he has been distinguished, like his fore- fathers, for his thorough-going industry, by the exercise of which he has built up one of the most desirable homesteads in this section, and is espec- ially noticeable for his strict integrity and blameless character. Politically he is a straight Republican, and, with his excellent wife, a member in good standing of the Congregational Church. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Winsor was made glad by the birtli of three children, two daughters and a son. The eldest, Emily A., in 1868 became the wife of Samuel McCord, a prosperous farmer of Audrain County, Mo.; Herbert E., a youth of more than ordinary intellect, perfected himself in the study of law, was graduated from Hillsdale College, and is now a practicing attornej' in Mar- shall. Mich, lie married Miss Mar}' Eldridge, of D wight; the}' occupy a pleasant home and enjoy the society of a large circle of refined and culti- f. 578 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. vatod people: Helen M. Wiusor is the wife of James Almy, manager of a store of general mer- chandise at Glendive, Mont. Mr. and Mrs. Win- sor are thus left alone, but are frequently cheered by visits from the children, who find that "there is no place like home." t J~/OHN PATTERSON, who operates 155 acres of rented land near Streator, is also the owner of thirty-three acres of highly im- 1 proved land at Long Point, twenty-two acres of which is devoted to the growing of small fruits, while the balance is in pasture. Mr. Patter- son also makes a specialty of hog-raising, a busi- ness of which he 1ms a good understanding and which usually yields him a handsome income. Mr. Patterson has been a resident of the Prairie State since 1803. His childhood was spent in Washington County, Southwestern Pennsylvania, where his birth took place June 14, 1835. His par- ents, Samuel and Eliza (Helium) Patterson, were also natives of the Keystone State, the former born Feb. 1C, 1810, and the latter March C, 1811, in Pennsylvania. They were reared in homes adja- cent, and became husband and wife in 1828. The paternal grandparents of our subject were William and Annie (Cook) Patterson, also natives of Pennsylvania. Their son Samuel, like his father, followed farming as an occupation, and spent his entire life in his native State, his death taking place July 15, 1852. The household of Samuel and Eliza Patterson included a large family of children. Their eldest son, William, came to Illinois in 1852, and is now farming in LaSalle County; Thomas died in Pennsylvania when three years of age: Julia Ann was married in Washington County, Pa., to Newton Curry, and became the mother of five children, of whom but two are now living; they came to Illinois in 1855, and subsequently moved to Kansas, where the death of both took place. John, of our sketch, was the fourth child; Charles H., (Miring the l;tU> war, enlisted as a Union soldier in the 104th Regiment, and died in the hospital at St. Loui> in 18(!.'i. of consumption, brought about by exposure and hardship; Stephen II., married and the father of three children, is carrying on farming and stock-raising in Reading Township, this county ; Louis died in Pennsylvania when two years old. and Maria at the age of five; Susan J., the wife of Eben Hurton, is a resident with her husband of LaSalle County, and the mother of one son; Sam- uel, Jr., is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of LaSalle County, and makes a specialty of English draft horses; Eliza was born July 15, 1852, on the day her mother died, and is now deceased. Sam- uel Patterson was subsequently married to Miss Julia Ann Helium in 1858, and of this union there were born the following children : Andrew J., who died when about fifteen years of age in this county ; Sarah B., Mrs. Charles Howell, of Long Point, and Frederick, also a resident of Long Point, where he is engaged in laying tile. John Patterson left his native State about 1863, and took up his residence in LaSnllc County, 111., where he engaged in teaming. While a resident of LaSalle County he was united in marriage with Miss Maiy Brooks, and settling in that county be-- came the father of a large family of children, re- corded as follows: Charles is carrying on teaming at Long Point; Eliza is the wife of A. J. Long, who is farming in Pike Township; Rosa died in September, 1873, when three years of age, and Ste- phen in 1875, at the same age; Samuel and Martin continue at home with their parents; Ora died when t wo years of age ; Mary when two weeks old; Will- iam and Ralph, the two youngest sons, remain on the homestead. The residence is located in Read- ing Township, and the land which Mr. Patterson cultivates aside from his own property, is located on section 3. He is wide-awake and enterprising, and politically, a stanch adherent of the Democratic party. In 1876 he served as .Assessor of Reading Township, but gives little attention to politics, pre- ferring to confine himself to his business intere>!s. ^LIVER P. YERRY, Odell Township. This gentleman is the proprietor of a good farm _ on section 8, and is the central figure of a history more then ordinarily interesting. It is not hmg since he passed his fifty-sixth birthday, and he i> an excellent representative of the result of good T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Tr habits and correct principles, and one who has made the most of his opportunities in life. After a va- ried career during his younger years, three years of which time was spent as a soldier in the Union army, he located permanently in this county, where for the last twenty-one years he has been success- fully engaged in farming and stock-raising, and is numbered among its most valued citizens. He set his mark high in the beginning of life, and resolved to earn the good-will and respect of his fellowmen, which he long ago attained, and fully realizes the truth of the theory that a life well spent brings its own reward. Mr. Verry is a native of the Prairie State, his birth having taken place near Jacksonville, Mor- gan County, June '26, 1831. He was the youngest of a family of eight children born to William C. and Lucinda (Horton) Verry, natives of Massa- chusetts, who spent their entire lives in the agricult- ural districts. William Verry was a resident of Taunton until 1820, then started overland for the West, and after a three months' journey landed at a point near Jacksonville, where he entered a tract of Government land, upon which he proceeded to build up a permanent home, and where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1877. Although quite well advanced in years, his life would prob- ably have been prolonged still further had it not been for an injury which he received in 1865, by being thrown from a horse. From this shock his system never recovered. He was born in 1795, and was consequently about eight3 r -two years of age at the time of his death. The mother contin- ued on the homestead in Morgan County, where her decease took place in 1880. Our subject, a farmer's boy, spent his early life mostly in the fields, receiving a limited education in the district schools. Upon reaching his majority he repaired to Sangamon County, and engaged in funning on rented land near Waverly. After thus gaining a start in life, and making his arrangements for a future habitation, he took unto himself a wife and helpmeet in Miss Anna Leonard, their wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Pennsyl- vania, Oct. 9, 1854. This lady is a native of Penn- sylvania, where her parents still live. Mr. and Mrs. Verry after their marriage located in Mc- Lean County, where our subject had purchased a quarter section of partly improved land, where he engaged in farming and stock-raising until the spring of 18(11. Mr. Verry was subsequently occupied at farming until in July, 1862, and then feeling that he could no longer restrain his patriotic impulses, enlisted in Company A, 117th Illinois Infantry, and after a brief stay at Camp Butler, Springfield, was detailed with his regiment to Memphis, Tenn. After fifteen months on guard duty at that point, they were sent by boat to Vicksburg. and from there inarched to Meridian, Miss., where they met the enemy in sev- eral skirmishes, tore up the railroad tracks in that vicinity, and then returned to Vicksburg. Not long afterward they went out with the Red River expedition to join the command of Gen. Banks, where at Pleasant Hill our subject first met the enemy in open combat. They returned fighting all the way back to Mississippi, and after meeting the enemy at different points and tearing up more railroad tracks, they were detailed to St. Louis, to keep the rebel General, Price, out of the city. They worked over the country in the Iron Mountain regions, and afterward took part in the battles of Nashville and Ft. Blakesley, the latter the last battle of the Civil War, which was fought April 14, and which is often designated as the " battle of Mobile." The regiment was mustered out at Springfield, 111., on the 6th of July, 1865. Mr. Verry was particularly fortunate, and after a three years' service came home without a scratch. Our subject at the expiration of his army life, returned to McLean County, and having sold his farm while in the service, located on rented land. ; In 1867 he came to this county and purchased an unimproved tract of eighty acres. Upon this there were no buildings, and he began in earnest the es- tablishment of a permanent home. His industry and frugality were in due time rewarded, and he gradually brought about the improvements which are observed to-day with admiration by the passer- by, and stand as a fine illustration of the energy with which Mr. Verry pursued the object in view. Mr. V. has met with adversity, however, his first great affliction being the death of his excellent and amiable wife, who had shared with him his first 580 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. trials mid labors, and had exemplified the most at- tractive qualities possessed by woman. Of this faithful counselor her family were bereft on the 20th of September, 18C9. Her two children, Wai- tor (). and Lillian A., were then quite young. The former is now mining in Colorado, and Lillian is teaching in McLean County. Mrs. Verry was highly educated, and was also a teacher before her marriage. She was for many years a member of the Baptist Church, and labored for its prosperity. Her name is held in tender remembrance by her family and friends and the community who had learned to look upon her as one of its brightest lights. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Jan. 9. 1879, was formerly Mrs. Julia C. (Butterfield) Lewis, daughter of A. D. Butterfield, and widow of William A. Lewis. She was born in LaSalle County, Aug. 2, 1843, where her father was one of the earliest pioneers, and assisted in lay- ing out the count3 T into townships. The parents of Mrs. Verry spent their last years in LaSalle County, the father dying Sept. 15, 1887, and the mother in 1871. Of this marriage of our subject there have been born two children Claude, born Feb. 8, 1880, and Earl, July 25, 1885. Mr. V. has served as School Director most of the time since coming to Odell Township, and although not par- ticularly active in politics, uniformly votes the Re- publican ticket, and stoutly upholds the principles of his party. ,ENJAMIN HIERONYMUS. No man in the community where he so long resided J made a brighter record or was more highly esteemed than Mr. Hieronymus, of whom we give the following sketch: He was a native of Ken- tucky, and was born on the 13th of January, 1H18, his parents being William and Elvira (Darnell) Iliemnymus, both natives of Virginia. The great- grandfather of William came from German}' in the year ITii.'i. and settled near the Blue Ridge Mount- ains in Virginia, and in 1804 moved to Kentucky, where he died in 1831. The genealogy of this fam- ily has been traced back many centuries, and it is found that the tree began in Germany in the year 330, the first of the stock being a minister who died in the year 420, at the age of ninety years. His name was Sophronius Eusebius Hieronymus. Benjamin came from this ancient family, and pos- sessed many of the characteristics of his ancestors. He came to Logan County in 1828 with his parents, and endured al! the privations and hardships of the settlers of those days. In 1839 he came to Liv- ingston County and purchased land, where he be- came one of the leading farmers of the county. He augmented his estate until his farm consisted of 600 acres of most excellent land. He was an en- terprising man, and devoted his energies largely to stock-growing, making a specialty of fine colts. He was a consistent member of the Christian Church for many years. He was a strictly honest and con- scientious man, and was highly esteemed by all who knew him. His death occurred on the 31st of December, 1885, and his loss to the community was keenly felt and duly mourned. The portrait of this esteemed gentleman, which we present in this connection, will be highly appre- ciated by his friends and neighbors. He was well known throughout the southern portion of the county, and doubtless had as many friends as any man within its borders. Let us now refer to the estimable wife of our sub- ject, who was married on the 19th of September, 1 839, in Livingston County. At the time her parents settled in Indian Grove two tribes of Indians, the Pottawatomies and Kickapoos, numbering 400 souls, occupied that territory, and the name of their chief was Shaubina. Mrs. II. was twelve years of age when her parents came among these tribes of Indians and took possession of land on which to make their future home. She was born in 1822 in Boone County, Ky., and is the daughter of Valentine M. and Rachel (Steers) Darnell, natives respectively of Virginia and Ohio. He came to Livingston County in 1830, and located in Indian Grove. At that time there were scarcely any settlements whatever of whites, the Indians being not yet wholly dispossessed of their lands by acts of Congress. Mrs. Hieronymus is the mother of eight children, three of whom are living William, Jasper and Elizabeth. Jasper married Miss Alvira Travis, and f (Jj LIVINGSTON COUNTS. 583 Elizabeth married Charles Westervelt, of Fairbury. Three died in infancy, and Martin and Emeline after reaching mature years. Mrs. Alvira M. Hier- onynuis lives on the home place, located on section 4, Belle Prairie Township, and is surrounded with all the comforts of a rural home ; she has been for many years a consistent member of the Christian Church, and is a most exemplary lady possessing rare and lovable traits of both heart and mind, and was a worthy companion of the noble husband who so long and faithfully walked by her side. ANIEL GRAY. The man who made his advent into Illinois over fifty years ago, and has lived there continuously since, has witnessed great changes. Under his ob- servation the State has grown from a waste of wild prairie to a compactly settled commonwealth, whose farms are the best cultivated, most productive and most diversified in products of any in the Union. The great area of the State includes almost all va- rieties of climate, reaching from long winters which prevail in the region of the Great Lakes to the semi- tropical climate at the junction of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, and this enables the growing of Northern and Southern crops within the boundary of a single State. Fifteen years ago the population of the territory extending from what is now the Wisconsin boundary line to the Ohio River was not much greater than that now contained by indi- vidual counties, so that the man who has lived in Illinois for fifty years can look retrospectively at great growths and wonderful developments. This is illustrated in our subject, a farmer and stock- grower on section 18, Belle Prairie Township, who was born in Morgan County, Ind., on the 13th of June, 1833, and became a resident of Illinois in 1834. Daniel Gray is the son of Allen and Malinda t of Decem- ber, 1 S53. She is a daughter of Thomas and Jane Blackmore, the former being a native of England, and the latter of Virginia. Her parents came to r LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 585 Livingston County in 1865, and resided here until they moved to Nebraska in 1879, where they still live. To Mr. and Mrs. Cottrell have been born nine children: Harry B., born May 21, 1873; Charles A., May 8, 1876; Addie J., Jan. 25, 1877; May J., March 31, 1879; Lucy B., Jan. 17, 1881; William T., Dec. 17, 1883; Henry, July 11, 1885; Alvah, Dec. 3, 1887, and one who died in infancy. Mr. Cottrell settled on his present farm in the spring of 1872, where he has spent the time inter- vening in cultivating and making material improve- ments upon it. This farm consists of 160 acres of good land, which annually produces most excellent crops. Mr. CottrelPs success as a farmer is such as necessarily comes to a man of great energy and good management. In politics, Mr. Cottrell votes with the Demo- cratic party, and in the campaigns gives that party his best efforts. He served as School Director of the Sixth District, and during his administration the schools were kept in admirable condition. Mr. and Mrs. Cottrell are both respected members of society, and enter heartily into all movements for its betterment. * - * AMUEL MORRISON, deceased, was a na- tive of the State of New York, and emi- grated to Illinois, being among the very earliest settlers of Avoca Township, when the land was composed entirely of raw prairie, and was compelled to undergo all the hardships and pri- vations which befall the first settlers of a new coun- try. During his life ho was twice married, the first time to Mary A. Rock wood, by whom he had five children, four of whom are living. John O., George D. ; Susan A., now Mrs. Herring, of Indiana; James II. and Samuel D. He married for his second wife Maria Phillips, who bore him seven children : Nellie, wife of J. E. Barker; Joseph C., William R., Harry L., Leonora, Mattie and Charles. Mr. Morrison died on the 1 st of May, \ 884. During his residence in Avoca Township he endeared himself to the peo- ple of that township, and had a large measure of their esteem and respect when he died. In his death the county lost an excellent citizen, one who had al- ways taken a pride in the advancement and develop- ment of the county. He was a Republican in poli- tics, and had served the people in the capacity of Road Commissioner and other minor positions. During his life he accumulated 240 acres of land, which at the time of his death was under a perfect state of cultivation, and had been finely equipped with all the most improved appliances used in farm- ing. Samuel D. Morrison, his son, who has charge of the father's estate, is a native of Livingston County, and was born on the 20th of October, 1857. He has always been a resident of Livingston County, with whose material interests he has closely identi- fied himself. He is devoting his attention entirely to farming, and resides on section 16, on the home farm leftby.the subject of this sketch. lEORGE C. KRACK, one of the well-to-do residents of Forest Township, is located just outside the village limits, where he has a fine residence, and in all other respects a valuable modern homestead. He owns 210 acres of land on sections 3 and 10, which is mostly devoted to stock-farming, and upon which he has effected fine improvements, which indicate him as a man of industry and enterprise, one who has availed him- self of modern methods and machinery, and kept himself thoroughly posted upon all matters of in- terest pertaining to his chosen calling. Mr. Krack was born in Tippecanoe County, Ind., Aug. 30, 1854, and is the sou of I. J. and Mary (Worrol) Krack, natives of Maryland and Indi- ana. They were married in Montgomery County, Ind., and in 1857 came with their family to this count}', making a permanent settlement in Forest, where the father carried on farming and is still liv- ing, retired from active labor. George C. spent his childhood and youth under the home roof, re- ceiving a good education in the common schools, and assisting his father until starting out in life for himself. After reaching his thirtieth birthda}- he was married, Oct. 22, 1884, to Miss Ollie, daughter of John and Charlotte (Hins- T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. dale) Ross, and who was born in McLean County, June 26, 1855. The parents of Mrs. K. were na- tives of North Carolina and Connecticut respect- ively. The mother, who is now deceased, reared a family of five children. Mr. Ross now resides in McLean County, 111. Mr. Krack, in the midst of such extensive inter- ests as are his at present, finds little time to devote to the political questions of the day, but maintains a genuine interest in the success of Republican prin- ciples, and to this end gives his voice and vote as opportunity occurs. He is well-read and intelli- gent, and with his estimable lady, in a pleasant home, enjoys the esteem and the society of hosts of friends. Mrs. Krack is a member of the Chris- tian Church. ENRY ULBRIGHT, engaged in general farming and stock-raising, owns and occu- pies a very desirable farm located in Forest Township. Mr. Ulbright was born in Sax- ony, Germany, Oct. 4, 1833, and is the son of Fred- erick and Christian (Eckert) Ulbright, who were fanners in the old country, and both of whom are dead. They were the parents of eleven children, four boys and seven girls, seven of whom grew to the age of maturity. Our .subject remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, during which time he was engaged at work upon the farm, and attended the district schools. Upon his arrival in the United States he went^to Tazewell County, 111., where he engaged at work upon a farm for eight months, and attended school for a time. He then learned the trade of a carpenter, and worked in Galesburg for one year, after which he spent one year in Iowa and Nebraska, and then went to Chi- cago, where he engaged at his trade at intervals for about nine years. He then settled permanently in Livingston County, and bought eighty acres on section 9, and three acres on section 10, in Forest Township. He has since added to this tract ninety- eight acres on section 9, making 181 acres in all, one-half mile from Forest. Mr. Ulbright was married, Oct. 1, 1863, to Miss Mary Jane Krack, a native of Indiana. Her par- ents were farmers, but the father worked at car- pentering at intervals, at which trade he. had worked when a boy. Her mother is dead and the father is still living at the age of seventy years, retired from active work. There have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Ulbright three children : Jennie E., born July 25,1864, died March 28, 1870; George E., born March 4, 1867, and Frank H., Feb. 13, 1870, both of whom are living at home. Mr. Ulbright is a Republican, and has held several township offices. In 1875 he was elected Road Commissioner, and held the office about nine years, and for nine years has been School Director of District No. '2, village of Forest. He and his family belong to the Meth- odist Church, of which they are active members. Mr. Ulbright is a representative man among the enterprising fanners of Forest Township, while he and his family occupy a high place in the esteem of the people among whom they live. As representa- tive of the buildings of this section of country we present on another page a view of Mr. Ulbright's residence. V~ ILLIAM T. BRYDIA, son of one of the pioneer settlers of Saunemin Township, and its first Supervisor and Justice of the Peace, has for many years been closely identified with its various interests, and is numbered among its most valued and popular citizens. He is a na- tive of Greene Countj', this State, and was born Nov. 2, 1837, at the home of his parents, Truman W. and Laura A. (Day) Brydia, near the town of Bluffdale. They were natives of Vermont, and the family was represented at an early period in the history of New England. The paternal grand- father, William Brydia. Si-., served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and was of Scotch-Irish descent, pos- sessing all the courage and substantial traits of his ancestry. He spent his last years in Illinois, and died about 18<>,">. He married a lady of Vermont, and they reared a fine family of sons and daugh- ters, whom, it is believed, are now all deceased. Truman W. Brydia grew to manhood in tin- Green Mountain State, where he was married and where he remained until 18:!2. Then, accompa- nied by his family, lie came to this State, and took LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I up a tract of land in Greene County shortly before the township organization was effected. He pos- sessed the elements mostly needed in the settle- ment of a new country, and contributed his full quota toward the development of its resources, and at the end of a long and useful life closed his eyes to earthly .scenes on the loth of February, 1887. The mother had preceded her husband to the better land, her death taking place at their home in Sau- nemin July 9, 1873. The parental family of our subject included four children, namely: William T. ; Mary C., the wife of Rodney C. Crook, of White- side County; Charles S., a resident of Saunemin, and Lucy M., the wife of Charles F. Carrithers, the present State's Attorney of Livingston County. In 1856 the Brydia family removed from Greene County to Saunemin Township, this county, whore thu father had purchased a tract of land on section 33, and where he resided a number of 3'ears. In this locality he partially repeated the experience through which he had passed in Greene County, and opened up a good farm from land which had been but indifferently cultivated. Here, as before, he distinguished himself as a progressive citizen, and was identified with all the enterprises tending to the building up of its business and agricultural interests. He was a man of kindly and generous impulses, and if over he refused to lend a helping hand to the enterprises set on foot for the general welfare of the people, it was because he had some weighty and excellent reason. In his demise the county lost one of its best and most reliable citi- zens, and his descendants have reason to be proud of his record. Our subject was reared to manhood in Saunemin Township, and early in life became familiar with farm pursuits. lie naturally continued the life to which he had been trained, and like his father be- fore him, followed farming successfully until he had sufficient to retire from active labor. In 18K3 he disposed of his lauded interests and removed to Saunemin, where he has a comfortable home and is spending his later years in the enjoyment of a com- petency. One of the most important events in the life of our subject was his marriage, which occurred over twenty years ago, on the 8th of December, 1804. The maiden of his choice, Miss Maggie Lilly,' was born in Madison County, Ohio, Nov. 7, 1839, and is the daughter of John and Mary (Smith) Lilly, who were also natives of the Buckeye State. Mrs. Brydia has been in all respects the suitable help- meet of an intelligent man, and the four children who in due time came to their household formed a family group of which the parents were justly proud. Of these but two are now living, namely, Laura F., the wife of Truman A. Harris, of Will- iamsburg, Kan., and Mary L., who is assistant cashier and book-keeper in the bank of Messrs. Dow & Co., at Saunemin. Henry S. and Fannie died in infancy. Mr. Brydia, politically, casts his vote with the Democratic party, and has been quite prominent in public affairs, serving as Assessor and Collector of the township for a number of years. He and his excellent wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have their warmest friends among those who know them best. ICHARD RUSH PUFFER, who is engaged in the nursery and insurance business in Odell Township, was born in Sunderland, Franklin Co., Mass., on the 23d of Decem- 1833. His father, Samuel L. Puffer, was born in Sudbury, Mass., and the grandfather, Samuel Puffer, was born in the same place, and was a farmer who moved to Sunderland about 1805, and was among the early settlers. He bought timber land and improved the farm on which he lived the re- mainder of his life. The father of our subject was but a mere boy when his father moved to Suuder- land. He learned the trade of a shoemaker in Greenfield, and resided at that place until 1857, when he moved to Putnam County, 111., and located at Mt. Palatine, where he followed his trade, and alM> engaged in farming until his death, which oc- curred in 1886, in his eighty-eighth year. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Kmily Graves. She was born In Sunderland, Mass., and died at Mt. Palatine in 1885, at the age of eighty years. To them were born eight children, six of whom grew to maturity: Samuel, who lives 588 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in Chemung, 111. : Richard R., in Odell Township; Josiah G., in Union Township, this county; Annie E., in Juniata, Neb. ; Idelia Gallaher, and George M., near Mt. Palatine. Mr. Puffer was reared in his native town, and when twenty years of age went to Greenfield and learned the trade of edge-tool maker, at which he worked until 1857, when he came to Illinois and located at Mt. Palatine, Putnam County, where he worked at the carpenter's trade, except in the harvesting sea- son, when he worked on the farm. In 1859, in common with many others, he contracted the gold fever, as a result of the reports of the rich discov- eries of Pike's Peak, and started with a yoke of oxen for that place. He proceeded as far as the territory of Kansas, when he met many disappointed gold-seekers returning, and he turned his cattle around and retraced his footsteps to Mt. Palatine. Immediately upon his return he entered the Nor- mal School, at Normal, 111., which he attended un- til the breaking out of the war, when he left his books to enlist in Company II, 20th Illinois State Troops, for one month. Upon the expiration of this term of service he re-enlisted, in Company E, 8th Illinois Infantry, and went to the front, where he served in the Western Army. He participated in the battles of Shiloh, the first engagement at Vicksburg, the battles of Port Gibson, Raymond, Champion Hills, and the siege and capture of Vicks- burg. The regiment Mr. Puffer was in, was one of the best sent out by the State of Illinois, and its record shows that he made a good soldier. The engage- ments in which he participated, particularly in the rear of Vicksburg, were among the bloodiest of the war. At the expiration of his term of service he received an honorable discharge, and returned to Mt. Palatine. In 1865 he came to this county, and in company with his brother-in-law, Mr. Wood- bury, engaged in farming in Union Township, and planted about ten acres of osage orange. In 1*69 he came to Odell Township, and engaged in the cultivation of hedge fence, working also at the trade of a carpenter. In these occupations he continued until 1885, since which time he has been engaged in the sale of nursery stock and in the insurance business. In both of these lines of busines- lie represents some of the best firms and most reliable companies in the United States, and is meeting with remarkable success. On the 1 1th of March, 1869, Mr. Puffer was mar- ried to Paulina J. Calwell, who was born in West- moreland County, Pa. Her father, David Calwell. | was a native of Pennsylvania, who moved to Ohio, and spent the last days of his life in Crawford i County of that State. Her mother was Jane An- | derson, also a native of Pennsylvania. She died when Mrs. Puffer was three years of age, and the latter was reared by an older sister in Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Puffer have had four children Emily Pearl, Rollie R., George Irving and Willie. The sec- ond child born died at the age of twenty months. Mr. and Mrs. Puffer enjoy the confidence and es- teem of a large circle of acquaintances and friends. AUL HE1SNER. The loyalty of German- born people to the United States stands unquestioned, and the rolls of those who participated in the war in the Union army show that a large percentage of our soldiers either descended from German ancestry, or are native born of Germany. The subject of this sketch com- plied with the laws of his country, which require military service by becoming a soldier for three years. Upon his arrival in the United States, he found this Government struggling with a gigantic Rebellion, and as he had determined to become a citizen, it was important to him that the Govern- ment be preserved intact; and almost immediately upon his arrival he tendered his services to the Government, as set forth further on in this sketch. He is now a prominent fanner and stock-raiser on section 20, Pontiac Township. He was born in (lennany on the 27th of June, 1837, and is the son of John and Elizabeth Ileisner, who were the par- ents of nine children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second son. He spent a portion of his life in Germany, and received a fair education for the opportunities presented. Under the com- pulsory military law he was required to do service in the German army, and in compliance with its provisions served for three years, and for four years following his discharge from the army WM? LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 589 I employed in a brickyard. In the spring of 1864 he sailed from Bremen in n sailing-vessel, and after a voyage of more than seven weeks landed in New York City, and from there proceeded to Cook County, 111., where he engaged at work upon a farm, but soon learning of the questions at issue be- tween the North and the South, which were being settled by the arbitrament of arms, he concluded that his duty lay in supporting the Government un- der which he expected to live, and in October, 1,S(>4. he became a member of Company B, 30th Illinois Infantry, and went to the front. He reached the regiment to which he was assigned in time to participate in Sherman's grand march to the sea, and took part in the siege of Savannah, and the battle of Goldsboro, N. C. He continued in the service untjl the close of the war, and received an honorable discharge in the summer of 1865. In the fall of that year he came to Livingston County and located three miles south of Pontiac City, where he cultivated forty acres of land for three years, and then for six years lived in Rook's Creek Township. In 1875 he moved to his present farm in Pontiac Township, which consists of 400 acres of very excellent land, which represents the indus- try and perseverance of Mr. Heisner since coming to this country. Mr. Heisner was married, in February, 1864, to Catherine Drender, and they have five children Philip, Frederick, William, Frank and Paul. Mr. Heisuer is identified with the German Evangelical Association, and is a liberal worker in all enter- prises that are calculated to upbuild the commu- nity in which he lives. During his residence in this country he has affiliated with the Democratic party. OVAL K. GOl'LD. one of the wealthy far- ir mers and stock-raisers of Long Point Town- 3d Illinois Infantry, and remained with that regiment until the close of the war, participating with it in many of the hard -fought engagements and severest marches of the war. He took part in the memorable Vicksburg campaign, and in the bat- tles of Jackson and Champion Hills bore the brunt of the onslaught of the enemy. At the last engage- ment Mr. Boeman received a gunshot wound in the left thigh, and was taken prisoner, but as he was severely injured, he was paroled on the field, and in a few days was taken to the hospital. He re- mained in the hospital for about three months, when he rejoined his command, and remained with it until his regiment was mustered out at the close of the war. Our subject takes an active, part in politics, and in that direction gives his best energies to the main- tenance of the principles of the Republican party. For several years he has been Township Collector, and is at the present time discharging the duties of that office. He and his family belong to the Method- ist Episcopal Church, and take considerable inter- est in moral and religious affairs. ENRY RINGLER, a leading general mer- chant of Strawn, carries a lanj'e a;id well- assorted stock of dry-goods and groceries, and in fact keeps nearly everything required in the household together with the lighter imple- ments of -the faun. His present store was estab- lished in 1877, and for the past twenty years he has enjoyed the esteem and confidence of the peo- ple of Kayette Township, where he has built up a lucrative trade among its best residents. His has been a life of industry, and the comforts with which he is surrounded to-day are but the just reward of his labors. Mr. Ringler is one of the finest representatives of that nationality to which the State of Illinois is M> greatly indebted for her present position among the commonwealths of the West. His early home was across the water in the Province of Hersfeld, ( iiTimmy, where his birth took place June 1(1, 1844. His parents, Peter and Gertrude (More) Ringler, were of pure German ancestry, and emigrated with their family to the United States in 18(i(i. In the meantime there had been born to them seven sons, namely: Peter, George, John, Henry, William, Frederick and August. It has been the custom of the Emperor from time immemorial to bestow a gift of $42 upon the father of seven successive sons, and Peter Ringler was the recipient of this bequest from the present ruler of Germany, Emperor Will- iam. This remarkable incident occurs only about once in 10,000 families, and is well worthy of record. Upon setting foot on American soil the father of our subject resided for a time in New York State, and then came to this county, locating in Belle Prairie Township, where he engaged in farming and as a contractor and builder. He had at one time a large fortune which he lost through the schemes of a railroad company, and afterward abandoned contracting, and gave his attention exclusively to farming until his death, which took place in 1875. The mother died at the homestead in Belle Prairie Township about 1882. Our subject remained with his parents until his childhood was passed, receiving a good education, and then served a thorough apprenticeship at the blacksmith trade. While the family were in New York he followed his trade there, and three years later, on the 1st of March, 1868, was married to Miss Catherine Fox, a native of his own country. Her parents emigrated to America about 186(i and located in Chicago, where they remained until 1870. Subsequently they came to this county and took up their residence with their son-in-law, our subject, where they passed their last days, the mother pass- ing away in 1872, and the father in 1878. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Ringler, eight in number, were named respectively, Frederick, Au- gust, Lizzie, Henry. Mary, George, Katie and Will- iam. They form an interesting family group, which happily to this time has been unbroken, and they are all at home with their parents. Mr. Ring- ler has a brother in New York who has just pur- chased -'520 acres adjoining this city, and our sub- ject takes charge of it in the spring. Upon exercising the right of suffrage, Mr. Ring. t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 595 ler identified himself with the Democratic party, and religiously, is a member of the Lutheran Church. The family residence is one of the most shapely and substantial in the village, and its in- mates enjoy the society of many friends. On an- other page may be found a view of Mr. Ring- ler's residence and place of business. J^AMES MONAHAN. Although a Pennsyl- vanian by birth, our subject has been a res- ident of Illinois nearly all his life, and this / State has been the exclusive field of his oper- ations. Like nearly all Pennsylvanians he has be'en an enterprising farmer, a hard-working man and a good manager, and where these qualities are combined success is the result. Mr. Monahan is now engaged in farming and stock-raising on sec- tion 36, Saunemin Township. Our subject is a native of Dauphin County, Pa., where he was born on the 25th of March, 1834, and is the son of John and Margaret (Chambers) Monahan, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Pennsylvania. The advent of the Mona- han family into Illinois was in the spring of 1838, and they settled in Richland Township, Marshall County. In this county the parents resided until their decease, the death of the father occurring on the 18th of August, 1871, and that of the mother on the 27th of January, 1883. They were among the very early settlers of Marshall Count}-, arriving there when houses were long distances apart, and settlements few and far between. They hart a fam- ily of twelve children, five of whom survive, whose record is as follows: John A., of Kansas; James, our subject; Margaret, Mrs. Garrett Wykoff, Charles ami William, all of Marshall Count}'. Our subject was reared to manhood in Marshall County, where he obtained his first knowledge of agricultural pur- suits, and received an elementary education in the schools of that day. and that early in the history of Illinois the common schools afforded very limited advantages. On the 23d of February, 18(54, Mr. Monahan was married to Susanna M. Jackson, who was born on I he 10th of April, 183U, and is the daughter of Andrew and Mary (Gray) Jackson, who settled at an early day in Marshall County. To Mr. and Mrs. Monahan have been born five children Elsie J., Mary E., Jane, Mabel C. and Kyle. Elsie J. was born Dec. 31, 1864, and is engaged in public school teaching; Mary E. was born Sept. 19, 1867, and is also a school teacher; Janet was born April (I, 1873; Mabel C., Dec. 14, 1877, and Kyle J.. Sept. 10, 1886. In the fall of 1874, with his family our subject came to Livingston County, and settled in Saunemin Township, where he purchased 120 acres of land, upon which he has since resided. This farm is well improved and has been placed under a good state of cultivation. The parents as well as two daughters, are active members of the Christian Church at Saunemin, and the father is at present serving as Deacon and Trustee of that church. Po- litically, he is a Republican, and is at present dis- charging the duties of the office of School Director. He takes a deep interest in religious and moral af- fairs, and contributes liberally of time and means to each of these causes. ARION GALLUP, a representative young farmer and stock- raiser on section 29, Owego Township, has been a farmer since 1880, although by education he fitted him- self for the profession of law. He is a native of Peoria Count}", and was born on the 20th of No- vember, 1854, his parents being Joseph and Cecelia Gallup, both of whom were natives of Connecticut. The paternal ancestors were of English descent, coming to this country previous to the Revolution- ary war, in which several of them served and also in the War of 1812. The founder of the present Gallup family was C'apt. John Gallup, who held that rank in the body of Colonial Troopers, which ho organized during the French and Indian war. The parents of the subject of this sketch emigrated to Peoria County in 1851 and settled in Hallock Township, in which the father still resides and where the mother died in July, 1877. They had born to them six children, five of whom are living: Jurtie A., wife of Harvey \Wtmore, of Dana, 111.: Loren, of Peoria County ; Sarah J., wife of Edward I 596 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Timmons, of Peoria County: Ellen J., wife of Dcvillo Potter, of Peoria County ; Elvira, deceased ; and Marion, the subject of this sketch. Joseph Gallup was a member nf the Illinois Legislature, in which he represented Peoria County in 1882 and 1884, thus serving it two terms of two years each. For many years he served in his locality as Justice of the Peace, in which capacity he rendered efficient service on account of being well versed in legal matters. Politically he is a Democrat, and is one of the leaders of his party in Peoria County. To a very large degree he enjoys the confidence and respect of every one in his community. Marion Gallup attained his manhood in his na- tive county, where he attended the common schools during his earlier days, and in 1872 he began a course of study in the High School in Chillicothe, III., and was graduated on the 17th of June, 1875. He soon began the study of law under the instructions of Hopkins & Morran in Peoria, and with them continued for two years, when he was admitted to practice at the bar in June, 1880, having passed a critical examination very successfully at Spring- field. While not making any pretensions of prac- ticing law as a business yet he occasionally takes charge of a case in court. Mr. Gallup was married, on the 4th of October, 1877, to Nellie L. Kimball, a native of Maine, who is the daughter of Ira and Lucy M. Kimball, now residing in Douglas County, Dak. Her father is a native of Maine and the mother a native of Con- necticut. In 1805 her parents emigrated to Illi- nois, where they resided until 1882, in which year they removed to Dakota, and where they have con- tinued to reside. To Mr. and Mrs. Gallup have been born three children: Cecilia, Oct. 2, 1878; Joseph K., Feb. 27, 1880; and Nellie J.. April 4, 1881. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Pontiac, and take great interest in the affairs of the church. Mr. Gallup came to Livingston County in 1880, where he purchased 240 acres; of land, on which he now reside.-, and lias given his best energies to its cultivation and improvement. He is meeting with most excellent and gratifying success. In politics he generally acts with the Democratic party, but is a man of strong Prohibition proclivities, lit- has served the people of Owego Township as Tax Col- lector for one year, and School Treasurer for two years. Within the short time lie has resided in Owego Township he has gathered around him a wide circle of friends, in the confidence of whom he has firmly established himself. MOS C. HANDLEY, one of the reliable citizens and successful farmers of Owego Township, occupies a fine property located on section 27, where in addition to gen- eral agriculture he is giving much attention to the raising of stock. His snug homestead includes eighty acres of finely cultivated land, upon which he has erected good farm buildings, the location being one of the best in this section and command- ing an extended view of the beautiful surrounding country. Mr. Handley is a native of Licking County, Ohio, and was born on the 23d of July, 1837. His parents were John and Hannah Handley, both of whom were born in the State of Virginia. They were the parents of ten children, the roll of those now living being Daniel J., Lydia A., James W.. Sarah E., Amos C., John 8., Esther J. and George W. The younger days of Mr. Handley were passed in Licking County, where he received a more than average education, and after passing out of school he became teacher and taught for eight or ten terms, in Ohio and Illinois. On the 12th of January, 1865, in Ohio, Mr. Handley was married to Marinda E. Etnire, of Licking County, who died on the 1 1th of October, in the year of their marriage. He was married a second time, on the 26th of January, 1869, in Illi- nois, the wife of his choice being Sarah E. Chancy, a native of Brown County, Ohio, and to them were born eight children, six of whom yet live, their names being as follows: Ella A.. Marinda A., Clara E., Edward C., Nina B. and Roy C. ; the names of the two deceased are Gracie and Nora F. Mr. Handley first became a citizen of Illinois in 1850, but did not remain long; he returned, how- ever, in 1858, and has resided in the State ever since and in Livingston County during the entire period, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 59; excepting seven years, which he spent in Cham- paign County. He owns eighty acres of excellent land, which he cultivates after the most approved method, and devotes considerable energy and en- terprise to the raising of stock. Me and his esti- mable wife are active and enthusiastic members of the Methodist Church, of which he is a Trustee and a Steward. They closely identify themselves with the affairs of the church, and all movements inaugu- rated for the improvement and elevation of the people among whom they live. They are both public spirited in a large degree, and give liberally to all the charities which have a right to demand of their bounties. Mr. Handley is a member of the Republican party, to which he yields devoted loj'alty upon all occasions when his services will be a benefit. He was elected as Treasurer of Owego Township in 1 88fi, in the discharge of the duties of which office he has fully met the expectations of the friends who conferred their suffrages upon him. OHN HAYES RAYMOND, who after living I in various sections of Illinois, finally con- eluded that Odell Township, Livingston County, was about as good a place as a far- mer could find, located upon section 21, where he now resides, engaged in general farming and stock- raising. Mr. Raymond was born in Saratoga County, N. Y., sixteen miles from Saratoga Springs, Sept. 27, 1828. He was the eldest child born to Isaac and Esther (Hayes) Raymond, natives of Connecticut. The paternal grandparents were Abram and Hannah Raymond, and the maternal grandparents were John and Tina Hayes, all natives of Connecticut, where they were farmers and lived and died on their original farms. The father of Mr. Raymond was a farmer, and came West in June, 1806. and settled in Tonica, LaSalle County, where he spent his declining years. Mr. Raymond's mother died when he was six 3 r ears of age, and he was thus deprived of her tender care. The subject of this sketch was reared to work upon the farm, and obtained a fair common-school education. At the age of twenty-seven years he left his home in New York State, and migrated to the prairies of Illinois. He first settled and farmed for one year in Putnam County, and then went to LaSalle County, where he farmed for two years. At that time he returned to his old home in New York, where he remained and engaged in farming for four years. Having had a taste of life in the West, he concluded to try his fortune here again, and returned to LaSalle County in 1863, where lie fanned on shares. On the 5th of October, 1865, Mr. Raymond was married to Miss Eliza L. Holcomb, who was born Sept. 1, 1842, in Crawford County, Pa. She was the oldest in a family of nine children born to William and Adeline (Temple) Holcomb, natives of Pennsylvania and New York respectively. Her father was a farmer and wagon-maker, and died in Pennsylvania. Her mother survived the father for many years and died at the residence of Mrs. Ray- mond. Her paternal grandparents were Asa and Lueinda (Miller) Holcomb, of English descent, but natives of Washington County, N. Y., and were born near Sandy Hook. The maternal grandpar- ents were Robert and Eliza (Allen) Temple, and were probably natives of New York. Robert was a drummer boy in the War of 1812. Immediately after marriage, Mr. Raymond pur- chased eighty acres of improved land and settled upon it. After erecting buildings and living upon this farm one year, he sold it and purchased a farm on the county line, upon which he lived three years. This farm he also sold and removed to the city of Tonica, where he lived one year. He then bought a farm of sixty-eight acres, upon which he lived for four years. In 1874 he came to Living- ston County, and bought the farm of 120 acres upon which he now resides. Here he has erected a commodious residence, and suitable barns and other out-buildings. Through enterprise and en- ergy he is rapidly pushing forward, and now has one of the best-equipped farms in Odell Township. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond are the parents of five children, all of whom are living at home William Isaac, Jessie Belle, George Elmer, John Holcomb and Bertha Ma}'. The parents take much pride in educating their children, the oldest showing much talent as an artist. They are all bright and active, 5!8 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1 :ui(l take to education readily. Mr. Raymond is not active in politics, but votes with the Demo- cratic party. He does not desire office, but con- sents to serve as School Director because of the in- terest he takes in educational matters. LEXANDER R. IIOKE, representing the grain and coal business at Rugby, is one of the most wide-awake business men of Owego Township, where he has been widely and favorably known for many years. Like many of the early settlers of Central Illinois, lie is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born in Blair County Sept. 16. 1850. His parents, Samuel and Laura Hoke, were also natives of the Keystone State, whence they migrated West in 1859, and became resident?, of Union Township, this county, staying there twenty -eight years. The father then retired from active labor and took up his residence in the village of Odell, where, 'with his estimable wife, he still re- sides. Samuel Iloke and his wife were the parents of seven children, six now living, namely: Alexander R., our subject; Ilaiuia M., the wife of J. "\V. Hou- ehins; William E., Charles H.. George K. and Frank L. Our subject was reared to manhood and received a practical business education, taking his preparatory course in the Wesleyan University, at Bloomington. and completing his studies at Dixon College in Lee County, where lie took the full scientific course, and being ambitions to excel, made the most of his op- portunities, lie is also a graduate of the commer- cial department of the s:ime institution. He there- after engaged in teaching in various townships of this county. On the 13th of December, 1882, Mr. Iloke wa- united in marriage with Miss Morev, of Ohio. They commenced life together in a snug dwelling in l"n- ion Township, where Mr. Iloke then engaged in farming, which he carried on until the fall of 1 88(>, when he removed to Rugby :ind embarked in his present venture, lie has made good progress so far. and there is little doubt that it will be entirely suc- cessful, lie handles large quantities of wheat, oats and corn, and besides his coal transactions intends. :i> soon as arrangements can lie made, to establish a trade in lumber. Mr. Iloke takes a genuine interest in the welfare of the people around him, and is recognized as a valuable addition to the community. lie is a worthy member of the Presbyterian Church, and politically votes the straight Republican ticket. While a resident of Union Township, he served as Assessor for two years and Road Commissioner three years. He keeps himself well posted upon current events, and believes in giving to the young all the possible advantages which shall enable them to carry on business pro]>er-ly and fit them for worthy and desirable citizens. To this end he encourages the establishment and maintenance of schools, and is clearly destined to a position of prominence among the unobtrusive but working philanthropists, who, although perhaps silent, are always effective. Mr. and Mrs. Hoke have become the parents of three children Frank F., Luella M. and Samuel L. EV. ALEXANDER B. POWELL, who has been engaged in the ministry of the United Brethren Church for twenty-seven years, is comfortably situated on a well-improved farm of 1GO acres on section 3, Newtown Township. He occupies a comfortable residence, and his farm products and domestic animals are cared for in a commodious barn. During his ministiy, Mr. Pow- ell served for five years as Presiding Elder of the Illinois Central Conference of his church. Mr. Powell was born in Knox County, Ohio, on the 13th of March, 1835, and is the son of Thomas Powell, who died when our subject was but nine years of age. The grandfather, who was killed in the Revolutionary War, was a native of South Wales, and came to this country at an carry day, when he was a young man. He was married, and had four children, of whom the youngest, the father of our subject, married Margaret Engle, a native of Ohio. They were the parents of nine children, of whom seven are living: Curtis Powell is married, and an active minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church, a member of the Illinois Conference, and located in Bowen, 111.; one of his sons is also a / f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. minister in the same church. William, who has been a minister in the Protestant Methodist Episco- pal Church, is now a practicing physician in Schuy- ler County, 111.: Mary J., a twin sister of William, died at about the age of eighteen years; Thomas, married, has three daughters, and is engaged in farming in Meiiard County, 111.; David resides in Mason City, Mason Co., 111., where he was a banker, but is now a .member of the firm of Powell & Tucker, boot and shoe dealers; he has been married twice, and has a family of three daughters and one son by his first wife. John, married and living with his second wife in Kansas, was a local minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but is now a member of the United Brethren Church, in which denomination he has a license to preach ; Alexander B. is our subject; Martha Ann is the wife of Jacob Ogle, a retired farmer living in Salem City, Ore. ; they have three children living. Jefferson S. went to Wisconsin when he was a young man, where he married and then removed to Oregon, where he now resides and has a family of six children ; Mar- garet died when she was three years of age. The father came to Illinois in about 183C,and first set- tled in Menard County, whence he removed to Ful- ton County, near Astoria, and entered land, and there his death occurred in 1845. Some time after the father's death, the mother returned to Menard County, where she remarried and soon after died. During her entire life she was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Alexander B. Powell remained at home until his mother discontinued housekeeping. He was edu- cated in the common schools, and in 18(50, at the age of twenty-five, entered the ministry. On the 8th of August, 1858, Mr. Powell was married to Mary C. llaffner, of Fulton Count}', 111., daughter of Daniel and Diana (Lutz) Haffner, natives of Augusta County, Va., who came to Illinois in 18aO and settled in Fulton County. To them were born eight children, seven of whom are now living John B., Mary C., Samuel H., Sarah, Elizabeth. William and Andrew, all of whom are married. John B. and Andrew reside in Kansas, Elizabeth in Iowa, Henry in Schuyler County, 111., William in Fulton County, on the home place, and Sarah ir Schuyler County. The father died Aug. 4, 1*86. at the age of seventy-one years, nine months and three days; the mother is still living in Fulton County. They were both active members of the United Brethren Church, and Mr. Haffner was very much interested in the work and financial affairs of the church. The following-named children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Powell: William O., born July 10, 1859, is married and is a practicing physician in Tazewell County, 111., with a diploma from the State Medical Board; he was educated at Westfield, 111., and was married to Angeline Stites, daughter of Dr. Stites, of Pontiac. Charles Andrew, born Sept. 8, 18G1, married Susanna Hoobler, daughter of Frederick Hoobler, has three children, and is engaged in farming near Saunemin, Livingston County; Esther Florence, born Dec. 8, 1863; Dan- iel Thomas, May 15, 1867; George Ellsworth, June 8, 1869, and Jessie Roy, Feb. 3. 1882. Mr. Pow- ell came to Livingston County in 1864, and located where he now resides. He was appointed by the Conference to which he belonged to take charge of the church at New Michigan, where he lived for about ten years. He then went to McLean County, where he had lived before coming to Livingston County, and traveled, engaged in church work, for six years. In 1878 he returned to Livingston County, where he has since lived. Mr. Powell's family are mostly church members, those who do not belong to his, being members of some other church denomination. WILLIAM McKINDLEY, who is engaged in fanning and stock-raising on section 16, Waldo Township, is a son of Andrew and Delilah (Graham) Melvindley, and wa> born in High- land County, Ohio, about fifty miles cast of Cincin- nati, on the 11 tli (if May, Itf47. lie was reared on a farm, receiving a common-school education, and came to Illinois with his parents in the fall of 1 *. when lie \\.-i- about eighteen years old. driving through with wagons and locating in Peoria County, where he remained for about two years. From that county they moved to Waldo Township, Livingston ' ' COO LIVINGSTON COUNTS. County, where our subject purchased forty aero of land, upon which lie now resides. He bought thi> land a few months before he was twenty-one year- of age. His parents lived with him, and shortly after coining to this locality his father died. Mr. McKindley's father was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1KO;>. lie was of Scotch descent and came to America when thirty .years of age, locating in Canada, where he remained for nmny years. While living in Canada he was seized with ague, and the doctors failing to cure him, he was finally advised to cross the ocean, but before he had arrived upon the other side he found himself so much improved that he became a sailor, and followed that occupa- tion for several years. He returned to Canada and participated in the so-called ''Patriots' War," and was at the bombardment of Navy Island and at several important council meetings. After that war was over he went to Ohio, where he was married. He died in Waldo Township, Livingston County, May il, 1870. Mr. McKindley's mother was born in Highland County, Ohio, March 22, 1821. She was the daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Bevans) Graham. The father was of Scotch descent, and left Scotland when but fifteen years of age, locating in New Jersey. He afterward resided in Penn>yl- vania and Ohio, and died in Peoria County, 111., in 1857. On the 2itt.li of February, 1872, Mr. McKindley was married to Miss Jane Gee, daughter of William and Ellen Gee. She was born in England on the 30th of May, ls.">2. and came to America with her parents when about three years of age. She is the eldest child in a family of three. Her brother John married, ha> two children, and resides in the State of Nebraska. Her sister Ellen married Thomas Gard- ner, has four children, and lives in Barton County, Kan. Mrs. McKindley's mother is deceased, and the father is living near El Pa>o. 111. Mr. and Mrs. McKindley have had six children, as follows: Maria, who was born March :!0, 1873: < Frank, Oct. it, 1874; Elizabeth, July lit, 187C; Till- ! man, May l.~>, 178; Clara, July .">. 1 s0 ; Rebecca. Oct. _'. I*,s7. Mr. McKindley i> the elder child in a t'.-miily of two, the other being a >i>tcr named Klizabeth. born Aug. 22. 1849; she was never mar- ried, and dieil Aug. .">(>, 1878. Since he< ling a citi/.en of Waldo Township Mr. McKindley ha> met with good >uccc in his occupation as a farmer and stock-raiser. He is comfortably situated on a very snug farm, and has the good-will and esteem of all hi- neighbors. JASPER N. MORRISON. About the mo>t | independent men in this county, whose voca- tion is closely allied to agricultural pursuits, are those who devote their time to the prop- agation of fine blooded stock. They are generally men of large natural intelligence, and quite fre- quently of splendid education. There is some- thing about the graded-stock business which seems to require comprehensive minds which can appre- ciate, analyze and utilize certain laws of nature, and apply them intelligently in mingling strains of blood in animals so as to produce the best results. When a man of broad comprehension once engages in the stock business, and particularly that branch which involves thoroughbred and expensive ani- mals, he becomes wedded to it and grows enthusi- astic, just as the scientist does when he discovers the solution of a great problem. Much advance has been made in stock-breeding, particularly as it relates to horses, within the last few years, and no- where has this attained to a greater extent than in Illinois, which is fast becoming the great tine-stock propagating State of the Union. One of the most enthusiastic young stock-raising farmers of Livingston County is the subject of this sketch, born in Livingston County on the 17th of June, 1856, and now located on section 5 in Avoca Township. He is the son of Joseph C. Morrison, of whom mention is made in the biographical sketch of Albert J. Morrison. He was reared to manhood in this county, where he has always made his home. He devotes most of his attention to farming, and has the general supervision of his father's ex- tensive stock farm, following his specialty of rais- ing fine blooded stock. In 1883 he accompanied his father to Europe, and assisted in the purchase of forty-two head of French draft horses, which they imported and shipped to their Livingston County farm. Mr. Morrison is the owner of six imported French draft mares, valued at $SOO each, lie owns f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. CO.", eighty acres of excellent land, which is well im- proved in the way of buildings, fences and ditches. Both his farming and stock operations are con- ducted on a liberal basis and a large scale. While Mr. Morrison has but little time to look after political matters he affiliates with the Repub- lican party. He has served as Director of the schools of his district for several years, and takes deep interest in educational matters, as well as in everything that has a tendency to improve the con- dition of the people of his township. T J-~>OHN VIRGIN. Remarkable strides have been made in the improvement of the qual- dity of horses and other domestic animals in this country within the past few years, and in Livingston County may be found some of the men who have accomplished so much in this re- spect. One of these gentlemen, whose name is known throughout the country, resides at Fairbury. He is engaged in importing, breeding and dealing in French draft horses, and brings to bear in his business a rare amount of enterprise and skill. To him belongs the honor of first introducing this stock of horses into Livingston County, and since those pioneer days in the development of this noble animal in this section of the State, no man has done more and deserves higher praise than he, and in presenting his portrait, which we do in this connec- tion, we give to our patrons the picture not only of an enterprising business man, but an estimable and worthy citizen. He takes special interest in all movements for the public good, and contributes liberally botli of his time and means to every good work. Mr. Virgin is a native of Indiana, and was born in Carroll County on the 10th of August, 1838. He is the son of Thomas and Lucinda (Girard) Virgin, who were natives of Ohio. The former was reared to manhood in that State, moved to Indiana and was there married. He was a farmer by occupation and became a citizen of Illinois, where hi; continued the cultivation of the soil up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1870. His widow and family of eight children are all still living. Our subject came with his parents to Illinois in 1854, and located near Pontiac, where he worked on a farm until 1 870, and during that year moved to Fairbury. In 1868 he began the breeding of French draft horses, which, as above indicated, was before anyone else had inaugurated this en- terprise which has since proved to be of such vast importance, not only to the agriculturists of the country, but to the business interests of the great cities. In 1872 he made the first importation of these horses to Livingston County, bringing at that time three splendid animals. Of late years the purchase of these horses in France is effected through a resident party in that country, who buys the finest stock and consigns them to Mr. Virgin for sale. Since beginning the business he has shipped between 400 and 500 animals, and the sales now amount to $30,000 or $40,000 annually. When Mr. Virgin began the business he had no capital with which to operate, and the first money used was borrowed at a time when he was a farm tenant. His splendid success from such a beginning cer- tainly indicates rare business talent. Mr. Virgin was married, Jan. 26, 1865, to Miss Sarepta J. McDowell, of Fairbury, the ceremony being performed by Rev. John Houston, of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Virgin was born in Livingston County April 5, 1842, and came from a pioneer family who settled in Avoca Township in 1832. The names of her parents were John and Elizabeth (Moore) McDowell, natives respectively of Ohio and Tennessee. Mr. and Mrs. Virgin have had four children: Georgie, who was born Oct. 23, 1866, and died Sept. 12, 1881; Minnie, who was born Aug. 18, 18(58; Alta, Aug. 4, 1870, and Daisy, Feb. 25, 1875. Mr. Virgin was a member of Company K, 3d Illinois Cavalry, for three years. He entered as a private Aug. 7, 1861, and was promoted Orderly Sergeant, in which capacity he acted for nearly three years. He participated in all the heavy battles of the West, and was taken prisoner Nov. 25, 18G3, at Vermillionville, La., and was held for thirty days when he was paroled. lie remained on parole seven months, during part of which time he served as Quar- termaster in the parole camp, and upon being ex- changed remained in this capacity until the expir- f . > r,n.t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ation of his term of service. He was discharged Sept. 4, 1864, at Springfield, 111; The firm of Virgin, Brown & Co., own 400 acres of fine land in various tracts which is specially devoted to raising fine stock. Much of this land is under a fine state of cultivation. Mr. Virgin is a Republican, and takes great interest in both the National and local campaigns managed by that part}-. Mr. V. is and has been a member of the State Board of Agriculture for the past four years, and is now General Superintendent of the State Fair and fat-stock show. He is one of the charter members of Fairbury Post No. 75, G. A. R., and has occupied most of its posts of duty and is now Commander. He takes great pleasure in at- tending State Encampments and meeting his old comrades. He and his estimable wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and contribute liberally to the support and maintenance of that organization. ffl GUIS METTE, a prosperous grain merchant of Chatsworth, came to this section over twenty years ago, bringing with him the industrious and reliable traits of his substantial German ancestry. He set out for himself in life with the sole capital of his strong hands and reso- lute will, and now presents the pleasing picture of a man of property, and occupies a comfortable home, surrounded by that which makes life most desirable. On the other side of the Atlantic he was a shepherd boy, and probably while watching his flocks had cast many a glance to the future and saw more to hope for in the New World than he could probably attain in the old. He was not long in putting his plans into execution, and at the early age of sixteen years bade adieu to his family and friends and embarked on a sailing-vessel at Bre- men, from which he landed at New Orleans eleven weeks and five days later, and there commenced the struggle which has been so fortunate in its re- sults. He is the youngest of a family of eight chil- dren, and is the only one who came to the United Steles. Our subject was born in the Dukedom of Bruns- wick, near the Hartz Mountains, Feb. 27, 1829. < His parents were John and Johanna (Leur) Mette, also natives of Germany, where the father and brothers were employed as shepherds. The father died in the spring of 1846, a few weeks before his son Louis left his native land. Our subject re- mained in the Crescent City until the spring of 1847, then engaged in steamboating on the Missis- sippi, Ohio, Missouri and other rivers until 1858. He had now been absent from his home and friends a period of twelve years. He had occupied his time industriously and had saved some means, and felt justified in appropriating a part of his hard- earned money toward treating himself to a trip to the old country. He there spent three months and then returned to the New World, greatly refreshed in mind and body, the result of again looking upon the faces of his family and childhood friends. Upon returning he set out for Pike's Peak, in the spring of 1859, and spent a year traveling over the western country, employing himself at times in re- munerative labor. Finally, coming east as far as Illinois, he took up his abode at Minonk, where he commenced dealing in grain, and was thus success- fully occupied until 1865. He then changed his location to Chatsworth, where he continued his former business and in due time erected the ele- vator which is now owned by Searing & Messier. Mr. Mette, in 1868, once more crossed the Mis- sissippi, and going to Kansas City, Mo., commenced dealing in Texas cattle. Two years later he em- barked in the grocery trade, and in 1875 returned to Chatsworth, still continuing in the grocery busi- ness. In 1879 he resumed his operations in grain, which have 3'ielded him excellent results. In 1 883 he invested a goodly amount of his surplus capital in a fine tract of land, seventy acres in extent, part of which lies within the town limits. Upon this he erected a handsome residence and lias effected other admirable improvements. Of late years he has given considerable attention to the breeding of draft horses, and has been fully as successful in this as in his other ventures. His stables contain some fine specimens of the equine race, and Mr. Mette has already attained quite a reputation as a breeder. The mariage of Mr. Mette took place in the spring of 1861, at Minonk, 111., his chosen bride be- ing Miss Mary Wienand, who was born in the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. COo Kingdom of Prussia, and emigrated to the United | States when a young girl, with her parents, Joseph and Theresa (Susewind) Wienand, natives of Prus- sia. Our subject and his wife have had two chil- dren, a boy and girl who died in infancy, but some years ago they adopted a boy whom they named Louis, and who is now nine years of age. Mrs. Mette is an adherent of the Roman Catholic faith, and our subject, religiously, is a German Lutheran. He votes the straight Republican ticket, and has worthily discharged the duties of the various town- ship offices. In the pictorial department of this ALBUM may be found a view of Mr. Mette's residence and its surroundings. , *-^ "^ ' * ' _ "^. ACOB PHILLIPS owns 900 acres of valuable land in Newtown Township and has his home on section 7. The greater part of his real estate is under a good degree of culti- vation, and the balance includes 180 acres of tim- ber. The family residence is a substantial and convenient structure, and the large barn in the rear one of the finest in the township. Our subject, as one of the oldest settlers of Livingston County, is looked upon with peculiar respect. He came to this locality in the spring of 1837, with his parents, who located near the creek but a few feet from the present residence of our subject. The gentleman of whom we write is the son of Edward Phillips, who was born in Maryland about 1768, about eight years prior to the Revolutionary War. He continued in his native State until reach- ing middle life, in the meantime having married and become the father of a familj'. Then with his wife and seven children he emigrated to Ohio, where the mother subsequently died, and the father was married to Mrs. Barbara (Welsh) Loman, the widow of James Loman, a native of Maryland, who died six weeks after reaching Ohio. They had be- come the parents of eight children, and Mr. Loman had been an acquaintance of Mr. Phillips. The Loman children grew up under the protecting care of their step-father, but only one is now living, Arthur B., who came to this State many yeai> ago and is engaged in farming and stock-raising near Ottawa. The children of Edward Phillips' first union are recorded as follows: James, born in Maryland and died in Logan County, this State, leaving a wife and large family of children; William died in Ohio when about twenty-one years old ; John engaged in farming in Newtown .Township, and died about 1879-80, leaving a widow and five children; Ed- ward died in Iowa leaving a family; Rebecca died in Ohio when about twenty years of age. Of the second marriage of Edward Phillips there were born four children, namely : Barbara, the wife of a wealthy farmer living near Odell; Jacob, of our sketch: Rachel, of Fairmont, Neb., and Mary, Mrs. William Ziegler, of Newtown Township. The mother of these children died at her home in New- town in 1863, and her remains were laid to rest in the cemetery not far from the residence of her son, our subject. The father had died in 1847, when seventy-nine years old, and the mother was about the same age at the time of, her death. Both were members in good standing of the Methodist Epis- copal Church for many years, in which the father officiated as Class-Leader, and was one of the or- ganizers of the society at Bethel. He had enjoyed only limited advantages during his youth but pos- sessed a remarkable memory, and being more than ordinarily intelligent, kept himself well informed upon matters of general interest. He preserved his health and strength remarkably and when sev- enty-four years old would walk eight or ten miles to attend church. He was of a resolute and de- termined disposition and greatly respected by'his neighbors. Jacob Phillips was but thirteen j'ears of age when his parents came overland to Illinois, and he remembers many incidents of the journey and the after difficulties which the family experienced as pioneers. He continued with his mother until her death, and when twenty-two 3'ears of age was mar- ried to Miss Amy Jane Lundy, born Jan. 28, 1848, and the daughter of Amos Lundy, now deceased. The young people commenced housekeeping in Newtown Township, and in due time became the parents of two children, namely : Orville F., now married and living in Dakota, and Mary Melissa, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the wife of Levy Snyder, of Newtown Township. The mother of these children lived only a few years after her marriage, her death taking place at her home in Newtown Feb. 28, 1851. Mr. Phillips was married the second time, Oct. 7, 1852, to Miss Mary Ziegler, of Indiana. This union has resulted in the birth of the following- named children : Frederick E., W. A. Phillips, Elizabeth B., Salsbury E., Jacob D., John M., Lu- cretia R., and Minerva A., who remains at home with her parents. They have been carefully trained and educated and those who are married the father has assisted to a good start in life. Both parents and children belong to the United Brethren Church in which Mr. Phillips and his wife are active work- ers. Mr. P. has been quite prominent in township affairs, officiating as Supervisor four years and serving as School Director in his district. In early manhood he identified himself with the old Whig party but upon its abandonment cordially endorsed Republican principles, to which he has since given his support. KOESTNER. It is a serious step in life when one leaves the roof which has sheltered him for twenty-eight years, and bids farewell to relatives, and starts on a journey which is to put a vast ocean between him and them for the balance of their lives; yet this is just what the subject of this sketch did when, with his young bride, he set sail for America where they expected to shape for themselves a home in which to live in comfort, and rear to manhood and womanhood the children which Providence might give them. Mr. Koestner, who is the Supervisor of Germanville Township, was born in Bavaria, Germany, on the 23d of March, 181<>, and is the son of John and Fearkalp Koestner, who had a family of four chil- dren, the other three, daughters, remaining in Ger- many. George being the only member of the family who came to this country. In 1844 he was married to Sophia \\achter, who was born in the same town ' ' in which Mr. Koestner was born. Very soon after T their marriage the young couple concluded to seek a home in the New World, and sailing from Bre- men, after a voyage of seventy-two days entered the port of New Orleans in December, 1 844, where they remained until the following May. when thev ascended the Mississippi River as far as St. Louis, and there Mr. Koestner followed the occupation of carpenter for some time, receiving a compensation of $1 per day. In 185f> he removed to Marshall County, 111., where he engaged in farming, and re- sided there until 1809, when he came to Livingston County, and settled in Germanville Township, i where he has since resided. The farm which he now owns contains 240 acres of land, which is very productive and considered valuable. Good build- ings have been erected upon this farm, and his res- idence is one of the most comfortable in the ueigli- hood. The wife he married in Germany, and who accompanied him to this country, died in Marshall County in 186C, leaving eight children: Frank; Mary, wife of Henry Bartel: Conrad: Anna, wife of Gustav Koehler; Michael, John; Abby, wife of Adolph Koehler, and Henry. In 18C7 Mr. Koestner married Sophia Ilertel, who was also a native of Bavaria, and by this marriage seven children have been born, five of whom are now living Adam, Andrew, Peter, Sophia and Maggie. When Mr. Koestner first arrived in the United States the outlook for the future was ex- ceedingly gloomy. When he and his wife stepped ashore at New Orleans all the money the}- possessed in the world was $4, and his first employment was work upon the river which yielded him but seventy- five cents per day; but they were economical and lived within that income until they could do better. He had received a good education in his native country, and readily learned to read and speak the English language: and during his years of residence in this country has kept himself well posted upon internal and foreign affairs. The doctrines of the Democratic party appeared to him most wholesome when he began to study the ixilitics of this country, and he espoused them, and lias remained a member of that party ever since. In an ollicial capacity he- has served the people three terms as Supervisor, nine years as School Director, twelve years as Commis- sioner of Highways, and seven times : is member of * t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4- 007 ' 'I the Grand Jury within the past eight years. He is :i member of the Kunian Catholic Church, to whicli he i> devotedly attached. T ETHAN ANGELL. This aged and highly respected resident of Odell Township, after the labors of a well-spent life, during which he was prospered, ha.- now passed nearly fourscore and ten years, and surrounded by the comforts of life, is patiently waiting for the call which shall liriiia' to him his higher reward. His course in life lias been such that it has earned him the good-will and esteem of all who have known him, and the children watching his declining years with affec- tionate solicitude, in this manner illustrate the pre- cepts of their early training. Mr. Angell was born in Providence, R. I., Nov. 6, 17U8, and was the fourth in a family of five chil- dren, whose parents were natives of the same State. He was reared to farm life, and being in a locality where there were no schools, never had a day's in- >t ruction in one of these institutions. lie was, how- ever, naturally bright and well balanced, and acquired a suflicient knowledge of business to insure his future success. While yet a boy his parents re- moved from Rhode Island to Pleasant Valley. N. Y., where the father put up a hotel and a cotton factory, which he operated successfully and also the farm which he had purchased. Young Ethan soon became the leading spirit of his father's business, and was of that temperament by which he became known far and wide and was a general favorite among his associates. The family subsequently re- moved to Ithaca, and Ethan remained under the home roof until his marriage. His chosen bride was Miss Martha Dudley, who was a native of New York State, whose parents were of English birth and parentage. They emigrated to this country just at the close of the Revolutionary War while unmarried. making their acquaintance upon the vessel which brought them over, and united their fortunes soon after. Mr. and Mrs. Angell began life together on a farm near Ithaca, hut four years later removed to Wayne County, where our subject purchased a tract of tim- ber land which he transformed into a good farm and which he occupied for a period of thirty -five years. He became the father of twelve children, of whom two died in infancy. Those now surviving are William D., Elizabeth, Cornelia, Lucinda, Martha, Calista and Harriet. Lu Fannie and Eseck died Nov. -20, 1886, and May G, 1841, respectively. In 1868, the children of Mr. and Mrs. Angell all being married, and settled in homes of their own, they disposed of their property in the Empire State and migrated to Illinois, locating at once in Odell Township, where Mr. Angell purchased 200 acres of land and where he has lived since that time. He commenced in earnest its improvement and cultiva- tion, repairing the old buildings and putting up new, and it was not long before he was recognized as an important addition to the community. In the meantime he also crossed the Mississippi and pur- chased land farther west. His faithful and affec- tionate wife departed this life on the loth of Janu- ary, 1872, and since that time he has made his home with his married daughter. AMUEL L. MARSH, one of the model farmers of Saunemin Township, located on section 27, and whose farm and its improve- ments are attractive and valuable, is a native of Worcester County, Mass., and was born on the loth of February, 1820. He is the son of Albi- gence and Catherine (Clemans) Marsh, both of whom were natives of Massachusetts. The pa- ternal ancestors were of English descent, and came to America previous to the war for the indepen- dence of the United States. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native State, where he received a good English education, and after leav- ing school engaged for a time in teaching. When about eighteen years of age, he learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner, which he followed as his occupation until 1856. In that year he immi- grated to Illinois fora permanent settlement, hav- ing, however, been on a prospecting tour of the State one year previously. lie first located in 608 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1856 for a time in LaSalle County, and came to Livingston County in 1H58, and settled on his pres- ent farm, on section 27, Saunemin Township. At this time and place he purchased 100 acres of land from Joseph E. Wilson, who entered it directly from the Government. At the time of his settlement upon these lands there had never been a furrow turned, and it was covered with prairie grass which had never been disturbed. He has continued mak- ing improvements upon this farm until it is now considered one of the most complete in all its de- tails in Saunemin Township. The farm, at the present time, consists of ninety acres, he having disposed of seventy acres some years ago. On the 20th of June, 1848, Mr. Marsh was mar- ried to Miss Maiy Lee, who was born in Worces- ter County, Mass., on the 21st of April, 1820. She is the daughter of Benjamin and Rebecca (Sloan) Lee, both natives of Massachusetts. Her paternal ancestors were of English-Irish descent, and on the maternal side of Scotch descent. Her maternal great-grandfather, Jonathan Pierce, and three sons, were soldiers in the Revolutionary War. During her girlhood Mrs. Marsh was afforded am- ple educational facilities, whereb3 r she made her- self competent for school teaching, in which pro- fession she was engaged some, years previous to her marriage. To Mr. and Mrs. Marsh have been born seven children, five of whom are living: Myra C., born Jan. 20, 1858, and now the wife of Webster Pearson, of Saunemin Township: Abbie R., born Aug. 3, 1860, now the wife of George C. Erwine, of Saunemin Township; Elvira L., born July27, 1862; Henry S., born Feb. 10, 1800, and Frank H., born July 13, 1860. Emily and Wil- lard L. died in infanc3'. In their religious opin- ions, Mr. and Mrs. Marsh are inclined to the doc- trines of the Universalist Church. In political matters, Mr. Marsh acts independently of any of the organized parties, and votes for the man whom he considers the best qualified to discharge the duties of the office and possesses the best reputa- tion for honor ami integrity. He has several years served as Road Commissioner, and for twent3'-two 3'ears has discharged the duties of School Treasurer with credit to himself and to the satir-l'action of his constituents. Mr. and Mrs. Marsh are now in their declining years, but their pathway down the de- cline of life will be made less rugged by the de- voted friends who surround them. AKSHALL B. KNIGHT. Among the counties of Pennsylvania which have fur- nished a large quota of the present popu- lation of Illinois, none sent hither a more intelligent or enterprising class of citizens than Susquehanna, which is located in the northeastern part of that State, bordering on New York. It is one of the principal counties of Pennsylvania, with a diversified surface, and is extensively covered with forests of beech, oak, chestnut, pine, ash and silver maple, and the products are ha3', oats, corn, potatoes, butter, cattle and wool. It is drained b3" the Susquehanna, Tunkhannock, Wyalusing Creeks, and the Lackawanna River rises in the eastern part, and transportation facilities are afforded by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad and a branch of the Erie Road. The subject of this sketch, who is a prominent fanner of Livingston County residing in its extreme southeastern part, and whose farm comprises the south half of section 13, German ville Township, bordering on Ford Count3 r , is a native of Susquehanna County, Pa., where he was born on the 5th of April, 1831, and is the son of Amasa and Lovina Knight, who were natives of Vermont. In about 1845 the family migrated to Illinois, and first stopped near Ottawa, where the3' engaged in farming. The father died in about 1850, and the mother, who lived some 3'ears longer, died of smallpox in Bureau Count}'. There were nine children: Mar}' married Kdward Stricklin, and died in Pennsylvania; Lydia married Myron Fairchilds, and died in Pennsylvania; Plurbe married Samuel Lindse}'; Huldah married M. L. Minder, and died in Bureau County, III.: Fannie married William Smith; Austin, Marcus, Albert and M. B. Mr. Knight was about fifteen 3'ears old when the famil}' emigrated to Illinois, and he was reared on a farm until the death of his father about the time he was twent3' 3'ears of age. He then began the struggle of life for himself, and engaged in fanning LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 609 i- in Bureau and LaSalle Counties. In 1851 he mar- ried A. C. Tillotson, who is a native of Ohio, and after marriage continued farming in LaSalle County, and then for a time in Will County, and next in Ford County, where he purchased 160 acres of land. In 1874 he sold this farm and purchased the one he at present owns, which consists of 320 acres. Mr. and Mrs. Knight have eight children : Mary, the wife of F. D. Pettis; Almeda, now Mrs. Charles Rudd; Ellen, now Mrs. William Marsh; Alice, the wife of M. J. Davis; Eva, Warren, Ira and Elmer. In his early life Mr. Knight was so situated that lie could not even avail himself of the meager advantages those days afforded for obtain- ing an education, but in later life he has improved the opportunity to learn the rudimentary branches, lie is a Republican in politics, but has never been an aspirant for office, preferring to displaj' patriot- ism by his devotion to his party rather than by seek- ing it for office. ?ILLIAM COWLING is the proprietor of the Cottage Hotel at Chatsworth, and pos- sesses all the qualifications necessary to make a popular public entertainer. He is a veiy genial gentleman in his intercourse with the public and has fixed views on the subjects upon which all intelligent citizens are supposed to be posted, and while he shows great respect and consideration for the opinions of others he is not afraid to express himself upon any question. He is a rnan of sharp judgment and lias a keen eye to business, while he is ever ready to assist any public enterprise which has for its object the betterment of the community in which he lives. In his capacity as proprietor of the Cottage Hotel he is deservedly popular, not only with the traveling public, but with his fellow- citizens, and in their esteem his wife holds an equal place. Mr. Cowling was born on the 20th of November, 1X48, iu St. Stephens, near St. Austell, Cornwall County, England, and is the son of William and Elizabeth (Trethewey) Cowlings, who fol- lowed the occupation of fanning. The father died in 1885, aged sixty-six years, and the mother is now living at the age of sixty -seven. To them were born ten children, all of whom grew to the age of maturity, named as follows: Catherine, Charles, William, Sarah, Emily, Richard, Lewis H., Arthur, Mary and Bessie. Catherine married Samuel Williams, and now resides in Australia; Charles and Sarah reside in England; Emily mar- ried Arthur Cunday, and died in England; Rich- ard resides in St. Louis, Mo.; Lewis H. and Arthur died in England; Mary, wife of F. Richards, re- sides in London, and Bessie resides with her mother in England. Mr. Cowling spent his youthful days upon the farm, and attended the common schools in his na- tive country until 1869, when he bade his friends farewell and sailed for the United States, taking passage at Liverpool and landing in New York in the month of October. He at once started west- ward, making short halts at Philadelphia, Harris- burg and Pittsburgh, terminating his journey at Chicago. He soon after came to Chatsworth, being induced to do so from the fact of having met a gentleman upon the steamer who gave him the ad- dress of M. L. Sullivan, the king farmer of Illinois; but when he arrived in Chatsworth instead of going on the farm he worked for some time by the day at whatever he found to do. He then engaged as a night watchman of a firm which manufactured tow from flax. In 1871 he entered the employ of Hall & Crane, hardware and grocery merchants, whom he served for nearly four years, and then en- gaged in the hotel business at Forest for two years, when he returned to Chatsworth, and in 1876 took possession of the Cottage Hotel, which property he had purchased in 1875. Soon after taking posses- sion of the hotel he enlarged the building materially and improved it in various ways; it is now the only hotel in Chatsworth. A barn has been purchased, and lie conducts a livery stable in connection with the house. To illustrate how hardly pressed Mr. Cowling was when beginning his business career it can be stated that in 1870 he carried a letter in his pocket for three weeks because he did not have the money with which to purchase a postage stamp; but b.y industry and the observance of due econ- omy he has been successful and is now numbered ' 610 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Ji among the substantial business men of Chatsworth. He became a citizen of the United States five years after arriving in this country, and has ever since affiliated with the Republican party, and has been a member of the Village Board for several terms. He was reared under the influences of the Episco- pal Church, but since coming to the United States has not attached himself to any religious organiza- tion. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he is a Knight Templar, and stands high among the members of that ancient and honorable fraternity. Mr. Cowling was married, in May, 1872, to Miss Martha Jane Lyons, a native of Washington County, N. Y. They have one boy, named Harry Stuart. Mrs. Cowling is an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and takes deep interest in all things which pertain to the welfare of that organi- zation. She occupies an enviable position in the society of Chatsworth, for which her education and experience in life peculiarly fit her. On another page we present a view of Mr. Cow- ling's Cottage Hotel. MIEL HARMON, a gentleman of French birth and parentage, came to America with his parents when a child nine years of age. After setting foot upon the soil of the United States they proceeded directly westward to Illinois, of which State our subject has since been ;i resident. He is now proprietor of one of the best farms in Forest Township, comprising 160 acres of land on section 35. His agricultural operations have been conducted skillfully and successfully, and he is numbered among the public-spirited citi- zens of the county. Our subject was born in France in the Province of Alsace, now part of Germany, on the 2d of Jan- uary, 1842, and is the son of John B. and Adeline (Abury) Harmon, also of French birth and parent- age. Their first home in this country was in Ot- tawa, LaSalle County, near which place the father engaged in fanning many years, and where his death took place Feb. 1C, 1886. The mother had also died at the old hoine.-tead two years before, May 14, 1884. The parental family included six children, four sons and two daughters, namely: John, Joseph, Kate, Amid. Louisa, and Phelix, who died in infancy. Young Harmon left the parental roof when nineteen years of age, and soon after the outbreak of the late Civil War. He had now become thor- oughly Americanized, and determined to indicate his sympathy with the Union sentiment in a de- cided manner. He accordingly enlisted, Sept. it, 1801, in the 4th Illinois Cavalry, and followed the fortunes of war until its close, receiving his honor- able discharge Jan. 10, 1866. He participated in many of the important battles, including the sieges of Fts. Henry and Donelsou, and was present in the engagements at Shiloh, Corinth, and the siege of Vicksburg, besides meeting the enemy in man}' other minor engagements and skirmishes. Like many of the old veterans, he speaks little nowadays of the hardships and dangers which he endured. Upon returning to civil life Mr. Harmon sought his old haunts in LaSalle County, and remained with his father until September, 1866. On the 27th of that month he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Cashion, who was born in New York City in 1842. and vvas a few months younger than her husband. Her parents, Michael and Mary (Murphy) Cashion, were natives of Ireland. The father died in about 1.S44, and the mother emi- grated to the United States, where she is still living in LaSalle County; Mrs. Harmon was their only daughter. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon are the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters. They com- prise an interesting family, and are being carefully trained and educated. They were named respect- ively: Florence Adeline, Albert, Joseph, Louis, Charles, Harry and Mary Louisa. Mr. Harmon, after marriage, operated his father's farm for about eight years with good results, and in 1875 invested his capital in the land lying around his present homestead. It was then a tract of wild prairie, but now presents a finely cultivated farm with good buildings and modern improvements. In the fall of 1887 he put up a fine barn, and is now quite extensively engaged in stock-raising, producing good grades of cattle and excellent Norman horses. 7 r LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 613 He was reared in the Catholic faith, to which he still closely adheres, and is one of the most liberal and cheerful supporters of his church at Strawn. He votes the Democratic ticket, and has officiated as School Director. On an adjoining page of this work may lie found a view of the residence of Mr. Harmon. ERRY M. POTTER, widely and favorably known throughout Indian Grove Town- ship as one of its most extensive and suc- cessful breeders of fine horses and cattle, has a valuable tract of land 220 acres in extent, on section 14. where he spends the most of his time and takes pride in the superiority of his stock, and the general excellence of his farm products. He operates mostly in Short-horn cattle and pursues the methods adopted by Mr. Haaf, of Henry County. His herd comprises fifty head of fine animals, in- cluding a magnificent bull, while his horses are of the English draft, and models of symmetry and strength. Mr. Potter located on his present farm in 18G6, and has bent his energies to its improve- ment and embellishment. As a financier he is a de- cided success, displaying the same judgment in this direction which is illustrated in his financial opera- tions. The main points in a history unusually in- teresting are substantially as follows: Our subject was born in Windsor County, Vt., Dec. 11, 1833, and is the son of Benjamin and Clarissa (Robinson) Potter, natives of Massachu- setts, whence they removed to Vermont, where they spent the remainder of their lives. The father was borii in 1786, and departed this life in 1848. He served in the War of 1812, and when but a lad had the honor of sharing in the victory of Commodore Perry on Lake Erie. He was fortunate enough to receive a liberal education, and subsequently learned ship carpentering and also the trade of a millwright. Politically he was identified with the old Whig party, and was a man of decided views and fearless in the expression and advocacy of them. The mother was born in 1798, and survived her husband about seven years, her death taking place in 1855. -Mr. Potter was fairly educated and started out for himself early in life, engaging first in a hotel at Boston, where he remained six years. He then em- barked as a sailor on the whaling ship "C'allao," and sailed around Cape Horn to the Sandwich Islands, whence lie voyaged to the Arctic Ocean and back, when he was taken ill and confined in the hospital at Highlow three months, and subsequently in that at Honolulu. In nowise discouraged by this little stroke of misfortune, as soon as able Mr. Potter shipped for Hong Kong, China, and after his arri- val there staid three weeks, when he embarked for Australia, landing at Melbourne, where he remained with the ship's crew two months. In the mean- time he experimented in gold mining, with little success, however, and boarded a vessel for San Francisco, Cal., revisiting the Sandwish Islands on the way, and landed at the Golden Gate in July, 1858. Here he once more engaged in mining, with indifferent success two years, finally migrating to Vancouver Island, and thence up the Frazier River, still in search of the yellow ore. Here he was more successful, remaining untilJanuary, 1860. He then returned to San Francisco, and a year later he started home via the Isthmus, landing in Fair- bury, this county, in the vicinity of which he has since been contented to remain. Mr. Potter met with some thrilling incidents during these years. In making the return trip to Vancouver Island he started down the Frazier River in December, and before reaching their des- tination there came a sudden cold snap which formed ice so rapidly that they were unable to pro- ceed. They were obliged to leave their vessel in the midst of the stream, and proceed on foot from the mouth of the Harrison to Ft. Langley, now New Westminster, in British America, and thence on to the Pacific, a distance of forty-five miles over four feet of snow. Mr. Potter with his companions was without food nearly six days, and when reaching the end of his journey was comparatively without clothing, having only a Hudson Bay blanket with which to cover himself, his clothing having been literally torn from him by the brush through which he had been obliged to labor. The weather a> in- dicated was cold, and upon this trip 150 out of 500 men perished. The survivors were first taken to Vancouver Island and thence to San Francisco, ex- 614 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i: tremely glad, as may be supposed, to again enter the bounds of civilization. The marriage of Perry M. Potter and Miss Eliza- beth Vanarsdale was celebrated on the 28th of February, 1806, in Pontiac. Mrs. Potter was born in Utica, N. Y., in 1844, and is the daughter of Aaron and Elizabeth (Cooper) Vanarsdale, a prom- inent family of German descent whose ancestors settled on the Mohawk River. The parents after- ward became residents of Grundy County, this State, where their decease occurred. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Potter there have been born nine children, namely : Eva E., the wife of Charles W. Keck, of Fairbury ; Charles P., Eunice. Dean, Mary, Kirk, Grace, Clarissa and Lura. The last is a babe of twelve months. The family residence, of which we present a view on another page of this work, is a convenient ai.d commodious structure, finely fin- ished and furnished, and in all respects in keeping with the tastes and means of the proprietor. The homestead attracts universal attention from the passing traveler and with its embellishments forms one of the most attractive spots in the southern part of Livingston County. Mr. Potter is a mem- ber of the Fair Association at Fairbury, where he is in the habit of carrying off first premiums by the half dozen, and to the interests of which he has added largely by his stock operations. Politically, he is confined to no particular party, usualby voting independently. WILLIAM D. ANGELL. In the subject of the following sketch we find an excellent example for young men just embarking in the field of active life, of what may be accom- plished by a man beginning comparatively without capital, but honest, prudent and industrious. Mr. A. in early life enjoyed only ordinary advantages, having followed the plow until a youth of eighteen vears. He became acquainted early in life with the fact that he must rely mainly upon his own efforts would he achieve success. This he lias realized to a marked degree, not alone in the sense of accumulating wealth, but by his large-hearted- iirss and public spirit as a citizen, winning the re- spect and esteem of those who have been familiar with his career. He has distinguished himself in business as careful and conscientious, and both in public and private matters has been guided by the dictates of his conscience, and the principles of honor and honesty in which he was reared by most excellent parents. Mr. Angell was born in Wayne County, N. V., Jan. 25, 1824, and was the eldest in a family of twelve children. His parents, Ethan and Martha (Dudlej') Angell, were also natives of the Empire State. William D., in common with his brothers and sisters, was reared to the pursuits of country life, and attended the district school, completing his studies by attendance one winter in the city school at Clyde, N. Y. When eighteen years of age, thinking he would like other pursuits better than fanning, he repaired to the town of Clyde, in his native county, and served an apprenticeship of two years at the tinner's trade. Then, on account of failing health, he was obliged to return home, and spent two more years upon the farm. Afterward he clerked in a general store, first at Clyde, and then in Tompkins County, but the results not prov- ing satisfactory, either in point of health or finan- cially, he once more returned to the home roof, and contented himself with farm labor until his marriage, which took place on the 25th of Septem- ber, 1850. The lady who then became the sharer of his fortunes was Miss Mary Jane Harvey, who was born in Borodino, Ouondaga Co., N. Y., Sept. 21, 1831. She is the only child of Leonard and Jane (Rathbone) Harvey, natives of New York, who passed away many years ago, the mother in her native State, and the father in Kendall County, 111. Upon his wedding trip, and while passing through the city of Newfield, Mr. Angell was solicited to enter the mercantile business at Newfield, Tump- kins County, where he had formerly filled the posi- tion of clerk. This he accepted, and was thus pros- perously engaged three years. He had, however, a yearning for the untried West, as the most de- sirable outlook for the young and enterprising man, mid after a year's stay at the old homestead, set out for Illinois. He reached Will County in August, 1854, and entering into partnership with Mr. Mini, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 615 an Eastern gentleman, engaged in general merchan- dising at Chaiinahon. Here, however, he was not so successful, and after seven mouths the firm dissolved, and Mr. Angell served as clerk one sum- mer, and then storing his household goods, he jour- neyed to Virginia to visit his wife's parents. Leav- ing Mrs. A. with her people, Mr. A. started out and traveled through the East considerably, being pres- ent in the city of New York during the riots of 1855, before the beginning of the three months' Buchanan-Fremont campaign. In the meantime he employed himself teaching school, and returned to Illinois in December, 1856. Thereafter for a time he had charge of a branch store belonging to his former employer, Mr. Lewis, of Channahon. The following year, however, the numerous bank failures in the country also had their effects upon this business, and the store was closed. In 1857 Mr. Angell purchased 160 acres of wild land one mile north of Minooka, upon which he set- tled, and began its improvement and cultivation. This he transformed into a good farm, which he oc- cupied until 1865, when, selling out, he came to this count}', and having in view the idea of a home, and a brief rest from active labor, purchased a snug dwelling, and one acre of land in the city of Odell. He had intended now to cross the Mississippi, but circumstances led him to employ his time otherwise and not long afterward he was appointed assignee of a dry-goods business which had failed, and was probably a year in settling up the business. After these various changes he decided to return per- manently to farm life, and made first a purchase of forty -seven acres near the limits of Odell. Subse- quently he purchased forty acres north of the city, and while still having his residence within the town carries on farming and stock-raising after the most approved methods, enjoying a handsome income, and taking life as easy as i> consistent with the over- sight of important interests. His farm land is sup- plied with all the conveniences for the care and breeding of stock, and all his farm operations are conducted after the most modern and approved methods. His residence in town is a handsome and tasteful structure, standing in the midst of fine grounds, and indicates in all its surroundings the existence of cultivated tastes and ample mears. Mr. and Mrs. Angell are the parents of one child only, a daughter, Elvena I., who was born Sept. 10, 1 869, and remains at home with her parents. She lias been finely educated, is a graduate of Odell High School, and an expert stenographer. She is also one of the most active members of the Chau- tauqua Society, keeping thoroughly educated in its various departments. Mr. Angell, while in Kendall County, was a mem- ber of the Town Board of Seward Township, and has served in a similar manner at Odell. He is one of the most important factors in the business inter- ests of the town, and politically, although not tak- ing a very active part in public affairs, uniform!}' votes with the Republican party. During the Centennial year Mr. Angell wisely ex- pended a sum of money in a visit to the Exposition at Philadelphia, and later visited the World's Ex- position at New Orleans with his family, the trip being very profitable as well as pleasant. ON. PERRY F. REMSBURG, of Chats- worth, one of the prominent citizens of Liv- ingston County, is a native of Fremont, Ohio, where he first saw the light on the 10th of February, 1825. The Remsburgs were originally from Germany, but the last few genera- tions have resided in the United States. The father of the subject of this sketch, Casper Remsburg, was born in Frederick County, Md., on the 24th of February, 1787. On the 26th of De- cember, 1809, he was married to Mary Bo wins, who was born in Maryland on the 19th of November, 1792. In 1822 they emigrated to Ohio, and set- tled at Lower Sandusky, now named Fremont, which was then an Indian trading-post. Thus they were among the pioneers of the Buckeye State. Casper Remsburg followed his trade, which was that of a millwright, and as he was one of the very first millwrights on the Sandusky River, he either built or put the machinery into many of the mills in that part of the State. As long as he was able he followed that occupation, and then passed his remaining days on a farm near Fremont, dying in August, 1849. His wife survived him seven years, I 1 fi LIVINGSTON COUNTY. - dying at Chatsworth on the 13th of June, 1886. The father was a member of the United Brethren Church, and the mother of the Methodist Protest- ant Church. Their family consisted of ten chil- dren, one of whom died in infancy ; the others grew to maturity. Their record is as follows: Matilda was born in 1810, married John Ellis, and died Feb. 8, 1874, at sixty-four years of age; Hez- ckiah was born Feb. 2, 1812, and is an attorney -at- law-at Fremont, Ohio; William was born Oct. 23, 181-'!, is a minister of the Methodist Protestant Church, and resides at Des Moines, Iowa; Ann Rebecca died in infancy; Mary Ann was born Nov. 3, 1817, married James Rosenberger, Nov. 2, 1843, and "resides near Fremont, Ohio; Susannah was born April 13, 1819, married Emanuel Crowell, and resides at Milan, Rock Island Co., 111.; she was married twice, her last husband being William Brown. Rebecca was born Nov. 10, 1820, married Samuel A. Crowell, and died Aug. 26, 1859; Perry F is the subject of this sketch ; John was born Oct. 8, 1826, and died Nov. 29, 1847; Lewis E. was born Dec. 28, 1831, and resides at Ohio, Bureau Co., III. Mr. Rcmsburg's early life was spent upon a farm, and he received his education in the public and select schools of Fremont, Ohio, in which town he grew to manhood. On the 15th of February, 1852, he was married to Miss Mary L. Brown, daughter of Stanton H. and Elizabeth (Whiting) Brown; she was born in Ottawa County, Ohio, on the 6th of September, 1833. Mr. Remsburg engaged in farm- ing until 1857, when he removed to Ft. Des Moines, O ' Iowa, and engaged in farming for two years near that place. In 1859 he removed to Ohio, Bureau Co., 111., where he tilled the soil, except during three years when lie was a merchant at Ohio, until 1881, when he sold his farm of 280 acres and re- moved to Chatsworth, where he now resides. He owns nearly 400 acres of land, sixty of which lies within the incorporated limits of Chatsworth, and on which he erected a splendid residence, and com- fortably situated himself and family. He is Re- publican in politics, and represented Bureau Coun- ty in the Twenty-seventh General Assembly, and has filled the offices of Supervisor, Justice of the 1'eace, and other local ollices. He has always taken an active part in politics, and the honors which his party have conferred upon him have been recipro- cated on his part by faithful adherence to its prin- ciples, and zealous efforts in its behalf. In relig- ious matters he believes in the doctrines enunciated by the Protestant Methodist Church, of which he is a member. Mr. and Mrs. Reuasburg have had thir- teen children, six boys who died under the age of twelve years. The names of the survivors are, Laura Augusta, Casper, Louisa, Sarah Ellen, Grant S., William F. and Estella M. Laura Augusta is the wife of Leander Mercer, and Louisa of T. J. Lovell; both reside in Chatsworth Township. Sa- rah Ellen is the wife of James Bullock, and resides near Longford, Dak., where Casper also lives; Grant S. and William F. reside in Bureau County, 111., and Estella M. is at home with her parents. As representative of the buildings in this part of the country, we present on another page a view of Mr. Remsburg's residence. eHARLES ELLIOTT SMITH is prominently identified with the agricultural interests of Saunemin Township, in which he is located on section 19. He is a native of England, and was born in Cambridgeshire on the 4th of October, 1845. He is the son of William and Elizabeth (Edwards) Smith, natives of England, of which country they have chosen to remain citizens. Of the six chil- dren born to his parents the following named sur- vive: William, Charles E., Pha-be, Elizabeth and Thomas. The name of the deceased was Arthur. The subject of our sketch remained in England until he reached the years of maturity, and was afforded fairly good opportunities for obtaining an education. With the exception of a short time spent in merchandising and four years at brick- making, and coal-mining, Mr. Smith has been a farmer all his life. He emigrated to America in 1867, taking passage at Liverpool, and within ten days after leaving that port he landed in the city of New York, and proceeded at once to the great We>t, of which he had heard so much while in the old country. He stopped in Illinois, and for five years resided in Marshall County, where he engaged f* LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in farm work. In the spring of 1874 he came to Livingston County, and for the next three years farmed as a renter. In the 3'ear 1877 he purchased the farm on which he has since resided, consisting of eighty acres of most excellent land, which is susceptible of the highest state of cultivation, and lias invariably produced bountiful crops. On the 3d of July, 1871, Mr. Smith was married to Sarah Elizabeth Norman, who was born on the 4th of October, 1847, and is a native of England. She is the daughter of William B. and Mary A. Norman, also natives of England, who emigrated to this country in 1852, and are now residing in Saunemin Township. When they first came to Illinois they settled in Marshall County, where they remained until their removal to Livingston County in 1877. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are the parents of four chil- dren : Mary Elizabeth, who was born May 23, 1872 ; Millie Belle, Nov. 14, 1873; William Henry, Dec. 21,1877, and Robert Ernst, Sept. 21, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are members of the Christian Church and stand prominently as active members of the congregation. Mr. Smith is a Republican in politics, and contributes to the success of that party as much of his efforts as possible. He is a peaceful and law-abiding citizen, and has firmly es- tablished himself in the confidence and esteem of his neighbors and fellow-citizens generally. HARLES H.TUESBURG, Acting Supervisor if of Odell Township, to fill the vacancy occa- sioned by the death of Matthias Tombaugh, was born on the 29th of December, 1844, in the village of Tremont, Tazewell Co., 111., and grew up to village life. His' early education was ob- tained in the country schools, and his last three winters were spent in the High School conducted by Mr. H. O. Snow, in the old court-house. At the age of seventeen he entered the employ of Pet- tis 5 Mr. Tuesburg left the store, and prepared to buy a piece of land for fann- ing. Accordingly he went to Chenoa to look for an opportunity of purchasing on easy terms. After consulting with Mr. Scott he came to Livingston County, to look at land belonging to that gentle- man, lie located a quarter of section 21, and re- turned to report. In June lie went and examined the land again, and not being so well satisfied he made a new selection on section 35, where in No- vember he bought 160 acres at $10.50 per acre. At this time the country for miles and miles around was wild. The first time he crossed the land a fine drove of deer arose from the grass on the knoll where his residence now stands. In April, 1*66, he came with a team and plow and broke forty acres which he planted in corn. The crop was al- most a failure, and he spent the remainder of the year in the store at Tremont with his old employ- ers. In the spring of the following year he gave up his position in the store, and made arrangements to permanently occupy the farm. At first he boarded one and one-half miles from his farm, but on his second attempt he bought some rough lum- ber and built a house with his own hands in which he and his mother lived. This season he put in sixty acres of corn, and about this time his grand- mother died and his mother went home to care for her father. Mr. Tuesburg now having no housekeeper rented I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. his farm and went to his mother at Kappa, four miles from El Paso, where he spent the winter of 1867 and the summer of 1868 working on his grand- father's farm. The next spring he returned to his own farm, bringing his mother with him. This year was very wet, but nothing daunted he plodded on in the face of many difficulties, setting out twenty-five acres of orchard, which proved a fail- ure. In the spring of 1869 he built a better house, and a little later erected another which he fitted up in excellent style. On the 27th of March, 1873, Mr. Tuesburg was married to Sarah K. Dunn, who was born near Farmington, Fulton Co., 111., Nov. 16, 1843, the fifth child born to John and Elizabeth (Bevins) Dunn, of Virginia and Ohio respectively. Her parents settled near Farmington at a very early- day, and reared a large family of children, all of whom became heads of families. One year ago they all stood around the mother's death bed as she quietly passed to the unknown shores. Her death was the first in the family for forty years. The father, inured to the hardships of pioneer life, is still hearty. Mr. and Mrs. Tuesburg are the parents of four children, all of whom are living: John Albert Sid- ney, born Feb. 12, 187.5; Lillian Annetta, July 4, 1877 ; Charles Elmer, March 7, 1879 ; William Han- son, Aug. 18, 1882. Mr. Tuesburg sixteen yearsago took charge of the land belonging to Dr. John W. Scott and sisters, of Lexington, Ky., and is now in charge of all their landed interests in Illinois, amounting to 5,500 acres. During the years 1884 and 1885, he devoted his entire attention to under- drainage. putting in more than 160 miles of tiling. Besides the Scott property he has charge of other lands, altogether 7,600 acres. This is continuously occupied by sixty-five tenants. The tenant houses are all neatly painted and well-kept. Mr. Tues- burg has purchased 480 acres additional which he lias tiled and highly improved, and the last three years has leased to tenants. He is an ardent tem- perance worker, has served as Clerk of the School Board for fifteen years, and is President of the Home Insurance Company, organized under the State laws governing Township Insurance Com- panies. This society is of twelve years' standing, is prosperous and has a capital of $2,000,000. Mr. and Mrs. Tuesburg, although formerly Congrega- ' tionalists at Odell, are now members of the Meth- i odist Episcopal Church, aiding to build up a church society in their own neighborhood. ARKIN L. SNYDER owns and occupies a comfortable homestead in Dwight Town- ship, on section 24, and since his residence here has thoroughly identified himself with the in- terests of the people of his township. His father, Isaac Snyder. a German, was born in East Tennes- see, and married Miss Matilda Wilson. They were the parents of nine children John, Henry, Rich- ard, Ellen, Samuel, Jane, Ann, Lark in L., and James, who died in infancy. Isaac Snyder owned a farm in East Tennessee, which consisted of 160 acres; here he lived for many years, and here all the children were born. He was a very reliable and honorable man. but becoming involved for the sake of his son, who failed in business, he was obliged to sell his farm, and then, in 1860, came to Illinois with but $500 in money. He rented a farm in Fulton County and remained there for four years, and then purchased a farm of 220 acres in Kendall County. He paid for this by dint of personal in- dustry and economy. He and his wife were de- vout members of the Christian Church, and were sincere believers in the doctrines of Christianity. In his political opinions he was in harmony with the Republican party, and always supported its men and measures. He died in 1881 at the age of sev- enty-five years. It can be trulj' said of him that he lived the life of a Christian, and died in the full faith. Larkin L. Snyder, the subject of our sketch, was born in East Tennessee and received little or no education, as the schools at that time were few and far between, and of little account. Mr. Snyder early learned to perform farm work, and on the hill- sides of East Tennessee labored with the most primi- tive tools. The corn was cultivated by hand, and the grain was reaped with a sickle, after the fashion of the olden times, and two men could care for but ten acres of corn. He came to Illinois with his LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 619 father when but thirteen years of age, and worked for him until he began for himself. On the 16th of May, 1872, Mr. Snyder was mar- ried to Miss Annie Drollinger. who is the daugh- ter of Matthias and Amelia (Lloyd) Drollinger. The young couple remained for a year and a half with Mr. Snyder's father, who then gave them a farm consisting of forty acres in Will County. Here they built a home and lived for one year, and then sold this farm and purchased one of eighty acres in Grundy County, where they remained for one year. In 1885 they moved to their present homestead near Dwight. Their household has been blessed with one child, named Minnie A., who is an intelligent little girl of eight years, and is now attending the district school. Mrs. Snyder was horn in Wabash County, Ind., and came with her parents to Kendall County, when she was seventeen years of age, and was mar- ried to Mr. Snyder in her nineteenth year. She is a devoted member of the Church of God, and her daily life is that of a Christian. Mr. Snyder be- longs to the Republican party, to which he gives a hearty and cordial support at all times. He is an industrious and upright man, and among the peo- ple who know him enjoys an enviable reputation. ACOB FARR, of Nebraska Township, has been a resident here since a youth of seven- teen years, having come to this section with his parents in the fall of 1861. With the exception of three years spent in the army, he has employed his time principally in farming pursuits, and is now one of the most experienced agricultur- ists and stockholders- in the western part of Liv- ingston Count}'. His property includes a beautiful tract of 160 acres thoroughly drained with tile, where he has a neat and substantial residence, a good barn and the out-buildings required for the shelter of stock and the storing of grain. He raises Norman and Belgian horses, of which he makes a specialty, and is also giving considerable attention to Poland-China swine. Our subject was born in England, May 14, 1844, where he lived until a lad six years of age, and was then brought by his parents to America. His father first located on a small tract of land near Canastota, Madison Co., N. Y., where the}- resided twelve years, and then, in 1801, migrated west to this county. He had previously purchased eighty acres on section 2, in Nebraska Township, of which they now took possession, and where the parents spent the remainder of their lives. Soon after locating O here, the outbreak of the Rebellion called for vol- unteer troops, and young Jacob, true to the senti- ments to which he had been trained by his honored parents, was anxious to distinguish himself as a soldier of the Union. Although but a youth of eighteen years, he enlisted, in August, 1862, in the 129th Illinois Infantry, marched to the scene of conflict with his comrades, and was present at the battles of Resaca, Dallas Woods, Marietta, Ken- nesavv Mountain, Peachtree Creek and Atlanta. From this latter city he joined Sherman's army on its march to the sea, and took part in all the prin- cipal battles of that campaign. He was remarkably fortunate in his military experience, escaping serious sickness, wounds and capture, and received his hon- orable discharge in June, 1865. Mr. Farr upon leaving the army, returned to his old haunts in this county, and commenced farming for himself. On the 24th of January, 1867, he took to his home a wife and helpmeet, in the per- son of Miss Charlotte A., daughter of Benjamin S. and Mary (Hitchner) Gilman. Mr. and Mrs. Fan- became the parents of six children, two of whom they laid away in early graves. Clarence W. was born Dec. 9, 1867, and died on the 10th of May, 1871. when an interesting little boy nearly four and one-half years of age; Mary E. was born June 22, 1870, and continues at home with her parents; Laura B. was born June 15, 1873, and died Aug. 20, 1875; Jennie A. was born Aug. 10, 1875; Ar- thur E., Nov. 5, 1879, and Edwin J., May, 23, 1884. Our subject is the son of Joseph and Eliza (Bas- queby) Farr, and the eldest of four living children. His sister, Mary A., is the wife of Thomas Richard- son, of Long Point Township, and the mother of six children; John married Miss Nettie Moulds, and is farming in Saunemin Township, and is the father of five children; Harriet F. married Albert Moulds, C20 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. lives in Long Point Township, and 1ms throe chil- dren. Joseph Farr was born in England, Dec. '!, 1814, and his wife, Eliza, in the same locality, Feb. 1, 1814. They were married about 1840. The mother departed this life March 2, 1869, and the father ten years later, March 25, 1879. They lie side by side in Mt. /ion Cemetery, Nebraska Town- ship. Benjamin S. and Mary (llitchner) Oilman, the parents of Mrs. Farr, were born in Cumberland County, N. J. Their daughter Charlotte was bom in the same count}' Sept. 19, 1846. When she was a child eight years of age, they emigrated to the West, locating in Nebraska Township, where the mother died Sept. 22, 1870, and her remains were also interred in the cemetery at Mt. Zion. Soon after marriage our subject purchased eighty acres of land on section 4, Nebraska Township, which he occupied about eight years, when he sold out and purchased 160 acres on section 24, of which he still holds possession. He has one of the finest homesteads in this part of the county, and is looked upon by his neighbors as a model farmer and valued citizen. He united with the Methodist Episcopal Church about 1870, and has since been one of its most active and zealous members. He east his first Presidential vote for Gen. Grant, and has since been an ardent supporter of Republican principles. S. MUNRO has been a citizen of the State of Illinois for thirty years, and a resident of the county of Livingston for nearly twenty years, and during that time he has made a reputation for himself as a farmer and stock-raiser co-extensive with the county. Mr. Miinro is a Massachusetts man by birth, and first saw the light of day on the 14th of September. 1836. He is the son of Joseph and Olive (Brown) Miiuro, both New EnglamU-rs by birth. It is sup- posed that his paternal ancestors came over on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock. They were of Scotch descent, and his maternal ances- tors were English. His great-grandfather. Aaron Brown, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and served under the immediate command of Gen. Washington. His father, Joseph Munro; was a soldier in the War of 1812, in which he served from 1811 to 1814. The father remained in Mas- sachusetts after the close of the War of 1812 un- til his death, which occurred April 23, 1863. The mother died in Watseka, 111., on the 8th of Octo- ber, 1878. They were the parents of nine chil- dren, seven of whom are living: Melvin, of Wis- consin; Cortland, of Wisconsin; Brown, of LaSalle County, 111.; Joseph, of Washington Territory; Seneca W., of Wisconsin; Warren C., of Saunemin Township, and our subject. The names of the two deceased were William and Mason C. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native State, where he attended the common schools, and in which he received a very fair education. He began the work of a farmer, which has been his oc- cupation all his life. In 1856 he emigrated to Illi- nois and settled in LaSalle County, where he re- mained until 1 869, in which year he came to Liv- ingston County, and settled in Saunemin Town- ship on the farm where he now resides. On the 28th of January, 4868, Mr. Munro 'was married toLydia F. Franks, who was born on the 8th of March, 1847, in Muskingum County, Ohio. She is the daughter of Isaac and Hannah Franks, who now reside in Muscatine County, Iowa. They were both natives of Virginia, and for a short pe- riod were residents of Muskingum County, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Munro are the parents of nine chil- dren, whose names are as follows: Ada F., born Jan. 16, 1870; Eva M., April 23, 1871 ; Bertha E., Feb. 5, 1873; Walter G.. born Jan. 5, 1875, died Sept. 1, 1883; Harmon S., born Jan. 5, 1878: Ralph K.. Jan. 5, 1880; Herbert, July 25, 1882; Everett L., March 26, 1884, and Elmer E.. Fob. 20, 1887. When Mr. Munro settled on his present farm the land was in its primitive condition, but during his occupancy he has converted it into one of the finest farms in the county, comprising 120 acres, well supplied with a good class of farm buildings. Mr. Munro is a Republican in politics, and while not taking a very active part in political affairs, always votes that ticket at the elections. He and 1 r (y^Z^rrtAsw I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 625 ir his wife are both members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, he having served that denomination in the capacity of Steward. Mr. and Mrs. Munro are both respected members of society, and their influence is always felt in the cause of religion and morality. The}' are generous and hospitable, and devote much of their time to all good works. HILIPPINA GIRARD, widow of the late 1) Albert Girard, of Long Point Township, is the proprietor of a fine homestead on section 29, which includes 200 acres of highly cultivated land, the fields mostly laid off with handsome hedges, and the farm buildings of the best description. The passing traveler at once observes that the hand of taste and industry has been here employed to good advantage, and the farm with its appurtenances, besides its value in itself, lias added largely to the attractions of the surrounding country. The gentleman who was mainly instrumental in building up this beautiful home was born in the Kingdom of Prussia Oct. 22, 1838, and departed this life at his home in Long Point Township Aug. 7, 1887. He emigrated to this country when about eighteen years of age, becoming a resident of Long- Point Township, and commenced life mainly de- pendent upon his own resources. In his subsequent career he displayed in a marked degree the sub- stantial and industrious traits of his reliable Ger- man ancestry. He was recognized as a thorough and skillful farmer, a worth}' citizen, and one who fulfilled his entire duty toward those dependent upon him. Mrs. Girard, also a native of Prussia, was born Sept. 24, 1848, and is the daughter of John and Margrctla (Betz) Binz, natives of the same country as their daughter, where the father spent his entire life, his death taking place in 1850. The mother wa- born in 1808, and is still living in her native Province. The parental family included four chil- dren: Frantz, the youngest, died in infancy; John, the eldest, continues in his native land, where he is following farming and brick manufacturing; he is married, and the father of two children. Lenora is the wife of John Miller, and the mother of eight children ; she lives in Germany. Philippina came to this country alone in 1867, and was married Feb. 10, 18C8. The husband of Mrs. Girard was the son of Fritz and Theodora Girard, the former of whom died in Illinois in 1871, while the latter is still living, and was seventy-nine years old on the 9th of October., 1887. The children of Albert and Philippina Gi- rard are recorded as follows : Maggie was born Nov. 21, 1868, and died on the 2d of October, 1875; Frederick was born June 24, 1871, and is living at home with his mother; Henry was born Dec. 13, 1873; Alice, Sept. 30, 1876; and Ida, April 15, 1879. Mrs. G., since the death of her husband, has superintended the affairs of her large and valuable estate with rare good judgment, and is giving careful attention to the education of the children. She is a lady held in the highest respect in the community, and is a devoted member of the German Evangelical Church. ACOB KUNS is not only one of the largest farmers and stock-raisers in Newtown Town- ship, but one of its most highly respected citizens. He lives on section 13, where he owns (MO acres of well-improved land, on which there are erected as comfortable and commodious buildings as can be found in Livingston County. He is the most extensive farmer in the township, owning altogether 818 acres. He has been a resi- dent of Newtown Township since 1852, in which year he entered 240 acres of Government land. To this he has added from time to time, on the section upon which it is located and on section 24, until he now owns the magnificent tract of land above mentioned. It must certainly be highly gratifying to him, as well as showing his substan- tial worth as a business man, to know that on this vast property there is no encumbrance, and no claim of any kind against its owner, save one of $400. Mr. Kuns was born in Union County, Pa., on the 16th of May, 1823, and is the son of Dan- iel Kuns, who was born in the same State. The grandfather, John Kuns, was a soldier in the Rev- I f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. olutionary War. and was also in the War of 181 '2, [ serving a.s a substitute for another man. He died in Union County, Pa., at about eighty years of age. He was the father of five children, three of whom lived and died in Pennsylvania. Their names were Daniel, Samuel, John, George, and a girl, name not now remembered, who married and went to Ohio, and no tidings have been received from her ex- cepting once shortly after she located in that State. Daniel, the father of our subject, was born in the year 1790, in Pennsylvania. He was a weaver by trade, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was married to Louisa Speace, who was, perhaps, born in Germany, and came to this country with her parents, who were early settlers in Pennsylvania. Daniel lived in Pennsylvania until our subject was about sixteen years of age. When Jacob was about nine years old his father purchased his first horse, at a public sale at the res- idence of his wife's parents. The horse was about fifteen years of age, was totally blind, and cost him the sum of 112. From this animal he raised a team which hauled him and his family to Ohio, where they settled in Pickaway County in 1838. They remained there for four years, during which time they were engaged in farming. From there the father removed to Vermilion County, 111., making the journey in a wagon drawn by the same horses which took him and his family from Pennsyl- vania to Ohio. His first purchase of land consisted of eighty acres, which be improved and resided ui>on until his death, which occurred in 18(il, at the age of fifty-three years. His wife died before he left Pennsylvania, at the age of forty years. To them were born nine children, three of whom are living, as follows: Jacob, our subject; Samuel, who lives on the old home place in Vermilion County, and which he owns; the place consists of about 400 acres of most excellent land; lie is married and has a family of three children. Elizabeth, wife of Henry Gillman, residing in Newtown Town- ship. The names of the deceased children are deorge. who died in youth: John, who died in Ohio at the age of twenty -two: Daniel, who mar- ried, moved to Wisconsin, and died, leaving a wife and three children; Su>an, who died in Ohio, at the acre of nineteen ; Lear, who died in Vermilion r County, 111., at the age of eighteen, and William. who died in the same county at the age of sixteen. Jacob Kuns lived at home until he was about twenty-four years old, during which time he was engaged with his father in trading and farming. On the 20th of October, 1*49, he was married to Jemima Hoobler, daughter of Rev. John Hoob- ler, of whom a sketch is given in another part of this ALBUM. She was born on the 10th of January, 1824, in Ohio. Her parents left that State and moved to Indiana, and from there to Vermilion County, 111. On the way from Ohio Jemima met with an accident, which made her a cripple for life. She fell from the wagon in which the family \\as being transported, and one of the wheels ran over and severed one of her legs. To Mr. and Mrs. Kuns have been born eight children: John D., who was born Aug. 22, 1 8.JO, is now living on a portion of the home place; he was married to Phiebe Brooker, who was born in Livingston County, Sept. 2, 1871, and they have seven children. Marion Franklin, born Nov. 20, 1S.V2, was killed by the kick of a horse on the head; Mary C., born July 6, 1805, was married to Benjamin Ziegler, who was born in Indiana: they have had five children, three of whom are living and two dead; the}- live on a part of the home place. Sarah R., born Jan. 7, 1858, is the wife of Frederick Ide; they have three children, two of whom are living, and reside on section 24, New- town Township. Margaret E., born Nov. 11,1 860, died Nov. 1, 1*62: Elizabeth Ann, born June 12, 1.S62, died in September, 1867: Andrew J., born Dec. 14, 1865, died Sept. 2:>, 1867; Isabella, born June 2.">, 1869, is unmarried and resides at home. Mr. and Mrs. Knns were married in North Fork, Vermilion Co.. 111., Oct. 20, 1849, the Rev. A. Peterson of the United Brethren Church, oili- ciating. Three yours later they came to their pres- ent location, where they have the finest farm in Newtown Township, a view of which is presented in this volume. Politically, Mr. Kuns is an Inde- pendent, voting for the men whom he prefers on whatever ticket they may lie. In 1884 he cast his vote for Grover Cleveland for President, believ- ing that he would make a better executive than either of the men who ran in opposition to him. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 627 Mr. Kuns is a man of correct business methods, and is prompt and reliable in all his transactions. His agricultural and stock operations are on a large scale, and they are invariably successful. Among the numerous portraits presented in this volume, none are of more highly esteemed or re- spected people than those of Mr. and Mrs. Kuns, which are presented in this connection. flLLIAM H. CHAPMAN, who is now en- gaged in farming on section 6, Fayette Township, is a young man who has had ex- perience in varied lines of business, and is one of the most systematic and intelligent agriculturists in Livingston County. He is a native of Maryland, and was born in the city of Baltimore May 15, 185(1. He is the son of Jonathan J. and Emma (Ackerley) Chapman, who were natives of Ohio and New York respectively. The father was quite ex- tensively engaged in glass manufacturing in the city of Baltimore for a considerable time, and in that line of business achieved success. During the war he served as Provost Marshal, and took an active part in the war proceedings in that section of Mary- land. His first wife died in 1869, and was buried in Baltimore. The father was married to his second wife, who was Miss Elizabeth Saner, in 1871. By the first marriage there were eight children, all of whom were boys, and four of them are now living, named Jonathan George, Alfred A., Charles B. and William H., the latter being the subject of our sketch. The names of the deceased children are Thomas C. and Theodore, and two died in infancy. By his second marriage Mr. Chapman has had three children Robert Howard, Walter Johnson and Annie Elizabeth. At eighteen years of age our subject engaged himself as a clerk in Baltimore, in the commission house of J. A. Hutchins & Co., where he remained for three years, and gave good satisfaction to his employers. For about a year after leaving this house he carried on the commission business on his own account. On the 10th of February, 1880, Mr. Chapman was married to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Boll, a native of Maryland, who was born Feb. 24, 185G. She is the daughter of Edward J. and Sarah (Button) Bell, who were farmers by occupa- tion. The father died in January, 1874, and the mother is still living in Maryland. They were the parents of ten children, of whom five were boys and five girls. By a former marriage Mr. Bell had four children. To Mr. and Mrs. Chapman have been born four children, whose names are Elizabeth Belle, Carrie Ackerley, Julia Maria, and a daugh- ter unnamed. Mr. Chapman's farm consists of 160 acres of choice land, which has been ex- cellently improved. He engages in general farm- ing, and raises all the various grains for which this section of Illinois is so well adapted. He also en- gages extensively in raising various kinds of stock. During his short residence in -Fayette Township Mr. Chapman has endeared himself to the people by his uniform courtesy and upright demeanor. He has held the office of Tax Collector of Fayette Township since 1885, and is still the incumbent of the same, and also School Director of District No. 1. In these official capacities he displays unusual intelligence and good judgment, and his adminis- tration gives eminent satisfaction to the people whom he serves. lEORGE W. CLINE, one of the important members of the farming community of Chatsworth Township, is widely and favor- ably known by the people of this section among whom he has lived eighteen years. His birthplace and early home were in Tazewell County, where he first opened his eyes to the light Dec. 21, 1829. John Cline, the father of our subject, a native of Maryland, was born May 3, 1784, and passed his boyhood and youth in his native State. Thence he migrated to Virginia, where he made the acquaint- ance of, and married Miss Elizabeth Hill, who was born in what is now West Virginia Aug. 4, 178'.). Soon after uniting their hearts and fortunes, the young people removed to Ohio, where the husband purchased land in Licking County and there fol- lowed agricultural pursuits until 1823. He then resolved to join the caravan that was inarching westward to the younir and rapidly growing Prai- t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. rie State, and upon his arrival chose for his location a spot in Elm Grove Township, Tazewell County, where he was among its earliest pioneers. He en- tered 240 acres of land and at once began the cul- tivation of the primitive soil, remaining there the balance of his life and transforming the once wild waste into a comfortable and valuable homestead. There his death took place in 1844. The wife and mother survived him for a period of twenty-seven years, and spent her last days at the home of her son, our subject, at Chatsworth, passing away with the fall of the leaf in 1871. Of the thirteen children born to John and Elizabeth Cline, nearly all attained their majority, married, and located in homes of their own ; only three are now living. John is a resident of Taze- well County and his sister Elizabeth makes her home with him and with our subject. The latter with his brothers and sisters attended the district school, and as soon as large enough his services were utilized on the farm. He remained with his parents during his childhood and youth, and on the j 1st of May, 1856, was united in marriage with Miss America, daughter of Jacob and Catherine Ann Fishbern. Mrs. Cline was born in Middletown, Pa., Feb. 12, 183G, and can.e with her parents to Illi- nois during its early settlement. They located in LaSalle County, where she continued with her par- ents until her marriage with our subject, after which the young couple spent eight years in La- Salle County. In 1 864 they came to this county, and took possession of the land which Mr. Cline has since transformed into a comfortable home- stead. He began the struggle of life without other capital than his strong hands and stout heart, and the result is one which can afford only entire satis- faction. He has lived his life simply and unosten- tatiously, and probably has derived more real sat- isfaction in the quiet seclusion of his country home than many who have perhaps attained to larger possessions with their added cares. The household circle of Mr. and Mrs. Cline has been completed by the birth of eleven children, of whom ten are living. The eldest daughter, a bright and interesting girl of fourteen years, was taken from the household by death in 1871. Those sur- viving are: Emma, Charles, George, Harry, Frank, Ida, Kate, John, James and Eugenia. Mr. Cline when first exercising the right of suffrage voted with the Democratic party, but in 1874 identified himself with the Greenbackers. He has always been greatly interested in the success of the tem- perance movement and is a decided Prohibitionist. He represented Chatsworth Township in the County Board of Supervisors six years, and has been the incumbent of various other local offices. Socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity. On another page is shown a view of Mr. Cline's residence, as indicative of the taste of the agricult- urists of this section of country. -*- ( j|p3)MMETT R. SUTTCN. This gentleman, who has a fine and true appreciation of the possibilities of farming as carried on in a scientific manner, has contributed in no small de- gree to the establishment of his leading ideas, which are those of the most intelligent men of the country, being interested in the invention of the self-governing spring motor, applicable to pumps on the farm or in mills, and to both upright and rotary motions, and which can be utilized equally well upon street cars or corn-shellers. There are evidences that this, in time, will be the nucleus of a snug fortune to it.s patentee, Obediah Smith. While Mr. Sutton gave the principal idea, be baa only one-half interest. Mr. Sutton is agreeably located on section 34, in Pleasant Ridge Township, where ho owns 100 acres of land, supplied with good buildings and all the other appurtenances of a modern country estate. On another page of this Ai.ur.M we present a view of Mr. Sutton's residence. He was born in Seneca County, N. Y., April 17, 18-'iM, and is the son of Benjamin B. and Arittn (Sherwood) Sutton, natives of Seneca County, X. Y. The father was born Jan. 5, 1800, and died at his home in Seneca County Feb. 20, 18. and the father is still living on the old home place. Their children, eleven in number, were respectively: Minerva, Emma, Sarah, Ada, Lucy, Smith, Charles, Mar}-, Ella, Wisner, and one who died in infancy unnamed. Mr. and Mrs. Sutton have three children Ella, Frederick W. and Emi. Mr. S., politically, is one of the most reliable members of the Repub- lican party, and belongs to the G. A. It., Post No. 114, at Forest. He has established one of the finest homesteads in Pleasant Ridge Township, and is a leader in the enterprises tending to the advance- ment of the people, both morally and intellectually. lie is quite an extensive reader, and is greatly interested in the success of the temperance move- ment, lie has been connected with the manufact- ure and sale of windmills for a number of years, and expects in the near future to begin the manu- facture of his invention, which is patented in England, Canada and the United States, and is called the Obediah Smith Motor. 18 REISING is favorably known throughout Saunemin Township, as a suc- cessful German farmer of moderate means, and owning a comfortable homestead, which he has built up b}- the labor of his own hands. His early home was in the Kingdom of Bavaria, where his birth took place Sept. 17, 1824. His parents, Nicholas and Catherine (Helendall) Reising, were also of German birth and parentage, and Nicholas was their only son. He was consequently carefully watched over during his childhood and youth, and received an excellent education, being placed in school at the early age of six years and continuing there until fourteen. He took kindly to learning and has since followed up the course of reading which he commenced soon after being able to mas- ter his native language. His parents lived upon a small farm in Bavaria, where he assisted them in plowing, sowing and reaping, and became familiar with agricultural pursuits as carried on in Germany, although as may be supposed, the methods were quite different from those in this country. Mr. Reising continued a resident of his native Province until thirty-three years of age, and then t 630 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. not being satisfied with the result of his labors and the prospect held out to him in the future, resolved to join the large number of his countrymen in the New World. He accordingly repaired to Antwerp, where he embarked on the steamship ' Constitu- tion," and after an ocean voyage of eleven days, landed in New York City. This was considered a very quick trip, and most assuredly was a wide contrast in point of comfort and rapidity to the journey made on a sailing-vessel by many of his countrymen. From the metropolis of the East, Mr. Reising proceeded direct to this State, locating in Wood- ford County, where he remained until the spring of 18(iG. He then came to Livingston County and purchased eighty acres of raw prairie land upon which scarcely a furrow had been turned, and where there were no buildings. Pie was aware that it would take years of labor and require hundreds of dollars to effect its transformation into a good farm, but this outlay he was willing to make, and" entered at once upon his labors. The results are eminently satisfactory, for he can now look around him upon a fine and fertile farm with good build- ings, a fair assortment of live stock and the other appurtenances of a comfortable homestead. He has labored hard, and cart now relax his efforts as he has laid the foundation for a competency in his old age. While a resident of Woodford County, Mr. Reis- ing made the acquaintance of a most estimable young lady, one of his own country-women, Miss Maggie Foltz, and they were married on the 14th of October, 1858, at the home of the bride in Woodford County, and commenced housekeeping in that place. Indue time the home circle was en- larged by the birth of eight children : Mary, who was born Nov. 14, 1858; John and August N. (twins), Jan. 4, 18C1 ; Henry, Feb. 4, 1863; Jo- seph, June 20, 1805; Annie M., Oct. (>, 1868; Su- san B., Dec. 16, 1870, and Matilda, who was born March 4, 1873, and died Feb. 13, 1880. Our subject and his wife were reared in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, to which they closely adhere, and Mr. R., politically, usually votes the Democratic ticket, although exercising I lie right of :in independent American citizen, and willing to give his support to men of other parties whose qualifications and political views meet his approval. He, however, meddles little with poli- ties, preferring to devote his time mostly to his farming interests. THEODORE WIENAND. The thrifty Ger- man citizen is found all over Livingston County, sandwiched between its most en- terprising and industrious agriculturists, where he holds his own and often outstrips the native-born American in the extent of his possessions and his value as a citizen and business man. The subject of this biography is one of the foremost of his coun- trymen in this part of Central Illinois, and is lo- cated on section :!5, in Charlotte Township, where he has built up a good homestead and is largely engaged in general farming and stock-raising. The early home of Mr. Wienand was in Arens- berg, Germany, where he first opened his eyes to the light Dec. 11, 1829. He was the sixth in a family of eleven children, the offspring of Joseph and Theresa (Susewind) Wienand, also of German birth and parentage. Joseph Wienand was a man of good education and possessed great musical talent, employing himself as a teacher of music in the city of Oldenburg. Theodore was reared at home with his brothers and sisters, receiving a good education in his native language, and after leaving school at the age of fourteen years, served an ap- prenticeship at harness-making and followed this trade for a period of seventeen years. Young Wienand, however, being of an ambitious turn of mind was by no means satisfied with the result of his labors, and resolved to seek a new field of operations on this side of the Atlantic. Accordingly, in the spring of 185o, after passing his twenty-fourth birthday, he repaired to Hamburg, and on the 17th of April boarded a sailing-vessel bound for New York City. After a rough voyage of about forty days he landed in the great metrop- olis, where he remained two months, working at his trade. Thence he migrated east to Harring- ton, Muss., and from there, in I 8.V>, started for the LIVINGSTON COUNTV. 6:; I West. After coining into Woodford County, this SUite, lie secured employment in a harness-shop at Panola and worked two years at $18 per month. He then in connection with his brother-in-law pur- chased the shop and its equipments, which he con- ducted about two years. Mr. Wicnaud continued in Panola until the spring of I860. In the meantime he was married, March 8, 1858, to Miss Wilhelmina Cook, one of his own country- women, born in the Province of Mecklen- burg Oct. 1,18:!4. She is one of a family of nine chil- dren, most of whom were born on the other side of the water. Only four are now living, all in the I'nited States. Two years after his marriage Mr. \Vienand invested a part of his surplus funds in forty acres of parth' improved land near Oliver Grove, this county, to which he removed after put- ting up a small house and otherwise making things comfortable for his family. It was a wild section, although near the town, and infested with rattle- snakes, of which he killed thirty-two in the space of three weeks. He soon tired of this kind of farming and traded the property for a store building in Chatsworth, where he opened a harness-shop and worked at his trade two years. Although Mr. Wieuand's first farming venture proved unsatisfactory, lie determined to give coun- try life another trial, and now traded his store with its contents for eighty acres of improved land where he now resides. This experiment proved highly satisfactory; he was prospered in his farm operations, and invested his spare cash in additional land until he is now the owner of 240 acres, 160 of this being in Ford County. It has all been brought to a high state of cultivation and the homestead embellished with first-class buildings and stocked with mixed grade* of Jersey, Durham and Short- horn cattle, besides Norman and Clydesdale horses. The fences are neat and substantial and the farm machinery embraces some of the best inventions of the day. Mr. Wicnand has become thoroughly Ameri- canized, and takes an active interest in politics, casting his vote with the Democratic party. He assisted in organizing the different school districts in his township and has otliciated as Director for some time. He and his excellent lady are among the most valued members of the German Evangeli- cal Church at Chatsworth. They have a blooming family of children, nine in number, and named respectively: Amelia, Clementine, Louisa, Theo- dore, Joseph, Lewis, Otto, Olga and Minnie. Amelia was born March 8, 186;!; Clementine, Aug. 24, 1K64; Louisa, Aug. 20, 1866; Theodore, Dec. 8, 1867; Joseph, April 6, 1860; Lewis, Jan. 11, 1871; Otto, Nov. 8, 1872; Olga, April 11, 187;"); Wilhelmina, Dec. 8, 1877. The eldest daughter, Amelia, is the wife of Lewis Meisenhelder, a pros- perous farmer operating near the \Vienand home- stead ; Clementine married Frederick Meisenhelder, and also lives not far from her parents; Louisa is keeping house for her brother iu Ford Count}-, and the younger children are at home with their par- ents. They have received all the advantages pos- sible, being well educated, while the son Joseph, who is attending school at Chatsworth, is a youth of more than ordinary ability and will doubtless choose one of the professions for his calling in life. Mr. Wienand has accumulated his property by the sweat of his brow, having never been afraid of hard work, and will have a snug income for a rainj- day. As representative of the buildings of this section of country, we present on another page a view of Mr. Wienand's residence. cfl WILLIAM A. MYER. It is no small honor \&J/I ^ ^ )e ^h e son f one f those men who ^7X5 early in life signalized the resolute enter- prise of their character by breaking away from the common routine and seeking in a new country to build up for themselves a home and a reputation which could not be otherwise than an honor to their posterity. The subject of this history occu- pies this enviable position, being the son of Eli Myer, who came to Illinois nearly forty years ago. Eli Myer was a native of Alleghany County, Md., and was born Oct. 18, 1796. He was the son of John Myer, also a native of Maryland, where he spent his entire life and reared a large family, of whom Eli, William and Peter came to the West. William located in LaSalle County during its LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 t curliest settlement and there spent the remainder of his life, passing away at a ripe old age. Peter located in Shelby County, In7 came to this county with small means and purchased forty acres where he now resides in Neliraska Town- ship. This lie has carefully cultivated and lias given considerable attention to stock-raising. He is re- garded as a praiseworthy and reputable citizen, and is tilling his sphere in life to the best of his ability. Mr. Martin is a native of this State, having been born in liclle Plaine Township. Marshall County. Dec. 12. ISlo. His parents. James and Charlotte (Ferris) Martin, were people of modest means who could do little for their children, and Janie.- M. "hen a lad of thirteen years left the parental roof and commenced working by the month for himself, being permitted to receive his own wages. When fourteen years of age he was employed by Joseph Irving-ton, of Marshall County, fora period of eight months, and at the expiration of this time, upon de- manding his wages, found that he was to lie disap- pointed, as he did not get a cent of the entire amount. This was a severe trial to the indiistriou* boy but there was nothing to do except to go at it again, which he did under another employer, and thus labored until the fall of 18(11. Our subject was then only eighteen years old but was well developed and intelligent, and upon in-of- fering his services as a soldier of the I'nion was accepted, and became a member of the tth Illinois Cavalry, to continue for three years. He partici- pated in the battles at Ft. Donelson, Pittsburg Lauding and Corinth, and met the rebels in various minor engagements and skirmishes, receiving in the meantime a shot through the wrist. Being now unfitted for service for a time, he was left behind his regiment at Trenton, Tenn., and afterward, in the engagement at Trenton Station, Tenn., was taken prisoner by Forrest's Cavalry, and for about seven days he had scarcely any food. Shortly af- terward, however, he was paroled anil escorted to the Union lines, when he was sent to Benton liar- racks. He concluded that as he could not light for his country he would go upon a visit to his friends, which he did without leave, and upon reporting for duty the following May, was fined about fcl2f, for his absence, which was at least an improvement upon being shot for a deserter, although he had by no means intended to desert. lie was returned to his regiment in October following, when near the expiration of his term of service, and mustered out on the 3d of November. 1SIII. receiving his honor- able discharge. Mr. Martin, the second time, after leaving the army, repaired to Marshall County, and spent the winter following in attending school, in the mean- time working for his board night and morning. A- the spring opened, the war still being in progress, he resolved to again become a soldier, and enlisting March >. \*i'<~>, in the 11th Illinois Cavalrv. con- tinned with his company until again honorably dis- charged the following September. Upon returning to Illinois he purchased a team and crossed the Mississippi into Kansas and back. He had expected to locate farther wot, but changed his mind and t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 635 concluded their wa> no better place than the Prairie State, of which lie has since been a resident. After becoming satisfied that he could comfortably maintain a family, Mr. Martin was united in marriage, Sept. Id. 1868, with the maiden of his choice, Miss Rachel A., daughter of Benjamin S. and Mary (llitchner) (iihnan. They first began housekeep- ing in a modest home where they at present reside, and in due time the household was enlarged by the birth of nine children: Eugene V. was born May _>'.), 18611; Harvey Benjamin, Oct. >, 1870; Walter M., March 7, 1872; Linden t'., July 3, 1874; Will- iam Ferris, May (!. 1877; Lulu May, April 8, 187!t; Rachel E., Oct. 1, 1880; Charlotte B., May 1!), 1882; and Hope Emma, May 21, 1885. AVID F. SMITH. The tendency of the vegetable productions of nature is to de- teriorate, and particularly is this so in the case of fruit. In order to maintain a high standard of quality in apples, peaches, pears, grapes and other fruits which enter so largely into the con- sumption of the world, the constant attention of man is required not only in preparing the soil which is to nurture them, but in grafting and interming- ling the varieties. This business has so many nice and delicate points involved in it that much intelli- gence and constant study are required to make a success of horticulture, and to be a competent Horti- culturist a thorough knowledge of botany is re- quired. When these two lines of business are com- bined and carried on where the climatic and soil conditions are right they are a .source of much pleas- ure and profit. The subject of this sketch is engaged in Horticult- ure and horticulture on section 3, Indian Grove Township, one-half mile north of the town of Fair- bury, III. He was born on the 21st of January, 1 *!">, in Perry County, Ohio, and is the son of George and Mary (Fisher) Smith, the former a na- tive of Ohio, and the latter of Switzerland ; they are both living, he at the age of seventy -eight years and she at eighty. This venerable couple were the parents of eight children, the eldest of whom is the Milled of this sketch; the names of the others are: Sarah, Lena, Elizabeth, Susan, Eve, Rebecca and George F. Sarah is the wife of Peter Humbarger; Lena, of Isaac Foucht; Elizabeth, of Mr. Sehrider: Susan, of Charles Poorman ; Eve, of Alfred Mech- I ing, and Rebecca, of Lev i Ilumbarger; George F. married Sarah King. On the 20th of September, 1867, Mr. Smith mar- ried Miss Clara Smith. Our subject's advent into Illinois was on the 18th of April, 1865. He came alone and at once entered into the nursery business. His place consists of seven acres of land which is well planted in small fruit trees, and other nur.-ery stock, and "on which he has erected two fine hot- houses, which are fifty feet in length. During the time he has been in business he has built up an ex- tensive trade in Livingston and adjoining counties, and gained an enviable reputation for his trees and shrubs wherever they have been introduced. On this small farm he has erected one of the finest dwelling-houses in the county, and in its surround- ings Mr. Smith has displayed much taste. In 1 853 he met with an unfortunate accident, losing his right hand by the explosion of a gun. In political matters he votes and works with the Democratic party, but under no circumstances does he permit political matters to interfere with his business affairs. In our illustration department we present a view of Mr. Smith's residence and surroundings. <- OHN N. GUTHRIE. While it is not one of the principles of our Government that the State shall provide food or raiment, home or money for its citizens who are able to care for themselves, without a return on their part of some sort of an equivalent, there are in all the minor branches of our Government, systems of charity and benevolence, maintained by taxation, whereby the indigent of all ages and nationalities are cared for. The States have pro- vided asylums for the deaf and dumb, blind and feeble-minded, and hospitals for the insane. The General Government has founded homes where those who lost their health or their limbs in the service of the country may spend their days in comparative comfort, and the counties of the 636 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. *^t States have provided houses of refuge for the des- titute, who may have no claim upon either the State or the General Government. The County 1'oor House is not a palace in any sense of the word, Init under the systems in vogue in most of the counties it is a comfortable home for the un- fortunate men and women who have not where to lay their heads. Nearly all these houses are man- aged upon humanitarian systems, and are in the hands of i>eople of true benevolence. The sub- ject of this sketch is the Superintendent of the Asylum for the Poor of Livingston County. Mr. Guthrie was born on the 21st of February, 1828, in Fountain County, Ind. He is the son of John and Jane (Melntyre) Guthrie, the former born in Rockbridge County, Ya., in 1788, and who died, at the age of eighty-one years, in Ep- pard's Point Township, at the residence of the sub- ject of this sketch. When the father left Virginia he went to Cincinnati, where he lived until 1810, and then removed to Washington County, Ind., where he was married and lived until about 127, following fanning and carpentering. His wife's parents were from Virginia, and came to Indiana in about 1816, when 1 the father died when he was over eighty years of age. The names of Mr. Outline's maternal grandparents were Robert and Sarah Melntyre. Robert was a Representative in the Legislature from Fountain County, Ind.. and \\a.-u Deputy Sheriff for several years. He was a man of good business qualifications and was highly respected. To the parents of our subject were born seven children Indiana, George W., Mary J., Margaret, Robert M., Catherine and John Nelson. Indiana wn> born in Washington County, Ind., and married John Jones, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and they had one boy, Joseph W. Jones, now a lawyer in Danville, III., who has served as State's Attorney for several years; Indiana died in 1850, in Fountain County, and her husband was married a second time and died soon after in Wi-- consin. George W. wa- born in Washington County, .Ind., is married, has a family of live, chil- dren, and lives in Franklin County, 111.: Marv J. wa- born in Washington County. Ind., and died in Fountain County, at the age of seventeen: Mar- garet .was, born in Washington County, married Daniel Brown, and died in 1 8(iO, in Jasper County, Ind., leaving four children; Robert M. was born in Washington County, Ind., was a wagon-maker by trade, and died in Fountain County, at the age of twenty-five; Catherine was first married to Philip Lickenhons, who died one year afterward; she is now the wife of the Rev. Jeremiah Clark, of Cedar County, Mo., and has a family of seven chil- dren. The subject of this sketch is the youngest of the family. His mother died when lie was about four- teen months old, and he lived at the home of a sis- ter until he was old enough to take care of himself. At the age of twenty-three years, on the 1 itth of September, 1X50, he was married to Ann Auter, the daughter of James and Martha (Marlatt) Auter, natives of Ohio, who came to Indiana about 1831, at which time she was about six months old. Her parents had six children Harvey, Peter, John, Mary J., Elizabeth, and Ann, the wife of our sub- ject. Of these, three are living: Mary J., the widow of Allison Virden, of Pontiac; Elizabeth, who lives in Pontiac: and Peter, who lives in Fountain County, Ind. The father died when Ann was a child. Mr. Guthrie has been a farmer ever since he was eleven years of age, and for the past year and a half has been Superintendent of the County Poor Farm, of which he has a lease for three years. His management of this farm has given great satis- faction to the people and the authorities. He has served in an official capacity as Trustee and Assessor of the township. To Mr. and Mrs. Guthrie have been bom five children Martha J., Florence A., Lillie, Cora, and one who died before being named. Martha J. was born Sept. 6, 1851. and acts as Matron of the asylum. She was married to William Ilalsted, of New York, who came to Illinois when quite young and died on the 25th of August, 1878, leaving one child, Florence A. Halsted; Florence A. died in infancy; Lillie was born April 14, 1803, and is the wife of Lewis Thrasher: she is a teacher In- occupation. Cora married George Woolcy. and lives in Avoca Township: they have three sons. The wife of Mr. Guthrie died of consumption on LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the 5th of M:nvli, 1887. In M;iy, 186, she went on a visit to her brother in Douglas County, and while waiting at the depot was exposed to the weiither and contracted a cold which resulted in her death. Mr. Guthrie is .an active member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, in which for many years he has served as Steward. He is Democratic in politics and takes quite an active part in the cam- paigns of the township and county. He is a man of excellent business reputation, which is justified by his record in this county. oILLTAM G. MESSLER is the junior mem- ber of the firm of Searing & Messier, deal- ers in grain and agricultural implements at Chatsworth, and is numbered among the enter- prising and reliable business men of the county. He is a native of Illinois, having been born in the town of Cuba, Fulton County, on the 14th of Oc- tober, 1849. Benjamin W. Messier, the father of our subject, was a native of the State of Maryland, but when a young man he moved to the State of Ohio, locat- ing near the city of Dayton, where he was united in marriage with Mary E. Cline, a native of Vir- ginia, where she was born June 25, 1820. Imme- diately after their marriage the young couple loaded their household goods into a wagon and started westward, and after a weary journey ar- rived in Fulton County, 111., where they were num- bered among the early pioneers. The father at first [engaged in merchandising at Farmington, but a few years later located on a farm, which he soon after left, and became a hotel-keeper in the town of Liverpool. He next removed to Cuba, near which place he resided and followed fanning for several years, meeting with marked success. He continued in this occupation until 1863, when on account of his advanced age, he moved into the village, where he passed his remaining years in retirement from active business, and died in the year 1871, at the age of fifty-six. Mrs. Messier is still living, and re- sides at Cuba. Their family consists of six chil- dren: Hannah, the wife of W. H. Heller, resides on a farm adjoining Cuba; Elizabeth, the wife of H. E. Heiffner, resides in Beardstown; John C. lives near Crete, Neb. ; William G.; Benjamin F. resides in Farmington, and George F. at Havana. Mr. Messier was reared on a farm, and received a good education in the public schools at Cuba. When about twenty years of age he learned teleg- raphy, and was employed as operator at Canton, HI., for the C'., B. & s, which is thoroughly tile drained and highly cultivated. He lives in a model residence, which is a credit to him. Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell are members in good standing of the Christian Church, and take unusual interest in church affairs. He is an enthusiastic member of the Republican party, to which he gives willing and ready allegiance, on all occasions de- fending its principles, and votes for its nominees. At the present time he is School Director, and takes great interest in all matters pertaining to the schools of his township, and to education in general. ANIEL McCOY, a farmer and stock-raiser on section 33, is the owner of one of the best-cultivated and improved farms in Reading Township. It consists of 160 acres of fine land, all of which is under cultivation. Mr. McCoy is a native of Ohio, and was born on the 23d of October, 1834. He is the son of John and Tacy (Slaughter) McCoy, natives of Virginia. The father died on the 8th of September, 1879, and the mother in June, 1843. The father was a farmer by occupation, and at the age of twelve years accompanied his parents to the State of Ohio. He and his father Joseph were the first settlers in the southeastern portion of Ohio. Daniel McCoy, the subject of this sketch, is one of a family of nine children as follows: Henry, Millie, Lucinda, Elizabeth, Eliza, Penny Ann, Mary Ann, Daniel and Molona. He was educated in the common schools of Ohio, where he remained until 1862, when he came to Livingston County and located where he now resides. In 1869 he re- moved to Missouri, but after living there about four months, returned and occupied the same farm and house from which lie had removed. On the 4th of January. 1855, Mr. McCoy was married to Isabelle McGrew, who was born on the 27th of November, 1827, and is the daughter of Nathan and Mary McGrew, natives of Pennsylva- nia. Her parents had a family of nine children, whose names are, Eliza, Mary, Margaret, Isabelle, Finley, Lucinda, Nathan, Sarah and George. To Daniel McCoy and wife four children have been born William, John Finley, Sarah Maria and Tacy Bell. William was born on the 1st of October, 1855, and died at the age of eleven months and eighteen days; John Finley was born March s. 1857, married Elizabeth Blacklidge, and had one child, now deceased; he is a lawyer and resides in Kansas City. Sarah Maria was born Dec. 13, t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I860, and attended the Normal School at Valpa- raiso, Ind., from which she was graduated in the teachers' course, in 1884; Taey Bell was born Dec. 27, 1864, and attended the same school, being graduated in the scientific and classical departments in 1 886. Both of these daughters are now at home with their parents. Besides general farming, Mr. McCoy makes a specialty of fine horses and other stock. He is at present the owner of two Abdallah horses, and a grade of Norman strains in others. He has earned considerable reputation as a stockman, and in all the affairs of the township he is considered a lead- ing as well as a representative man. JACOB STREAMER, proprietor of the fine store of drugs and varieties located on Mad- ison street, Pontiac, came to Illinois in April, ' 1844, settling first at Magnolia, Putnam County, where he engaged in the practice of med- icine. Six years later he removed to Reading, this county, and became book-keeper in a store of gen- eral merchandise. On the 22d of May, 1852, he came to Pontiac, when nothing but the name sug- gested a town, for there were but seven persons in the place. He, however, engaged a room in one of the new buildings which had been put up, and be- gan the tailoring business which he had learned in his youth. In connection with this he put in a stock of drugs, and to eke out a slender income, carried the mail in his hat and was digni- fied by the name of Postmaster in connection with J. P. Garner. It is hardly necessary to say that he has been the witness of many and great changes since that time, and has been no unimportant fac- tor in the growth and development of this part of Livingston County. He served twelve years as Justice of the Peace in Pontiac Township, and has been largely identified with those enterprises tend- ing to the moral and intellectual advancement of the people. Considering the fact that he came to this section of country with a cash capital of $15, and that now he is the owner of a fine property, it is hardly necessary to say that he has been diligent in business and judicious in his investments. Mr. Streamer was born in Williamsburg, Blair Co., Pa., Feb. 8, 1818. His parents were Chris- tover and Elizabeth (KnerHer) Streamer, natives respectively of Germany and Pennsylvania. Chris- tover Streamer emigrated to America when a young man, settling first in Baltimore, Md., where he fol- lowed his trade of tailor. He was born July 7, 1779, and died in AVilliamsburg Aug. 11, 1849. The mother was born Jan 30, 1792, and died Dec. 2, 1873. They were the parents of eight children, six of whom are now living, namely : Jacob, our subject; Mary, Martha, Christover, George and Francis. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Dr. Francis Streamer, a native of Germany, who emigrated to America and settled first in Lan- caster County, Pa., whence he afterward removed to Williamsburg, where he remained through life. The maternal grandfather was Dr. Jacob Kneffler, a native of Germany, who after coming to the United States also located at Lancaster, Pa., where he followed the practice of his profession and passed the remainder of his life. Jacob Streamer attended school until eighteen years of age, and then employed himself in the tailor shop of his father. His tastes, however, in- clined otherwise, and he spent considerable time among the medical works in the office of a physi- cian. He obtained a good knowledge of diseases and their remedies, and became admirably qualified as a dealer in drugs and medicine. He also availed himself of the works of the best authors of the pres- ent day, and one of the most attractive features of his present home is a library for which he has re- fused 15,000. The marriage of Jacob Streamer and Miss Salina Sturman took place at the home of the bride in Pontiac, April 14, 1853. Mrs. Streamer was born in Virginia Oct. 3, 1831, whence her parents re- moved to Ohio when she was but a babe, and after- ward came to Illinois and settled in Rook's Creek Township. They are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Streamer have been born four children, all living: Joseph is a resident of Chicago; Mary E., of Pontiac; Frances M. and Hattie E., of Boulder, Col. Mr. Streamer was born and reared a Demo- crat, and has adhered loyally to first principles. Socially, he belongs to the I. O. O. F. He is a 640 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 public-spirited citizen, and nothing pleases him better than to note the progress and advancement of the town which was hardly a hamlet even when he came here. He donated the lot upon which to build the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is noted for his hospitality and kindness of heart. He has been the especial friend of the poor and needy, to whom he deals out the remedies for their physical ills without money and without price. forming Chatsworth Township from an ex- panse of raw prairie to a township com- posed of highly cultivated farms, is the subject of this sketch, who became a resident of Livingston County in 1868, locating on section 31. He is a native of Canada West, where he was born Jan. 7, 1830. His father, Archibald McMtillen, was born in Scotland, and possessed all the peculiar traits of that splendid people, and his mother, Jane (Boyd) McMullen, was born in the North of Ireland. The parents were married in Canada, and resided there during their entire lives. The father was killed by the fall of a tree in 1 844, and the mother died in 1852. They were the parents of five children, three of whom are living: Mary Jane, Mrs. John Karsting; Eliza, Mrs. Robert Baggs, and Archibald. Our subject resided in Canada until nineteen years of age, when he crossed over the line to find a future home in the United States. Journeying west he first stopped at Ottawa, LaSalle Co., 111., where he secured employment first as a farm hand, and then in rafting for three months on the Mi>-is- sippi River. He subsequently rented land and farmed on his own account for six years. In 18G8 he came to Livingston County, and first rented land near the village of Forest, where he remained until 1870, when he settled in Chatsworth Town- ship, where he has since resided. The farm which he owns and cultivates contains U>0 acres, which was raw prairie when he took possession of it, not a plowshare ever having been sunk in it, and now is one of the best improved farms in the county. In the month of March, 1800, Mr. Mi-Mullen \v.-i< .., KCHIBALD McMULLEN. One of the ' I men vho are entitled to credit for trans- married to Louisa Harman, who was born in France Nov. 7, 1846, and is the daughter of John and Ade- laide (Obrey) Harman, who with their family came to the United States in 1850, and became settlers of LaSalle County. She has one sister and three brothers John, Amil, Joseph and Kate. Mr. and Mrs. McMullen are the parents of ten children, one of whom, Lizzie, died in infancy, the nine living being: George, Ella, John, Addie, Louisa, Jennie, Josie, Stella May and Ethie Vera Arzelle. Mr. McMullen votes and acts with the Republican party, and has discharged efficiently the duties of School Director. He and his family are attached to the Presbyterian Church, of which they are worthy- members. B. DURKEE is one of the many excellent farmers and stock-raisers of Read- ing Township, whose home is. pleasantly lo- cated on section 27. He is a native of the State of New York, was born on the 29th of March, 1837, in Tioga County, and is the son of George W. and Linda (Swartwood) Durkee, the father be- ing a native of Vermont, who was born in 1806 and died in 1862. The mother was a native of New York, born in 1810, and died there Feb. 6. 18*1. The father was a carpenter, which trade he followed nearly all his life, both in his native State and in the Stilt e of Virginia, to which he removed in 1*2*. He was married in the year 1832, and became the father of five children, whose name- arc: Mary Durkee, born July 14, 1834, married A. P. Gordon, a carpenter by trade, ha- six children and now re- sides in California; George B., our subject; John, born Oct. 10, 1839, has followed various occupa- tions, and resides in New York; Charles A., born Sept. 14, 1842, married Ellie Kinney, has a family of three children, and resides in Virginia, where he is a farmer and merchant; Frank E., born in Sep- tember, 1848, married Warren Knapp, a merchant, ha- two children; and resides in Waverly, N. Y. The subject of our sketch resided at home until about twenty-three years of age, during which time he received a good common-school education. On the Oth of April. 1*00, lie was married to Carrie t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. tir* Poyer, a native of New York, who was born Dec. 17, 1838. She was the daughter of Richard and Sarah Poyer. By this marriage there were born the following-named children: George M., born June 21, 1862, at Little Rock, Ark., who was a soldier in the, regular army, his term of service ex- l>iring in October, 1887; Fred C., born June 21, 1868; Annie, born Oct. 10, 1873, and Linda, born June 8, 1877. Mrs. Carrie Durkee, our subject's first wife, died on the 6th of April, 1 880, and on the 30th of Au- gust, 1881, Mr. Durkee was again married, to Mrs. Emma (Fillingham) Rien, the widow of J. W. Rien, who died Aug. 28, 1877. By her first marriage she was the mother of one child, who died in in- fancy. Mrs. Emma Durkee is the daughter of Levi and Eliza (Savage) Fillingham. Her father was born on the 29th of September, 1817, and her mother was born April '20, 1818, and died April 20, 1886. They were both natives of England and came to America in the year 1847. They were the parents of the children whose record is as fol- lows: Sarah Elizabeth, who married Miles Corkin, has :i family of seven children, and resides in Liv- ingston County; Esther, who married Orris Barto, has a family of three children, and resides at Colfax, 111. ; Phnebe married John Collins, a drayman by occupation, has a family of five children, and re- sides in Colfax, 111.; Edmund L. married Hadusa Maxwell, has a family of four children, and resides in Woodford County, 111.; Mary A., born Feb. 8, 1857, married Henry Zinck, a farmer by occu- pation, has a family of nine children, and resides in Nebraska: Emma, the wife of our subject, born June Ki. 1853: Naomi Jane, born Oct. 15, 1855, married James Black, a farmer and carpenter, has one child, and resides in Nebraska: Annie M., born May 28, 1857, married John Black, a carpenter and poultry dealer, has two children, and resides in Eu- reka, 111.; and two brothers now deceased. Our subject owns eight}- acres of land in Pontiac Township, which is under good cultivation, and is well improved, containing a good house, commodi- 011- barns and a fine orchard. This farm is located on section 3, in the above-named township, but the farm which Mr. Durkee cultivates consists of a quarter section of land near Ancona, Reading Township. He has the reputation of being a first- class farmer, and conducts his business systemati- call}-. Politically he has identified himself for several years with the Greenback party, and is an earnest and intelligent advocate of its doctrines. ILO M. MILLER, of Chatsworth Town- ship, is of New England birth and parent- age, and migrated to the West when a young man, in 1855. Eight years later he became a resident of this county, where he has since remained, and is numbered among its most valuable and enterprising citizens. He is the owner of a good farm property located on section 17, and also carries on the manufacture of brooms. Our subject is a native of Adams, Berkshire Co., Mass., where he began life Nov. 15, 1830. His father, Caleb Miller, was a native of Rhode Island, whence he removed during his early manhood to Adams, Mass. He there met and married Miss Nancy Mitchell, a native of his own State. They located on a farm near the town of Adams, Mass., where they became highly esteemed citizens and spent the remainder of their days. They became the parents of eight children, four sons and four daughters, seven of whom grew to mature years. Milo Miller was the youngest of his parents' fam- ily, and in common with his brothers and sisters received the advantages of the Adams schools. He remained a member of his father's household until a youth of fifteen years, and then commenced for himself by working for his brother-in-law. He con- tinued with him about four years, and in October, 1849, migrated to East Whitley. and securing a position in a broom manufactory, served a thorough apprenticeship, and afterward worked as a journey- man in Hatfield. In the spring of 1851, becoming wearied of the monotony of his trade he boarded a whaling-vessel from Provincetown, and in his subsequent voyages passed through the Gulf of Mexico, and visited the Bermudas and the const of Africa. His vessel was principally engaged in the capture of sperm whales, which only frequent trop- ical waters. After a six months' cruise they re- t married to Susan Hush, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Cutwright) Hush. She is a native of Ohio, born on the 24th of May, 1831 ; her paternal grandparents were Pringles, natives of Virginia. Immediately after marriage Mr. Madden and his wife moved to Livingston County, where he had entered 120 acres of wild prairie land on section 18. At the time of settling on this farm the nearest neighbor was one Mazou, twenty-three miles north, and the next was forty miles east. The nearest market place was Pontiac, and many times he had to travel fifty miles to mill. He began the improvement of eight}" acres of the land, and in 1852 built a log house, in which the family lived until 1864. Mr. Madden then sold his farm, and bought 1 20 acres on section 8 and fort} 7 acres on section 5, town 27, range 8. This farm, which was partially improved, he sold at the end of one year for the purpose of buying 160 acres on section 5, upon which he now lives. His present farm has been ver3' much improved, and contains three dwelling-houses, in one of which Mr. Madden and his family reside. He has stocked his farm with high grades of Durham cattle and Norman horses. During his residence in Livingston County Mr. Madden has filled many positions of trust and re- sponsibility. In 1861 he was the enrolling officer for the Government, and the military draft which was made during the latter years of the war was from bis enrollment. He takes an active part in politics, and acts with the Republican party. He has held all of the various township offices, being Assessor twenty-two years, Justice of the Peace twenty years, and School Director for thirty-three years, which latter office he holds at the present time. He is now serving his twenty-second year as Commis- sioner of Highways. He has always held an im- portant relation to the schools of the township, and was one of the active men in the organization of the school district. During his official career he has helped to build several school-houses in Sulli- van and Pleasant Ridge Townships. lie was the first Congressional Township Clerk of Saunetnin Township, which was subsequently divided into Saunemin, Sullivan, Pleasant Ridge and Charlotte Townships. To Mr. and Mrs. Madden have been born ten children, six of whom are living George W., Cas- sius M., Laura E., James C., Stella R. and Carrie L. George W. is in the grain business, and is railroad agent at Charlotte; Cassius is married, and is farming on the old homestead; Laura, Mrs. J. H. Fellows, resides near by on section 7 ; James C. is on the old homestead ; Stella R., now Mrs. Up- hoff, resides on section 0, Charlotte Township, and Carrie L. is still at home. Mr. Madden has given all his children good opportunities for securing an education, which they have availed themselves of to the fullest extent. He is a self-made man, and whatever he has of this world's goods was secured through his own efforts, hard work and good man- agement. He began his life without capital or the backing of friends, and has made the fight alone, excepting that he has been ably seconded through his entire career by the unselfish efforts of his ex- cellent wife. J "JOSEPH MIES, proprietor of 400 acres of valuable land in Saunemin Township, has I been in possession of his present homestead ' on section 3 since the spring of 1 869. He is largely engaged in stock-raising, and from a modest beginning in life has accumulated quite a fortune, for which he is indebted alone to his own industry and perseverance. Central Illinois has been largely settled by the thrifty and enterprising German nationality, who possessed the sturdy resolution so essential to the development of a new country. Our subject was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, Feb. 14, 1834, and is the son of Godfried and Elizabeth (Shutz) Mies, natives of the same Province as their son. The latter received a good education in his native lan- guage, and spent his early years on the farm of his father who carried on agriculture in a small \v:iv T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. (Ho ami lived the quiet and unostentatious life of an honest man and a good citizen. Joseph remained a member of the parental household until twenty years of age, and in the spring of 1854 repaired to Antwerp and took passage on a sailing-vessel bound for America. After an ocean voyage of forty- seven days he landed in New York City, and pro- ceeded directly to Michigan, where he remained until the following year. He came to this State in 1855, locating first in LaSalle County where he re- mained until the outbreak of the late war. He was one of the first to respond to the call for troops to preserve intact his adopted country, enlisting on the 10th of September in Company C, 2d Califor- nia Volunteers, and was assigned to guard duty principally along the Pacific coast. He was thus occupied until in December, 1864, and his term of enlistment having expired, he received his honora- ble discharge and was mustered out. Mr. Mies upon retiring from the army located in Omaha. He was boss carpenter on the Union Pacific Railroad and built all the water tanks along that line. On the 4th of Februaiy, 1867. he was married to Miss Elizabeth Ennenbach. They be- gan housekeeping in a modest dwelling at Omaha, where our subject engaged in farming,, and from winch they removed in 1869 to their present home- stead, hi due time their household was enlarged Ply the birth of nine children, of whom eight are living, namely: William K., Henry J., John C'., Frank P., George*;., Jacob I?., Anna E. and Joseph A. One died unmarried. The children are receiv- ing all tin' advantages which education and ample mean.-- can beMow, besides careful home training from wise and judicious parents. Mr. Mies was reared in the faith of the German Catholic Church, and after becoming a naturalized citizen, identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he has since upheld with all the earnestness of his character. Socially he belongs to the G. A. K., at Sauucmin, and has always been pleased to encourage by his means ami influence' whatever project was inaugurated for the benefit of the community around him. The wife of our subject is a native of Prussia and was born in July, 1X47. Her parents, Jacob and Anna M. Ennenbach, were natives- of the same place, whence they immigrated to America in I* 17, and located in LaSalle County, this State, during its early settlement. Their family included eight children, of whom six survive, namely : Theresa, Catherine, Henry, Elizabeth, William and Frank. Mrs. Mies was reared in the same religious faith as her husband and like him continues a member of the German Catholic Church. The Mies estate is one of the finest in Saunemin Township, and as the result of the labors of the self-made man, is highly creditable to the youth who landed in America with scarcely money enough to pay for a night's lodging. eHARLES W r ILSON, now engaged in farm- , ing and stock-raising on section 23. Waldo Township, was born in Bloomingtou, 111., Dec. 4, 1 860. He is the son of John A. and Electa A. (Holcomb) Wilson, and is the fourth child in a family of ten, as follows: John A.. Jr.. born Dec. 13, 1855, is unmarried and lives in Saline County. Kan.; Catherine, born May 12, 1867, mar- ried David Wilson, has two children, and lives in McLean County, III.; Annie. Mrs. Martin Wilson, was born Sept. 14, 1859, has three children, and lives in Missouri; Charles is our subject; Mary, born Dec. 22, 1X61. lives with her father in Bloom- ingtou, 111.; she is a short-hand reporter, and writes for Ewing (fe Phillips, attorneys-at-Iaw, of Blooming- ton. Leila died at the age of three years; Julia, born July 4. 1805, is a teacher in McLean County; Ida. born March 1, 1868; William, March 26, 1869. Albert died in infancy. The father of our subject was born in Kentucky, Feb. 5. 1M28. and his mother was born in the State of New York. Sept. 24. 1833. They both moved to Bloomington, 111., where they became acquainted, and were married near that city Sept. 5, 1854. They reside in Bloomiugton, 111., at the present time. Alexander Wilson, the paternal grandfather of our subject, was born in Massachusetts in 1800. He moved to Kentucky where he married Eliza- beth Dorothy, and in 1x54 came to Illinois, where his son had already located, and died in 1875. Our subject's maternal grandfather, Birdsy Holcomb, 646 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i was born in Connecticut, Jan. 30, 1 807, and moved to Wyoming County, N. Y., whence he came to Bloomington, 111., where he died on Thanksgiving I):iy, Nov. 23, 1886. Charles Wilson was reared on a farm until about twelve years of age, when his father discontinued fanning and engager] in the real-estate business in Normal, 111. Here our subject lived until twenty- two years of age, attending the public schools, until he received a good common -school education. At the age of nineteen years he made a trip to Kansas for the purpose of looking after some lands which his father owned in that State. While there he purchased 160 acres of land and remained one sum- mer. After returning to Illinois, he engaged in teaming in Normal and Bloomiugton for about three years. On the 20th of June, 1883, Mr. Wilson was mar- ried to Miss Polly A. Clayton, the Rev. Samuel Connor of the Christian Church, of Normal, 111., being the officiating clergyman. Mrs. Wilson was born in Orange County, Ind., Dec. 7, 1862, and was- the youngest child in a family of nine. Her father died when she was one and a half years of age, while her mother died in 1879, and in 1880 she came with her cousin to Edgar County, 111., where' she remained with an uncle for about two years. Her uncle afterward moved to Normal, and it was here that she became acquainted with the gentleman who is now her husband. Of the broth- ers and sisters of Mrs. Wilson there are four living: Christian J., a Union soldier during the war, is now married, lias seven children, and lives in Indiana; Matilda, Mrs, William Lee, has two children, and lives in Indiana; Elijah is married, has one child, and lives in Indiana; Martha 8. lives in Gridley. 111. After Mr. Wilson's marriage, he lived on a farm, win-re he engaged in work by the month for about two vc:ir>. and in the spring of 1886 he moved upon the farm of George Ay res, of Gridley, where he now resides. To him and his wife has been born one child, a bright little boy named Frank ('., \vhor-e birth occurred July 30, 1884. Mr. Wilson is a member of the Democratic party, and comes of l)emocratic stock on his father's side. His mother i> of Republican parentage. He is an active mcm- her of the Christian Church, 'and for a man of hi> age has obtained a creditable position and standing among the men of that section of the county, while the future evidently has a bright prospect for him. UCIAN BULLARD, Postmaster, Notary Public, and otherwise a prominent and act- ive citizen of Forest, is a native of St. Law- rence County, N. Y., where he was born Oct. 31, 1831. In the fall of 1844 he came with his father's family to Bureau County, 111., the entire distance being made in a wagon and occupying thirty days. The parents of our subject, Luther and Sally M. ( Lee) Billiard, were natives of Vermont, where the father was born Feb. 1, 1797, and the mother Dec. 1, 1810. They were married in Fowler, N. Y.. April 15, 1827, and became the parents of seven children. After their removal to Illinois the fam- ily were stricken with typhoid fever, from which the father died Nov. 25, 1847, while a son, Chessel- tou, had died twenty days before the decease of his father, Nov. 5, 1847. The other children were named respectively: Lucian, our subject; Lockhart, Barak; Delsena, the wife of D. C. Igou; Olla, who died in infancy, and Morenus. The mother sur- vived her husband nearly thirty-eight years, her death taking place at Forest, April 10, 18847 returned to his studies, which to his great disap- pointment he was compelled to give up a second time for the same reason as before. Mr. Bullard next engaged at cabinet-making for three years, and then returned to the farm. In LSI; 1 lie disposed of his land in Bureau County and the year following came to Livingston County, and purchased the southwest quarter of section 34, in what was then township 27. In I860 he took up his abode in the village of Forest, where he soon became prominently interested in local affairs. In 1 s7i) he was made Notary Public, receiving his com- mission from Gov. John M. Palmer, and still holds the office. He has been a Republican since the or- ganization of the party. In 1875 he was appointed Postmaster under the administration of Gen. Grant, and has been continued in the office since that time, no change having been made during the general hegira of Republican office-holders upon the incom- ing of the Democratic administration. Mr. Bullard, in connection with his official duties, to which it is not necessary to give his entire attention, keeps a full line of books, periodicals, stationery, notions and wall-paper, and enjoys a profitable trade. He represented Forest Township in the Count}' Board of Supervisors one year, officiated as Justice of the Peace three years, as Town Clerk one year, Assessor fifteen years, and has been Township Treasurer for the past twelve years. The course of Mr. Bullard has been steadily up- ward from the beginning, and in 1872 he was elected to represent the Eighteenth District in the Twenty-eighth General Assembly of the Illinois Legislature. In this body he served acceptably and with good judgment upon various important committees. His life has been stirring and active, and his natural industry has led him to find his greatest pleasure, in employing his mind and hands al -oinetliing which should be of benefit not only to himself but to the world around him. The marriage of Luciau Billiard and Miss Lizxie Clement, of Bureau County, was celebrated on the 31-1 of December, 18(11. Mrs. Bullard is the daughter of Gilbert and Lucy Ann Clement, who came from "Vermont to Lamoille, 111., in Ls:!0, and is the eldest of ten children, eight girls and two lioys. She is a lady of much intelligence, a mein- her of the Congregational Church, and an enthusi- astic worker in the \V. C. T. U. Four years ago she was chosen Treasurer of the Ninth District, embracing the counties of Woodford, Marshall, Livingston, Iroquois and Kankakee, in which office she is still retained. Mr. and Mrs. Bullard are the parents of two children Nettie and Nerva. The former is the wife of Howard P. Smith, and an ac- complished teacher of vocal and instrumental music; Nerva is a graduate of the Forest High School, and at present is the main assistant of her father in the post-office. Mr. Bullard is a warm advocate of the principles of the Masonic fraternity, and is a Knight Templar, being also for a period of five years Mas- ter of Forest Lodge. Our subject came near being a victim of the ter- rible wreck of the Niagara excursion train on the Toledo, Peoria sing- traveler as forming one of the most desira- ble homesteads in the southern part of Livingston County. \w" OHN NASER. A good volunteer soldier generally makes a good citizen. A man who has served three or four years in defense of l '"' Union in the late war, doing his duty conscientiously, has learned many things which aid in tempering- him to the conditions of life afterward. Being disciplined as a soldier, he is capable of dis- ciplining himself in such manner as to make the ills of life less rugged and more easily borne. The subject of this sketch has an enviable war record, which it is our pleasure to give somewhat in detail in this notice. Mr. Naser is a farmer, stock-raiser and mechanic, whose farm is located on section 16, in Rook's Creek Township. He is the son of John and Barbara (Clump) Naser, and was born in Ma- rion Township, Hocking Co., Ohio, on the 1 2th of October, 1841. His father died of Asiatic cholera when our subject was about six years old, and his mother's death had taken place three years previ- ously. He was reared on a farm by his uncle, Matthias Walters, where his opportunities for edu- cation in the common school were very limited, though he received some instruction in a private school, conducted under the auspices of the German Lutheran Church. Our subject formerly spelled his name "Nauser." but in 1870, by correspond- ence with relatives, found that the correct way was as it appears at the head of this sketch. At the age of eighteen Mr. Naser entered into a contract with E. P. Jackson to learn the trade of a carpenter. At this occupation he was engaged when the first call for volunteers was issued by President Lincoln, and he responded at once by enlisting in the three months' service in Company A, 17th Ohio Infantry, on the 6th of April, 1801. After serving three months Mr. Naser re-enlisted for three years, this time in the 61st Ohio Infantry, but was transferred to the 58th Ohio Infantry. Dur- ing his service in the army he participated in the following skirmishes and battles: Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, Milliken's Bend, Haynes' Bluff, Greenville, Bolivar Landing. Ft. Morgan and Arkansas Post. He was also detached for duty on the United States gun- boat 'Piltsburg," on which lie was in action at Rolling Forks, and while running the blockades at Vicksburg, Grand Gulf, Ft. Beauregard and Simsport. He rejoined his regiment on the 12th of October, 18C3, at Vicksburg-. On account of disability received during service at Arkansas Post he was sent to the Marine Hospital at St. Louis, and was then stationed at the Transportation I'.nr- racks, where he was Assistant Quartermaster, and had charge of the accounts of the officers with PASTURE 40 ACRES . PASTURE 4-0 ACRES RESIDENCE 80 BIRDS-EYE VIEW OF FARM PROPERTY HOMESTEAD LOOKING NORTH CORN 60 ACRES . HENRY WENDEL .SECTION 32.PLEA5ANT RIDGE TOWNSHIP LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 653 the Government, remaining there until August, 18114, when he rejoined his regiment, which was doing provost duty at Vickslmrg, and remained with it until it was mustered out of the service Jan. 8, 18G5, receiving an honorable discharge, and complimentary mention from his Captain. He bore the rank of Corporal. After his return to Ohio he worked on a farm by the month. On the 12th of October, 1865, Mr. Noser was married to Caroline Good, daughter of Daniel and Sarah (Gaster) Good, of Fail-field County, Ohio. He then worked at a portable sawmill for about two years, during which time the eldest child, Mary M., was born, on the 8th of August, 1866. In 1867 he moved to Livingston County, 111., where he bought 120 acres of land on section 1G, in Rook's Creek Township, forty acres of which he afterward sold. While living here the second child, Laura Ida, was born, on the 14th of December, 1867. In the fall of 18C8 Mr. Naser sold his farm, and in the spring of 1869 moved back to Ohio, where he remained four years, devoting a part of his time to work at his trade. While living in Ohio his third child, Annie Florida, was born, on the 25th of May, 1869. and the fourth child, John Henry, on the 5th of February, 1871. In November, 1872, Mr. Naser moved back to Illinois to the same farm he had previously owned, where his remaining children were born: Laman Monroe, on the 25th of March, 1873; Seth Beadress, on the 19th of December, 1875; Rosina Caroline, Feb. 5, 1877; Lillie Doro- thea, Oct. 17, 187!) ; and Jessie May, on the 4th of July, 1886. Mr. Naser has added to his farm from time to time until it now contains 160 acres, on which he erected a good house. A portion of it has been tile drained, which has added very materially to its productiveness. In addition to cultivating his farm he devotes considerable time to carpentering. He is very progressive in his ideas and is very zealous in his efforts to promote the educational interests of lii~ township, serving eight years as Director of the schools. He ha? also been very active in pro- moting the cause of Christianity, and has labored for the advancement of the Sunday-school. He has always been a Republican and cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Naser's parents, born in Germany the father in Wurtemberg, and the mother in Baden came to this country when children, and were mar- ried in Ohio. Mr. Naser had one half-brother, i Christopher Clump, who died leaving six children, in Shelby County, 111.; and one sister, Rosina. who has been married twice, first to Marcus Schwartz, by whom she had two children, who live at Co- lumbus, Ohio; and second to Henry Schwartz, brother of Marcus, by whom she had six children. Mrs. Naser's mother was of German descent; her father's ancestors originally came from Virginia. She is the third child in a family of six, as follows: Anna Eliza, married, and has a large family, living in Ohio; Mary, married, has six children, and lives in Indiana; Caroline, wife of our subject: Jacob, married, has five children, and lives in Ohio; John, married, has two children, and lives in Indiana; Samuel Thomas, married, has one child, and lives in Ohio. The mother died in 1864, and the father married again. By this marriage there were four children Amanda J., Henry 1)., Lavina K. and Charley. ICIIAEL MORRIS, located on section 2S, in Forest Township, was born in Niagara County, N. Y., Dec. 22, 1843. He came to the West when a young man eighteen years of age, locating ;it once in Belle Prairie Town- ship on the extreme southern line of this county. He was here engaged as a farm laborer a year, and the late Civil War being then in progress he finally- decided to enter the service, and enlisted Sept. 7, 1862, in Company E, 129th Illinois Infantry. Mr. Morris was mustered into service as a Union soldier at Fairbury, and marched with his comrades to the scene of conflict, thereafter engaging in many of the important battles of the war, namely. Resaca, Dallas, Peachtree Creek, and other points in the South and Southeast. At Atlanta he joined the army of (i en. Sherman and was one of those who participated in the famous march to the sea. He afterward went up through the Carolinas, being at Raleigh when the surrender of Gen. Lee took place at Appomattox. From there the regiment marched to Richmond and thence to Washington, I 654 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. where Mr. Morris was given an honorable discharge, and soon afterward set his face westward, return- ing to his old haunts in Belle Prairie, and engaging in fanning as before for a period of five years. He purchased land mi section 32, and lias now 160 acres under a high state of cultivation. This he utilizes mostly in the breeding of fine stock, includ- ing blooded Durham cattle, Norman horses and Poland-China swine. Me 1ms effected line improve- ments. the beautiful homestead being the admira- tion of the country around. Our subject has an interesting family, includinga wife and four children. The former was, in her girlhood, Miss Nancy Jane Bradsha w, who was born in Tnscarawas County, Ohio, Oct. 22, 1848. Her parents were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio re- spectively, and are now living in Fairbury, 111. Of this union there were born four children, all living, namely : Thomas Sherman, Mary Alice, Flora May and Edward Carl: they are all at home with their parents. Mr. Morris bears the reputation of a lib- eral and public-spirited citizen, and uniformly casts his vote with the Republican party, lie is one of the leading men of his community, and fur the last three years has officiated as School Director. Mr. Morris is a member of the G. A. R., Post No. 7.">, Fairbury, 111. 4 TEPHEN TRONC, one of the most exten- sive land-owners of Livingston Count}', possesses a model farm which he built up from the uncultivated soil, and where he has established one of the most valuable and at- tractive homesteads in Avoca Township. His ca- reer has been distinguished by industry, good judg- ment and intelligence, and he lias always seemed to do the right thing at the right time and in the right place. The early home of our subject was on the other Mile of the Atlantic, in the Province of Knr-1 lessen, (id-many. where his birth took place July 21, 1842, at the modest home of his parents, Alexander and Catherine (Lndwig) Tronc. The father was of French birth and ancestry. ;inf (ier- *. - man. Stephen Tronc is a direct descendant of a French Hugeuot family, and is the only son of his parents. He was reared in his native Province un- til a youth nineteen years old, and then crossed the Atlantic, making the voyage, which occupied six weeks, on a sailing-vessel from Bremen. lie landed in the city of Baltimore, whence he started directly westward, and took up his abode for a short time in LaSallc County, this State, in September, isiid. The outbreak of the Rebellion had necessitated an urgent call for troops, and he was thus enabled to most clearly signalize his intention of becoming an American citizen by enlisting in the defense of the principles which the majority of Americans hold most dear. He enlisted in Company I, llth Illi- nois Infantry, and marching with his comrades to the scene of conflict, engaged in some of the most important battles of the war. After participating in the engagements at Fts. Henry and Donelson, they moved upon Shiloh, and in the encounter with the rebels there Mr. Tronc was wounded in both legs, which necessitated his removal to the hospital. He was not content to remain long in confinement, however, and by the very force of his will in a short time recovered so that he rejoined his regiment, and had the satisfaction of being- present at the siege and capture of Vicksburg. He subsequently escaped injury, although meeting the enemy in several minor engagements and skirmishes. After a service of a little over three years he re- ceived his final discharge and was mustered out in September, 1864. He then returned to Illinois, and in 1868 located near Forest, in this county, whence he removed to his present farm on section 2. The extensive tract of land which is the property of Mr. Tronc lies in Owego and Avoca Townships, and embraces one of the most fertile tracts in Central Illinois. It is liardlv necessary to state that its present condition has been effected by continuous and arduous labor, which has been richly rewarded, as the property is now very valuable. Mr. Tronc took for his wife one of his own coun- try-women, namely, Miss Helena Frederick, to whom he was married Oct. 16, 1864. at the home of the bride in Bureau County. John Frederick, the father of Mrs. Tronc, was a native of the same Province as Mr. Tronc. He died in April, 18K7. H t. LIVINGSTONC OUNTY. 600 Of this union there were born ten children, of whom two, Otilla and Rosa S., died in early child- hood. Those surviving are Frederick A., Henry A., Eliza M., Emma E., Lena S., Birdie A., Katie L. and Stephen W. Most of these are at homo with their parents. Mr. Tronc having been reared in a country which compels its youth to be edu- cated, is naturally in favor of the establishment and maintenance of schools, and in giving the young those advantages to which they are entitled. He has served as Director in his district for many years, and is a citizen who is among the first to be con- sulted upon 'matters tending to the general welfare of the people around him. He has served as Road Commissioner of Avooa four years, and religiously is identified with the Evangelical Association. Upon becoming a voting citizen he joined the ranks of the Republicans with whom he has since affiliated, and is a member of Pontiac Post, G. A. R. OSES W. MOULTON, engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 36, Pleasant Ridge Township, was born in Ionian Township, Crafton Co., X. II., on the 6th of January. 1837. He is the son of Gabriel G. and Sophia P. (Walker) Moulton, both natives of that State. The mother died about thirty-seven years ago, and the father is now a retired farmer, and still lives in New Hampshire at the age of seventy-seven years. The paternal grandfather, Jonathan, was :i Revolutionary soldier, and died in IMS or 18411 at the age of eighty-nine years. He was one of seven brothers, all of whom except one lived to be from seventy to ninety-three years old. The Moulton family has always been noted for its longevity. For many generations back they have been farmers by occupation and their origin was Scotch-Irish. Mr. Moulton was reared upon a farm and ob- tained his education in the common schools with a short term at an academy. Before he was eighteen years of age he began to teach school, and continued in that occupation for twelve years. In IS.'IM he came West and located at Bloomington, 111., where he continued to teach school until 18(17. except tlnve years spent, in the army: in the meantime he came to this county, and purchased eighty acres of raw prairie land, which lie has now in an advanced state of cultivation. In August, 1862, Mr. Moulton enlisted in Com- pany I, !>4th Illinois Infantry, as a private, but when the organization of the company was effected he was appointed Corporal, and during his service was promoted to a Sergeantey. During the time of his enlistment the regiment to which Mr. Moulton belonged experienced some hard service, endured many hardships and participated in several very destructive engagements. Mr. Moulton was at the capture of Vicksburg on the 4th of July, 1863, and also at the capture of Spanish Fort, near Mobile, at Brownsville, Tex., and Pascagoula. Miss. During the time he was in the army he received no wound, but had a severe spell of typhoid fever, and contracted a disease which compelled him to remain for some time in a private house under the care of physicians. He was mustered out of the service on the 1st of August, 180f>, after campaigning for three years. Upon his return home from the army Mr. Moulton taught school the following two winters. On the 2d of April, 1867, Mr. Moulton was mar- ried to Miss Julia W. Moulton, who was born in Vermont on the 20th of August, 1841, and died on the 16th of October, 1870, leaving two children Maud A. and Minnie J. On the 20th of February, 1*77, Mr. Moulton was married again, his choice being Kate E. Raber, who was born in Iowa on the 22d of May, 1848. By a former marriage she had one child, named Ettie E. Mr. Moulton was elected to the ollice of Super- visor of Pleasant Ridge Township in 1*70. and was re-elected in the year 1878, serving eight years in succession in that office, and for two years was Chairman of the Board. lie has held the office of Township Treasurer and is still the incumbent. He has also been School Director for several years, in which capacity he served with much efficiency, hav- ing a practical knowledge of school matters. Mr. Moulton is one of the leading fanners of Pleasant Ridge Township, and manifests considerable pleas- ure in assisting all public enterprises. For the last twenty-seven years he has been a permanent mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, and for two years has been Master of Forest Lodge No. 614, while he I (I r,:,r, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. has filled the other ullices of the lodge. Mrs. Moul- ton is a member of the Congregational Church, and her two daughters are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Moulton is a Universnlist in his re- ligions belief, and politically is an adherent of the principles of the Republican party. In all respects he is a model farmer and an excellent citizen. IIARLES E. AXT was appointed Postmaster of Odell in 1886, the duties of which office he has discharged faithfully and conscien- tiously, and in which he has taken a genuine inter- est. He has introduced many improvements in the methods of conducting the business, and also in regard to the appearance of the place, which he has caused to be rejuvenated and supplied with new and neat furniture which is as much a benefit to the office by increasing its importance to the com- munity as it is a credit to the Postmaster. With- out in any manner neglecting his official duties, Mr. Axt is also carrying on a successful jewelry business which he established at Odell several years ago. The early home of Mr. Axt was on the western banks of the Mississippi, at Ft. Madison, Iowa, where he was born Feb. 19, 1853. He is the eldest child of Carl and Elizabeth ( Litchie) Axt, whose family included himself and Julius II., and three half-sisters Mrs. Annie Anthes. Johanna Litchie and Elizabeth Hammer, all residents of Ft. Madi- son, Iowa. Carl Axt was born in the city of Koe- nigsberg, on the North Sea, in Prussia, where he spent his childhood and youth, and learned the trade of a locksmith. He served his allotted time in the Prn.-ian army and subsequently, at the age of twenty-six years, crossed the Atlantic, landing first at New Orleans, where he was employed fora lime, and then went to St. Louis, and afterward to Ft. Madison, Iowa. In the latter place lie took up his trade vigorously, adding to it hlacksiuithing ami wagon-making, and operated thus several years, when, being quite comfortably supplied with mean- he resolved to indulge himself with a vi-it to his native laud. lie sailed in the summer of I *.")*, and remained until the early part of 18511. l ; pon the homeward voyage lie contracted a severe cold which resulted in typhoid pneumonia, from which he died on the 2d of February following. The mother is still living, making her home with her daughter, Mrs. Annie Anthes. of Ft. Madison. Iowa. Her other son, Julius II., is a druggist at Keokuk, Iowa. Mr. Axt was but six years of age at the time of his father's death, and afterward made his home with his married sister. When of suitable year- he took up cigar-making, which employment, however, not being congenial to his tastes, he left at the auc of thirteen, and engaged with the Northern Line Packet Company as cabin boy. I Us close attention to his duties led to his promotion, and he soon be- came Steward. One season he wa> employed in run- ning from St. Louis to New Orleans, and the other two which he spent upon the river he ran north from St. Louis to St. Paul. When sixteen years of age he abandoned river life and returning to Ft. Madison, served an apprenticeship at the jeweler's trade, and spent the time until he was twenty years of age principally at that place. On the loth of October, 1873, occurred one of the most important events of his life, namely, his marriage with Mis- Nellie E. Stewart. The young people commenced life together in the city of Ft. Madison, and thence removed to Lincoln, 111., where Mix Axt was em- ployed at his trade one year, and then coming to Odell on Thanksgiving Day in 1874, opened a store and established the business in which he ha- since been uniformly successful. The excellent qualities of Mr. Axt as a citizen and member of society soon developed themselves, and he was called to various local offices, being first elected Village Clerk, which position he held ten vear- in succession. Being Democratic in politics, upon the change of administration it was not long before he wn> -elected as the proper incumbent of the post-office, to which position he was a]>)M tinted on the 7th of January. 1 S,sc,. The office was then rated as fourth-cla>s. and Mr. Axt put forth all his energies to place it in a better position, and finally received his appointment direct from the President. at which time the office was rated as third-cla . lie has given much of his timeand attention beyond what was naturally required to make it of Sufficient LIVINGSTON COUNTY. (if, 7 importance to the people of this .section, and it now is the source of a neat revenue, which adds accord- ingly to the salary Of the position. Mrs. Axt was born in West Point. Iowa, June 22, 1853, and is the eldest child of Alexander and Mary (Marsh) Stewart, natives respectively of Maine and Ohio. Her maternal grandfather, William Marsh. was a native of Maine, and for many years a Pre- siding Elder of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The parental family included five children, who are now mostly residents of Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Axt are the parents of three bright and winsome little girls : Linnie. born Feb. 1 8, 1875 ; Maymie E., Aug. 21, 1879, and Anna Grace, Aug. 25, 1881. Mr. Axt belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being Master of Odell Lodge No. 401, and is also one of the Grand Trustees of the Grand Lodge, I. O. M. A., of Illinois. . "if 1 OSEPH M. BURNHAM is one of the leading agriculturists of Dwight Township, living on a 240-acre farm located on section 27. He is from an old New England family, of which there are three distinct branches, one in Massachu- setts, one in Connecticut and one in Maine. This family traces its ancestry back to a time when four brothers were living on a farm near London, En- "iMiid. Three of these brothers came to this coun- try in 1683, and settled in the States respectively named above, each founding a distinct branch of the family. The fourth brother remained in En- gland, and died a bachelor on the farm which was so near London that it formed a suburb, finally becom- ing a part of the city itself, and consequently was very valuable property. The fourth brother died without a will or English heirs, and the American heirs taking no interest in recovering the estate, this property reverted to the Crown, and thus be- came lost to its rightful owners. Several attempts have since been made to recover it, but they have never been pushed vigorously enough to meet with success. Nathaniel Biirnham, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in Maine, where he was one of the first settlers of Harrison Township, Cumberland County. He was married to a Mi>s Scribnor, who was from an old Maine family. The great-grand- father was killed while felling a tree in what was 1 then a wilderness, Bridgton Centre, Me., but which 1 is now quite a large town. A Baptist Church stands upon the spot where he fell and where he was buried. Nathaniel Burn ham, the father of our subject, was born on the old homestead at Harrison, Me. The old house was built of the best "'pumpkin " pine and kept well painted, and stands to-day in a good state of preservation, with a prospect that it will last for centuries to come, although it is now over eighty years old. Maine in those days was'covered with the primitive forests, and pine and other trees grew luxuriantly and were immense in size. The early settlers were men of iron frame and great mental vigor, and from such descends the Burnham family. They were men who went fearlessly into the wilderness, and cut out homes from the forests, fearing nothing and no one but God. Nathaniel Burnham was a farmer, and married Miss Mary Mustard, whose mother was a Thomp- son, and was a niece of Samuel Thompson, of Top- sham, Me., who was a man of great wealth, but known as an eccentric character, and generally called " old Sam Thompson." Mr. Burnham by his first wife had but one son, our subject, who was born on the 21st of April, 1840. His first wife died, and he married Miss Olive Sawyer, of Madison, Me. Mr. Burnham drove the stage from Anson to Augusta, and sometimes to Portland, in the days when staging was the only means of transportation. In 1865 he came to Dwight, 111., where he died at the home of his son, Joseph M. He was a Baptist in his religion, and a Republican in politics. Joseph M. Burnham, our subject, was born on the old homestead built by his father, and was af- forded a common-school education. He learned the details of practical farming, and at the age of twenty-four, in March, 1864, came to Odell, 111., where he engaged in herding cattle and farming until 1857. On the i8th of February, 1867, Mr. Burnham was married to Jane W. Gray, daughter of John and Mary (Urquehart) Gray, who were early set- tlers in Grundy County, 111., and came to this coun- try from Scotland in 1830, at which time Mrs. , Burnham was an infant in her mother's arms. In 658 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1868 Mr. Burnham inherited from Samuel Thomp- son, of Topsham, Me., $14,000 as his share of the estate. Mr. Thompson did not intend th.it Mr. Burnham should ever receive a dollar of his money, lint he died without a will, and but for the circum- stance that Mrs. Thompson outlived her husband a . few hours, thus coming into possession of the greater part of the entire estate, which she willed away, Mr. Burnham would have fallen heir to a large fort- une. In 186!) Mr. Burnham bought his present farm of '240 acres, which he has improved by the erection of good buildings, the sinking of an arte- . sian well, etc. To Mr. and Mrs. Burnham five children have been born Nathaniel F., John S., Mabel M\, Car- rie .1. and Clarence E. Nathaniel F. died in in- fancy. In the year 1870 Mr. and Mrs. Burnham went on a pleasure trip through the Eastern States, visiting Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, New York, Bos- ton, Portland, Me., and the familiar scenes in the old Pine Tree State. These scenes he had held vividly in his memory, and upon revisiting them the old song recurred to his mind, " How dear to | my heart are the scenes of my childhood, when fond recollection recalls them to view." For many years Mr. Burnham has taken consid- erable interest in political matters, affiliating with the Republican party, and in official capacities has served as Road Commissioner, and filled several other township offices. Both he and his excellent wife are held in high esteem by all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. yS=7T'ACHARIAII WALTER, who has attained /// considerable prominence as an entevpriMiig jML^i} farmer, and a progrosive stock-raiser, i.- loca- ted mi section 13, Reading Township. lie was burn on the 14th of December, 1831, in the State of Pennsylvania, and is the son of Henry and Eliza- beth (Werner) Walter, natives of Pennsylvania. To the parent- were born the following-named chil- dren: Elizabeth Henry, Sarah, Mary, Xachariah, Al- len, Susan, Leah, Lydia, and one who died in in- fancy. They afterward removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio, in 1834, where the father followed the oc- cupation of a farmer, although he had followed the trade of a tailor in Pennsylvania. The mother was of a family of nine children, all of whom are now deceased excepting one brother who resides in Ohio, and a sister who resides in Pennsylvania. Zachariah Walter, our subject, was but three years of age when his parents moved to Ohio, where he resided until 1 850. In the winter of that .year he came to Marshall County, 111., and remained un- til the spring of 1851, when he moved into Read- ing Township, where he has since resided. On the llth of August, 1853, Mr. Walter was married to Miss Malinda Deffenhnugh, a native of Ohio, who was born on the 2d of August, 1 835. To them were born a large family of children, four of whom are deceased. The record of the children is as follows: Oliver, born Jan. 18, 1855, married to Miss Belle Ryan, who died leaving two children; he married a second time, and is a bridge carpen- ter by occupation, living in California. Nelson, born May 18, 1K56, and died about 1868; Melissa, born Nov. 20, 1857, died in infancy; Andrew, born Jan. 7, 1 860, married Margaret Buzzard, and they have one boy; William, born March 25, 1862, and died June 2:3, 1886; he married Lizzie Mont- gomery, by whom he had two children, one of whom is deceased. Lewis, born March 8, 1864, is unmar- ried and resides at home; Charles, born Dec. 19, 1866, and died when quite young; Jones, born Sept. 30, 1868; Cora, born July 22, 1871 ; Louisa, born Sept. 28, 1873; an infant born Feb. 28, 1876, deceased ; Morris, born March 2i, 1 877 ; Jessie, born Oct. 27, 18711. Melinda Walter, the mother of these children, died on the 2d of October, 1 880. She was one of a family of nine children, the names of the others being Lewis, Oliver, Louisa, Eliza- beth, Caroline, Rachel, Catharine and Marion. Lewis died in the army, leaving a wife and one child. Oliver, deceased, was married, and had two children, one of whom died; Louisa had a family of five children, two by her first husband and three by her second husband; Elizabeth died leaving a family of three children, one of whom is deceased; Caroline died leaving one child, who has since died; Rachel died leaving three children; Catherine has four children, and resides in Kan.-a-; Marion has one child and lives on a farm in Kansas. f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. fin 9 Our subject owns n farm of 200 acre.-*, which he cultivates after the most approved method, and has adorned by the erection of substantial buildings. Besides the homestead there is another house occu- pied by a tenant. In politics Mr. Walter goes with the Democratic party. He has been School Director for twelve years, and was chosen as Road Commis- sioner, but after serving for a time he resigned. Since his residence in Reading Township Mr. Wal- ter has thoroughly identified himself with whatever might promote the interests of the people of the township. He is a citizen who has attained an en- viable reputation for promptness and reliability, and enjoys the confidence of all his neighbors. B. SHEPHERD. A farm of 160 acres of land located almost anywhere in Livingston County is considered of great (igii) value, but a tract of that size on section 31, Chatsworth Township, is considered particu- larly valuable, because of the peculiar fertilitj' of the soil and other advantages. The subject of this sketch may therefore consider himself fortunate that when he settled there in the spring of 1869 he became the possessor of this identical farm. Mr. Shepherd is a native of Adams County, Ohio, where he was born on the 21st of March, 1 841 . His parents were Johnson and Mary (Henry) Shepherd, who were natives of Brown County, Ohio. Johnson Shepherd grew to manhood in his native county, where he married Malinda Living- ston, and in 1833 came to Illinois and settled near Hennepin, Putnam County, where he engaged in farming. While living there his wife died, leaving to his care two children William W. and Ellisson L. William W. resides in Putnam County, and Ellisson L. in Macon County, Mo. After the death of his wife Mr. Shepherd returned to Ohio, where he married Mary Henry, the mother of the subject of this sketch. In 1861 he again came to Illinois, settling in Putnam County, and in 1869 removed to Chatsworth Township, where he died on the oth of August, 1874. His widow died on the 10th of January, 1883. They had four chil- dren Sarah Ann, Mary E., Agnes and Henry B. Sarah is the wife of R. L. Patton : Mary E. was married three times, her husbands being William Thompson, K. Gibson and W. Meyers; she died on the llth of September, 1878. Agnes, now Mrs. James Moore, resides in Pawnee County, Neb. The subject of this sketch is the only son, and was reared on the farm, obtaining what education he has in the common schools. He accompanied his parents to Illinois in 1861, and on the 16th of May of that year enlisted in the army, but was assigned to duty with the State Militia of Ohio until the following October, when he was discharged. When Mr. Shepherd came to Illinois he followed the occupation of a farmer until 1869, when he came to Livingston County, where he settled. He now owns 160 acres of land, which is well improved and is among the best farms in the county. Mr. Shepherd was married, on the 20th of March, 1866, to Hannah M. Husted, a native of Franklin County, Ind., and the daughter of William and Rachel Husted. Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd are the parents of eight children, as follows: Mauriel K., Mary A., Ethelwyn O., Millie T., Sigmund C., Jacob H., Lyle J. and Bernice. Mr. Shepherd is an active member of the Republican party, and re- gardless of political matters has been chosen to fill several local offices. He is held in high esteem by the people of the surrounding neighborhood, with all of whom he is on good terms. Socially he is a member of the I. O. M. A. As illustrative of the homesteads which attract the attention of the traveler in this section of country we present on another page of this Ai.nr.M a view of Mr. Shepherd's residence and environ- ments. OHN WADE. The subject of this sketch has been a resident of Eppard's Point Township for only six years, but during that time he has demonstrated the fact that ^^^/ he understands how to make a success of farming, and performs the many details of a farmer's life in- telligently and practically. He is a man of excel- lent education and considerable experience in affairs. When a boy he was blessed with educa- 660 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. tional advantages that few of tbe sons of pioneers enjoyed, and his army experience broadened his ideas of the responsibilities of life. lie comes of an excellent family, the reputation of which he is maintaining admirably. Mr. Wade's farm, on which he has been located but six years, is situated in Eppard's Point Town- ship, where he removed from McLean County, where he had been engaged in farming in Yules Township since 18C6. Mr. Wade was born on the 25th of September, 1840, in Oberlin, Ohio, and re- mained at the home of his father, assisting on the farm and attending school at Oberlin College until the 25th of August, 1861, when he enlisted in the 16th Ohio Light Artillery, which was comtnadned by Ciipt. James A. Mitchell, who was killed dur- ing the siege of Vicksburg. This battery soon left Ohio and camped for the first time in St. Louis, and was for a considerable time engaged in cam- paigning in Missouri and Arkansas. It was in all the battles and inarches under the command of Gen. Curtis, including the battle of Pea Ridge. Soon after the siege of Yicksburg Mr. Wade took sick and was sent to the United States Hospital at Keokuk, Iowa, from which he was discharged by order of the United States Inspecting Officer, in 1K63. Mr. Wade had a brother named Ira, a member of Company E, 124th Ohio Infantry, who was killed at the battle of Chickamauga, and buried by the rebels, but as his grave was unmarked it has never been identified. He was a senior in the Ohio Class at Oberlin College, and held the rank of Corporal in the company to which he belonged. After Mr. Wade was discharged from the army he returned to his home in Ohio. In I860 he came to McLean County, 111., where he occupied lands which he had purchased the year before, five miles southeast of Chenoa, upon which he lived until 1881, when he sold his land there and purchased 320 acres on section 30, Eppard's Point Township, Livingston County, upon which he now resides. This is one of the best farms in the county, and contains an excellent stone quarry. Oliver Wade, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Decrfield, N. II., in 1814. and the grandfather was Caleb M. Wade, who was a native of the same State, while the family dates back to its early settlement. He died in 1870 at St. John's, Mich., and was over one hundred years of age. For many years of his life he was a Baptist minister. Oliver, the father of the subject of this sketch, had a family of five children, four of whom are living, as follows: Laura E. C. ; George, who was a member of the 1st Ohio Light Artillery; Franklin, and the subject of this sketch. John Wade was married to Susan Squire, a native of Ohio, and they had four children: Lydia, Mrs. C. A. Little, of Yates Township, McLean County; Edward, Emma and Ira. Mr. Wade was a second time married, to Martha St. John, daughter of John St. John, of Eppard's Point Township. To them have been born four children Olive, Eva, Oliver and Erwin. Mr. Wade is a member of the G. A. R. Post at Chenoa, of which order he is an enthusi- astic comrade. H ARLES SHOLL, the subject of this sketch, is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 20, Long Point Township. He is a native of New York, and was born in 1858. All the knowl- edge that he has of his parents is that his father's name was David Sholl, and that his mother died in the State of Michigan. He has never known the tender care and affection of a mother, and has never had the advantages of the counsel and en- couragement of a father. Had the system of pre- serving the records of the lives of parents and children in biographical albums been in vogue during their lives, as it is now, Mr. Sholl would have had preserved to him a knowledge of his parents and their ancestors. As it is, the source from which he springs is not known, and the his- tory of the family before him is a closed book. Whatever of success, therefore, which he has at- tained in life is wholly through his own efforts, unaided by kith or kin, and his record up to this time in the battle for a place among mankind is one of which he has reason to be proud. Through industry, economy and good management he hns already put himself in a position in which he can live comfortably during his life. During his younger days Charles Sholl was cared ; RES, OF MATILDA M?.VAY, SEC. 8. AMITY TOWNSHIP. RES. OF JONAS 1. Ho WELL, SEC. 20. LONG POINT TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 601 for by a sister until old enough to go out into the world for himself. As soon as he was old enough to work he came to Illinois and secured employ- ment on a railroad which was being constructed through Bureau County. His work consisted of getting out timber and preparing it for use on the road. By dint of industry and economy he saved sufficient money to pay for 120 acres of land, located as indicated above. He has worked in- dustriously and continuously to place this land under a good state of cultivation and has succeeded admirably. Mr. Sholl is unmarried and prefers, as he expresses it, to remain so. He is a Repub- lican in politics, but does not take an active part in political matters, being content simply to vote at all the elections for the nominees of his party. ^ OHN T. PHILLIPS, one of the most promi- nent men of Pike Township, has a fine prop- erty on section 10, where he took up his abode in the fall of 1885. Mr. Phillips is a native of Tazewell County, where he was reared and farmed nine years. He then purchased 120 acres of wild land, from which he built up a good farm, which he sold at a handsome sum in 1874. With a part of the proceeds he purchased his pres- ent homestead, and has now fully identified himself with the interests of the people of this section. He has been Assessor for the last ten years, and has officiated as census taker, Town Clerk and School Director. He cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and has been a Republican since becoming a voting citizen. Mr. Phillips was born in Tazewell County, this State, Sept. 14, 1837. His grandfather, Cornelius Phillips, was a native of North Carolina, who was born Oct. 29, 1767, and was united in marriage in his native State to Miss Rhoda Moore. Grand- mother Phillips was a native of the same State as her husband, and born in 1771. After marriage they removed to Wayne County, Ky., where the grandfather purchased a tract of land, and there they spent the remainder of their lives, his death taking- place Sept. 20, 1834, and that of his wife Feb. 17. 1847. Their fourteen children were named Mary, Alfred, Macajah. James, Sarah, Elizabeth, Abner, Ephraim, Hiram, Nancy, Pleasant B., John W.. Minerva and Lucinda. The eldest was born Nov. 9, 1793, and the youngest, Aug. 4, 1814. Alfred Phillips, the father of our subject, was born in North Carolina, Dec. 31, 1794. and com- menced his education in the schools of his native county. He was a lad of ten years when his parents removed to Kentucky, and he staid with them until his marriage in 1824, with Miss Susan Culloin, who was born Jan. 15, 1804. Six years afterward they emigrated to this State, and Mr. Phillips entered 300 acres of land in Tazewell County in the fall of 1830. He proceeded at once with the cultivation of his land, and continued making improvements until his death, on the 6th of May, 1857. The wife and mother survived until May 28, 1875. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which Mrs. Phillips had been connected for over fifty years. Their remains rest side by side in Buckeye Cemetery, Morton Township, Tazewell County. Alfred Phillips had been prominent in the local affairs of Tazewell County, serving as Sheriff, and occupying other offices. The parental household included nine children, namely : Eliza- beth, the wife of Jacob Banta, of Eureka, Woodford County; Hiram L., deceased; Micajah S. died in August, 1887; William C., Alfred C.; John T., our subject; James M., Edward M. and Isaac N-> the latter an attorney-at-law in Bloomington. John T. Phillips was borii Sept. 14, 1837, and fairly educated in the schools of his native county. He lived at home until after reaching his majority, and was married, Feb. 28, 1861, to Miss Elizabeth S. Monroe, a native of Arbroath, Forfarshire, Scot- land, her birth taking place Jan. 22, 1839. She is the daughter of William and Margaret (Nicols) Monroe, and came to the United States with her parents when a young girl fourteen years of age. Mr. Phillips after his marriage rented land in Taze- well County, as we have said, and his career since that time has been uniformly fortunate. His family includes eleven children, of whom the record is as follows: Lilly was born March 0, 1862, and is the wife of J. H. Sandmoyer, of McLean County; Isa- bolle was born June 10, 1863, and is teaching school \ 662 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in Pike Township; William A. was born April 9, 1865; Edward A., Jan. 5, 1867; Lucius C., Jan. 7, 1869; Susan M., July 3, 1871; Maurice M., Feb. 24, 1873; Nora was born Dec. 6, 1874, and died Nov. 8, 1877; Maude was born May 28, 1877; Jane P. was born Oct. 25, 1878, and died November 8 following; Ralph W. E. was born Dec. 8, 1881. Mrs. Phillips is a lady held in high esteem, and a consistent member of the Presbyterian Church. EVY SNYDER, who has been a farmer and stock-raiser at his present location, on section 1 a, Newtown Township, for the last six years, was born in Butler County, Pa., on the 7th of April, 1 843, and was about five years of age when his par- ents came to Illinois and settled in what is now known as Newtown Township. They located on sec- tion 17, whore they resided until their death. John Snyder, the father of our subject, was born in Butler County, Pa., May 15, 1807, and was the son of Phillip Snyder, whose parents were natives of Germany, who came to Pennsylvania at a very early day. He was married twice, and the chil- dren by the first wife were John, Phillip, Betsy and Jane. By the second wife there were five Hiram, Jonathan, Eleanor, Rebecca and Deborah who are all living in the same county in Pennsyl- vania where they were born. John Snyder was first married to Mahala Hill, and by her two chil- dren were born, Thomas and Sarah ; the mother died when Sarah was a babe. Thomas died when but ten or eleven years of age, and Sarah grew to womanhood and married Men-it Williams, who died about one year after ward, leaving one child. About three years afterward Sarah was married to Will- iam Lawton, a native of England, who came to this country and settled in Livingston County when about twenty years of age. To them were born three children, whose names were Merrit E., Lucy and Julia; they are all married, and live in Carroll County, Iowa. The father was a second time married, to Mary Mortland, a native of Pennsylvania, and to them were born three children: Clinton I), is married, and engaged in farming in Newtown Township: he has three children Phillip, Nancy Margaret and Nora May. John Calvin, deceased, and Levy. John Calvin was born June 11, 1838, in Penn>yl- vania; lie came to Livingston County with his par- ents, and married Phoebe Jane Thomas, daughter of Joel and Rachel (Leonard ) Thomas. Her father was born in Champaign County, Ohio, in 1X1 1, and now lives in Hardin County of the same State; the mother was born in Washington County, Pa., May 26, 1815. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are now living: Phoebe Jane and George W., in Ohio; William L., in Michigan ; John and Angelina, in Ohio. Phoebe Jane, the wife of J. C. Snyder, came to Illinois with her uncle, Sam- uel Pope, and settled in this township. John and Phcwbe Jane Snyder were married on the 29th of August, 1X61, by Rev. Joseph Robertson, pastor of the United Brethren Church. The)' lived in Read- ing Township, and came to this locality in 1868. To them were born the following-named children : John McClelland, Joel Thomas, George Erastus, Rachel Ellen and Lillie Victoria. John Calvin Snyder died on the 18th of August, 1874, and is buried in the cemetery at Phillips. The widow is now living on a snug farm near Manville. Levy, our subject, was the third child, and the mother died in Indiana about eight months after he was born. Three or four years after this the father was again married- in Indiana. The father moved from Indiana just after the death of his second wife, and engaged in fanning. Through a disease called milk-sickness he lost his wife, one child, and all his livestock, in the year 1843. The father's third wife was Nancy Kilgore, a native of Ohio, and of this union was born one child, Elizabeth, who died when about two and one- half years of age. The father was married in the evening, and on the next morning started for Illi- nois, b) 1 the pioneer conveyance. He bought lands here, which lie improved, and devoted his time to fanning. His hist wife died in 1.S79, at the age of about seventy-three years, and is buried in Phillips Cemetery: she was a member of the Presbyterian Church, to which she was much devoted. The fa- ther died in May, 1880. He was reared a Seceder, jm LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 663 and during the later years of his life was a religious enthusiast, but did not hold active connection with any church denomination. Levj' Snyder, the subject of this sketch, remained at home with his parents until his marriage, which event occurred in Newtown Township, Dec. 18, 1867, the lady of his choice being Mary M. Phillips, daughter of Jacob and Amy J. Phillips, of Newtown Township. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Joseph Robinson, a local minister of the United Brethren Church. The result of this marriage has been five children: Orville Perry, born Sept. 4, 1868; William Amos, Sept. 9; 1871; John Frank- lin, Feb. 19,1874; Jacob Marion, Jan. 19, 1879; George Henderson, born Dec. 24, 1881, and died June 25, 1887. In 1881 Mr. Snyder purchased his present farm of 147 acres, upon which he located in 1882, and since that time has been extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising, and has made many material improvements about the place, in- cludingjditches, fences, and the erection of necessary buildings. Mr. Snyder is a man of strong political convictions, and may he written down as a radical Republican. He takes great pride in the achieve- ments of that party since its organization, and con- gratulates himself on the fact that he has contrib- uted in every way possible to its success. By the people of his neighborhood he is considered a thor- oughly good citizen, and enjoys the esteem, respect and confidence of all. T ILAS D. DUELL, of Fairbury, is an ex- tensive dealer in horses, and is a man of much knowledge of that business. He is a native of New York State, and was born on the 29th of June, 1837, in New London. He is the son of Wilbur and Betsy (Andrews) Duel), natives of England and Massachusetts re- spectively. The father was an owner of a steam- boat, and was also captain of a steamer. He lost his life by a blast from a stone quarry in New York in 1847, and his wife died in that State in 1885. They were the parents of five children: Laura A., Mrs. Phillips; James, who married Miss Mary A. Linate; Silas D. ; George, who married Mary Nerber, and Jane, now Mrs. Cook. Silas D. Duell was married to Miss Cordelia Ma- honey on the 25th of April, 1855. She was born in Lewiston, Niagara Co., N. Y., in 1836, and is the daughter of Patrick and Hannah (Smith) Ma- honey, the former a native of Canada, and the lat- ter of New York; both her parents are now living, the father being seventy-four and the mother sev- enty-two years of age. They are the parents of seven children : Hannah, now Mrs. Duell; Edwin, who married Casey Cumston; Susan, now Mrs. John Morris; Almira, Mrs. Stuckey; Josephine, Mrs. Moore; Jennie, now the widow of Mr. King, who was killed in a coal shaft in 1886; and Effa, Mrs. T. Sterling. Mr. and Mrs. Duell have three children Charles i D., Lydia L. and Frank. Charles D. married Miss : Ida Cook; he has two children by a former wife. Lydia L. married George Enslow, and has one child living in Alexandria, Neb. Mr. Duell had very meagre advantages in the way of early edu- cation. From infancy he was kept on board of the vessel of which his father was captain, on the Erie Canal, and as soon as he was old enough was put to steering the boat, in which work he was en- ! gaged until twenty years of age, when he came West and settled in Indian Grove Township, where he has since lived. The first land he bought after arriving in the West was eighty acres in McLean County, and then he bought forty acres in Living- ston County and engaged in farming on the latter tract for two years, making a specialty of raising horses, cattle and hogs. At the end of two years he rented his laud and moved to Fairburj-, where he purchased a house, and soon engaged in the liv- ery business and buying army horses. He was the first man in this region to ship horses to the army and the New York market. He is also the pioneer in shipping horses from the Territories to this re- gion of country for sale. He is a speculator by nature, and among his transactions he mentions having bought town lots here for $100 and dispos- ing of them for $2,000. He has been successful in his speculations, and has accumulated about $30,000 worth of property, being the owner of f <;<; i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. three good farms, all under cultivation, and a large amount of town property. Mr. Duell is a member of Fairbury Lodge No. 290, I. O. O. F., and he and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, of which he is one of the Trustees. In politics, he is a Republican, first, last and all the time. He is a valuable man to a com- munity, because he takes an interest in everything that tends to the welfare of the people. He is en- terprising, liberal and sociable, and Fairbury can consider herself fortunate in having such a citizen within her limits. HORNICKLE, of German ville II Township, hns been for the last thirty 3 r ears pursuing the even tenor of his way as a quiet and law-abiding citizen of this county, to which he came in the spring of 1858. He has a good farm of 1 60 acres on sections 8 and 9, which he has brought to a state of thorough cultivation, despite the fact that he has labored under considerable disadvant- age in not having the full use of one of his limbs. Mis energy and perseverance, however, have served him in good stead, and have enabled him to accom- plish more than many able-bodied men. Our subject was born in the Province of Ilesse- Cassel, Germany, Aug. 14, 1843, and is the son of John and Margaret (Schuck) Hornickle, who were also of German birth and parentage, and emigrated to the United States with their family in 1N57, when Nicholas was a youth fourteen years of age. They located first in Peoria, and the following spring came to this county. Our subject developed into manhood, imbued with the industrious habits of his ancestry, and determined to establish in his adopted country a good home and position among honest men. He was first married in the fall of 1873, to Miss Hannah Clinic, a native of LaSallc County. After becoming the mother of three chil- dren, she departed this life at her home April 26, 1880. The offspring of this union, two sons and a daughter, were named Edward, Louisa and John. In the spring of 1882 Mr. Hornickle was the second time married, to Miss Mary Wurmuest, a native of his own Province in Germany, who came to this country in her girlhood. She is the mother of four children, namely : Martha. Jacob, Lizzie and Anna. The fine farm of Mr. H. is supplied with neat and substantial buildings, surrounded by a gen- eral air of comfort and prosperity. He takes very little interest in politics, preferring to give his time and attention to his fanning interests. He was reared in the doctrines of the Lutheran Church, of which he still remains a devout member. HARLES WORDEN. The time will come, if it is not at hand now, when the man who was born in Illinois when it was one of the young States of the Union, will be exceedingly proud of the fact, as it is destined to take its place at the top of the list, from the reason that its natu- ral resources are vaster and more varied than those of any other State, and its strides in the race for supremacy in the sisterhood have been more rapid and successful than any other commonwealth. It will soon have the largest American city which will control the markets of the world, the largest area of tilled land, and the most abundant production of domestic animals. The native of Illinois can prob- ably point to the position the State now occupies, but the future has in store for her tilings that will make her heart swell with greater pride and joy. One of the men who will enjoy this privilege is the subject of our sketch, who was bom in Hender- son County, 111., on the 10th of October, 1847, and is one of the wealthy and substantial farmers of Belle Prairie Township, residing on section 6. lie is the son of John and Mary A. (Salter) Worden, who were natives of New Jersey, and born respect- ively in 1821 and 1830. They were married in Ohio in the year 1*43, and came to Illinois in 1846, locating in Henderson County, where he bought i! Id acres, and became a large Mock-grower. Then- were born to them twelve children, all of whom are living, and it is a strange coincidence that at no time during their lives have they all >at around the sime table at the same time, the older children. many of them, hay ing grown u)> and married before the youngest were born. A family reunion at the 4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. residence of the parents at their home in Sunnier County, Kan., is contemplated, at which all the children and grandchildren shall assemble. The names of the members of this large family are as fol- lows: Hannah E., Charles, Sarah E.. John S., Mary Jane, Samuel, Fannie (., Lovina, David, James ('., Paul S. and William E. Charles Worden was married on the 7th of Sep- tember, I860, to Miss Arinina Vantuyl, a native of Butler County, Ohio, where she was born on the 25th of August, 184.S. She is of Holland parent- age, the ancestors coming from Amsterdam, Hol- land. The mother of Mrs. \Vorden prepared the first dinner for the men who put up the first resi- dence in Middle-town, Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. Worden arc the parents of seven children Sophia, Annie, Fannie, Edwin, Ruby, Mary A. and Ernest. Mrs. Word en is a member of the Methodist Protestant Church, and the parents of Mr. Wordcn were prom- inent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Ohio, the father being a member of great influ- ence. Mr. Worden became a citizen of Livingston County in the spring of 1871, purchasing 200 acres of partly improved land. His farm now consists of 250 acres, which is well tile-drained and hedge- fenced, and on which there is a fine dwelling-house and good out-buildings. Mr. Worden engages ex- tensively in raising high-graded stock. He has been honored by election to the offices of School Di- rector, Township Clerk and Commissioner of High- ways. In all political matters the Republican party reaps the benefit of his influence and vote. EDWARD M( DONALD. The name of this gentleman is held in the most kindly re- membrance by the people of Saunemin Township, where he lived worthily and labored in- dustriously for many years. As a citizen he was one of the most valued members of the community, being kindly, hospitable and liberal-minded, and as a husband and father performed all his duties in the most conscientious and praiseworthy manner. He left a competency to his widow, including a good farm of 120 acres, supplied with suitable buildings and all the machinery for carrying on its operations in a successful and profitable manner. The history of this excellent man is substantially as follows: Mr. McDonald was born in Dublin, Ireland, May 19. 1822, and emigrated to America when a young man. Soon after landing upon American soil lie made his way to the West, and for a number of years was a resident of LaSalle and Marshall Coun- ties, where he was employed as a farm laborer, and thus laid the foundation for his future home. He was married rather late in life, Dec. 22, 18(52, to Mrs. Frances Heylin, a native of Kings County, N, Y., and born Aug. 4, 1834. Mrs. McDonald is the daughter of James and Jane Pollock, and was de- prived of her mother when an infant of six weeks old. Upon reaching womanhood she was first mar- ried, Dec. 20, 1 857, to James Heylin. They located in Marshall County, and became the parents of two children: Isaac N., who died at the age of twenty- four years, and Willis J., now with his mother. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald began life together in Marshall County, whence they removed in 1866 to the present homestead of Mrs. McDonald, and here the death of her husband occurred April 1C, 1887. His last illness was marked by the same fortitude and patience which had distinguished him all through life, and by that kind consideration for the welfare of his family which had attached them to him so greatly. He had always been a hard worker, strictly honest and temperate, and although his earthly remains are covered by the "clods of the valley" 'his name is tenderly cherished by the mourn- ing widow and children, to whose comfort he was always attentive. Outside of the home circle he was held in the highest regard as a man who cheer- fully assisted, according to his means, in the further- ance of worthy projects, and in lending his influence to whatever tended toward the moral and financial welfare of the people around him. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald became the parents of seven children, five living, namely: Addie B., the wife of Joseph J. Norman, of Saunemin ; Albert H., Adrian A., Bertie E. and Stella R. One daughter, Katie M., died when two years of age, and another when an infant of a few months. Mrs. McDonald was in all respects the suitable helpmeet of her hus- band, and proved a stimulus to his kindly Christian 6(56 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. cliaracter. She has been a faithful wife and mother, and is greatly esteemed by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. With the aid of her sons she is carrying on the farm in a creditable manner, and endeavoring to preserve the reputation of the home- stead which her husband built up by his thrift and industry, and which he left to her as a legacy of his respect and affection. two sons, Henry R. and Julius H. In 1871 Mr. Gillette wasagain united in marriage, with Miss M. E. Bryant, of Indiana, and they became the pnrents of four children, namely : Aurelia. Louisa. Nellie and Jennie. These remain with their parents, who are pleasantly located on Elm street. Mr. Gillette, politically, is a liberal Democrat, and in religious matters is in sympathy with the Presbyterian Church. Socially he is a member in good standing of the Masonic fraternity, and has reached the Knight Templar degree. ORACE M. GILLETTE, grain dealer of Fairbury, came to this vicinity in the fall of 1860, and established his present business, together with that of general merchandising. He became associated with Mr. H. Remington, and they operated together about eight years, since which time Mr. G. has conducted his business alone. He commenced in life without means, dependent upon his own resources, and has made a good record. Mr. Gillette is a native of Connecticut, where he was born in Suffield, Hartford County, Aug. 13, 1834. His parents, James and Martha Gillette, were natives of the same State, and both died there early in life, the father when his son Horace was a year old, and the mother two years later. There were three children thus orphaned, namehy : Aurelia M., who died at Cold Springs, N. Y., in 1852; James F., a member of the Chicago Board of Trade, and our subject. Mr. Gillette, after the death of his parents, was cared for by Horace Sheldon, and when eight years old was bound out to a farmer with whom he re- mained eight years. He in the meantime attended the common school, and spent six months in the High School, where his studies were completed in the winter of 1 855. Soon afterward he started for the West, and after reaching Chicago was employed I>3 r the firm of S. A. Kent & Co. two years. He then came to Pontiac, where he commenced operat- ing as a grain dealer, and continued until the fall of 1860, when he took up his residence in Fair- burj'. Mr. Gillette was married, in 1860, to Miss An- nette Harmon, who died seven years later, leaving McCLOUD, one of the pioneers of 1835, came from New York to this State and located in Kendall County, of which he was a resident until 1860. In the spring of that year he came to Livingston County, and settled in Union Township, and three years later upon what is now known as the McCloud homestead in Saune- min Township. It was at that time but a tract of uncultivated land, but under the hand of industry was developed into one of the most desirable and comfortable homesteads in this section. Mr. Mc- Cloud possessed the true pioneer spirit and was always ready to extend a kindly hand to those around him. He possessed that genial and cheer- ful disposition which attracted to him a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He was honest and conscientious in his dealings with his fellowmen, and his long and useful career was closed on the 25th of July, 1885. His death took place at his home when he was seventy-nine years of age, his birth having taken place April 6, 1806. Mr. McCloud was a native of Vermont, and the son of John and Margaret (Wilson) McCloud, who were also of New England birth and parentage. He was reared to manhood in his native State, and when twenty-two years of age migrated to Clinton County, N. Y., where he met the lady who after- ward became his wife. Their marriage; took place at the home of the bride in Clinton County, Feb. 18, 1JS32. His wife, Miss Pauline Ricketson, was a native of that county, and born March 1, 1813. Her parents were Jonathan and Esther (Slyter) Ricketfeon, probably native:? of New England, who f f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 067 settled in Clinton County, N. Y., in the pioneer days. The young people began the journey of life together at a modest home in Clinton County, N. Y., and three years later migrated to the West. In due time the household circle was enlarged by the birth of nine children, of whom the record is as follows: Jonathan is farming in Grnndy County, 111.; Julia is the wife of D. C. Tabler, and with her brother Platt is also a resident of Grundy County; John is carrying on farming in Clay County ; James went to California several years ago, where he still re- mains; Jemima is the wife of J. R. Righter, of this township; and Simon, of Sullivan Township; Mor- ton B. is farming in Saunemin Township, and Eliza, the youngest, died in infancy. Mr. McCloud in early life identified himself with the Whig party, but upon its abandonment cordially endorsed Republican principles. He be- gan in life without means, but by the exercise of perseverance and industry secured a good farm of 120 acres, and was enabled to leave his widow com- fortably provided for. Mrs. McCloud makes her home with her sou Morton on the home farm, and is the center of a large circle of friends and ac- quaintances whom she has gathered around her in the course of a long life, marked by all the womanly virtues. Morton McCloud was born in Kendall County, Dec. 16, 1851, and continued to be the mainstay of his parents from his youth to their later years. Like his father before him his course has been marked by industry and good judgment, and he is acquitting himself as a useful member of the com- munity. He votes the Republican ticket, and has accumulated a snug property including 160 acres which he cultivates in connection with the home- stead. jp- . I. VIE T. POTTER. While the history of the old pioneers is intensely interesting, it is also important to keep in mind those on whom the future must depend for its prosperity. Industry and good judgment are just as osential in keeping the car of progress in motion as they were to start it on its onward march. A community involuntarily regards its capable young men with pride, and this sentiment extends in more than an ordinary degree to the subject of the following sketch : He of whom we write is the son of Stephen and Mary A. (Killmer) Potter, whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume. He was born in Round Grove Township, March 9, 1857, reared on his father's farm and educated at the common schools. He was a bright and industrious youth, and under the tuition of his excellent father be- came perfectly familiar with the various employ- ments of farm life and entirely fitted to enter upon a useful and worthy career. He has kept himself well posted upon matters of general interest out- side of agriculture, and was elected Supervisor in the spring of 1887. the duties of which office he is discharging in a creditable and satisfactory manner. He has also been Township Collector and School Director in his district. He has decided ideas upon political matters and uniformly votes the straight Democratic ticket. Upon laying his plans for the establishment of a permanent home, one of the most important steps which Mr. Pottter took toward the accomplishment of this object was his marriage with Miss Mary E. Glover, which was celebrated at the home of the bridegroom in Round Grove Township, April 22, 1886. Mrs. Potter was one of the most popular young ladies of the neighborhood, and is the daugh- ter of Samuel L. and Martha J. (Dunn) Glover, na- tives respectively of New York and Pennsylvania. Her parents settled in Pennsylvania after their mar- riage, and in about 1856 came to this State, locat- ing first in LaSalle County, and removing about 1861 to Livingston County, where they took up their residence on a farm in Broughton Township. From there, in 1886, they removed to Custer County, Neb., where they now reside. Mrs. Pot- ter was the second of their six children, and was born in LaSalle County, 111., Aug. 4, 1858, where she received a good education, and was engaged as a teacher some time before her marriage. She is a highly intelligent lady and well fitted to be the com- panion and helpmeet of a rising young citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Potter after their marriage located at their present home on section 15. Here our I 668 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. subject has eighty acres of land, the cultivation of which he is carrying on successfully, and availing himself of the most modern methods and approved machinery. The dwelling is neat and substantial, the farm stock well cared for, and everything about the premises indicates the hand of taste and indus- try- SAAC SHERMAN, one of the very oldest set- tlers of Illinois, who has been engaged for many years in farming in Sunbury Township, was born in Morgan County. Ohio, April 1, 1825. His father, William Sherman, was born in Marlboro, Middlesex Co., Mass., and the grandfather, Isaac Sherman, was born somewhere in New England, the exact location not being known. Tradition has it that Roger Sherman, the signer of the Declaration of Independence, was the great-great-grandfather of our subject, and the Sherman family dates back to Roger Sherman, who landed in the Ma3'flower at Plymouth Rock. The grandfather was a lawyer by profession, but was for many years engaged in mercantile business, and spent the latter yenrs of his life in the city of Boston. He served eight years in the Revolutionary War assisting at Bun- ker Hill, where he helped to roll stones upon the British. He also crossed the Delaware with Wash- ington to attack the Hessians. Dec. 24. 1776. The father of our subject was a ship carpenter and house joiner by trade. At twcntj' years of age he removed to Ohio and worked in the shipyards at Cincinnati, while his family lived on a farm in Morgan County. In 1833, accompanied by his wife and eleven children, he caine to Illinois, the entire journey being made overland with four horses and one wagon. He located on the Illinois River in Putnam County, where he entered Gov- ernment land, built a log house, and followed farm- ing and stock-raising. He conducted this farm for many years, and there died. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of our subject, was' Rebecca DeLong, who was born at Ft. Necessity, near Har- per's Ferry. Her grandparents were natives of Holland, who came to America in Colonial times. Our subject was eight years of age when he came to Illinois with his parents, with whom he lived until twenty years of age, when he began to work for himself at $12 per month, and was engaged with one man for five seasons at that compensation. During the winter he chopped wood and split rails until he was thirty-two years of age, and then pur- chased 1 20 acres of land in Putnam County, giv- ing in payment his note which he paid by working at $12 per month. At the time of his marriage he settled upon this farm on which there was a log cabin, which was afterward replaced by a comfort- able frame bouse. Here he lived until 18U8, by which time he had the farm under a high state of cultivation, and then sold it and came to Living- ston County, where he bought the 160-acre farm on which he now lives. He has erected a comfortable residence and commodious farm buildings, and planted many fruit and shade trees. To the orig- inal tract he has added eighty acres which gives him a farm of 240 acres, all enclosed by good fences and drained by ample tile ditches. On the 12th of July, 1857, Mr. Sherman was married to Susan McKee, who was born in the State of Ohio, and died in 1869. By this marriage one child only of those born is living. His name is Henry, and he resides with his father. Marion died aged twenty-one years and six months; John aged one year and nine months; Rebecca aged fifteen years, and Isaac aged sixteen years. Mr. Sherman's second wife was Jane Bailes, a native of Kentucky. By this marriage two children were born: Burton, March 25, 1K75, and Jasper, June 28, 1877. The second wife died on the 29th of September, 1887. Mr. Sherman is a member of Methodist Episcopal Church, and has always been a believer in Christianity, and a praying man, but did not become a member of the church until twelve years ago. He is quite regular in his at- tendance, and thoroughly interested in all the af- fairs of the church. In politics, he casts his vote and influence with the Republican party. His first Presidential vote was cast for Gen. Taylor, and he was a Whig until the organization of the Repub- lican party in 1856. Mr. Sherman is one of the oldest settlers now re- siding in Livingston County. When he first came to the State, and for many years after, wolves, deer and other kinds of wild game were plentiful, and LIVINGSTON COUNT*. roamed at will over the prairies. He began to hunt as soon as he was large enough to shoulder a musket, and killed his first deer at flu- age of thir- teen. He was hunting quail at the time, and espy- ing some deer in the thicket of hazel bushes, he drew the shot from the gun, and replacing them with a ball, shot and killed the nearest deer though 200 paces away. During his boyhood he partici- pated in a wolf hunt, which has since been made the subject of an illustration. The Sherman fam- ily have been noted through several generations as pioneers. They emigrated from the East to the Northwest Territory previous to 1800, and settled in that part which now constitutes the State of Ohio. The long and tedious journey they made overland with teams, stopping at convenient inter- vals to hunt, and in that way procured their pro- visions. Gen. Tecumseh Sherman's grandfather was a second cousin of the father of our subject. Although Mr. Sherman is now in his sixty-second year, he is remarkably well preserved, and bids fair to liye many years to come. He is one of the best-known citizens of Livingston County, and en- joys the confidence and respect of all his fellow- citizens. t fl IMLLIAM YOUNGER, of Belle Prairie \aj/l Township, has one of the finest stock farms Ww in Livingston County, which includes 31)5 acres of land, a living sin-ing of water, and all the buildings required for the successful prosecution of his chosen calling. lie has for several 3'ears en- joyed an enviable reputation as a breeder of Devon- shire cattle, fine horses, mostly draft animals, and Poland-China hogs. This breed of cattle came originally from a county of England which forms a part of its southwest peninsula, with a surface greatly broken and diversified, but remarkable for its fertility, and particularly adapted to the devel- opment of the cattle which for a century have been highly valued, both in this country and Great Britain. Mr. Younger began the breeding of these cattle in ls7r>, and now lias a herd of twenty-five full-bloods. He has been accustomed for the last six years to carrying off the blue ribbons at the various county fairs, and at the State Fair. At the Fat Stock Show held in Chicago in 1887, his cattle took the sweepstakes premium. Mr. Younger was born in Woodford County, 111., Aug. 11, 1836, and is the son of Benjamin and Sarah (Turner) Younger, natives of Ohio, the lat- ter of whom died when William was but eighteen months old. The father afterward married Miss Lodema White, of Scioto County, Ohio, who died at her home in Peoria County, Aug. 12, 1887. The father still survives, and is now retired from active labor, making his home in Livingston County where he has a moderate property. lie was born in Ohio in 1810, and is consequently seventy-seven years of age. Our subject was reared on his father's farm, and received such an education as the district schools afforded until he was sixteen years old, when he started out in life for himself, and his present con- dition and surroundings indicate the large measure of success he has achieved in his efforts to obtain a home and a competency. After reaching his twen- ty-ninth year Mr. Younger was united in marriage with Miss Nancy Hatton, Oct. 18, I8fio. Mrs. Younger is a native of Brown County, Ohio, where she was born on the 22d of April, 1844. The re- sult of this union is three children, a son and two daughters, namely: William H.,Emma and Ida M. The family residence located on section 2, in Belle Prairie Township, is a structure i:i keeping with its environments, combining comfort and beauty, and displaying in all its appointments the most cultivated tastes-and ample means. As illus- trative of the advance made in the style of archi- tecture in this section of country we present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Younger's resi- dence with its surroundings. Mr. Younger has labored industriously, lived economically, and his possessions are but the just reward of his toil and frugality. OHN M. KRACK, a native of Montgomery County, Ind., was born Sept. ->!, 1844, and came with his parents to this county in the spring of 1857. He lias the greater part of his life been engaged in the peaceful vocation of a fanner, with the exception of two years in which ho conducted a grocery trade at Forest. He has 672 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i- * I been the privileged witness of the many great changes which have occurred in Central Illinois during a period of thirty years, and although not the hero, perhaps, of any very thrilling event, he has always signalized himself as a law-abiding citi- zen, and kept himself well posted upon matters of general interest. Our subject is the son of I. J. and Mary (VVorrel) Krack, the latter long deceased, but the former still living and a resident of Forest. His early studies were conducted in the district school, and upon becoming a voter he identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he has supported faithfully for over thirty years. He has held the various township offices and was Postmaster at For- est during the administration of President Lincoln. Upon retiring from the grocery business he carried on a shoe store for his father two years, and was for a brief time thereafter connected with the ware- house in Forest. He now has charge of 180 acres of land belonging to his father-in-law, which is lo- cated on section 1 1 . Mr. Krack, Dec. 28, 186'J, was united in marriage with Miss Mary, daughter of John and Margaret (Dancy) Wallace, natives of Ireland, and now resi- dents of Forest. Mrs. K. was born in New Jersey, Jan. 8, 1849, and came to the West with her par- ents in about 1861. They located in Forest Town- ship, and she remained with them until her mar- riage. This union resulted in the birth of four children, namely : Jennie, Maggie, Libbie and Wal- lace. Mr. K. is not connected with any religious organization, but endeavors to follow the precepts of the Golden Rule. His estimable wife is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church. E C. TAYLOR, a representative far- and stock-raiser of Pontiac Township, and a gentleman who has been eminently successful in life, is a native of the island of St. Bartholomew, West Indies, when- his birth took place Jan. 30, 1*17. He is the .-on of George W. and Harriot L. Taylor, the former a native of Bos- ton, Mass.. and the latter of the West Indies. This branch of the Taylor family is of Scotch ance-try. but the mother of our subject is of French and En- glish descent. The paternal grandfather of George C., whose name was John Taylor, emigrated from Scotland to America about 1788, and for a time engaged in mercantile business in Boston. He owned and was master of a vessel lost at sea, upon which occasion he went down with his crew to a watery grave. George W., the father of our sub- ject, was also a sea captain in his early manhood, but later abandoned the ocean and settled down on terra drain. When our subject wa- >even months old his parents removed to Saratoga Springs, N. Y., where he was reared to manhood, receiving careful home training and completing his education at Milton Hill Academy, He possessed considera- ble musical talent, and for many years was em- ployed as a teacher of this art. Mr. Taylor was first married, Sept. 15, 1837, to Miss Uretta Bentley, a native of Saratoga County, N. Y., and they became the parents of four chil- dren, of whom only one survives, John C'., who is now a resident of Pontiac Township. The de- ceased were named respectively, James, Ottis B. and George W. The mother of these children died on the 8th of March, 1877. Mr. Taylor wa> again married, Aug. 16, 1877, to Miss Minerva E. North, daughter of Oliver and Mary North, and a native of Michigan. Her mother's maiden name was Mary Warner, and her parents were natives of New York State. They came to Illinois in 1868, locating in Effingham County, where the father died the same year. A few month.- later the mother with her family came to this county and lo- cated in Owego Township, where she resided a number of years. Thence she removed to Ne- braska, where she now 'lives. She has for many years been a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The parental household in- cluded five children, namely, Charles, Clara, Mi- nerva E., Mary and Carrie. Mr. Taylor came to this county in 1858, and located on section 36, in Pontiac Township, where for some years he was engaged in fanning pursuits. He owns fifty acres of valuable land, besides prop- erty in the village, and is looked upon by his fel- low. townsmen as a self-made man, who has im- proved his opportunities and justly deserves the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4- 673 t , comforts of which he is now in possession. He has been quite prominent in local affairs, serving as School Director, Commissioner of Highways and Vice President of the County Agricultural Society. He was also Highway Commissioner six years, and officiated as President of the County Bible Society- two years, besides being Sunday-school Superin- tendent and otherwise interested in the progress and welfare of his community. Religiously, he is connected .with the Baptist Church, In politics, he affiliates with the Republican party. AMUEL CRUMPTON. This gentleman, residing in Chatsworth Township, is mim- bercd among the progressive citizens of Livingston County, to the southeastern portion of which he came in 1867. He first en- gaged in the grain trade, at which he continued for sixteen years following, his transactions extending to different points around Chatsworth, and yielding very satisfactory returns. Being always fond of country life, he purchased a tract of land in 1877, and since that time has given much of his attention to farming pursuits. He is now the proprietor of 400 broad acres, besides village property and real estate on the other side of the Mississippi. When entering upon man's estate, he was absolutely with- out means, his condition in life being in striking contrast with that of the present, as he is now wealthy, and surrounded by the comforts and luxu- ries of life. His residence, erected in 1883, is one of the most handsome and commodious dwellings in the county, and the farm stock and implements are fully in keeping with the means of the proprietor, being well cared for and of first-class description. Mr. Crumpton was born near the Atlantic Coa>t in Franklin County, Me., Feb. 17, 1841, and is the son of William and Nancy II. (Ford) Crumpton, also natives of that Stale, where the father engaged in farming, which he followed through life. The family, in 1*51, migrated westward and settled on a farm near Freedom, LaSalle County, where the father spent the remainder of his days, his death oc- curring Sept. 27, 1875, at the age of seventy-nine years, four months and twenty-six days. The mother subsequently came to Chatsworth, and passed away on the 15th of June, 1879, aged seventy-six years, seven months and twenty-four days. The parental household included two sons and four daughters, as follows: William W., the eldest, died in LaSalle County in 1883, and Emeline in 1851 ; Sarah J., the wife of Heniy J. Davis, and Charlotte, Mrs. Thomas J. Davis, reside in LaSalle County; Samuel is the subject of this biography; and Ann M. is the wife of Edward A. Bangs, of Chatsworth. Our subject was ten years of age when the family came west and located in LaSalle Count} 7 , this State, where he completed a practical education, winding up with a course at the seminary at Aurora. He then began farming for himself, continuing in La- Salle County until 1867, when he had accumulated capital sufficient to embark in the grain trade. He now established himself in Chatsworth Township, where he has since resided and been uniformly suc- cessful in his business transactions. The marriage of Samuel Crumpton and Miss Alice S. Lawrence was celebrated in LaSalle Coun- ty, Jan. 10, 1877. Mrs. Crumpton is the daughter of Jairus and Alice (Farham) Lawrence, and was born in LaSalle County, 111., Feb. 28, 1852. Her parents removed from Orleans County, N. Y., in the i fall of 1849, to Illinois, locating in LaSalle County, where the mother is still living. The father passed away on the 29th of July, 1881, aged seventy-one years, six months and five days. Mr. and Mrs. Crumpton became the parents of four children, of whom one son, Ray L., died when an infant of five months. Those surviving are William J., May A. andOra J. Politically Mr. Crumpton is a solid Re- publican, and socially is a member of Blue Lodge, A. F. & A. M. ; Freedom Lodge No. 194, Freedom, 111., and St. Paul Commandery, Fairbury, 111. b ELAND M. RHODES. Livingston County can possibly boast of having a greater num- ber of fine stock-farms than any other coun- ty in Illinois. The grass- producing soil and the great quantity of living water afford unusual facil- ities for engaging in that useful and profitable oc- cupation. Of the thousands of stock-farms within LIVINGSTON COUNTY. V licr borders, none, perhaps, is better than the one on section 1G, Esmen Township, comprising ,'!20 acres, and owned and operated by the subject of this sketch, who is a native of the Suite of New York. Mr. Rhodes was born in the town of Berlin, Rensselaer County, that State, on the 12th of May, 1816, and was the fifth in a family of eight chil- dren born to John and Patience (Bcntley) Rhodes, natives of New York and Rhode Island respect- ively. The paternal grandparents were Walter and Mary (Mill) Rhodes, who were of English descent. He was first mate on an English merchant vessel, and served under his father who was the Captain. The maternal grandparents were Benjamin and Lydia (Rathbone) Bentlcy, who were born in the State of New York; be was a farmer by occupa- tion, and of Welsh-English descent. Mr. Rhodes' father was a carpenter by trade, and also followed fanning. Of a family of eleven brothers, lie was next to the youngest. They were all soldiers in the War of 1812, where he enlisted as Orderly Sergeant, and was promoted to Briga- dier (Quartermaster. After the war he followed his trade until the death of his wife, and then spent his time among his children, dying in Wisconsin at the end of a Christian life. Mr. Rhodes was reared to farm life, and worked with his father at carpentering, receiving such edu- cation as could be obtained in the common schools, until lie was twenty-one years of }ige. lie then left home, and soon after engaged in burning char- coal, accumulating in one year sufficient means to enable him to set out for a trip to the far West. There being no railroad facilities for travel at that time, lie was compelled to make the journey on foot, first traveling to Bradford County. Pa., thence to Buffalo, N. Y., and by water to Detroit, whence he walked across the State of Michigan to the southwest corner, and then went up the Lakes to what is now Chicago, and thence by the way of Dorr Prairie, Ind., where he lay sick for a time, and finally reached Illinois. The canal was being built at that time, and he staid for awhile at .loliet, when he went to plainfield Prairie, where he struck the Chicago & Rock Island Indian trail, which he followed to Rock River, and thence to the lead mines of Galena. A few days later he took the Mississippi trail which he followed to St. Louis, and spent some time in looking at the country around. He returned to St. Louis and took pas- sage on the boat to Cairo, whence he went to Louis- ville, Ky., crossing the State on a trail which was marked by blazed trees. From there he went by water up to Cincinnati and took to the country again, traveling northeast until he reached the Na- tional Turnpike, which he followed to Wheeling, Va., thence to Pittsburgh, Pa., and east through the mountains, with nothing but the sun to guide him, to Bradford County, from which he had started. After resting here a short time he returned to his home. This journey was made wholly for the pur- pose of seeing the country and learning of the peo- ple, and for the same reason he also made a trip into Massachusetts. The next spring he attempted to start in business in Bradford Count}'. Pa., but sickness compelled him to return to his home where he engaged at carpentering. At this he worked only one season, when, while mowing, he was acci- dentally struck witlui scythe and disabled for a year, the right leg being almost severed at the knee. When able to sit up he began to study medicine, thinking he would never again be able to follow his trade, but he did not have much taste for that profession, and discontinued the study. About this time his mind turned to the study of the Scriptures, and he began to prepare himself for the ministry. Although he never engaged as a regu- lar preacher he has preached locally ever since in the Baptist Church, to which he belongs. As soon a.- his health was restored, he resumed his trade in and around home, and followed it until lK-1'.t. On the 10th of June, 1849, our subject was mar- ried to Caroline Clarke, a daughter of Isaac and Amanda (Gleason) Clarke, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York. Caroline was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., on the 20th of April. 1830, where her father was engaged in sawmilling and farming most of his life. Soon after their marriage, Mr. Rhodes and his wife set out for Wisconsin, making the trip by water, and settled in Geneva, Wai worth County, that State, where he purchased forty acres of land on section 1"). Tin 1 }- lived here for many years engaged in ' I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 675 1 fanning and stock-raising, his father living with him until his death. Mr. Rhodes worked assidu- ously until he accumulated 120 acres of finel}' im- proved land, and also 160 acres in LaSalle County, 111., the latter of which he had fenced and put un- der cultivation before his removal to Illinois. In 1*75 lie sold his farm in LaSalle County, and came into this county, where he bought 320 acres on which he now resides, of Bennet Humiston. Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes' family consisted of eleven children, six of whom are yet living: William, born July 20, 1850, and Eliza, Sept. 4, 1851, both died in infancy; Emma, born Sept. 4, 1852; Le- land M., born Jan. 25, 18.")5, died Jan. 1, 1861; Arvilla C., born May (I, 1857, died Jan. 12, 1861 ; Mary, born June 25, 1859, died July 30, 1869; Milford, born July 30, 1860; Flora Cecilia, April 1, 1863; Isaac W., Sept. 1, 1865; Haiiow A., March 30, 1868, and Olive, Nov. 16, 1870. Emma married George Whitham, and lives in Esmeii Township; Flora married W. C. Corbin. Mr. Rhodes is a stanch Prohibitionist, and is a man who is never inclined to office-seeking-. He is, a Deacon in the Baptist Church. ENRY HORNICKLE is a resident of Ger- man ville Township, where he owns and operates a farm of 1 50 acres of good land which has been brought to its present con- dition from the raw prairie. lie took possession of this in 1 870, and has a good set of farm build- ings, a choice assortment of live stock and every- thing pertaining to the progressive agriculturist. The birthplace of Mr. Hornickle was in the Grand Duchy of Hesse, a beautiful Province of Germany, situated in the basins of the Rhine ami Weser. More than half the territory is arable and the soil very fertile. The vine is cultivated ex- tensively, and the other products are flax, hemp, hops, tobacco and fruit. The face of the country is beautifully diversified with forests and hills, and there are rich mines of copper, iron, coal ard salt. The manufacture of silk, linen and paper is also carried on extensively. The educational institu- -* : tions form one of the important features of the Province, where the young, as throughout all Ger- many, are placed in school at an early age and compelled to attend a sufficient time to obtain a good practical education. Our subject left this delightful region in 1857, when a youth of eighteen years, his birth having taken place June 15, 1839. His parents, John and Margaret (Schuch) Hornickle, were of pure Ger- man ancestry, and were also reared and married in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. After becoming the parents of eight children, they concluded for the sake of these to emigrate to America, hoping to better their condition, socially and financially. The West seemed to be the most desirable field of operation and accordingly, upon setting foot on American soil they proceeded directly to the Prairie State, locating first near Washington, 'raze- well County. A year later they came to the south- eastern part of Livingston, where they engaged in farming. The mother rested from her earthly labors in 1880; the father is still living and is quite aged, having been born in 1809. With one excep- tion their children are all living. Henry, of our sketch, was the eldest son ; Margaret is a resident of Iowa; Nicholas is written of elsewhere in this vol- ume; Martha became the 'wife of Henry Lee, who is farming in Nebraska; Catherine, Mrs. Frederick Ton b, is a resident of Peoria; Conrad is carrying on farming in this township, and Lizzie married Henry Hest, and lives in Ford County, this State. Mr. Hornickle after completing a very good education learned the shoemaker's trade before coming to this country, but has followed it little since that time, preferring the more active and in- teresting pursuits of farm life. He was married, in 1869, to Miss Fredricka Lehmann, a native of his own country and born about 1845. She came to the United States with her parents when quite young, and has since been a resident of Wisconsin and later of Illinois. They have a bright and interest- ilia family of ten children, whom they named re- spectively as follows: John H., Frederick William, Conrad H., Catherine M., Amelia M., Christina M., Annie E., Christian F., Jacob C. and Peter Robert. Another, Elizabeth C., died in infancy. They are being trained in the way which will insure their r t C76 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. usefulness as business citizens and their value as intelligent members of the community. Mr. Ilornickle is regarded by his neighbors as a good citizen, and has served in his township as School Director and Road Commissioner. Politi- cally he votes the Democratic ticket, and relig- iously belongs, with his estimable wife, to the Evangelical Church. eHRISTOPIIER DENNEWITZ. This is an inviting country to the people of the old _ world, who desire to better their condition, and to adopt and live under the broad and liberal laws of government which were obtained here many years ago, and prevail to-day. Not only our laws and our institutions are inducements to the man who is proscribed by unjust and dictatorial powers, to come to this country, but our vast andjunoccupied domain is ample enough to furnish homes for al- most the entire population of the world. Of the people of all parts of the earth, who have availed themselves of the great opportunities of this coun- try, none have filled a more important place than the sturdy sons of the various portions of Ger- many. They occupy prominent places in all parts of our business fabrics, and wherever they have chosen to adopt agriculture as their calling, are to be found the best farms of the country. The Ger- mans practically made Pennsylvania what it is, and their work is going on surely and gradually in many of the newer States of the Union, and espe- cially in Illinois, where they have secured so great a foothold. Among the German citizens of Livingston Coun- ty is the subject of this sketch, who is a native of Prussia, Germany, and was born in that country, in Howtroder, on the 8th of May, 1842. He is the son of Charles and Rosa Dennewitz, who became the parents of seven children, whose names are as follows: Charles, Christopher, William, Razcy, Rickey, Frederick and Ernestine. Of these. Charles. Christopher and William were born in German}', and the rest in Ross County, Ohio. When the par- ents emigrated to America the subject of this sketch was five years of age. Upon landing at New York, they went directly to Ross County, Ohio, where our subject was reared to manhood. Early in his youth he learned the trade of cooper, and after ar- riving at manhood followed that occupation for several years. In the year 1870 he came to Liv- ingston County, of which he has been an honored resident since. His father was gathered to his fathers in April, 1875; the mother is residing in this county. On the 2d of December, 1873, Mr. Dennewitz was married to Miss Emma Kessling, who was born in Pennsylvania on the 30th of October, 1 854. She is the daughter of William and Angeline Kessling, now residents of Putnam County, 111. They have two children, whose names are, Katie, who was born April 22, 1875, and Frederick, May 30, 1880. During the first years of Mr. Dennewitz' life he had many hard struggles. He began without capi- tal and under most unfavorable circumstances, but he persevered with much courage until he now is in comparative!}' easy circumstances. His farm con- sists of forty acres of good land, which yields him a fair revenue each year, and by good management and economy he is enabled from time to time to add such improvements as materially enhance the value of the farm. In the selection of a wife he was very fortunate in securing a woman who has proved an excellent helpmate. Mr. Dennewitz votes and acts with the Demo- cratic party, but is not active enough in politics to consume time which could be devoted to business. He and his wife are honored members of society, and enjoy the respect and esteem of the people among whom they live. y~ ILLIAM Z. WALDEN, of Pontiac Town- ship, is the proprietor of 180 acres of good land on section 12, and is a worthy illus- tration of the self-made man, who, by his enter- prise and industry, lias attained to a good position socially and financially. He came to this section when a young man in the twenty-second year of his age, and has since been a resident here, identi- fying himself fully with the interests of the people LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 677 around him, and contributing his full share toward the cultivation of the soil and the development of the resources of Livingston County. Of late years his land has been largely deyptrtt to the raising of hay and grain, which \><- has utilized in the feeding of a large amou* f stock, including cattle and Mr. Walden was born near Terre Haute, Ind., Nov. 7, 1848, and is the son of Aaron W. and Mar- garet (Black) Walden. His father was a native of Kentucky; his mother died when he was a child of seven years. He remained with his father, and re- ceived his education principally in McLean County, this State, to which the father had removed. Sub- sequently the elder Walden came to Livingston County, and is now a resident of Pontiac Township. Mr. Walden was married, in the spring of 1870, to Miss Alice Pettibone, a native of Illinois, and at the time of her marriage a resident of this county. Mr. Walden was subsequently married, Oct. 20, 1876, to Miss Enstena Olke. Of this union there- were born five children, four now living, namely : Mary, Frances, Rachel and May. One daughter, Laura, died in infancy. Mr. Walden, politically, is a decided Republican, and is numbered among the representative men of his township. He has been successful in the management of his farm and the investment of his capital, effecting great im- provements on the land since it came into his pos- session, and each year adding something to its at- tractions as a place of residence, and its value as real estate. OBERT WALKER, a retired fanner resid- ing in the village of Emington, has been a /4iMi\ citizen of Broughton Township since the ^H spring of 1883. He is a Scotchman by birth and parentage, and an admirable specimen mentally and physically of that nationality than which there is considered none superior in the whole world. His birth took place near Dumfries- shire, May 2, 1826, in the parish of Urr, at the home of his parents, John and Mary (Nish) Walker, na- tives of the same locality. Young Walker contin- ued near the scenes of his early childhood until reaching the twenty-fourth 3'ear of his age, when he crossed the Atlantic and located near the city of Albany, N. Y. He had been reared to farm pur- suits, and followed this in the Empire State for some time. He finally became a resident of Great Valley, Cattaraugus County, and there made the acquaintance of Miss Lydia Atilda Matthewson, to whom he was married on the 10th of December, 1853. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Walker came to LaSalle County, this State, where our subject engaged as a farm laborer for a period of five years. He then purchased a team and rented a tract of land in. Ophir Township, where he farmed four years on his own account, and then re- moved, in 1865, to Union Township, this county. Here he rented land another four years, and in the meantime had purchased eighty acres, applying his surplus cash to its payment. He was prospered in his labors, and in 1872 added another eighty acres to his first purchase, and now has a quarter section of as good land as there is in this part of Livingston County. It is thoroughly drained with tile, and thefencesare of hedge, combining both beaut}" and utility; the farm buildings are neat and substan- tial. Here Mr. Walker continued with his estim- able lady until retiring from active labor in the spring of 1883. He then purchased the town resi- dence which he now owns, and surrounded by the comforts of life, is enjoying his declining years in a manner befitting his station. Mr. and Mrs. Walker became the parents of three children, of whom the record is as follows: Mary P. was born May 25, 1855, in Great Valley, Catta- raugus Co., N. Y., and became the wife of Walter W. Wright, of Union Township, this county; they are living upon a farm and arc the parents of two children. Lydia E. Walker was born Sept. 3, 1856, in Waltham, LaSalle County, and married Alfred E. Wright, of Union Township, where they now re- side; Robert John was born March 12, 1861, in Ophir Township, LaSalle County, and married Miss Pliebc Cook; they occupy the old homestead, and have two children. The wife of our subject is the daughter of Hale and Prudence (Williams) Matthewson, who were married Feb. 14, 1817, in Springville, Cattaraugus T. 678 LIVINGSTON COI'NTY. Co., N. V. Her father was a native of Massachu- setts and a descendant of excellent Scotch ancestry, lie wns liorn Jan. 9, 1793, and departed this life at his home in Erie County, N. Y., June 19, 1871. He served as a drummer in the War of 1812, and at the time of the burning of Buffalo was stationed there. He was finally taken ill and sent home on a furlough, and the war closed before he was enabled to return to his regiment. His wife Prudence was born in the State of Vermont, July 2, 1798, and was a direct descendant of a brother of Roger Will- iams, of Rhode Island. She also died at the home- stead in Erie County, N. Y., passing away many years before her husband, on the 18th of January, 1844. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Walker died in Cattaraugus County, N. Y., where her ma- ternal grandfather, Stephen Williams, also spent his last years, in Concord. The male members of the family for many generations were engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Matthewson had a family of ten children, eight of whom lived to reach their majority, and six are still living: Mary Helen was born June 6, 1820, and married Alfred Devendorf; she died in September, 18C4, leaving three children, who are still residents of New York State. Lydia Atilda, Mrs. Walker, was born Feb. 1, 1824; Jenks H. was born Sept. 5, 1826, is married and the father of two children; he is farming in Erie County, N. Y. Eliza Jane was born Feb. ;, 1831, and is the wife of William Huftell, a machinist of Buffalo, N. Y. ; they have one child living. Stephen W. was born Nov. 1, 1833, is un- married, and a resident of the Empire State; Chris- topher C. was born Nov. 10, 1835, is unmarried, and a resident of Pennsylvania; Valencia was born Dec. 6, 1837, married John I hi f tell, of Buffalo, and they have one child; Chancy B. was born Nov. 17, 1840, served as a soldier in the late war under Gen. McClelland, and in one of the hard fought battles lost a hand; ho received a pension from the Government and died at the Soldiers' Home at Dayton, Ohio, in about 1868. Mr. Walker is a born gentleman, whole-souled and generous, and a great favorite among his neigh- bors and acquaintances. He came to this part of Illinois in the midst of his youth and strength, and proved just such a man as w:is needed in his town- to assist in developing the got! and encouraging its settlement by :i thrifty and intelligent chi- of people. As hus keen already indicated he commenced life without means, and accumulated his present desirable property solely by the exercise of hUown industry and good judgment. Our subject was the second son in ;v fsimilv of six children. His eldest brother, John, who i-o- mains in his native Scotland, owns a portion of the land that was deeded to one of his ancestors by Robert Bruce, under the following circumstances: After Sir William Wallace and Robert Bruce had finished fighting a certain battle they went to a house and called for food. When the good lady had supplied it Bruce told her to go out and walk around all the land she could while they were eat- ing and he would deed it to her. Whereupon she gave the two but one spoon, and the porridge being hot, she thus secured ICO acres, which has been in- herited from father to son since that day. Robert Walker votes the straight Republican ticket and is a strict temperance man, his sympathies leaning strongly toward prohibition. Both he and his estimable lady are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Emington, and for years have been numbered among its most cheerful and liberal supporters. J" OHN MASTERS is truly one of the repre- sentative farmers and stock-raisers of Pleas- ant Ridge Township. His farm consists of 309 acres of choice land, and the buildings which afford shelter for his family and the domestic animals of the farm are ample in dimensions and convenient in their construction. There is no bet- ter conducted or better regulated farm on section 30 than the one owned by our subject. Mr. Mas- ters is a native of the Buckeye State, and was born in Butler County on the 9th of September, 1830. He is the son of William and Mary (Johnson) Mas- ters, of Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupa- tion, and during his life was a prominent citizen of the section where he resided. He died in the year 1830, and the mother survived until the 1st of January, 1*(!8. They were the parents of seven I t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 679 * } children: Mary, who died in childhood; Annie, Mrs. William Virgin; (Sarah, who married William Sense, and died some years after; James, Samuel, William and John. Our subject was the youngest member of his father's family. At the age of five years his mother moved to Tippecanoe County, Ind., and he was reared on the farm where he remained twenty years. During this time he attended the common schools as opportunities would permit, and assisted to the best of his abilities in the work upon the farm. At the age of twenty-two years, on the loth of Novem- ber, 1853, he was married to Miss Jane Connor, a native of Indiana, who was born on the 15th of April, 1833. She is the daughter of John and Eliz- abeth (Franklin) Connor, and her mother died when Mrs. Masters was twelve months old. To Mr. and Mrs. Masters have been born three children: Jasper C., who married Dorcas J. Oppey ; William A., who married Rosa Bryant, and one who died in infancy; both of the sons are farmers, and are meeting with success in their undertakings. Mr. Masters came to Illinois from Tippecanoe County, Ind., in 185G, and located in Pleasant Ridge Township, where he has ever since resided. He is one of the most extensive farmers and stock- raisers of the township. All of his large tract of land is highly cultivated, and the improvements of all classes are good. Mr. Masters belongs to the Republican party, and keeps pace with the pro- gressiveness of that organization. During his resi- dence in Pleasant Ridge Township, he has been en- trusted with some of the township offices, and in the discharge of his duties has given excellent satisfac- tion. iEORGE WORRICK, a retired farmer and now a resident of Fairbiiry, came to Liv- ingston County in 1X54, making the long journey from the State of Ohio by teams, and af- ter ward settling upon an uncultivated tract of land. which he in due time transformed into a valuable homestead. His first purchase was 125 acres, to which he subsequently added until he is now the pu>scs>or of a half section, .-upplied with handsome and substantial buildings and all the appliances of a first-class country estate. He retired from active labor in 1883, when he turned over the farm to the hands of his sons and removed to town, where he occupies one of the finest dwellings in the village. He was long ago recognized as a valued addition to the community of Indian Grove Township, and both in country and town is widely and favorably known as a representative citizen. The early years of Mr. Worrick's life were passed in Maryland, where he was born Jan. 20, 1810. In 1819 his parents removed to Greene County, Pa., where he remained until twenty-three years of age, employed in farming, and during the winter season pursuing the common branches at the district schools. While a resident of the Keystone State he was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Compston, a na- tive of Greene County, and born July 31,1813. Mrs. Worrick is the daughter of Jacob and Mary (Evans) Compston, the former a native of Pennsyl- vania, and the latter of Culpeper County, Va. They were married in Greene County, Pa. Mr. Wor- rick's parents emigrated to Illinois in 1857, locat- ing in Belle Prairie Township, this county, where the father followed farming until called from his earthly labors in February, 1882. The mother had departed this life ten . years earlier. They were very pious people and devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. and Mrs. Worrick removed from Pennsylva- nia to Ohio in 1842, locating in Licking County, where our subject occupied himself in keeping a hotel and dealing in stock for a period of twenty- one years. He came to Illinois in 1854, and his subsequent course we have already indicated. The household circle was completed by the birth of five sons and three daughters: Mary J., the eldest, is the wife of William Johnson, of Strawn; John mar- ried Miss Sarah E. Ayers, and both are now de- ceased, the former being killed by a runaway team ; Maria is Mrs. Alex. McXabb, of Chicago; Henry married Miss Maria Lyons; Luther R. married Ma- rion Carpenter, who died of consumption in 1881 ; Harriet became the wife of John Skane, and is liv- ing in Fairbiiry; Charles married Miss Jane Harp, and Jacob married Miss Maria Barnes. Mr. Worrick has been prominent in local affairs since becoming a resident of Livingston County, f.KO LIVINGSTON COUNTY. holding the various township oilier.-, :iiul being one of the pillars of the Christian Church, in which he lias officiated as Elder for thirty years. He east his first Presidential vote for Gen. Jackson, and con- tinued :i Democrat up to the administration of James Buchanan. The war agitation and its results had the effect of changing his political views, and he has since voted the Republican ticket. i OLLIS P. SWAN. Among the well-to-do farmers of Livingston County, who have succeeded through individual effort and economy in acquiring a handsome property both real and personal, Mr. Swan deserves promi- nent mention. He is living upon his large and pro- ductive farm on section 16, Saunemin Township, and in addition to the cultivation of grain is ex- tensively engaged in stock-raising. Mr. Swan is a native of Michigan, and was born on the 12th of September, 1836. He is the son of Jarvis W. and Esther (Wallace) Swan, natives of Vermont and New York respectively. His pater- nal ancestors were of English origin, and the grand- father, Ebenezer Swan, was a soldier in the Revo- lutionary army, being one of the minute men, and was wounded at the battle of Plattsburg. The ma- ternal ancestors were of Scotch origin, the family name being Wallace. In the fall of 1836, when our subject was a babe, his parents removed to Illinois and settled in Kane County, where they were among the earliest pioneers and remained until their death, that of the father occurring on the 7th of December, 1883, and the mother's on the 18th of April, 188G. The parents had six children, of whom five survive, viz.: Hollis P., our subject: Cordelia, the widow of Edward Delano, of Kane County; Edwin, of Harvey County, Kan.; Charles H., of Livingston County, and Albert W., of Paw- nee County, Kan. The father of our subject was one of the representative pioneers of Kane County, 111., and became widely and favorably known dur- ing his residence there. In that county the subject of our sketch was reared to manhood and received a limited education. Since becoming a man he lias been a constant reader and an extensive traveler, thus making his knowledge of affairs broad and comprehensive. On the 7th of March, 1859, Mr. Swan was mar- ried, in Kane County, 111., to Miss Mary Wilding, a native of that county. She was born on the loth of February, 1 840, and is the daughter of Richard and Louisa (Benjamin) Wilding, the former a na- tive of Wales, and the latter of New York, and both became early settlers of Kane -County, 111. The father died on the 3d of May, 1 885, and the death of the mother occurred on the 6th of Janu- ary, 1875. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Swan: Perry L., deceased; and Sylvia V., wife of A. M. I?-win, of Marshall County, 111., but at present residing with Mr. Swan. On the 5th of September, 1861, Mr. Swan en- listed in Company B, 7th Kansas Cavalry, being a resident of that State at the breaking out of the war. For a time he operated in the western border counties of Missouri, and at the battle of Little Blue he was severely wounded, having received in this fight six bullets, and was left in the woods for dead when the regiment inarched away. He was subsequently in various hospitals several months, and upon his recovery rejoined his regiment, which was then sent into the South and conducted its fu- ture operations principally in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. He was with his regiment in the battles of Corinth, Holly Springs, and the Red River campaign, after which they were "transferred to the Iron Mountain Railroad in Missouri for the purpose of driving out Gen. Price and his army, and participated in the battles of Iron Mountain, Pilot Knob, and numerous others of minor importance. His enlistment in the army was as a private, but he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, and in that position was discharged and mustered out in November, 1863. He then returned to Illinois and to Livingston County, in ISCiii, arriving but a few days before the assassina- tion of President Lincoln. He settled on his pres- ent farm on section l(i in that year, where he has since resided. Mr. Swan owns 320 acres of land in Saunemin Township, and also has landed interests in Kan.-a>. Politically, he votes and acts independently. He has served as Township Road Commissioner, in "4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. * 681 which capacity he rendered good service, and is a member of the G. A. R. Post atSaunerain, and also of the Masonic fraternity, No. 738, Saunernin, 111. He is a liberal-minded man and warmly endorses all enterprises projected for the advancement of the people of his neighborhood. R. NATHAN S. PARSONS, druggist and practicing physician at Fairbury, is a grad- uate of the old school, and completed his studies at Burlington, Vt., in 1874. He had taken a thorough course, and was for three years under the tutorship of the eminent Dr. Will- iam S. Ilonsinger, of West Chazy, N. Y., where he also attended a course of lectures at Bellevue Hos- pital. He has been a faithful student, and keeps himself well posted upon the views of the latest authors of medical works, and assisted by a fine library, has distinguished himself by his success, and long ago became universally popular. Dr. Parsons was born in Clinton County, N. Y., May 13, 1851, and was reared on the farm of his father, Nathan M. Parsons, until a youth of eight- een years. Then, having graduated from the com- mon schools, he entered- upon the higher branches, and after a thorough course in these, took up the study of medicine. The mother of our subject was formerly Miss Sarah Moore, a natives of Canada, and both parents were devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which the father was connected for forty years. He was born in 1800, and spent his entire life in his native county, his death taking place in 1871. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, both intellectually and in a business capacity, and besides filling the minor offices in his township, served three years as County Clerk. The mother passed away in 1862, when fifty-one years of age. The ten children of the parental family were named Henry. Washington, Almira, Tempy, Gilson T., Cornelius H., Dora, Henry C., Alfred A. and Nathan S. Of these, seven only are living. Dr. Parsons while a resident of West Chazy, \va> united in marriage with Miss Emma F. Reynolds, at the home of the bride in the city of Burling- ton, Vt. Mrs. P. was born in that city in 1861. This union has resulted in the birth of three chil- dren, all living, Mabel M., Jessie M. and George S. The Doctor commenced practice at Altona, N. Y., in 1874, and althoxigh still a young man, en- joys an extensive patronage. He is especially pro- ficient as a surgeon, and at the time of the terrible Chatsworth disaster, was one of the first called upon to assist_in alleviating the sufferings of the wounded. His cool judgment and steady nerves were just what was needed at that time, and he proved him- self equal to the emergency, acting with prompt- ness and excellent judgment, amputating limbs, set- ting joints and reducing fractures, besides stitching up gaping wounds. He carries a fine stock of drugs, and is held in high esteem as a citizen and business man, as well as a physician and surgeon. He was reared by pious parents in the doctrines of the Methodist Church, although not at present con- nected with any religious denomination. Politi- cally he upholds Republican principles, and socially is a member of the Order of Modern Woodman of America, being Examining Surgeon of the lodge at Fairbury. He was elected a member of the City Council in August, 1887. His handsome and at- tractive residence is located on Fourth street, where he and his excellent lady dispense generous hospi- tality to scores of friends. LVIN WAIT, County Clerk of Livingston County, is now completing his third term as the incumbent of this office, the duties of which he has discharged in a highly creditable manner. He has been connected with local affairs for many years, serving as Township Collector and Deputy Postmaster before being elected to his present position. Mr. Wait was born in Dresden, Ohio, Oct. 30, 1843, and passed his boyhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, attending school during the winter season and assisting on the farm in the summer. He was a youth of eighteen years at the breaking out of the late Rebellion, and a year later enlisted in Company D, 127th Illinois In- fantry, and served two years and seven months. He 682 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i participated in many of the important battles of the war, namely, the siege and capture of Vicks- burg and the battles of Arkansas Post, Resaca, Ga., Dallas Woods, Kennesaw Mountain, and the siege of Atlanta. Buring the fierce conflict at the last-named place, which lasted from July 20 to the 28th, his left leg was so badly shattered by a minie ball that it became necessary to amputate it. This naturally ended his fighting days, and he re- ceived his honorable discharge on the 25th of March, 1865. After being mustered out Mr. Wait returned home and attended a district school, and also the Soldier's College at Fulton, Whiteside County. Dec. 31, 1868, he was united in marriage with Miss Alice A. Maxwell, who was born in Taunton, Mass., April 4, 1849, and is the daughter of Rev. J. S. Maxwell, a minister of the Christian Church, and now a resident of Crawfordsville, Ind. The young people after their marriage located in Dwight, this county, and Mr. Wait was elected to his present position in November. 1877, moving to Pontiac on the 28th of November of that year. He is a decided Republican politically, and so- cially belongs to the I. O. O. F. and G. A. R. To Mr. and Mrs. Wait there' were born five children, four of whom are now living, namely: Burton C., Hattie E., Gracie M. and an infant not named. J~1OHN W. HART. One of the enterprising I citizens of Long Point Township is the sub- ject of this sketch, who is located on a farm ' on section 19. He was born on the 28th of July, 1840, and is the son of Samuel and Rachel (Thomas) Hart, natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respectively. The father of Mr. Hart came to Grimily County, 111., in 1854. and during his life was engaged in farming, and was a minister in the Methodist Church for about forty years. He was born June 17, 1817, and died Jan. 26, 1882, at the age of sixty-five years. The mother is still living, and resides in Odell Township, in this county. She has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church nearly all her life, and has been devoted to relisious and benevolent work. Samuel and Ra- chel Hart became the parents of the following- named children: Hannah, who died at the age of eighteen years; William resided in Nebraska, was twice married, first to a Mi-s Martin, deceased, and afterward to Sarah Martin, who is also dead; there was one child born by each marriage. Aquilla was a soldier in the Union army, and after being in the service two and one-half y ears, was struck by a piece of shell at the battle of the Wilderness, re- ceiving an injury which resulted in his death; Sa- rah married E. Anderson, has seven children, and lives in Livingston County ; Robert married Sarah White, and died on the 7th of September, 1887, leaving two children ; Lydia Ann married Charles Martin, and they had five children, one of whom is deceased; Mr. Martin is a tile and brick manu- facturer, and lives at Watseka, 111. Mary married Leonidas Martin, of Dwight, 111., and has had four children, one of whom is deceased; Rachel married L. M. Bundy, a physician and druggist at Cissna Park, Iroquois Co., III., and has two children; John W. married Anna Amanda Whiteley. Mr. Hart and Miss Whiteley were married on the 24th of December, 1868, and became the parents of three children: Elinira, born Nov. 25, 1870; Samuel F., born July 26, 1874, and now attending the High School at Streator, 111., and Annie, born April 11, 1886. The parents of Mrs. Hart were F. A. and Elmira (Russell) Whiteley, natives of New York, the former born Oct. 3, 1812, in Tioga County, and the latter, Nov. 21, 1812, in Putnam County. Their marriage took place Jan. 17, 1839, and of the children of this union Mrs. Hart alone survives. John W. Hart, the subject of this sketch, en- listed in the army on the 13th of August, 1862, in Grnndy Count)', 111., and was assigned to Company D, 127th Illinois Infantry. After remaining in Chicago about two months, he went with his regi- ment to Memphis, Teim. He participated in the siege of Vicksburg, and the engagement of Arkan- sas Post, where the Union forces captured nearly all the rebels engaged in the fight. He was at Mis- sion Ridge and in the Atlanta campaign, but when within sight of Atlanta he was taken prisoner and removed to Andersonville Prison, where he re- mained one month and twenty-two days, when he was exchanged. While at Andersonville the suffer- LIVINGSTON 7 COUNTY. 683 ing on account of insufficient food and water was intense. A part of the time a half pint of unbolted meal per da}', and the balance of the time a small amount of corn bread, with once a week about a tablespoonful of molasses, was all they had to sub- sist on, and the water which they drank was that which ran from the camps and the cook houses, and was wholly unfit for even beasts to drink. When he was exchanged he rejoined his company and regiment, and went with Sherman to the sea, and at the close of this campaign his regiment proceeded to Washington, where he was mustered out of the service. Upon his return from the army Mr. H. engaged in the work of farming, and has followed that occu- pation ever since. He owns fort}- acres of land on section 27, and his wife owns eighty acres on sec- tion 17, upon which they reside. Both pieces of land are well improved and in a good state of cul- tivation, well fenced and bountifully supplied with wholesome water. Mr. Hart is a member of Rut- land Post No. 292, G. A. R., and is highly es- teemed as a comrade. He and his wife are active members in good standing of the Methodist '.Epis- copal Church. On account of his very decided views on the temperance question, Mr. Hart has attached his political fortunes to the Prohibition party, and of the doctrines of that party he is a strong and earnest advocate. Mr. Hart's educa- tional advantages were very meagre, but by study at odd times he succeeded in obtaining a fair edu- cation. He has had to depend largely on his own resources for success in life, and has been rewarded with measurably good success. He is a Christian gentleman, a good neighbor and a stable citizen. D. SAXTON. The jewel of a corn- nlun ' tv ' s l ' le " oo( l neighbor who can al- ways be depended upon in times of adver- sity or pressing emergency, and the acts of the sub- ject of this sketch, some of which are named further on, show that he has never failed to respond cheer- fully to such demands, and without hope of reward, further than an approving conscience. Mr. Saxton's farm home is located on section 8, Rook's Creek *- Township, where he has eighty acres of fine farm- ing land, with a residence which is so nearly perfect in all its appointments that further improvements would be out of the question. Our subject is the son of Frederick Saxton, and was born on the 26th of August, 1834, in the State of New York. He left there at the age of three years, and with his parents located in Piqua County, Ohio, whence they removed to Illinois in the year 1852, locating in Peoria County. Mr. Saxton was married, on the 8th of May, 1864, to Jane M. Young, of Chillicothe, 111., at which Lime he was thirty years of age. When a boy of eight years, he commenced working in a brickyard, and followed that occupation and masonry until about 1871, seven years after his marriage, when he came to his present home. Mr. and Mrs. Saxton have had six children: Frederick, born Feb. 21, 1867, died in infancy; Minnie, born May 17, 1869, has quali- fied herself for a teacher, and has been quite success- ful in that profession; Delia ,1., born Sept. 25, 1872, and died Deo. 19, 1877; Leona Y., born April 20, 1877; Charles L., Sept. 1, 1881 ; M. Berenice, June 9, 1884. Mr. Saxton's father was Frederick Saxton, who was born in New York, Sept. 1, 1806. The mother was Eliza Clark, who was born April 8, 1810, and they were married on the 13th of January, 1831. To them were born seven children, as follows: Nancy E., born Nov. 18, 1832, in New York, was married to George Hurlburt, by whom she had six children; she died about 1876, in Nebraska. Giles D. ; F. L. was born on the 2d of March, 1837, mar- ried Mary J. Ramsey, has five children, and lives in Long Point Township, Livingston County; Julia S., born Nov. 17, 1839, married Joseph Hamlin, has two children, and lives in Nebraska; Emily H., born Jan. 15, 1842, married Bradley Martin, is a widow, and lives in Butler County, Kan.; Andrew A., born June 23, 1844, and died July 20, 1857; Eliza S., born June 29, 1847. and lives in Butler, Kan. Mrs. Saxton's father, Matthias Young, was born March 30, 1812, in Pennsylvania, and lived for some time in Ohio and Illinois. He now resides in Iowa. Her mother. Elizabeth (Butler) Young, was born in Ohio in 1815. They were married about ' fi84 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1830, and were the parents of ten children, as fol- lows: William H., born in 1837; Sarah M., in 1839; Charles M., in 1842; Jane M., in 1844; George Q., in 1846; Delia, born in 1849, and died in infancy ; Ella E., born in 1852 ; Amanda, in 1858 ; Etta died in infancy; Id:i B., born in 1861. Mr. Saxton became a member of the Republican party at its organization, and voted for Gen. Fre- mont in 1856, and affiliated with that party until the candidacy of Peter Cooper for President in 187C, when he became an advocate of the principles of the Greenback party. He is a very pronounced temperance man, and heartily approves the propo- sition to confer the right of suffrage upon women. He has never been a member of any religious de- nomination, and his creed is based upon the Script- ural precept which he never forgets, "Love thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself." He is liberal in the support of all worthy charities, and no needy neighbor has ever applied to him in vain. HILO B. ZEILMAN, one of the substan- " tial citizens of Long Point Township, is a fanner and stock-raiser located on section 12. His farm consists of eighty acres of fine land, on which he has erected good dwellings and farm buildings. His home is located within throe-quarters of a mile of a school-house, 'and within a mile and a half of three different churches, while his post-office, Long Point, is not far distant. Mr. Zeilman is a native of New York, where he was born on the 24th of November, 1829, and is the son of Cornelius and Betsy (Hall) Zeilman, na- tives of New York, and fanners by occupation. They immigrated to Illinois in 1837, locating first in Bureau County, win-re they remained for about six years. In 1844 they came to Livingston County, when- the father died Nov. 5, 1867, and was interred in the Long Point Cemetery; the mother died July 24, 1861. They had a family consisting of the following children: Darthy Ann, Rachel, Philo, Henry, Aaron, Olive: William Ilenrv and George AV., twins; Sarah, Lucinda : Mary and Jane, twins, and Betsy. Darthy Ann. who died about 1*K>. was married to Jonas Johnson, who died in the army, leaving one child ; Rachel died in New York State in 1837; Philo is the subject of this sketch; Henry died when about two years of age; Aaron, now living in Livingston County, mar- ried Mary Mills, and they have a family of seven children; Olive married Benjamin Custus, and has one child living; William Henry and George W. died quite young and were buried in Bureau County ; Sarah died unmarried. Of the other twins, Mary married Harman Girard. and has a family of seven children, while Jane married George Steiner, and has four children ; Lucinda married James McColly, has seven children, and lives in LaSalle County; Betsy married Hiram Robertson, and died at Long Point, leaving one child; she was married twice; her second husband was Richard Cuddaback, by whom she had two children, both deceased. Mr. Zeilman chose for a wife Harriet Augusta Evans, who was bom on the 23d of May, 1 836, in Janesville, N. Y. She is the daughter of AVilliam and Harriet (Lindsley) Evans, natives of New York, and her father was a Presbyterian minister, who, after serving twenty-seven years in the minis- try, was compelled to abandon it on account of fail- ing health, and died in 1867 at the age of seventy- six years. He was buried at Pontiac but his re- mains were afterward removed to Streator. The I mother died on the 15th of March, 1882, at the age of eighty-five years, and her remains were also interred at Streator. They were the parents of six children, of whom three are living: Edwin, a physi- cian in active practice for many years but now re- tired. He was married to Jessie Capron, and they have had six children, only one of whom is living, a daughter named Helen, the wife of Manley Has- kell. Edwin now owns several business buildings in Streator, several lots, and the building in which the post-office is situated, besides an interest in the glassworks. He wa- selected to go to England to inspect the gla.ss works of that country, and he there employed and brought with him men who un- derstand the manufacture of cathedral plate and window glass. He is one of the principal owncr- of the glass works, and is a man of activity in all matters of public as well as private interest. John Newton was a soldier in the Mexican War and died in Mexico: Henry Martin died when about *-*^ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. two years of age; Alonzo, a farmer, living within three miles of Streator, was married to Thankful Gardner, who died in 1872, and they had three children, all of whom died before the death of the mother; William Ileiuy was drowned in the Platte River, at the age of nineteen years, while going to California by the Northern Nebraska overland route. To Mr. and Mrs. /oilman were born five chil- dren: Edwin C. was born July 10, 1861, resides at home and is engaged in stock-raising; Clara A., born April 30, 1863, and died when nineteen days old: Charles M.. born Oct. 10, 1866, and died when two and one-half years old; John F., born June 29, 1868, and resides with his parents, and one child, born Jan, 2!t, 1875, who died in infancy. Mr. Z.'s political affiliations are with the Repub- lican party. lie is a man of excellent reputation and of good standing in the community, and is considered one of the substantial citizens of Long Point Township, being highly esteemed and re- spected by all who know him. i AMES L. BLACKMORE. The subject of this sketch, one of the vigorous .young men of Waldo Township, as soon as old enough )) to take the preliminary steps in the battle of life, did so with great earnestness. From the be- ginning of his career on his own account, economy has been one of his characteristics, and when he felt that he could properly assume the responsibilities of proprietorship, he had accumulated almost money enough to pay cash for an 80-acre farm. Now, at the age of thirty -three, he is comfortably situated on one of the best farms in the township, where he engages in stock-raising in connection with farming. Our subject is the son of John and Elizabeth Blaekmore, and was born in Peoria County, 111., on the Cth of July, 1854. The parental family con- sisted of ten children, the record being as follows: John, the oldest, was born in Peoria Comity, March 18, 1852, and died July 25, 1858; William, born March 3, 185. of whom Daniel Boone lives in memory as a correct type. In later years the State has become cele- .brated for its beautiful women, gallant men and fine horses. The beautiful and exceedingly fertile Blue Grass region is a soil based upon blue lime- stone, and is world-famed for its immense stock- breeding and grazing interests, where some of the finest blooded horses that are produced in this country are born and raised. At the city of Frank- fort, the capital of Kentucky, and beautifully situ- ated on the right bank of the Kentucky River sev- enty miles southwest of Cincinnati, the subject of this sketch was born on the Gth of September, 1821. His parents were William and Sarah Walden. the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Ken- tucky. The father, with his parents, removed to Woodford County, Ky.. at an early day, and when he arrived at manhood married and became a pioneer settler of that country. The maternal grandfather, John Mitchell, was a native of Holland, who came to this country and settled in Woodford County, Ky. To the parents of Capt. Walden were born a numerous family of children, of whom four survive: Paulina, Mrs. William Hutton, of Coles County, III.; Elizabeth, of Kentucky: Sarah. of Kansas City, Mo., and Aaron W. When about six years of age Aaron accompanied his parents when they moved to Clark Count}', Itid., where they located and remained two years, at the end of which time they removed to Sangamon County, 111., and remained there two years. From that county the family removed to Terre Haute, Ind., where the father died. Some years later the mother died in McLean County, 111. Capt. Walden was reared upon a farm and his life has been principally spent in agricultural pur- suits. For five years he operated :i brickyard at Bloomington, 111., and during two years he was similarly engaged in Towanda, Towanda Township, McLean County. He has been married three times: first in Indiana, in 1841, to Eveline Sparks, of Terre Haute, Ind.; his second wife WHS Mrs. Mar- garet M. Black, a native of Delaware, to whom he wa> married in the year 1847; they had two chil- dren, William '/... and Kvaliue, deceased. lie was married to Rachel Springer, his present wife, on the ;!d of May. 1853. She is the daughter of William and Sarah Springer, both of whom were natives of Ohio, and was born in McLean County, 111., where her parents were pioneer settlers. l!y this union eight children were born, five of whom are living Aaron, Evelean, Mary, Charles and t I I f I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 689 t , Roselln. The three cleceasetl were Sarah K., Mar- garet, and one who died in infancy. In August, IS!'.?. Mr. Walden organized a com- pany of eighty-six men for service in the volunteer army of the United States. This company was as- signed to the 94th Volunteer Infantry as Company F, and he was elected to the Captaincy, which po- sition, during his entire service, he filled efficiently, and satisfactorily to his men and his superiors. He was in active service for nine months, but his health breaking down he was compelled to leave the army, and resigning his position he returned home. In the discharge of his duties he participated in the battles of Prairie Grove, Ark., where he and his company were quite conspicuously engaged and performed many deeds of gallantly. On the 4th of March, 1&63, he received an honorable discharge from the army on account of disability incurred in the line of duty. He then returned to McLean County, 111., and in ING!) removed to Livingston County, and lived in Rook's Creek Township. In the spring of 187(1 he removed to Pontiac Town- ship, where he owns a splendid farm of 200 acres, on section 17, which is one of the model farms of Livingston County. Capt. Walden is a man of broad views upon all the questions of the day, and in his political affiliations he acts with the Repub- lican part}*. During the war he was a member of the Union League, an organization intended to off- set and counteract the operations of the secret treasonable organization known as the Knights of the Golden Circle. This latter organization was composed of Northern men of Southern proclivities, who banded together for the purpose of harrassing and annoying the rear and embarrassing the Gov- ernment in any and every way possible. One of the things they hoped to accomplish was the re- lease of rebel prisoners held at several points in the North. In some localities they were particu- larly strong, and cum milted many overt acts in Illinois and Indiana : in the latter State they went so far as to perfect plans for the assassination of Gov. Morton, and the release of 20,000 rebel prisoners being held at Indianapolis. Through the vigilance and alertness of the Union League, the organization to which Capt. Walden belonged, the plans were frustrated and the leaders were arrested and tried for treason, convicted and sentenced to be hung, which sentence would have been car- ried out had not the great-hearted war Governor interposed for them with pleadings for mercy. Capt. Walden can now look back with considerable satisfaction at the part he played during the war, both in a military and civil capacity. OBKRT S. SPAFFORD, of Sauncmin Town- ship, belongs to that class of men who, as the architects of their own fortunes, have builded well, and illustrated in their lives and characters how good a school is that which com- pels a man in his early youth to depend upon his own resources. From a humble beginning in life the subject of this history has advanced slowly at first, perhaps, but surely, and now occupies a posi- tion, socially and financially, near the top of the ladder. His worldly goods have been accumulated by the sweat of his brow, and the esteem of his fellowmen secured by his established worth as a cit- izen and a business mau. His attention for many years past has been given entirely to farming and stock-raising, and he is the owner of one of the finest homesteads in the county. Mr. Spafford was born in Lincolnshire, England, March 10, 1823, and is the son of John and Sarali (Sibcy) Spafford, and the brother of Thomas Spaf- ford, of whom a sketch will be found elsewhere in this AI.P.UM. Young Spafford early in life became acquainted with its cares and responsibilities, and at the age of sixteen years commenced his appren- ticeship at the miller and baker's trade, which in England are learned together, the milling being prosecuted during the da\- and the baking in the night and morning. Young Spafford served two and one-half years as an apprentice and a like time as a journeyman in his native town, often working eighteen hours per day for the small sum of four shillings per week. He had received but few educa- tional advantages but was always fond of reading ami anxious to improve his mind, arid availed him- 690 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. self of all the opportunities which came in his way to jjain useful information. After spending twenty-six years in his native 1 country and reali/.ing scant results from his arduous labors, Mr. Spafford decided to change his location, and accordingly repairing to Liverpool, he took passage April !>. 1849, on the sailing-vessel "Yeo- ! man," and after a voyage of twenty -two days and a quarantine of a few more, on account of cholera mi board, landed in New York City. During the voyage twenty-four persons had fallen victims to the terrible scourge and been committed to ocean ijrave^. Mr. Spafford at once proceeded westward to LaFayette, Ind., where he labored a few months for $12.50 and his board. He was then taken ill with fever and ague, and as soon as he recovered changed his location to Montgomery County, when: he remained probably two years, still engaged as a ' farm laborer. Thence he went into Fountain County, and rented a tract of land upon which he operated live years. In the meantime, May 24, 1852, he took unto himself a wife and helpmeet, in the pel-sou of Miss Lucy Hill, also a native of Kn- gland, and born in the same parish as himself. She had crossed the ocean when a young lady, and their reunion on this side of the Atlantic proved a happy event for both. The household of Mr. and Mrs. Spafford was made glad by the birth of six children, of whom but four are now living: Sarah A., Mary, Thomas Is. and John C. Sarah A. is now the wife of Joseph Rich, of Sauuemin Township, and Mary married Jeffrey Rich, of Saunemin Village. The two sons are single and live at home. The family continued in Fountain County, Ind., until the spring of 185:5, when Mr. Spafford took possession of a farm in what is now known as Ten-Mile Grove, Ford County, this State, whence a year later he came to Livingston. After his arrival in this county he first located four miles northeast of Fair- bury, but a year later secured his present farm. It then bore little resemblance to its present condition, being still Government property, upon which a fur- row had never been turned. He entered Kit) acres and experienced the same vicissitudes through which his brother pioneers passed in developing their homesteads from the uncultivated soil. Their first dwelling was a rude structure which in time- was replaced by a substantial frame residence, and there has gradually grown up about the latter all the modern improvements required by the progres- sive agriculturist, while the farm stock and ma- chinery are highly creditable to the proprietor. Mi" Spafford, as time passed on, wisely invested his surplus capital in additional land, so that he is now the owner of 800 acres in Livingston County, be- sides 507 acres in Kankakee County. We present on an accompanying page a view of the residence and surroundings. When we consider the fact that these vast posse.-- sions were built up from comparatively nothing, words seem insufficient to illustrate the persever- ance and determination which must have been em- ployed on the i>art of Mr. Spafford. Upon landing on American soil he had but $2.50 in his pocket, and was swindled out of even that small amount before leaving New York. This experience has caused him to watch with interest the career of young men around him, and he lias always been willing to assist those who would strive to help themselves, and to support the enterprises which had for their object the general welfare of the com- munity. He was largely instrumental in securing the building of the Wabash Railroad through Saun- emin Township, and contributed liberally of his means for this purpose. He has served as School Director for probably twenty years, and has been Commissioner of Highways, besides being promi- nent always in township affairs. Politically Mr. Spafford is independent, voting for the men whom he considers best qualified for office, regardless of party. He was formerly a Methodist in his religious views, but is now a Uni- versalist. He contributes, however, to the support of all the churches in his neighborhood. He was the first to build up Methodism in Saunemin Town- ship, and the first lay delegate from Saunemin to the annual conference at 1'eoria. Socially he be- long- to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Sullivan Center Lodge at Saunemin. lie has passed the several degrees, being now a Master Mason, and a member greatly valued by the brethren. There can be nothing more gratifying in the whole career of a man than the belief that his life has proved a LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 091 success, and Mr. Spafford may gather large comfort from this thought, for his days have certainly been well six-lit, and lie has not only surrounded himself :nul his family with all the comforts of life but has generously remembered those less fortunate. * ~ ,i -" acres, so that he is now simply cultivating a tract of the same size, and has had ample time and means to bestow upon this his best efforts. It is all neatly enclosed with good fences and every acre has been made available, either in raising grain or in being utilized for pasture. lie keeps good horses and especially line cattle, the latter including graded Durham and Jerseys, of which he exhibits some unexceptionably good specimens. Our subject spent his early years among the New England hills near the town of Sunderland, Ben- nington Co., Vt., where he was born May 9, 1 823. He was the eldest in a family of four chil- dren, the offspring of Rufus and Freelove (Mont- gomery) Chadwick, also natives of the Green Mountain State, and of English and Irish ancestry respectively, Rufus Chadwick was a well-edu- cated man and a surveyor by profession, although he owned a small tract of land and was fond of agricultural pursuits. He only lived out one-half his days, however, passing away when his son, our subject, was but a child five years of age. The mother survived her husband for a period q sev- eral years, her death taking place at her home about 1860, after she had arrived at the advanced age of seventy years. She remained a widow and devoted herself to the care and training of her children. Mr. Chadwick was reared in the lumber districts of Vermont and remained in his native State until thirty years of age. He received a common-school education, and a few weeks before attaining his majority was married, in the month of April, 1844, to Miss Lucy Day, a native of his own county and born in 1830. She was the daughter of Jo- seph and Susan (Kemp) T)ny, and the young- est iu a family of five children. The young peo- ple commenced life together in a modest dwelling at Sunderland, where our subject continued to work in the lumber district until deciding upon n removal to the West. Upon first coming to this State he rented a farm located near Morris, Grundy County, of which he was a resident with his family for about nine years. He had been fairly prospered and in 18G3, as we have stated, took possession of the land a part of which con- tinues his homestead. Mr. ('had wick upon coming to this section of country was recognized as a valued addition to the community. He interested himself in schools and churches, and was ever ready to respond to the c;ills for assistance in support of those enterprises calculated to build up the township and encourage its settlement by an intelligent class of people. He served as School Director for a number of years. He has now, with the exception of some years, during which he was a resident of Chatsworth, for the purpose of educating his children, been one of * 602 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the most prominent citizens of Sullivan Township for a period of over thirty years. He has looked with deep satisfaction upon the development of the natural resources of Central Illinois, and should be satisfied with the part which he bas borne as one of the important factors associated with its progress, both morally and financially. Our subject and his estimable '-vife became the parents of eight children, of whom but four are now living. Their record is as follows: Edwin is mar- ried and a resident of Minnesota; Delia, Mrs. Zoans, lives in Indiana; James R. is at home with his parents; Lilia is the wife of John Gilpen, a thrifty farmer of Avoca Township; Ella died at the age of eight years, and Charles when but four years old; two died in infancy unnamed. IRA M. PARKER, a prominent resident of Dwight Township, where he is engaged in act- ive labor as n wide-awake farmer, has served a full apprenticeship with his hands and brain, and is now enjoying the rightful reward of the toils and anxieties of earlier years. He is the descendant of American-born people down through two genera- tions, his great-grandfather Parker having come to this country from England prior to the Revolution- ary War. This first representative of the Parker family to cross the Atlantic located in New York State dur- ing its first settlement, where he built up a home in the wilderness and reared a family of sons and daughters. Among these was Ira, the father of our subject, who was born at the homestead in (ienesec County, where he remained until quite a youth. Then, being of an adventurous turn of mind and desiring to see .something of the world, he learned the trade of ship carpenter, and finally occupied himself as a boatman on the Hudson li\er. He married Miss Jemima Turner, of his own State, and they became the parents of seven- teen children, most of them born in New York. In 1852 the father of our subject left the Em- pire State, and coming to Will County, III., located near Joliet and lived there for a period of twenty years. Thence he removed to Kalamazoo, Mich., where he operated a sawmill in connection with a small farm. From there he crossed the Mississippi into Humboldt, Kan., and a year later, in 1881, took up his residence in the town of Dwight. lie is now enjoying his later years in the midst of the friends who have [.earned to respect him for his native worth of character and the excellent qualities which constitute him a valued and praiseworthy citizen. Mr. Parker began the struggle of life in New York State when wages were low and it was a difficult matter to keep soul and body together. Among other employments he engaged in threshing with a flail, at which labor he could command only fifty cents a day. This even was at some seasons con- sidered a large price and he was sometimes com- pelled to fall back upon just half of it, thankful to receive even twenty-five cents for a hard day's work. In spite of these difficulties he and his family managed to thrive, and fifteen of the children grew to mature years. Those surviving are now scat- tered all over the Union. The subject of this history was born at West Point, N. Y., in 1842, and came to Illinois when a lad nine years of age. At that time this county was comparatively new and there were but few op- portunities afforded for securing an education. Ira, in common with his brothers and sisters, began working as soon as he could be of any use, and continued at the parental homestead until the out- break of the late Rebellion. lie was then but a vouth of eighteen years but was eager for the fray, and promptly responded to the call of President Lincoln for 300,000 men. He enlisted in Company I. 'Kith Illinois Infantry, of which his brother Elijah was also a member. Subsequently Edmund and Edward, two younger brothers, also enlisted, I nit were compelled by their father to abandon their project before being mustered into service. Ira, with his regiment, was assigned to the Army of the Tennessee, and participated in the engagements at Ft. Donelson, Shiloh, Vicksburg, and all the battles and skirmishes in which his regiment was engaged. He was often in the midst of danger and death, having many narrow escapes, besides suffering all the privations and hardships common to the lot of the soldier, lie fortunately, how ever, was neither wounded nor captured, and never in a hospital or LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 693 ambulance during his time of service. He was mustered out in December, 1864, in Memphis, Tenn., where he received his honorable discharge. He spent the few months following i'l Will County, and in 1865 accompanied his father to Kalanmzoo. Mich., where he worked in the sawmill four years, and in 1873 assumed domestic ties by his marriage with Miss Sarah Drollinger, Nov. 20, 1873. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Parker settled in Michigan, and two years later came to Dwight Township, locating on a farm two miles east of the town which property Mr. Parker had purchased in 1868. This he afterward disposed of and purchased his present homestead. Here he has the various modern improvements necessary to the formation of the complete country home, and to their house- hold circle there have been added four children, namely: Arthur H., Mabel F., Carrie L.. who died in infancy, and Amy, who is now a babe. The wife of our subject is the daughter of Mat- thias and Jane (Lloyd) Drollinger, of Livingston Count}', this State. She is a most estimable lady and has many friends in this locality. .Mr. Parker pursues the even tenor of his way, giving his at- tention mostly to his farming interests, and being particularly peaceable, has little use for Justices, courts or lawyers, but keeps himself posted upon all matters identified with the public welfare. He votes the straight Republican ticket, and socially belongs to the G. A. R. JAMES A. SMITH. The newspaper of the town is generally a faithful reflector of the enterprise and business of the place. While ' much of the success of the newspaper de- pends upon the personal management, yet the source from which it draws its support is after all its main- stay, and a newspaper which is well supported gen- erally shows that the business community is thrifty and enterprising. The Plain Dealer at Chatsworth, of which the subject of this sketch is the editor and publisher, shows both these conditions of things: excellent and intelligent personal management, and a generous patronage on the part of the reading and business public. Mr. Smith is a native of Vermillion, Ohio, a small town on the shores of Lake Erie, where he was born on the 6th of August, 1845. The parental ances- tors were of French extraction, but a residence in this country of several generations has obliterated the traces of French ancestry. The grandfather of Mr. Smith was a nail manufacturer in the da}-s be- fore the introduction of machinery. The father, Aaron B. Smith, was born in Morristown, N. J., in 1813, where he served an apprenticeship to the tailor's trade, and when a young man moved to Oswego, N. Y., where he pursued that occupation. At that place he made the acquaintance of Eliza L. Erwin, who became his wife in 1835. She was born in Oswego, N. Y., in 1813, at which place her father owned a large smelting furnace. Shortly after their marriage the parents of our subject moved to Vermillion, Ohio, where they re- sided until the fall of 1845, at which time they had four children, and the family started west in a prai- rie schooner, passing through Chicago and Ottawa, and went to Rushville, where Mrs. Smith had a brother living, who had just returned, wounded, from the Mexican War. They passed the winter at Rushville and then went to Ottawa, where they settled down for life. The father pursued his trade nearly one year, and in the spring of 1847 was elected Justice of the Peace, and held that office by re-election for forty-two consecutive years. He died on the 18th of April, 1887, being the oldest Justice of the Peace in point of consecutive years served, in the country. He was a stanch Demo- crat, and could always be relied upon for valuable service during the campaign. He had the distinc- tion of the personal friendship of Stephen A. Doug- las, of whom he was a great admirer. While there was nothing negative in his character and he was very pronounced in all his views, he was scrupu- lously respectful of the opinions of others. On the question of the tariff he was one of the best posted men in the country, and early took a position in favor of Free Trade, while he was for years Presi- dent of a club, the object of which was the promul- gation of that doctrine. The first bill providing for a public school introduced into the Legislature of Illinois, was drafted by Mr. Smith, and lo him Ottawa is indebted for her first public school. He was tendered the Democratic nomination to the 6!H LIVINGSTON COUNTY. office of County Judge, and other important offices of trust and honor, but declined :il) except the office of Justice of the Peace, member of the Board of Education, and of the City Council. He was a man of much public spirit, and engaged heartily in all public enterprises that tended to benefit and ad- vance the people of the community in which he lived. Mrs. Smith is still living and resides in Ot- tawa, the mother of eight children, all of whom are living, surrounded with the comforts of life. James A. Smith, although a native of Ohio, grew to manhood in Illinois, as he was but an infant when the family stopped at Ottawa. In the schools of that city he received a liberal education and be- came book-keeper and cashier in a large wholesale and retail house in Ottawa, where he served in that capacity from 18C4 to 1867, when he came to Chatsworth and engaged in the grain trade, in which he continued until 1880, when he became proprie- tor of the Chatsworth Plain Dealer. While he de- votes all the time necessar}' to matters relating to the editorial and business management of the paper, his principal business is dealing in real estate and personal securities. In his business transactions he has been eminently successful, and financially is one of the substantial men of the county. In po- litical matters he follows in the footsteps of his father, being a stanch and enthusiastic member of the Democratic party. It has been his province to hold several local offices, and at the time this sketch i> written he is President of the Village Board, a position he has held for four consecutive years, and has been a member of the School Board for twelve years, in which capacity he has expended his best efforts for the advancement and upbuild- ing of the schools. In 1880 he was a candidate on the Democratic ticket for State Senator, and was the only Democrat who carried Livingston County for this office, but as the district was very strongly Republican, he was defeated, although he ran ahead of his ticket throughout the district. He has never chosen to connect himself with any religious society. On the .")th of December, 18li7, Mr. Smith was married to Mary C. Hemperley, daughter of Adam and Rebecca (Schnler) Hemperley. She was born in Dauphin County, Pa., on the oth of December, 1830. and came to Illinois in 18(5(5, accepting the position of manager of the notion department of the store in which Mr. Smith was cashier. There gather around their hearthstone four children, the names of whom are M. Eva, Ora G., Clarence H. and James A., Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Smith take a leading position in the society at Chatsworth, and are the center of a large number of friends and ac- quaintances. Being amply able to live well they make their home and surroundings so pleasant that people are intuitively attracted toward them. The Plain Dealer, the journal over which Mr. Smith presides, wields a decided influence in the affairs of the town and county. It is outspoken, emphatic, but respectful and respectable in its tone. DOLPH KOEHLER, a resident of Living- ston County for the last twenty years, now operates the farm of Judge L. E. Payson, which includes a fine tract of 200 acres. He is accredited with a full understanding of his business, and what he accomplishes is done well. His experience in farming extends back to his boy- hood, as he was reared on a farm in LaSalle County, this State. He is a native of the Kingdom of Sax- ony, where he was born Sept. 6, 1847, and whence he was brought to this country with his mother when a small child, after the death of his father in his na- tive Germany. Mr. Koehler received a common-school educa- tion, and upon first coming to Livingston County, assisted his brother Gustavus, in breaking prairie in Chatsworth Township. With the exception of three years spent in Ford County, he has resided in Chatsworth Township since that time. lie has his residence on section 32, where, with his wife and family, he lives comfortably and enjoys a large pro- portion of the good things of life. Mr. Koehler was first married, in the spring of 1872, to Miss Amelia Belcyg, a native of Wiscon- sin, with whom he became acquainted in Gertnan- ville. Of this union there were born two children, Charles and Cora May, and the mother died in December, 1875. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. married in the spring of 1880, was formerly Miss Abbie Koestner, who was born June 7, 1862, and is the daughter of George W. and Sophia Koestner, of German birth and parentage. The three chil- dren born of this marriage were named Willie, El- mer and Nellie. The youngest died in infancy. Mr. Koehler uniformly votes the straight Demo- cratic ticket. He is not identified with any secret or religious society, but as near as he is able en- deavors to adhere to the precepts of the Golden Rule, and is consequently held in due respect by his neighbors and acquaintances. RS. MARY R. MASON, widow of the late William D. Mason, of Pontiac, and daugh- ter of Leonard and Margaret ( Miller ) Posten, was born in Preston County, W. Va., July 18, 1827, and became the wife of Mr. Mason in 1847. Mr. Mason was a native of West Virginia, born in Preston County, March 16, 1822, and was the son of William and Lydia D. (Turner) Mason, also natives of the Old Dominion, descended respectively from the Scotch, Irish and Welsh. William Mason, Sr., was a fanner by oc- cupation, and served as Justice of the Peace in his native county for a period of twenty-one years. The parents spent their entire lives in Virginia. Their family included eight children, four now living, namely: John, Albert G. ; Mary A., Mrs. Coburn, and Emily, now Mrs. Messenger. William 1). Mason, Jr., spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, but when starting out for him- self engaged in general merchandising at Albright- ville. W. Va. About 1864 he removed to Win- chester. Adams Co., Ohio, and was engaged as before for six years following. L T pon selling out lii' came to this State and purchased a farm in Pon- tiae Township, where he spent the remainder of his days cultivating the soil. His farm included 266 acres and he built up a good homestead, where he spent his last years in ease and comfort, closing his eyes for his final rest in 1884. He was Dem- ocratic in politics, and as a man and citizen was held in the highest esteem. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Mason w;i- James A. Posten, a native of England. Her mother's parents were John H. and Mary A. (Lin- ard) Miller, natives of Germany, who immigrated to this country in their youth, where the father en- gaged as a cabinet-maker in Maryland. Their son Leonard, the father of Mrs. Mason, during his younger years followed milling and farming in Preston County, W. Va., whence he immigrated to Iowa in 1868. He located in Poweshiek County, where his death took place in 1872, and that of the mother in 1884. Both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Leonard Posten, who always took an active part in polities, was a stanch adherent of Democratic principles. The parental household included eleven children, nine now living, namely: Harriet, Mrs. Pile; John H. ; Mary R., our subject; Alpheus P., Salathiel J. ; Charlotte, Mrs. Morris; Lovilla, Mrs. Cress; Will- iam, and Sarah, Mrs. Irwin. Mr. and Mrs. Mason became the parents of six children, three of whom are living, namely: Levas- seur, married to Miss Margaret Debruin, and they have four children William D.,Ella R., Frank and Edna; Albert married Miss Clara G randy, and they have three children Ollie L., Leonard L. and an infant unnamed; Elizabeth L. is the wife of T. E. G randy, of Pontiac; they had one child, Ida, who died Oct. 29, 1884. The deceased were W. M., who died in Pontiac in February, 1877, and is buried in that cemetery. The other two, Margaret, an infant, and Smith, were laid to rest in Preston County, W. Va. Mrs. Mason now lives in the city of Pontiac. and since a Mnall child has been a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In younger years she was quite active in the temperance movement and a member of the W. C. T. U. ARCELLUS H. COOK. The great novel- ist, James Fennimore Cooper, through one of his characters, Leatherstocking, main- tained that every man had his gifts; that the Indian was adapted to one kind of life, the white man to another, and each in his station pos- f. 696 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i- sessed peculiar qualities fur following a particular calling. We are often reminded of this in noting the phenomenal success which follow.- some men, and arc led to believe that Cooper was entirely right in his idea. The subject of this sketch was fortunate in selecting the calling to which he seemed best adapted, viz., that of a stock-breeder, and he is one of the leaders of this department of agriculture in Livingston County. For the last fif- teen years he has been operating upon 640 acres of land, owning a quarter section and renting the bal- ance. He makes a specialty of high-grade Short- horn cattle, which he feeds and ships largely to the Chicago market. He also has a stable of Norman horses containing some of the finest specimens of the equine race to be found in Pleasant Ridge Township, where his homestead is located on sec- tion 26, and is a pleasant spot fully in keeping with the tastes and means of the proprietor. Mr. Cook is a fine specimen among the descend- ants of his New England ancestry, and was born in the town of Hartley, Mass., Jan. 26, 1842. His parents, Philander and Marcia (Childs) Cook, were natives of Vermont. The father was born in June, 1810, and was of English descent. He was a mason by trade and also followed fanning, spending his last years in Bureau Count}', this State, where his death took place Oct. 29, 1859. The Cooks located ^Massachusetts during its early settlement, as also did the Childs family. The mother of our subject was born in 1821, and died when a young woman at the age of twentj'-seven years, on the 23d of July, 1848. Of her union with Philander Cook there were born four children, of whom Marcellus was the eldest. The next, a daughter Lucia, mar- ried John Blanchard, of Vermont, and they :irc now living in Moulton, Iowa; Arthur L. married Miss McGibbon, of Winterset, Iowa, where she now re- sides; the youngest died in infancy. Marcellus Cook was reared on his father's farm in Bureau County, 111., his parents having come to this State when he was a child four years of age. lie received a liberal education and remained a member of the parental household until the spring of IstSO, after he had passed his eighteenth year, lie came to this county in 18H8 and took charge of the place where he has continued to live since that time. It was only partially improved, but is now in a line state of cultivation and supplied with good buildings. He made his home with a family he had living with him on the place until his marriage, which occurred March 17, 1878, his chosen bride being Miss Delia Franey, who was born in Washing- ton, Middlesex Co., N. J., Dec. ", 1857, and was brought to the West in 1858 by her parents. Mrs. Cook is the daughter of Michael and Eliza (Phillips) Franey, natives of Ireland, where they were born in 1824. They each immigrated to the United States when young and after their marriage located in New Jersey, whence they removed in 1858, to Knox County, 111., locating in Galesburg, where they remained nine years. They then came to this county and purchased eighty acres of laud in Pleasant Ridge Township, where they now re- side. They are members in good standing of the Catholic Church, of Chatsworth. Their household included nine children, eight living, who are re- corded as follows: Alice is the wife of John R. Wallace, of Forest; Margaret, Mrs. Asa H. Birch, lives in Chenoa; James is a resident of Nebra.-ka; Edward, residing in Pleasant Ridge ; Delia, the wife of our subject; John died when a promising young man twenty -four years of age; Mary E. is the wife of Thomas E. Ivcs, of Farnum, Neb: Catherine E. and Mitchell are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Cook have no children. Mr. Cook has little time to devote to politics but is a strong supporter of Republican principles, in support of which he uniformly casts his vote. So- cially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being connected with Forest Lodge No. 614. Mrs. Cook is a member of the Congregational Church at For- est, 111. CK IIOOBLER, a prominent and well-to-do citizen, and one who ha long re- sided in Newtown Township, occupies the old homestead of his father. .To this Frederick came with the parental family when a lad fifteen years of age. The original dwelling was burned with all its contents, but a second one was soon afterward erected. Here the parents lived in the enjoyment of the confidence and esteem of the I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 701 whole community, and here too their eyes closed to the scenes of earth life. In this old home Freder- ick now lives, and has reflected by his life credit upon the family name. He is largely engaged in general fanning and stock-raising, on a fine farm of 2">0 acres of good land. lie has, besides the dwell- ing, all the other buildings required for the vari- ous purposes of a progressive and thorough-going farmer. A view of this place we are pleased to present in this volume. The father of our subject was one of the pioneers of the West. He located, soon after his marriage, in Yermillion County, Ind., to which he removed from Ohio. In the primitive home established there, our subject was born, on the 23d of May, 1836, and lived in that region until a boy ten years of age. He received his early education in the subscription schools of his native county, wherein his father, Rev. John Houbler, took an active part. The father was a minister of the United Brethren Church, a member of the Indiana Legislature, and otherwise identified with public affairs. The mother of our subject, formerly Miss Rebecca Fetterhoof, was a native of Pennsylvania, and became the wife of Rev. John Hoobler in the spring of the year 1821. There were few idlers either among the young or old of that time and locality, and early in life Frederick was taught to make himself use- ful, assisting in the sowing and reaping of the crops on his father's farm. He officiated as a teamster at the early age of eight years, and had charge of a span of horses upon the overland journey from In- diana to Illinois. Upon coming to this State, the Hoobler family located in the northern part of Livingston County, where the father purchased a farm, together with a grist and saw mill, the latter two of which he oper- ated three or four years and then turned them over to other hands. Frederick herded the cattle on the unfcnced prairie during the warm season, and in winter employed his time mostly with his books at the district school. On the 6th of November, 1857, about noon, the house took fire from a de- fective flue, and with its entire contents, with the exception of one bed, was destroyed. It was soon, however, replaced by another, and our subject re- mained here with his father until the spring of 1872. Then desiring a change of location and oc- cupation, he repaired to Blackstone, in Sunbury Township, and engaged in a general store, remain- ing there two years, after which he removed into Champaign County and became a dealer in grain and provisions. This latter move was for the ben- efit of his children, he having in the meantime been married, and desired to give them the advantages of the schools of that county. This object accom- plished, the family returned to Newtown Township, where they have since resided. The wife of our subject, to whom he was mar- ried Feb. 19, 1860, was Miss Martha Fleshman, who was born in Vermillion County, Ind., in 1843. The wedding took place at the home of the bride, Rev. J. I. Robison, of the United Brethren Church, officiating. Mrs. H. is the daughter of William and Sarah Fleshman, natives of Virginia, who left the Old Dominion to locate in a pioneer home in Indiana. Their household included eight children, six now living and mostly residents of Livingston County. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hoobler are re- corded as follows : Mattie, Susanna, Hattie, Eben Allen, Birdie II., Myrtie Florence, Freddie J., Jesse and Gussie. Mattie was born Jan. 30, 1862, is the wife of Carlisle Mortland, and the mother of two children Clarence and Frederick James; they are living in Newtown Township. Susanna was born Oct. 17, 1864, and is the wife of C. A. Powell, a pros- perous farmer of Saunemin Township, and the mother of three children Freddie S., Bertie A. and Mary M. ; Hattie was born Nov. 20, 1866, and died January 20 following; Eben Allen was born Jan. 29, 1868, and with the younger children con- tinues under the home roof; Birdie II. was born June 20, 1871 ; Myrtie Florence, Sept. 21, 1874; Freddie J.. July 31, 1876; Jesse, July 21, 1878; Gussie, July 22, 1884. Two children died in in- fancy, unnamed. Mrs. Hoobler is a lady eminently fitted to be the companion of her husband, and with him takes a lively interest in the careful train- ing and education of their children. They are to be given the best advantages consistent with the means and standing of their father. Our subject, politically, is an independent Greenbacker, and his excellent lad}' a member in good standing of the t 702 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. United Brethren Church, a congregation which was organized by his father upon first coming to this county. Our subject, as an eye-witness of the great and marvelous changes that have been wrought in this county, State and Nation during the past thirty years, has had opportunities of which he thoroughly availed himself, and has the satisfaction of know- ing that although his part in life may not have been widely different from that of scores of his fellow- citizens, he has secured the good-will and esteem of those around him, and endeavored in all his con- duct to observe the precepts of the Golden Rule. He has held the responsible position of United States Mail Contractor, Postmaster and Assessor, all of which he has filled with ability and credit, giving entire satisfaction. It is with pleasure that we include in the galaxy of portraits of leading people of the county, those of Mr. and Mrs. Hoobler. 4 OHN E. STEPHEN8ON, a successful farmer and stock-raiser on section 29, Rook's Creek Township, is the son of Theodore and Cath- erine (Powell) Stephenson, and was born in Mason County, W. Va., Jan. 16, 1845. When about seven years of age he moved with his par- ents to near Greencastle, Ind., where they operated a small farm and performed work for other far- mers. In 1852 they removed to Knox County, 111., where they carried on farming more exten- sively for a time, and in 1854 went to Peori.i County, where thej' remained -until 1863, when they went to Marshall Count}'. In February, 1864, Mr. Stephenson enlisted in Company C, 77th Illinois Infantry. The most of his service in the army was rendered in Louisiana and Alabama. In August of the same year the Union forces started out to capture Mobile, and succeeded in gaining possession of Ft. Gaines after a three days' siege, where they remained until Oc- tober, when the regiment returned to New Or- leans and guarded prisoners during the winter. In the following March they started out again to effect the capture of Mobile. The 13th Army Corps con- centrated at Ft. Morgan, Ala,, and in conjunction with other troops they moved on Mobile. On the 27th of March they invested Spanish Fort, and the rebels evacuated on the 9th of April after a siege of thirteen days. On the 10th of April the 13th Corps was ordered to be held as a reserve at Ft. Blakesley, but was not called into the charge. After the fall of Ft. Blakesley they immediately returned to Spanish Fort without having had any oppor- tunity for rest, and during that night were or- dered to embark for Mobile, which had been evac- uated by the rebels after destroying their cannon. On the morning of the 13th they started up the Mobile & Ohio Railroad, and overtaking the enemy at Whistler's Station, prevented them from burning the buildings at that point. The troops went into camp for a few days and then started for the Tombigbee River, at the mouth of which they parti}' constructed a fort. In -May they returned to Mobile, and while in camp there the 77th Regi- ment was mustered out and Mr. Stephenson, whose term of service had not expired, was transferred to Company D, 130th Illinois Infantry. About the 1st of August this regiment went to New Orleans, where he wns mustered out on the 15th of that month, and then went to Camp Butler near Spring- field, 111., where they received their pay. During his service in the army Mr. Stephenson contracted a disease which lias clung to him ever since. For this disability the Government allowed him a pen- ! sion of 82 per month, from the date of discharge, which continued until 1883, when his name was un- justly dropped from the rolls. In 1872 Mr. Stephenson removed to Iowa, and on the 15th of November, 1874, he was married to Sarah E. Woods, and continued to live in that State until March, 1880, when they came to Liv- ingston County, where they have remained m twenty years of age, and came with them in March, 1817, to Knox County, 111. He began his educa- tion in tin- common schools, and after his marriage and the birth of two children, attended Cherry (iiove and the Jay Gould Seminaries, in which institution,-- lie prepared himself for the ministry. On the 20th of March, 1851, Mr. Snyder wa.- married to Elizabeth Ann Crawford, the daughter of John and Elizabeth ( Howard) Crawford, natives of Kentucky. The ceremony was performed at Abingdon, Knox Co., 111., by Rev. Thomas K. Roach, a minister in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Snyder began keeping house.' In the fall of 1854 : Mr. Snyder was admitted to the ministry, but at the i end of nine years had to abandon that calling be- cause of the loss of his voice from the effects of cold and catarrh. He then engaged in farming on the land which he has now occupied for twenty-one years. The record of Mr. Snyder's brothers and sisters is as follows: John H. married Angeline Garri- son, and is a farmer in Mercer County, Mo. ; James S., a school teacher, died in Des Moines, Iowa: Lavinia S. married Marcus Morrow, and had ten children, eight of whom are living; Joseph C. is de- ceased; Elizabeth J., Mrs. J. C. Van Veleet, of Galesburg, 111.; Mary E., Mrs. J. \V. Crawford, died leaving three daughters; Jefferson was a soldier in the Union army; it is believed that he perished in a Southern prison. Mrs. Snyder's father was a Cum- berland Presbyterian minister, one who preached for the love of his fellowmen and the good that he might accomplish without hope of reward or salar\-. His wife was also a member of the same church. The brothers and sisters of Mrs. Snyder are recorded as follows: C. H. Crawford is a Cumberland Pres- byterian minister and resides in California; John W. was a Ju.-tice of the Peace and stock-raiser in Henry County, 111.: P. D. is engaged in fanning in Iowa: C. M. married Mrs. William Kelso; she died leaving three children; Matilda F. married William Myre. who is now engaged in farming in Kansas; J. L. married Ella March, and is now engaged in the Cumberland Presbyterian ministry in Knox County, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have been born five children, four of whom are living: William, born on the 15th of February, 1852, married Margaret E. McKee. and they have four children; Edward was married to Bell frounce: they have had three children, and live in Brown County, Kan. John F.. born in 18.">7. lives near his father's residence, and is a partner with his father in the manu- facture of tile: he was married to Eli/a Algn, and they have two children. James L. was born LIVINGSTON COUNT Y. 4 ()o i I I Aug. 25, 1865, and resides at home; he was graduated April 1, 1887, at Lallarpe Seminary, Lallarpe, 111., with high honors, and is a very bright and promis- ing young man. Mr. Snyder ncny owns 165 acres of choice land, well drained and under good cultiva- tion. In connection with his son they manufact- ure various sixes of drain tile, and for seven months in the year employ seven'men in the estab- lishment. llo is also engaged extensively in stock- raising, breeding both horses and cattle of the higher grades. lie devotes as much time to the ministry as the condition of his voice will permit. lie is an able speaker, and is liberal in his belief, a strong advocate of temperance principles, and a bitter enemy of the liquor interest. He is one of Amity Township's substantial men. a good neigh- bor. and a kind parent; and above all, a man who is not afraid to light the wrong and reprove wrong- doers wherever he may find them. OHN FRANCIS. The name of John Fran- cis stands conspicuous among those on the roster of pioneers of Forest Township. Our subject was born in County Cavan, Ire- land, Feb. i:>, 1812, and is the son of Edward and Eleanor (Wilson) Francis. In 1817 the. family left their native land and migrated to St. John, New Brunswick, where they were transferred to an American vessel, on which ship fever was preva- lent. The landing was effected at Perth Amboy, N. J., instead of New York, in order to escape the rules of quarantine. They went to Philadelphia. where they purchased teams and journeyed west- ward, settling first in Brown County, Ohio, where they were numbered among the pioneers of that section. The mother died in 182(5, and the father in 1850. There were five boys and three yirls in the family, the four eldest being born in Ireland. The subject of our sketch is the oldest child of the family, and grew to manhood in Brown County, Ohio, where he obtained his education in the com- mon schools, and learned the rudiments of fannin<>- o On the 17tli of August, 1837, Mr. Francis was married to Margaret Ross, who was born near the present site of Georgetown, Ohio, Jan. 11. 1*1 I. Mr. Francis was a cooper by trade, but after his marriage he was engaged in farnfing, which he pros- ecuted with success until I860, when he sold his property in Brown County, Ohio, and came to Illi- nois, where he purchased 277 acres of land in For- est Township, and followed farming. During the intervening years he added very materially to his original purchase, but within the past few years has divided his lands among his children, the only con- dition of this division being that they give him a support during his life. To Mr. and Mrs. Francis have been born seven children James G., Ed- ward R., William W., Joseph S., Albert, Emma J. and Lydia E. Mr. Francis was in the early years of his man- hood an old-line Whig, and was a moderate anti- slavery man from the beginning of the slavery agi- tation in this country. He naturally joined the Re- publican party when it was organized, and is to-day as strong in the faith of that part}' as ever. He has served in this county two terms as Justice of the Peace, and while yet a resident of Ohio, held vari- ous local offices. He and his wife have been for years active members of the Methodist Church. On Wednesday, the 17th of August, 1887, the venerable Mr. and Mrs. John Francis celebrated their golden wedding at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Hurt. All of the children and their families were present, and cordially assisted in mak- ing the occasion one of unalloyed enjoyment. Be- sides the members of the family, there were 1 also pre.-cnl many of their neighbors and old friends from other localities. They were the recipients of many valuable presents, including numerous gold coins of large value. During the afternoon a musi- cal programme appropriate to the occasion was ren- dered, and various persons made short, impromptu ^pecchcs, after which refreshments were served to all present. Twenty -eight years ago, when Mr. and Mrs. John Francis came to Forest Township, their worldly possessions did not exceed $5,000, but by industry and strict attention to details, the Francis family are now possessed of 1,000 acres of good land, and a large amount of personal property, Mr. and Mrs. Francis have reared a family of seven children, the sons and two (laughters, all of whom are living 706 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. and i-iijoying the blessing of good health. They also have twelve grandchildren, two adopted grand- childivn and one great-grandchild. All the chil- dren reside within a radius of less than three miles from the home of our subject. During the past fifty years there have been bat three deaths in the family of Mr. Francis, namely: Allen A. Burton, the former husband of Mrs. Nathan Hurt; a son of W. W. Francis, and an infant son of J. S. Francis. Intellectually and religiously Mr. Francis is a deep thinker. His greatest ambition and interest in life have centered in his family and church. He is now in his seventy -sixth year, while Mrs. Francis, who is in her seventy-fifth year, has kept even pace with her husband in all his religious pursuits. They are faithful and exemplar}' members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. When a husband and wife have seen their fiftieth wedding day they may well be said to have reached the golden age of matrimony. Time has not changed the hearts of Mr. and Mrs. Francis, though it has scattered its snows in their hair and traced here and there its furrows on their brows. Within the j>eriod which has elapsed since these venerable people have been one, nations have been divided, empires overthrown, and in many parts of the world the very face of Nature has changed. But there has been no change with Mr. and Mrs. Francis, save that which years produced upon the outer shell of humanity. All their friends join in the wish that they may have a tranquil sea before them and that, as they draw nearer and nearer to the haven to which we are all bound, the "peace which passeth all understanding" may be theirs. sERNAKD GRENNAN was born in King- County, Ireland, on the 20th of September, 1821, and his father, John Grennan, was born in the same county and spent his entire life there, engaged in farming. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of our subject, was Mary Minnick, who came to America with her children after her husband's death. She lived for a con- siderable time in Illinois, but spent the la.-t years of her life in New York State. She was the mother of seven sons and two daughters, named as follows : Mathew, James, Rosa, Bernard, Mike, Peter, John, Joseph and Mary. The eldest died in Ireland, and all the others came to America. The subject of our sketch was reared in his na- tive country, and upon coming to America lived in New York State, and then in the city, engaged in building docks, in which he continued five or six years, and then came to Will County, 111., and en- gaged at various kinds of work for six months, when he went to Morris, Grundy County. He first worked by the month for three years, en- gaged at the pumping station of the Rock Island Railroad. He then began his career as a farmer by buying twenty acres of wild land near Morris. He still continued to work by the month, and de- voted what time he could to improving his land. He lived there thus engaged until 18(54, when he came to Livingston County and for seven years farmed rented land in Nevada Township. He then bought eighty acres in Odell Township, upon which he resided for three years, and then selling this he bought 160 acres of land included in the present homestead, which he improved and erected good buildings thereon. Here he made his home un- til his death, which occurred on the 4th of Octo- ber, 1887. In May, IH51, Mr. Grennan was married to Catherine Conroy, who was born in Kings County, Ireland, in July, 1831. Her father, Stephen Con- roy, a farmer by occupation, was born in the same county, and there spent his entire life. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of Mrs. Grennan, was Ellen Fox, who was born in Kings County and remained there during her life. Mrs. Grennan was but a little girl when her parents died, and she came to America with an older sister, and settled in New York City, where she met and mar- ried Mr. Grennan. She is the mother of eight children Joseph, John, Stephen, Ellen, Mary, Bernard, Daniel and Michael. Joseph lives in Odell Township, John in Sunbury, Stephen in Chicago, Ellen at home; Mary married Ber- nard Kelley, and lives in Union Township; Ber- nard in Sunbury, and Daniel and Michael live at home and manage the farm. Although lie encountered many dilliculties. and t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 707 was dependent wholly upon his own resources, Mr. Grennan's life was a success. At the time of his death he owned property sufficient to make his family comfortable. Asa citizen he was esteemed by all who knew him. and as a husband and father he was exceptionally kind and affectionate. His loss to the county and township is severely felt, and in the family circle his place can never be filled. CURTIS. One of the citizens of Cliats- 1< w '' l' as na( l a Iflrge business exper- ience, is the subject of this sketch, who is IN >w engaged as a grain merchant. For fifteen years he was the superintendent and manager, of the Buckingham farm, a tract of land containing 1,920 acres, and in that capacity familiarized himself with the details of large transactions, such as grain deal- ers are frequently called upon to make. Mr. Curtis is a Maine man. where he was born in Pi-nobscot County, on the 10th of February, J836. His parents were Lincoln and Mary (Perry) Curtis, who were also natives of -the Pine Tree State. The family lived on a farm in that State, where the father followed the occupation of a farmer during his life, and died in 1873, at the age of eighty-three years; the mother is still living, and at the time this sketch is written is in her eighty-seventh year. These venerable people were the parents of eleven children, all of whom grew to maturity, and five are yet living: Levi L., George W., John W. ; Mary, wife of George Ames; and the subject of this sketch, who is the next to the eldest of the family. Three of the sons did service for their country as soldiers in the Union army. Mr. Curtis began life as a farmer boy. and .secured a very fair education in the common school of his neighborhood. In 18;J.S he became enamored of the Wot. and migrated hither, locating at Onarga, 111., where he worked as a farm hand for one year. and then in company with his brother he engaged in farming for two years, lie then re-entered the service of his former employer, whom he served satisfactorily for two years, at the end of which time he engaged in fanning on his own account in Iroquois County. In March, 172, he removed to Chatsworth and took charge of the celebrated Buckingham farm, which he managed until recently. This land is now being sold off in small tracts, and will doubtless soon be disposed of. Since relin- quishing his control of the Buckingham farm. Mr. Curtis has engaged in the grain trade, in which he is meeting with good success, being familiar with all the details of that business, and withal a close student of the market reports. In 1870 Mr. Curtis was married to Elizabeth B. Bradner, a native of Michigan, and they have one son, named Charles B. In his business career Mr. Curtis has achieved more than an average measure of success, and besides having ample capital for the prosecution of his business, he owns seven houses and lots in Chatsworth, which produce a satisfac- tory revenue. In his political views he is in har- mony with the doctrines of the Republican party, and cheerfully supports the candidate of that or- ganization. His religious beliefs are of the Baptist persuasion, and in that church he occupies a promi- nent position. He is a gentleman of many social qualities, a shrewd business man, and is a highly respected member of the community. >IIOMA8 WHALEN, a prosperous and com- fortably situated farmer and stock-raiser on section 7, Rook's Creek Township, was born on the 8th of February, 1845, in the county of Wexford, Ireland. This county is in the southern portion of the Province of Leinster, and has a sur- face which is hilly or mountainous in the north- west and declines to a level plain along the coast. The River Slaney intersects the county in its center. Limestone is the chief mineral product and the fisheries are of importance. The principal towns of Wexford County are Wexford and Enniscorthy, New- Ross, Gorey, and Newtown-Barry. The town is represented in the House of Commons by two members. Mr. Whalen is the son of Michael and Mary (Uoran) Whalen, whom he accompanied to this country in 184i, when he was but four years of age. The voyage across the ocean was made in a sailing-vessel, which arrived at the Port of New 708 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Orleans. The trip from that city to Ottawa, 111., was made by steamer on the Mississippi River, ar- riving at Ottawa on the 17th of March, 184!l. It will be remembered that that year passed into his- tory as the time when the great cholera plague visited this country. Michael Whalen, the father, died in the 3- car 1852, and was buried at Ottawa. In 185(i the family left LaSalle County, and came to Livingston, where they bought forty acres of land on section 2, Rook's Creek Township. Thomas was the youngest but one, and the older brothers being from home, he became the mainstay for his widowed mother and sickly brother. In 1866 he purchased 160 acres of land on section 7, for his mother, eighty acres of which he bought from her in 1871. On the 22d of October, 1871, Mr. Whalen was married to Mary A. Wheeler, of Pontiac, the Rev. Father Hanley officiating in the ceremonies, which were those of the Catholic Church. To them have been born six children : Katie E.. born Oct. 9, 1872 ; Mary A., Oct. 26, 1874; John W., March 16, 1877: Teresa, Dec. 25, 1880, died April 3, 1881 ; Josephine T., born April 7, 1882; Fannie M., Nov. 26, 1885: she is now making her home with' her grandparents on the maternal side. Mrs. Whalen died on Sunday, Dec. 20, 1885. Michael Whalen, the father of the subject of this sketch, was bom in 17cS8 in Wexford, Ireland, and in 1828 was married to Mary Doran. To them were born the following-named children: Patrick lives in Amit3' Township; Ellen married John Fitzgerald, and lives in Esinen Township; John was married and died in 1874, leaving seven children: Margaret, .Mrs. Michael Hines, lives near Spencer, Clay Co., Iowa; Michael was born July 4, 1837, ami lives in Arkansas; Catherine, Mrs. John Foley, lives in Newtown; Bridget, Mrs. Maurice Foley. lives in Amity Township: Lawrence lives in Clay County. Iowa; Thomas, born in 1847. married and lives in Hook's Creek Township. The grandfather on the maternal side, Thomas Doran. was born in Ireland, and took an active part in the Patriot War. against England, in 171)8. In |s<>2 he married Ellen Murphy, and they be.eame the parents of five children. He wa- a miller by occupation and owned a large estate. Thomas Wlialcn is of a literary turn and lias written considerably, several of his productions having been printed. He is a forcible public speaker and on proper occasions makes his sentiments known in that way. He is independent in politics and a strong advocate of the temperance cause. In re- ligion he is a faithful adherent of the Holy Catholic Church. ffiAMES II. CARTER, Supervisor of Pleas- ant Ridge Township, and comparatively a ^. I young man, has for years been prominent {jjjjfj among his neighbors and fellow-citizens as being particularly adapted as a leader in the va- rious enterprises inaugurated for the general wel- fare of the people. He was born in LaSalle County, this State, April 20, 1841, and is the son of Syl- vester and Christiana (Hart) Carter, natives re- spectively of New York and Scotland. The parents of our subject came to Illinois about 1838 or 1839, and located near Ottawa, where the father died in the summer of 1849, when James H. was a little lad eight years of age. This boy was the eldest of the family, of whom there were but two children, and spent his child- hood and j'outh after the manner of most country boys, attending the common schools and assisting in the lighter labors connected with agriculture, lie was thrown upon his own resources early in life, and when of suitable years started out for himself, working by the month. lie was twenty years old at the outbreak of the late Rebellion, and enlisted in September, 1801, in the 4th Illinois Cavalry at Ottawa. He participated in many of the important battles of the war, being principally in the Southwest, and frequently saw Old Abe, the war eagle of a Wisconsin regiment, which bird wa particularly noticeable at the battle of Shiloh, where he flew over the smoky battle-field from one point to another and seemed by his actions to be in- terested in the fortunes of the day. Young Carter served in the army three years and two months, and experienced the various vicis- situdes, of which little is said by the principal actors but which bore so important a part in the final result. At the expiration of his term of en- t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 711 T listmcnt he received his honorable discharge, Oct. 29, 18G4, and soon afterward migrated to Living- ston County, with the view of establishing a perma- nent homo. He purchased eighty acres of land in Pleasant Ridge Township, which he sold out two and one-half years later, trebling his purchase- price in the transaction. In 18C>8 he purchased the half section which he now owns and has brought under a high state of cultivation. The farm buildings will bear comparison with any in the county, while the farm is well stocked with high-grade cattle and horses. Mr. Carter has also been very successful in the raising of swine. Our subject was married, May -'!0, 1807, to Miss Until A. Wilson, who was born in this county, Aug. 9, 1848. Her parents were Isaac and Harriet (Bishop) Wilson, the latter of whom died in the spring of 1881. Mr. Wilson is still living, and a resident of Moline, Elk Co., Kan. Mr. and Mrs. Carter are the parents of three children, all sons, namely : Isaac S., James A. and Alvah L. Mr. Carter was elected Justice of the Peace in 1800, and served twelve years, during which time there was never a decision of his reversed bv an upper court. He has also held the office of Town- ship Clerk, and at present is School Trustee. He was first elected Supervisor in 1875, and was the youngest member of the Board at that time. He was elected the second time to this position in the spring of 1887. He is a stanch Republican, polit- ically, and socially ;i member in good standing of the G. A. R., Fairbury Post No. 75. Mrs. Carter belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Wing. 1 LBERT H. HALL. During the past quar- ter of a century great strides have been taken in the arts and sciences. During this period of time we have been given electric light, the telephone, electric railways, cable cars. air brakes, and also very many other results of the inventive mind of man. In no branch of science has been made greater progress, and in none has there been more substantial results than in that i if photography. The artist of twenty-five years ago, who has taken no step forward, can be said to be equivalent to 100 years behind the times. But such are few and far between, and even the village artist of to-day is equal to the artist of metropolitan cities in point of appliances and knowl- edge of his art. As evidence of this, it is only nec- essary to refer to the subject of this sketch, who is the competent and popular photographer at Chats- worth, where he has been located since 1872, at which date he succeeded L. R. Thayer in business. Mr. Hall is a native of Parkmau, Me., where he was born on the 10th of April, 1849, and is the son of William C. Hall, who is a native of the Pine Tree State, as were his ancestors for several generations back. The grandfather, Rev. Zenas Hall, was a Baptist clergyman in Maine, and a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The father was a farmer by occupation, and married Olive A. Stevens, who was also born in Maine, in which State they resided un- til 1849. when they joined the tide of emigration to the West, and settled near Tonica, LaSalle Co., 111., where they pursued the occupation of farming un- til 1875, at which time they sold their possessions, and moved to Chatsworth, where the father died on the 6th of March, 1877, at the age of sixty-four years. The mother is still living, at the age of six- ty-seven years, and resides in Chatsworth. They were the parents of six children, one of whom, a daughter, died in childhood. The five living chil- dren are: WilliamS., Zenas C., Albert II., Ervin S. and Carrie A. William S. is a book-keeper in Chicago; Zenas C. is a Baptist clergyman, and re- sides at Brooklyn, Minn.; Ervin S. resides at IIoop- ston. 111.; and Carrie A. at Chatsworth. Albert H. Hall was but an infant when the family settled in Illinois, and spent his boyhood days^npon a farm, where he assisted in the work, and during the winter months attended the district school. At the age of twenty-two years he left the parental roof and went to Chicago, where he learned the art of photography, receiving instructions from the most eminent artists of that city. After he became pro- ficient in the art lie came to Chatsworth. On the 30th of May, 1*72, at Tonica, 111., Mr. Hall was married to Dora Knapp, who was born in that place, and is the daughter of L. C. and Sarah Knapp. They have two children, named respectively Lewis 712 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 4 and Sadie. Mr. Hall is a Republican in politics, anil has been a member of the Town Council, lie and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, in which they hold a leading position, and he is Super- intendent of the Sunday-school. In his business affairs Mr. Hall has been prosperous and commands the patronage of the people of his town and the surrounding country. OHN HALLIHAN is comfortably situated on an 80-acre farm in the judicial sec- tion of Saunemin Township, which is desig- natcd on the map as section 12, of Pleasant Ridge Township. He is a native of LaSalle County, 111., where he was born on the 25th of December, 1837. He is the son of John and Mary Hallihan, both of whom were natives of Ireland, and when they emigrated to this country became early settlers of LaSalle County, 111., where they resided during the remainder of their lives. Our subject was reared to manhood in LaSalle County, where he received but a limited education. The death of his parents occurred when he was about eleven years of age, and lie was thus early thrown upon his own resources. When old enough to perform manual labor he chose the occupation of a farmer, to which he has always devoted his thne. In February, 1864, Mr. Hallihan enlisted in Company I, 53d Illinois Infantry, which tras attached to the army under the command of Gen. Sherman, and participated in the march from Atlanta to the sea, and in the grand review at Washington. Dur- ing his term of service he was in many of the hotly contested engagements which took place during the last year of the war, notably Hentonville and Savannah. The regiment to which lie was attached made a splendid record by its gallantry and stub- born endurance of hardships and privations on the march, and was mustered out of the service on the 22d of July, 18(>5. After his discharge from the army he immediately returned to Illinois. On the llth of September, 1807, Mr. Hallihan was married to Mary L. Hart, a native of Ohio, and to them were born three children Lucy W., -4. William C., and Charles H., who is deceased. The mother of these children died on the 7th of August, 1872. Mr. Hallihan was again married on the 3d of February, 1875, to Martha E. Vining, widow of the late William Vining, of Livingston County. She is the daughter of William A. and Phoebe (Spencer) Lebeau, who formerly resided in McLean County, 111. Her mother is dead, and her father now resides in Bates County, Mo. As a result of this union two children have been born: Josie B., on the 27th of April, 1878, and Armor J., on the 5th of July, 1887. By her first husband Mrs. Hallihan had two children, named Charles W. and Edward C., the latter of whom is deceased. In 1871 our subject came to Livingston County, and purchased the land upon which he now resides. At the time of its purchase this land was unbroken prairie, but by energy and industry lie has con- verted it into a highly cultivated farm, and erected upon it comfortable and substantial buildings. Mr. Hallihan is an active member of the Republican party and during his residence in Livingston County has served as School Director several years. He takes an active interest in educational matters, and during the time he has been Director has en- thusiastically engaged in the work which devolved upon the incumbent of that office. He is an enthu- siastic member of the Grand Army Post at Saune- min. and engages with earnestness in the musters and camp fires of that post. Mrs. Hallihan is a member of the United Brethren Church, to which she cheerfully gives much of her time. Mr. llalli- han and his family are respected members of society and enjoy the esteem of all who know them. J" /AMES A. HOOVER, Circuit Clerk and Coun- ty Recorder, is located at Pontiac, and has been a resident of this county for the last ' twenty-two years. He comes of an excel- lent Pennsylvania family, and is himself a native of Blair County, that State, where his birth took place June 4, 1*40. His parents, Francis B. and Mary (Matthews) Hoover, were natives respect- ively of Bucks County. Pa., and Droghcda, Meath Co., Ireland, and were married in Blair County, Pa., LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 713 in 1 837, where they located, and the father engaged in the manufacture of charcoal. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Adam Hoover, was a native of Pennsylvania, and married a Miss Benton. The male members of the family mostly engaged in farming pursuits, and Grand- father Hoover followed this calling his entire life. He rested from his earthly labors in 1823, and his wife followed him to the silent land a few years later. The father of Adam Hoover was a soldier in the French army, under Gen. LaFayette, and immigrated to America in the Colonial days, set- tling in Eastern Pennsylvania, where he spent the balance of his life. The paternal grandmother of our subject was of English extraction, her fore- fathers having immigrated to America in the reign of George IV. They afterward united with the Colonists in their struggle for liberty, and in due time were represented by large numbers of de- scendants. The mother of our subject was the daughter of James and Catherine Matthews, natives of Ireland, who immigrated to America after their marriage, settling in Blair County, Pa., in 1832. Grand- father Matthews became possessor of a large tract of land, and was one of the most successful farmers of that section of country. He became the father of three children, namely: Lawrence, Mary and Edward. The family of Adam Hoover consisted of eight children, three living Matilda, Lovina and Amanda. Francis B., the father of our subject, was reared on a farm, and had but limited educa- tional advantages. He was naturally studious, however, and by the perusal of instructive books became well posted upon historical matters and kept pace with current events. He left his native State in 1848. when our subject was a lad eight years of age, and settled with his family at Lowell- ville. Ohio, whence they removed to Lawrence County, in that State. From there they immigrated to the West in 186;>, taking up their abode near Odell in this county, where the father purchased a quarter section of land, on which he erected good buildings, and established a comfortable home. He enjoyed in a marked degree the confidence of his fellow-townsmen, and was the incumbent at differ- ent times of various local ollices. His life rounded up ripe in years, and he folded his hands for his final rest in October, 1884. The mother passed away Jnn. 31, 1872. Both were members of the Catholic Church, in whose doctrines they carefully reared their children. The record of these, ten in number, is briefly as follows: Susan A., Mrs. Mur- rin, is a resident of Mnrrinsville, Pa., as is also her sister, Mary A., Mrs. Forquer: James A., our sub- ject, is the third child ; Sarah J., Mrs. Trowbridge, resides in Joliet, 111.; Matilda A., Mrs. Robbins, lives in Indiana; Frank A. is in Pennsylvania; and Thomas A. is near the Pacific slope, at Los Angeles, Cal. ; Carrie A., Mrs. Gross, lives in In- diana. The two deceased were named John M. and Lizzie M. The subject of our sketch passed his boyhood and youth on the farm in his native county, and received a common-school education. When six- teen years old he started out in life for himself, first securing a position as clerk in a general store. He was thus employed until reaching his majority, and subsequently the outbreak of the late war furnished him employment for the next four years. He enlisted in the 2d West Virginia Cavalry in 1861, and eight months later was promoted Second Lieutenant, and commanded the company most of the time until 1864. He also acted as Quarter- master. He met the enemj- in many of the impor- tant battles of the war, and was with Sheridan through the campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. He received a gunshot wound at Cove Gap on the 10th of May, 1864, but notwithstanding the pain which followed declined to leave the ranks, and rode on with his command 250 miles with a broken shoulder. He remained with his regiment, and after the surrender of Gen. Lee received his hon- orable discharge, and was mustered out witli his comrades at Wheeling, W. Va., in 1865. Lieut. Hoover after returning to civil life came west to Northern [Illinois and took up his abode in Ford County, where he remained six years en- gaged in farming, and in the meantime accumu- lated a sum of money sutlicient to enable him to se- cure possession of a quarter section of land in Tnion Township. He occupied this farm six years, and then on account of failing health decided to engage in some lighter occupation. He accord- 71 t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ingly employed himself as clerk in a general store, and was thus occupied five yenrs. during which time he became interested in township and county affairs. While in Ford County he had ofliciatcd as Town Clerk and School Trustee, and had held the same offices in Union Township. Me was elected to his present position in 1884, and hears the repu- tation of having been uniformly faithful and honest in the discharge of his duties. lie is a straight Republican politically, and socially belongs to the G. A. R. The wife of our subject was formerly Miss Ettie Tucker, a native of Ta/.ewell County, 111., and the daughter of Benjamin and Sarah (Clinc) Tucker, natives of Kentucky. They came to Illinois at an early day, and located in Tazewell County, where the father engaged in farming, and the daughter, Kttie, was roared and educated. She remained under the parental roof until her marriage with Mr. Hoover, which took place May 7, 1867. This union has resulted in the birth of two children, namely: Harry H., who was born Sept. 14, 1878, and Frank B.,"Scpt. 7, 1*82. BROS., of Wing Village, arc widelv and favorably known throughout the bor- ders of Pleasant Ridge Township, where they located some time since, and established a store of general merchandise in the spring of 1880. They carry a full line of everything pertaining to a general store, including dry -goods, groceries, hard- ware, boots and shoes, ami also deal largely in lum- ber and grain. Their building occupies an area of 52x24 feet, two and one-half storio in height, and has become an institution quite indispensable to the people of Pleasant Ridge and vicinity. George II. Gray, senior member of the above linn, was born in the State of Maine, Feb. 27, 1854, and is the son of George and Mary (Mariner) Gray, natives respectively of Massachusetts and Maine. The father wa> born Dee. 22, 1830, and the mother Dec. 10, 182.".. They came to Illinois in 1X51, and settled in LaSalle County. The father had worked in the Kasl as a ship carpenter, and for several years was foreman of railroad bridges on the Wabash Road. Afterward he became connected with the C. it A. R. R. He is now retired from active labor and makes his home in Wing Village. The parental household included five children George II., Annie L., Willard W., Joseph M. and Mary. George II., on the 1st of January, 1870, was united in marriage with Miss Eliza Pickering, who was born in LaSalle County, this State. March 20, 1 855. Of this marriage there are two children George F. and Homer W. Annie L. Gray was born May 27, 1857, and married L. II. Solomon, of Streator; Willard W. married Miss Sarah J. Greenho, and is living in Wing; Joseph M. married Miss Lottie Young, and occupies himself in farming in Saunemin Township; Mary is Hie wife of Ed- win Greenho, of Saunemin Township. Mr. George Gray, in common with his brothers and sisters, received a fair education. After com- pleting his studies in the primary schools he took a course at Forest and at Pontiac, and after a brief residence at Westfield. where he was occupied in the same work, he returned to Saunemin Township and engaged in farming for the five years follow- ing. He then purchased the business which had been established by Jacob Keller, and about one year later his brother Willard W. became equal partner. To this business they have made material additions, having built a fine elevator the past sum- mer, and are now numbered among the substantial and reliable business men of the place; indeed, tak- ing the lead in trade and including in their interests by far the larger share of the business done at this point. Willard W. Gray, junior member* of the linn, was born July '22, 1800, and spent his early life mostly at farming. His education was completed in the district schools, and in 188.'! he was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Greenho. They have one child, a daughter, Lucy, born May 15, 1 s*7. Both he and his estimable lady are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. and Mrs. George Gray are also active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Gray acts as Steward and Trustee. Mr. Willard Gray is a member of the Masonic fraternity, belong- ing to Forest Lodge No. 01 I. On the 5th of No- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. vember. 18.S5, he was nppointt'fl Po>tmasler of Wing, of which office ho hns since had charge, and the duties of which he is discharging in a manner creditable to himself and satisfactory to the com- munity. He has been Township Assessor three years. Both the brothers vote the straight Demo- cratic ticket. \|J OHN B. EVVARD, a rising young farmer of Sannemin Township, has already a flue start in life, being the owner of 240 acres of good land on sections 2 and 3. Upon it is a neat and substantial residence, a good barn and, other necessary out-buildings, while the lowland has been thoroughly drained with 3,300 rods of tile, so that there is now a broad area which yields in abundance the choicest crops of Central Illinois. He has had a lifetime experience in farming, and readily adapted himself from the beginning to its different branches. Mr. Evvard was born in Tazewell County, Sept. 26, 1855, and is the son of John B. and Mary (Jac- quot) Evvard, the former deceased, and the latter, now seventy-three years of age, making her home with our subject. The parents were natives of the Province of Lorraine, which at the time of their birth belonged to France, but is now included among the possessions of Germany. They immi- grated to America early in life, about 1850, and located in Tazewell County, of which they were among the earliest settlers. The father died there seven years later, Oct. 27, 1857, when our subject was but two years of age. The household circle included six children, of whom but two survive. The name of the other is Eugene, and he lives with his brother John B. Young Evvard remained in his native county until a lad twelve years of age, when in 1867 he accompanied his mother to Livingston County, lo- cating in Nevada Township. He completed his ed- ucation at Eureka College, and since leaving school has continued the study of instructive books and the various periodicals of the day, so that he has kept himself well posted upon current events, and maintains a good position among the intelligent men of his community. He was married when twenty-five years of age, on the 26th of September, 1880, taking for his bride Miss Mary A. Leitel, who is a native of LaSalle Count}', and was born Jan. 26, 1861. Mrs. Evvard is the daughter of Korby and Barbara (Bockmeyer) Leitel, who were natives of Germany, and are now residents of Union Town- ship. Our subject and wife commenced housekeep- ing on section 3, Saunemin Township, and in 1883 Mr. Evvard secured possession of his present home- stead. They have now two children: Mary B., born Aug. 8, 1881, and John M., Nov. 6, 1884. Upon reaching his majority our subject cast his Presidential vote for Peter Cooper, but is usually independent in politics, aiming to support the men best qualified for office. He takes a genuine inter- est in educational matters, being the descendant of a nationality which practices compulsory education, a system which it would seem might be profitably introduced into all countries. Although not very long a resident of his district he was elected School Director, in which capacity he is serving with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. The parents of Mrs. Evvard were born in the Province of Bavaria, Germany, and immigrated to the United States early in life, probably before their marriage. Their family included nine children, of whom but five are living, namely: William, Mary A., Marcus, Barbara and Annie. NDREW J. TERWILLEGAR, who comes of sturdy German ancestry, is a successful Is* farmer on section 32, Dwiglit Township. His grandfather, Nathaniel Terwillegar, came from Germany to this country, and settled in Pennsylvania previous to the Revolutionary War, in which he was a soldier. Nathaniel Terwillegar, his son, and the father of the subject of our sketch, was born in Pennsylvania in 178"), and was by oc- cupation a farmer. When a young man he went to Ohio, and settled in Sims Township, Hamilton County, where he purchased a farm. After locating here, he married Miss Alice Elliott, daughter of John Elliott, of Hamilton County, a native of Irc- 710 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. land. To them were born nine children, four of whom are now living, and whose names are: Mary, Sarah, George W. and Andrew ,1. Mary is Mrs. Sage, of Montgomery, Hamilton Co.. Ohio; Sarah married :i Mr. Crist, of Olive Branch, Clermont Co., Ohio, and George W. is a carpenter and builder in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Terwillegar was one of the pioneers of Hamilton County, which was a wil- derness covered with a luxuriant growth of splendid timber of great variety, at the time of the settle- ment. He cut his farm out of the unbroken forest, and hewed the timber for his "log cabin with his own hands. He was in Hamilton County when Cin- cinnati was but a small village, and when Columbia, which is now a small place up the river from Cin- cinnati, was the trading point. In those days the struggles of the pioneers were very severe, but they took fully as much comfort in their way as we do in ours now. There was a vast amount of timber and wood to be disposed of. Immense fireplaces were built in the side of the cabin, often occupying almost the entire side of the house. A great back- log was rolled in, which often required the united efforts of two strong men to put it in place. A fore-log nearly as large was placed in front, and over and between these were placed numerous smaller sticks. These made a fire which defied the severest weather, and before the light of its cheer- ful blaze the pioneer and his family passed the long winter evenings in solid comfort, while the cares and discomforts of pioneer life were for the time forgotten. Mr. Terwillegar replaced the log cabin with a good frame house, hewing out the frame with his own hands, which in turn gave place to a substantial brick house of two stories. All the chil- dren were born on this farm, and here Mr. Terwille- gar resided until his death. In political opinions Mr. T. was a Democrat, and held the various township offices. His wife was a member of the Christian Church, and was very earnest and sincere in her religious convictions. Mr. Terwillegar was, like most of the pioneers of this country, self-reliant and persevering, industri- ous and sagacious. He was a man prominent in his community, and undoubtedly would have made his name much more familiar to the people had not deatli marked him in middle life. He was a sub- stantial farmer, and a reliable man in every way. Andrew J. Terwillegar, the subject of our sketch, was born on the old homestead in Hamilton County, Ohio, on the 9th of September, 1829, and passed his early life among the surroundings of pioneer life amid the beautiful and picturesque scenery of Southern Ohio, with its majestic rivers and mighty hills, and forests rivalled by none in this country. As a youth, he revelled in forest pleasures, which are unknown to the boys of the Prairie State. The woods were full of small game, and the Ohio River afforded the sports of swimming, fishing and bout- ing. Young Terwillegar received a common-school education, and was initiated into farm duties. In 1854 he came to Illinois and purchased a farm of 200 acres in Bureau County. On the 21st of February, 1*57, Mr. Terwillegar was married to Miss Elizabeth T. Harper, daughter of James B. and Helen (Wycoff) Harper, of Hamil- ton County, Ohio, and he soon thereafter brought his wife to this farm in Illinois. The result of this union has been five children, whose names are: Helen II., Katie, Jennie, Albert and Mamie B. Jen- nie died on the 29th of July, 1883, and Mrs. Ter- willegar died in the month of October, the same year; thus in less than a year the household was bereft of a beloved mother and daughter: Helen married Adolphus Heller, a farmer who resides near Pontiac, and they have one son named Victor G. Al- bert is the only son; Katie and Mamie are at home with their father. The children have all received a good education, while Helen was educated at Prince- ton, and was a school teacher of wide experience before her marriage. Mr. Terwillegar remained on his farm in Bureau County ten years, and then went to Wood ford County. He afterward rented land in McLean County, and in 1870 he came to Livingston County to his present residence in Dwight Township. He has been a life-long Democrat, as was his father be- fore him. He is a gentleman of the old school; conscientious and honorable himself, he expects the same principles to obtain in others. The world needs honest men. and the words of Pope, "An hon- est man's the noblest work of God," will never be less true. The father and an uncle of Mr. Terwillegar were LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 717 soldiers in the War of 1812, :md were present at Hull's surrender, at which cowardly act the soldiers were much enraged. His powder horn, which the father carried in the war, is still in the possession of the family. fOHN LEGGATE, ESQ., one of the pioneers | of the southeastern part of Livingston Coun- ty, spent his childhood and youth in Lanark- shire, an inland county of Scotland, through which flows the far-famed and beautiful River Clyde. There he was born Aug. 25, 1816, at the home of his parents, James and Margaret (Ualgleish) Leg- gate, whose household included three sons Robert, John and James. Robert, the eldest, was a soldier in the British army for a period of twenty years, and when retiring from military life, returned to his home, where his death took place about 1885. James came to this country when a young man, and is now a resident of New Jersey. Our subject early in life learned the trade of a weaver, and in 1837, not long after his twenty-first birthday, was united in marriage with one of his childhood associates, Miss Elizabeth Fleming, a na- tive of his own county. They continued on their native soil until 1848, when Mr. Leggate with his wife and four children, bidding adieu to the friends of his youth, embarked on a sailing-vessel at Glas- gow. and after a tedious voyage of ten weeks landed in New York City. He was there occupied at his trade three years, and the three years following was employed in a glass factory. Subsequently he re- moved to a point near London, Canada, where he remained until 1857, and was occupied most of his time in a brickyard. By the most rigid economy and continuous industry, he saved a little sum of money which he decided to invest in Western land. He came to this county, and being pleased with the outlook, purchased first eighty acres in Germanville Township, where he set himself industriously at work with the laudable ambition of establishing a permanent home. His labors met with the success which they deserved, and besides bringing his first purchase to a good state of cultivation, he in due time put up suitable and substantial buildings, and by degrees added to his landed area until he be- came the possessor of 240 acres. His career has been finely illustrative of the resolute persistence which has been the characteristic, from time im- memorial, of the sturdy Scotch nationality. He has also exhibited in a marked degree the straight- forward and honest qualities of his ancestry, which have constituted him a highly respected and re- liable citizen, whose word is considered as good as his bond. Upon becoming a voter, he identified himself with the Republican party, and has served as Justice of the Peace since the organization of the township. He is a stanch adherent of the Presby- terian Church, and a zealous worker in the Sunday- school. Mr. and Mrs. Leggate became the parents of nine children, six now living, three having died in early childhood. One daughter, Margaret, became the wife of John Beckman, of Germanville Township, and died at her home in Iowa, aged twenty-seven years. Their son Robert, who had established a home for himself in Iowa, and had a family, was called away when thirty-eight years of age. The four living are, James and John in Chicago, George in Iowa, and Walter, who resides at home. AMES A. GREGORY, M. D., is a young physician just beginning his professional ca- reer, and the duty of chronicling the events of bis life beyond young manhood must de- volve upon the future biographer. In this place and at this time it is a pleasant duty to put on record an account of the source from which he sprang, and to recount the details of an auspicious beginning of the life upon which he is now enter- ing with a trusting and loving young wife bv his side. He located at Chatsworth in April, 1887. Dr. Gregory was born in Amity Township on the 13th of May, 18C2, and is a son of Thomas and Ellen (Holdsworth) Gregory. His father was a native of England, where he learned the trade of a tailor, and followed that occupation while he re- sided in his native country. He married in En- gland, and immigrated to the United States in 1855, coming a few months later to Livingston County. Here he prepared himself for the mini-- try and became a clergyman in the Prote>tant 7is LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Methodist Church, preaching in different circuits in Illinois until about the year 1880, when he be- came superannuated, :md died on the 4th of Febru- ary, 1880. He left an estate consisting of 190 acres of land in Livingston County and 160 acres in Kansas. During the war of the Rebellion he was a member of Company C, 1 29th Illinois In- fantry, and served faithfully for nine months, when he was discharged on account of disabilities in- curred. He was a man who accomplished much good, and was thoroughly conscientious in the per- formance of every act. Mrs. Gregory, the mother of the subject of our sketch, is also a minister of the Gospel, and com- menced preaching when she was but sixteen years of age, which she continued until an advanced age. She still resides in Amity Township, where she is highly respected and much esteemed for her many excellent qualities. They had nine children, six of whom are yet living. James A. is next to the youngest, and received his literary education at LaHarpe, 111. In 1 885 he entered the College of Phy- sicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa, from which he was graduated with honor in the spring of 1887, and immediately located at Chatsworth, succeeding Dr. Charles True in the practice of the profession. Dr. Gregory was married, on the 1st of Mny, 1 887, to Mardella Boyer, who was born on the 30th of November, 18G3, and was a daughter of Isaiah and Celia C. (Bennett) Boyer, of Amity Township. The beginning of Dr. Gregory's professional ca- reer is very auspicious, and lie possesses the ability to maintain his reputation as a physician under all circumstances. His father having been a soldier in the Union army, that fact entitles the son to a membership in the order of the Sons of Veterans, to which he belongs, and is enthusiastic in the work of the order. iHOMAS GEORGE is an old settler of Saune- min Township, whose neat and productive farm of fort3' acres is located on what is judicially section 2 of that township, but which is congressionally in Pleasant Ridge Township. He is a native of Manchester, England, where he was born on the 12th of November, 1812. .Manche-ter is une of the most im]>ortant cities of England, both in the way of commerce and education. Mr. George is a son of Samuel and Catherine George, both of whom were English by birth. When about four years of age he accompanied his parents to America, taking passage at Liverpool, and after a voyage across the ocean which required eight weeks, landed in Boston, Mass. The parents settled in the State of Maine, where they made their future home, and remained until their death. The father died on the 10th of August, 184C, and the mother on the 13th of December, 1850. They became the parents of six children, of whom only two are now living; Thomas and Samuel. The boyhood days of our subject were spent in the State of Maine, where he received a meager educa- tion in the schools of that time, devoting the larger portion of his early life to the work of assisting his father in the conduct of the farm. On the 21st of December, 1843, Mr. George was married to Lucinda Ayer, a native of New Glouces- ter. Me., where she was born April !), 1821. She is the daughter of Asa and Rebecca Ayer, who were New Englanders by birth. Her father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and her grandfather, Thomas Ayer, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. George has resulted in the birth of the following-named chil- dren: Flora A., Alma L., Horace G., Frank F., Austin, Quincy, Ada and Virginia. Flora A. was born Sept. 25, 1 850, and is the wife of James Fellows, of Kankakee, 111.; Alma L. was born Oct. IS, 18.V2, and is the wife of Justus Gunsul, of Streator, 111.: Horace G. was born Jan. 28, 1855, and resides in Kansas; Frank F. was born Oct. 7, 1857, and resides at home; the other four arc deceased. In the year 1859 Mr. George migrated to Illi- nois, and for several years resided in LaSalle County. He located in Livingston County in 186!), and has resided here ever since. His farm consists of forty acres of splendid land, which was all unbroken prairie when it came into his po--e>sion twenty years ago. Mr. George 1 has been a hard worker all his life, and whatever he possesses is the result of his own effort, economy and good management. In politic- he lias been a Republican since the di-- I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. .solution of the old Whig party, and while a resident of the State of Maine he held several of the minor township offices. He and his wife arc both mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which they are very Tnuch devoted. Both have spent a long life in usefulness and well doing, of which they are now enjoying the fruits. None are more worth}' of a place in this ALBUM than the subject of this sketch and his most estimable wife, and-to a brief record of their lives this page is given with pleasure. FRANCIS DONOHOE is an independent far- mer and stock-raiser, whose quarter-section farm is located on section 6 in Odell Town- ship. He was born in Virginia within three miles of Leesburg. Loudoun County, on the 13th of April, 1814, and is the yoXingest in a family of eleven children. His parents were Samuel and Margaret (Elgin) Donohoe, who were also natives of Virginia. The paternal grandparents were Cor- nelius and Mary (McDowell) Donohoe, who were natives of Ireland^ and were among the early set- tiers of Virginia. They were fanners by occupa- tion, and passed the remainder of their lives at Leesburg. The Elgins were of English descent, and were also early settlers of Virginia. The father of Mr. Donohoe was a farmer by oc- cupation, and in that respect followed in the line of his forefathers. He spent his whole life as a Virginia farmer, and with his wife is buried on the old home farm originally improved by the grandparents. He was a quiet, inoffensive citizen, and much de- voted to the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which lie was a member and a Class-Leader. It was one of his proud boasts that he had never been sued in a court, nor found it necessary to enter suit against any other person The subject of this sketch war- ten years of age at his father's death, and from that event had little chance to attend school. He worked upon the farm until he was seventeen years of age, at which time the homestead was divided and he was thrown upon the world to care for him- self. He followed teaming in Alexandria for three years, and during this time he fell in with a party of traders from Tennessee, and joined them as a driver, going overland to Mississippi. Upon ar- riving there the teams were sold, and he engaged in hauling cotton to Vicksburg. At the close of the season he engaged to help open a general store on the road near Vicksburg. In the following spring he sold out his interest, and returned to his home in Virginia, making the journey on horse- back.. After reaching home his next engagement was as an overseer on a canal from Richmond to Lynchburg, which was known as the James River Canal, and in this employment he remained three years, and then went to Rockbridge County, where he farmed one year, and then retired from active work one year. During this time he was guarding ; a real-estate investment he had made, and through which he had trouble regarding the title. Mr. Donohoe came to the West in 1 844, and set- tled first in Kendall County, where he farmed and broke prairie and also followed threshing. In 1850 he crossed the plains with a team to Califor- nia in search of a fortune in the gold mines, and experienced a hard journey, almost dying on the way, but as he neared the El Dorado his health im- proved, and when he entered the mines at Placer- ville he was robust and hearty. He engaged in mining at Placerville, Gold Hill, Cold Spring and Cedarville, where most of his time was spent. A nephew joined him there who engaged in merchan- dising, but soon died. After his death Mr. Dono- hoe was obliged to take charge of his affairs and close the business out. He then joined a prospect- ing party and was fairly successful, but in 1858 he returned to Leeeburg, Va., where he remained dur- ing the winter. In the following spring he came to Illinois to visit a brother and sister who had set- tled hei'e, and led a pleasant life free from business cares for a couple of years. On the 6th of March, I860, Mr. Donohoe was married to Pleasant Furr, daughter of Newton and Pleasant (Matthews) Furr, natives of Virginia, who migrated to Illinois in 1853. After his marriage Mr. Donohoe began farming on rented land in La- Salle County, above Ottawa, where he remained for eight years, and then came to Livingston County and bought 160 acres of wild land, on which he settled and began to improve the farm. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. He has lived on this farm ever since, .-mil has put it under a high state of cultivation, erected good buildings, substantial fences, and planted shade, fruit and ornamental trees. To Mr. and Mrs. Don- ohoe have been born eight children, seven of whom are living Samuel, Margaret, Mary, Emma, Arthur, Virginia and Lillie; one died in infancy. Mary married George Camp and lives in Esmen Township. Mr. Donohoe has never sought office nor tnken a very active part in politics, but votes with the Democratic party. The only office he has ever held was that of School Director. He is exten- sively engaged in raising fine Norman horses and good graded cattle. He is a man who enjoys the highest respect of all the citizens of his township, and is a modest and unobtrusive old gentleman of whom no one can say an unkind word, and it is with pleasure that we present his portrait in this ALBUM. J|OHN REILLY, an extensive grain buyer, with headquarters at Blackstone, is a resi- dent of Cayuga Village, where he located in 1873. He established his present business in the spring of 1886. and takes the train to Black- stone every Monday morning, returning to his home Saturday night. He bears the reputation of an en- ergetic, active man and one of the valued factors in the business community. He was thrown upon his own resources earl}- in life and has accumulated a hand-onic property, solely by the exercise of his own industry. Our subject was born in County Cavan, Ireland. Aug. 15, 1845. His father Michael, his grandfather Bernard, and himself, were born on the same farm, which remained in possession of the family for sev- eral generations. There the grandfather died about 1840, and there the father was reared to agricultural pursuits, in which he was occupied his entire life, and folded his hands for his final rest in the spring of 1855, under the same roof where his father be- fore him had passed from life. His wife, the mother of our subject, is still living on the old homestead, being now ninety-four years of age. she was for- merly Miss Margaret Lynch, a native of the same county as her husband, and is the daughter of Patrick Lynch, also of Irish birth and parenta-je. and a native of the same locality. John Reilly was the seventh of nine children born to his parents, who were people of more than ordinary intelligence and gave to their children the best-educational advantages in their power. John, in common with his brother and sisters, was sent to school at an early age. but the plans which his mother had laid for him were sadly broken in upon by the death of the father, which occurred when he was a lad of but nine years old. He remained with his mother until sixteen, and then desirous of some- thing better than the prospect held out to him upon his native soil, boarded a sailing-vessel bound for the United States. He stopped first in Providence, R. I., where he found employment at Sprague's Point, R. I. Eighteen months later he migrated to Uxbridge, Mass., and for six months thereafter occupied himself in a woolen factory. His intelli- gence and industry gained him the approval of his employer, and he was promoted to assistant fore- man in the finishing room. H^ remained in New England until the spring of 18C8. Mr. Reilly now determined upon a change of lo- cation and occupation, and starting for the West, came to this county and located in Orlell Township, where for the year succeeding he was engaged as a farm laborer. He then became interested in grain dealing, and for eight years was in the employ of C. N. Coe. Subsequently he became associated with L. E. Kent until the fall of 1 ssu. when he es- tablished in business for himself in connection with his former employer. Mr. C. N. Coe. While a resident of Cayuga Air. Reilly was mar- ried, May 15, 1873, to Miss Mary Flanigan. who was born in County Louth, Ireland, and is the (laughter of Patrick and Bridget Flanigan. also na- tives of that county. wliocnscd the Atlantic when their daughter Mary was a child three years of age. They located in New York State, and were resi- dents of Warren County until the spring of 1871, when they came to this county and located in Pon- tiac, where they now re>ide. Of this union there are six children, viz. : Emmet, who was born March fr- T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 723 1, 1874; Rose, June 11, 1875; Bernard, May 2, 1877: Maggie, .June 11, 1880; Ella, Aug. 6, 1883, and Sadie, May 15. 1885. Our subject and his family occupy a neat resi- dence on Howard street in Cayuga, and enjoy the friendship and society of its most worthy and cul- tivated people. Among the portraits given in this volume of representative citizens of the county, may be found that of Mr. Reilly, on an accom- panying page. T 1USTAVUS KOEHLER. This gentleman owns a quarter section of land in the divis- ion numbered 35, Chatsworth Township, where for the past twenty-one years he has been industriously tilling the soil and illustrating the persistence of the German nationality, which has contributed so largely toward developing the re- sources of Central Illinois. His residence in this county dates from 1867, when he purchased the land which constitutes his present homestead and which was then -in an uncultivated state. He had then a cash capital of $.'50, and a team of horses. His possessions now include 280 acres of valuable land, supplied with suitable farm buildings, a flue a>sortment of live stock, and a snug sum of money stored away for a rainy day. The most that he has asked of his fellowmen was, employment by which he could obtain a sustenance, and now he de- serves and enjoys the universal respect of his neighbors. Mr. Koehler was born in the Kingdom of .Saxony. Oct. 20. 1841, and is the son of Frederick and Louisa (Koehler) Koehler, the former of whom died in the Fatherland while middle-aged, while the lat- ter immigrated with her four children to the United States. Of these children, two are now deceased, namely, a daughter named Hannah who died in 1850, and a son, Charles, who died in 1871. Adol- phus is a resident of this township. The Koehler family after landing in New York City straightway proceeded westward and took up their abode near Mendota in LaSaJle County. There the boys rented a tract of land and looked after the mother until she no more required their filial care, as she was again married, to Charles Faust. Our subject was reared to farm pursuits, which he abandoned, however, for a time after reaching his majority, and entered the employ of the United States Government in the construction of bridges during the late war. His duties lay along the Ten- nessee River, and he had only been out forty days when he was taken ill and compelled to return hohie. Upon his recovery he resumed farming operations in LaSalle County until 1867, when he came to Livingston County, and made his first pur- chase as we have stated. Mr. Koehler was first married in the spring of 1867, while a resident of Mendota, to Miss Eliza- beth Wendel, a native of Bureau County, this State. They became the parents of three children, Ed- ward, Amanda and Kate, and then the mother closed her eyes upon earthly scenes, on the 26th of May, 1876. In February following Mr. Koehler was the second time married, his present wife hav- ing been Miss Anna, daughter of George W. and Sophia Koestner. Mrs. Anna Koehler was born in Marshall County, 111., and of her union with our subject there are five children, namely: Rose, George, Albert, Phillip and John. Mr. K. was well educated in his native country, and since coming to America has improved his op- portunities for acquiring useful information, and taken a genuine interest in the welfare of the peo- ple around him. He believes in the establishment and maintenance of schools, having been reared in the land of compulsory education, and has served as District Director for many years. Politically he affiliates with the Democratic party, and socially is a member of Chatsworth Lodge No. 539, A. F. & A. M. John G. Koehler, the paternal grandfather of our subject, who was of pure German ancestry, was a soldier under the first Napoleon for a period of ten years. He was one of the few survivors of the memorable siege of Moscow, and suffered in com- mon with his fellows the terrors and hardships of that fearful campaign, while he afterward partici- pated in the re-capture of Paris under the command of Marshal Ney. He immigrated to the United States in 1840, and true to the military instincts f 724 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. which seem to have been born in him, entered the field at the first <>|>]n>rtunity on American soil and served in the Mexican War under Gen. Taylor, lie spent his last days in LaSalle County, this State, and died at the advanced age of ninety years. &&: LBERT CORDING, a prominent hardware merchant of Sannemin, is a native of Som- 1) ersetshire, England, where he was born on the 24th of June, 1843. He is the son of Edward and Mellony Cording, both of whom were natives of England. He is the sixth and youngest son and was reared to manhood in his native coun- try, where he was engaged in work upon the farm, in the meantime securing a good English education. His immigration to America occurred in the fall of 1872, coming from Liverpool to New York City on a steamship, only nine days being re- quired to make the voyage. Immediately upon his arrival he came AVest and located in Chicago, where he secured the position of book-keeper and traveling salesman with Roe Brothers, wholesale grocery dealers of that city, with whom he remained for one and one-half years. Afterward he was employed for six months as book-keeper with George Ross & Co., also wholesale grocery dealers, of Chicago. In January, 187C, Mr. Cording came to Living- ston County, and settled at a hamlet formerly known as Norman, eight miles southeast of Fair- bury, where he conducted :i general merchandise business and also bought and sold grain. Here be was thus engaged until 1 StfO, when he came to Saunemin, and at first engaged in the hardware and grocery trade with N. G. Bennett, under the firm name of Cording & Bennett. This copartner- ship, existed until he engaged in his present busi- ness. His annual sales now amount to between 110,000 and $12,000. He carries a general stock of stoves, hard ware, tinware, and all the lines kindred to the hardware business. His business house is 22x80 feet, substantially built of brick and one story high. On the 28th of May, 1875, Mr. Cording was mar- ried to Ida J. Seaton, daughter of George and Florinda Seaton, of Strawn, 111., who were pimn > T- in that section of Livingston County. Two chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cording, then- names being George E., who was born Dec. 7, 1876, and William A., July 28, 187*. Mr. and Mrs. Cording are members of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, of which Sunday-school Mr. Cording is now serving as Superintendent. He is a Repub- lican in politics, and for several years before the in- coming of the Cleveland administration, served in the capacity of Postmaster at Sannernin. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, his membership being in the Sullivan Centre Lodge No. 738, at Saunemin, of which lodge he is at present the S. W. Mr. Cording takes a lively interest in public affairs, particularly in relation to such matters as will benefit the town and township of his residence. OIIN FARR, located since the spring of 1887 on the southwestern quarter of section Hi, in Saunemin Township, is the son of one of the honored pioneers of this county, who came and took up an undeveloped tract of land, where he built up a comfortable homestead and established himself as a permanent resident. His parents, Joseph and Eliza (Kescoby) Fa IT, were na- tives of England and immigrated to America about 1849. Thev first took up their abode in Madison County, N. Y., where our subject was born Jan. 26, 1852, and twelve years later came to this, county, locating in Nebraska Township, where they spent the remainder of their lives, the mother pass- ing away on the 2d of March, 181'.'.). and the father on the 25th of the same month, ten years later. The parental family of our subject included seven children, of whom four are living, namely: Jacob, a fanner of Nebraska Township; Mary A., the wife of Thomas Richardson, of Long Point Township; John, of our sketch, and Ilattie, the wife of Alfred Moulds, of Long Point Township. The father upon reaching Nebraska Township purchased eighty acres of railroad land, upon which probably not a furrow had been turned. lie and his excellent wife labored industriously to buihl up a homestead, and endured the hardships and privations incident m~ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 72.5 ir to a new settlement. The people of this section were not long in discovering that Joseph Farr was a valued accession to their numbers, and he became widely and favorably known as a liberal-minded and public-spirited citizen, willing to contribute as far as possible of his time and means to build up the communit}' and aid in the progress of its peo- ple. He was finall}- visited with a severe affliction in the loss of his eyesight, and for two years before his death could scarcely recognize his friends. Both parents were members of the Congregational Church, being among the first to identify them- selves with the society in Nebraska Township. There the father served as Deacon and was one of the most cheerful aud liberal supporters of the society. In his death Nebraska Township lost one of its most worthy men and upright citizens. John Farr developed into manhood in Nebraska Township and received the advantages of the com- mon schools. Under the instruction of his father he became well versed in agricultural pursuits, and has been pleased to give his continued attention to the various employments of farm life, rightly es- teeming it a worthy ambition to excel in this most important of the industries. He remained under the parental roof until his twenty-fourth birthday, on which day he was married, Jan. 26. 187G, to Miss Mary N., daughter of Isaac and Louisiana (Mc- Quaid) Moulds, natives of England and Kentucky respectively, and now residents of Nebraska Town- ship, this county. Mrs. Farr was born in Marshall County. April 9, 1858, and remained at home with her parents until her marriage. Her parents came to Livingston County about 1806 from Marshall County, which had been their home since a short time after their marriage. Their family included six children, five of whom are living, namely : Mary N., Harvey, John, Ann and Leroy. Mr. Miid Mrs. Farr after their marriage settled in Nebraska Township, where they remained until taking possession of their present farm. Mr. Fan- received at the start .~>00 from his father's estate, and from this moderate capital has succeeded in ac- cumulating a comfortable property, having been wise in his investments and never backward about putting his shoulder to the wheel aud laboring in- dustriously in the cultivation of his hind. The farm buildings are neat and substantial and all tlic surroundings in keeping with the taste and means of the proprietor. Mr. Farr, politically, votes the straight Republican ticket, aud with his amiable and excellent wife is a member of the Christian Church, in which he has served as Deacon for sev- eral years. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Farr the record is as follows : Joseph E. was born Nov. 30, 1876, and died April 17, 1877; Elsie was born Jan. 7, 187f); Anna E., Feb. 1C, 1 881 ; Alvin I., Oct. 21, 1882; Charles E., Jan. 5, 1885, and Will- ard, June 5, 1886. They form a bright and inter- esting group, the older ones just taking their first lesson in the district school, and the younger still remaining under the watchful eye of their mother. MANUEL D. FAUBER is one of the ster- . ling young farmers of Saunemin Township, where he has 156 acres of land, located on section 33, which he purchased and paid for with money secured through his own efforts and good management. He began his career in life without capital other than willing hands, and has succeeded much beyond the usual measure with men at his age. He is a native of Augusta County, Va., and was born on the 7th of March, 1852. Mr. Fauber is the son of David T. and Ann (Kindig) Fauber, both of whom were natives of Virginia, and migrated to Illinois in the year 1855, settling in Woodford County, where they were among the first settlers, and where they have continuously resided to the present time. They are the parents of ten children, of whom the follow- ing named are still living, and are recorded as fol- lows: Samuel II. was born May 30, 1850; Emamiel I), is the subject of this sketch; Barbara E. married E. M. Cox, of Woodford County ; Mary C. married S. M. Bullington, of this township; 'Virginia M. is the wife of John Hippard: Eliza A., Minnie L. and James W. reside at home. The father has served as Supervisor of Roanoke Township, Woodford County, for a number of years, and has also served as Township Road Commissioner, and Township ' 1 726 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Treasurer for many years. He is at the present time serving as Justice of the Peace, which office he has held for many j r ears. He is widely and favorably known in Wood ford County, where he is a representative pioneer citizen. He is a leading member in the Christian Church, to which he con- tributes liberally of his time and means. He began life in the West without capital, and his holdings of to-day are ample evidence of his being a successful, self-made man. Emanuel D. Fauber, our subject, was reared to manhood in Woodford County, where he learned the rudiments of farming, and received a fair com- mon-school education. On the 2d of August, 1877, he was married to Margaret Smith, a native of New York State, who was born in 1 850, and is the daughter of Stephen and Catherine (Slater) Smith. To Mr. and Mrs. Fauber has been born one child, named Annie L., whose birth occurred on the 8th of March, 1881. About two years after marriage our subject came to Livingston County, and settled in Sannemin Township, where he has since resided in his pleasant home. During his residence in Woodford County, Mr. Fauber served one year as Deputy Sheriff, in which capacity he acquitted himself creditably. In poli- tics he is a Democrat, and since becoming a voter has given that party a cordial support. He and hi* wife are members of the Christian Church, in which they take an active part. They both participate in the society events of their neighborhood, and are always found among the most active workers in those enterprises which furnish entertainment and recreation for themselves and neighbors. J~l OHN R. KNOX, au intelligent and progres- | sive farmer, lives in Emiugton, but his j wife's farm of 160 acres, given to her by her ' father, lies on section 24, Union Township. Air. Knox is the son of Thomas and Isabella (1'rin- gle) Knox, and was born iu Australia, March 2. 1854. His father's birth place was on a farm called Brotherstone, on the banks of the River Tweed, in view of Dry burgh Abbey, the resting-place of Sir Walter Scott, and in sight of Melrose Abbey, Scot- laud. He was born Feb. 6, 1819, and while still a young man immigrated to Canada in 1 842, where he was for a time engaged in fanning and working nt the trade of cabinet-maker. On the 2d of May, 1851, he was united in marriage with Miss Isabella Priijgle, who was born Dec. 25, 1830, and is the daughter of Alexander Pringle. Her parents lived formerly in the same part of Scotland as Mr. Knox. In 1853 the parents of our subject moved to Australia, where the father engaged for some years in gold mining, at which he prospered. Not being satisfied with that country, however, as a permanent home, he went back to Canada, in 1857, and em- ployed his capital in the business of merchandising, in which undertaking he was less fortunate, losing heavily. He then purchased about 130 acres of land and turned his attention to agriculture. In the meantime, having heard of the excellent oppor- tunities for husbandry afforded by the fertile prairies of the West, he, in 1865, removed with his family to Livingston County, 111., where he bought land four miles south of Dwight, and two or three years afterward he sold his land in Canada. About 1 880 he moved to Streator, 111., and resumed his trade of cabinet-making, while three years later he began dealing in furniture, in which business he is still engaged. On the 2d of May, 1875, he and his estimable wife celebrated the twenty-fifth smiver.-ary of their marriage. The occasion was one of rare pleasure to themselves and the maiiy friends and relatives who filled the house to overflowing. Our subject remained in his father's family until he was about twenty-one years of age, re- ceiving a common-school education, and then set out to make his own way in the world. lie began farming for himself on rented ground, and suc- ceeded so well that a couple of years later he felt able to support a wife, and take upon himself the responsibilities of married life. Accordingly, on the 22d of January, 1*77, he was united in mar- riage with Miss Eva Belle Edgcomb, daughter of William and Eunice (Spalding) Edgcomb, of La- Sallc County, III., where she was born Aug. 22, 1855, and was the second child in a family of three. One year after this important event in his life Mr. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Knox moved upon his wife's farm, where he resided until ins}, when In 1 removed to his town residence. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Knox has resulted in the birth of five children, three of whom are still living, namely : Guy W., who was horn Oct. 20. 1877; Earle C., Aug. 13, 1879, and John I., March 21. 1882. Mrs. Knox's father was born in Pennsylvania, in August, 1833, and the mother in New York, in September, 1836; they were married in Ottawa, 111., in 1852. The mother died in 1861, and the father was married the second time, to Margaret Emery, by whom he has seven boys. Our subject and wife are still young people, but are among the most active and enterprising mem- bers of the community in which they live, taking MII earnest part in every movement that tends to the elevation of society and the improvement of their fellows. They are endeavoring to give their children a good substantial education, and to fit them in every way for the manifold duties of life. wIIOMAS G. McUOWELL, one of the oldest J\ and most highly esteemed citizens of Liv- ings ton County, is the subject of this sketch, and is now a citizen of the town of Fairbury. He was born on the 1st of February, 1806, in Scioto County, Ohio, and was reared on his father's farm, obtaining his education in log school-houses, the only kind of educational edifices the country af- forded in those days. His parents were James and Sarah (Gorrel) McDowell. James was a native of Scotland, and came to America with his parents when a child. The father was a farmer by occu- pation, and his parents located in Pennsylvania, where .lames was married to Sarah Gorrel in the year 178!), after five, or >ix years' service in the Revolutionary War. About 1795 the father went to Kentucky with the veritable Simon Kenton, which was the first visit that famous frontiersman made to Kentucky. He and Kenton pre-empted a large tract of land, which was called Mason, and afterward Wood ford County. The father moved from Kentucky to Ohio in 1804, and located in N'ioto County, where he entered laud and cleared a large farm, and remained until his death. The father was born in 1742 and died in 1809. They had a family of nine children, the subject of this sketch being the youngest and now the only sur- vivor. The names of the children were as follows: Mary married Thomas Phillips; William married Sarah Dever; Betsey was unmarried; John mar- ried Elizabeth Price; James married Sophia Hall; Woodford G. married Catherine Bennett; Martha married Henry Crnll; Hiram married Elizabeth Sawders. Thomas McDowell was married, on the 1st of January, 1835, to Elizabeth C. Keeney, who was born in Virginia in 1807. and is the daughter of Moses and Frances (Harris) Keeney, both na- tives of Virginia, and life-long members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the age of eight- een years Mr. McDowell concluded to depend upon his own resources for a living, and he made a visit to the Kanavvha Salt Works in West Virginia, where he secured employment at making salt and worked from 1 824 to 1 836 at that place. On the 1 st of Oc- tober, 1836, he loaded all his worldly goods into a three-horse wagon, and with his wife started for the West. They stopped in Montgomery County, I nd., where he bad purchased land some years previous to that time, and moved into a hewed log house 16x18 feet in 'dimensions, which he had erected the winter before. His land proved to be of excellent quality and very productive, and he remained on this farm of 120 acres until 1848, I and then sold out and started farther west. Ar- riving in Livingston County he purchased 120 acres of school and State lands, on which he built a house and then began farming. This farm was one mile from timber, and was thought to be al- most out of the world. In 1867 he sold his lands and moved into Fairbury, where he has since re- sided, living in one of the pleasant residences of the town, which he has surrounded with many com- forts. Mr. McDowell's family consists of seven chil- dren: Ann Eliza, living with her parents; Franklin C. married Laura Morgan; Moses K. married Miss Morgan; Sarah F. married M. J. Zook; Mary B. married William Morgan: Martha E. married Thomas- Brownlee, and Carrie E. married James t 728 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Handy. Since 1836 Mr. McDowell and his family have been members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and during that long period he and his wife have been regular in their attendance and sin- cere in their profession. Mr. McDowell has al- ways been a straight out Republican, and his de- votion and loyalty to the party have never dimin- ished the least since the day he joined it in 185G. C. GOODRICH. Among those who came to Illinois half a century ago and suc- ceeded in life through their own energy and industry, is the above-named gentle- man, who is yet living to tell of the trials encoun- tered during the early settlement of the country. He resides on section 21, Saunemin Township, where lie owns eighty acres of well-improved land, all of which is under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Goodrich was born on the 25th of March, 1839, in Smyrna, Chenango Co., N. Y., and is the son of Gardner C. and Nancy (Fravor) Goodrich, both of whom are natives of the East, but at pres- ent reside in Saunemin, this county. To them were born five children, whose record is as follows: Amanda, the wife of Rev. T. W. Royal, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Americus, Lyon Co., Kan. ; William, of Kankakee, 111. ; Melissa, widow of the late Daniel S. Ross, of Normal, III.; Hubbard, of Albanj r , N. Y., and D. C. Our subject when quite a small boy, with his par- ents and other members of the family, came from New York to Grundy County, 111., where they made their home for about twent}' years. In 1864 his parents removed from Grundy County to this county, where they settled on a farm of eighty acres adjoining the land on which our subject now resides, and they remained there until 1883, when they retired from farm work and removed to the town of Saunemin. Here they are proposing to spend their declining years in as much ease and comfort as possible, and enjoy the fruits of a long life spent in usefulness and well-doing. The}' are surrounded by a large circle of friends and rela- tives, all of whom are zealous in their efforts to make their pathway down the decline of the hill as smooth and pleasant as possible. Tht'3 f are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and are earnest and sincere in their profession and prac- tice of Christianity, and have always been liberal supporters of the Gospel. The father is now in his eighty-eighth year, and the mother in her eighty- sixth. With the exception of losing his sight he is still in good health. From his earliest boyhood our subject has lived upon the farm, and been engaged in farm work. He received a fair education in the district schools of Grundy County. On the 20th of February, 1879, Mr. Goodrich was married to Annie R. Routh, a native of Indiana, who was born on the 19th of November, 1854, and is the daughter of Will- iam and Eliza (Love) Routh. Two children have been born to them, viz. : Harvey II. G., on the 24th of February, 1880, and Sylvia M., on the 15th of May, 1886. The Doctor and his wife a:e members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and take an active and influential part in the society movements of their neighbors. Mr. Goodrich is a stanch Repub- lican, having voted with that party ever since he attained his majority. He has never held office, and has never desired to, being of that disposition which lias induced him to give his undivided at- tention to his individual business. He is known by the citizens of the township as a man who is highly respected for his sterling worth and integrity. H. FELLOWS, an active, energetic and enterprising fanner and stock-raiser, re- sides on section 7, Charlotte Township. He (', - ,-,.s--i.r- -. RESIDENCE OF FRED. N.TRYON, SEC. 11. FAYETTE TOWNSHIP. 4- 731 , . LIVINGSTON COUNTY. agricultural pursuits, and has always been engaged in fanning, with the exception of two years, during which time he owned and conducted a general store at the village of Wing, Livingston County. At the end of two years he sold his store to Lewis Holloway, who is yet conducting the business. During his mercantile career at Wing, Mr. Fellows gave evidence of much business ability, and be- came very popular with the people as a merchant. His education was obtained in the common schools, and was as complete as the facilities at that time would permit. On the 27th of August, 1881, Mr. Fellows was married to Miss Laura Etta Madden, daughter of James and Susan (Hush) Madden. She was the fifth child in a family of ten born to her parents, and was born in Pleasant Ridge Township, Aug. 25. 1863. The Madden family still reside in Char- lotte Township, while the children all live near. Mrs. Fellows' brothers and sisters are named as fol- lows: George W., Cassius M., James C., Stella R. and Carrie L. To Mr. and Mrs. Fellows have been born two children: George Woodford, Jan. 15, 1884, and Charles Melvin. March 9, 188C. Mr. Fellows does not devote much time to polit- ical matters, but votes and acts with the Repub- lican party. He is at present serving in the ca- pacity of School Director, and giving excellent satisfaction. Any movement inaugurated for the benefit of his township or count3 !f is enthusiastic- ally espoused by Mr. Fellows. REDBRICK N. TRYON, son of one of the ^ : early settlers of LaSalle County, this State, and now pleasantly located on section 1 1 . Fayette Township, this county, started out for him- self soon after reaching his majority, and for five years rented land near the homestead of his father. He met with success in his efforts, and sought for his permanent location the land which constitutes his present farm, of which he took possession in the spring of 1877. He has 120 acres of good land under a fine state of cultivation, with suitable and convenient farm buildings, of which a view is shown on another page of this ALBUM.- His domestic re- lations are of the pleasantest, his little family con- sisting of his wife and one child, a son, Frank, who was born Dec. 30, 1877. He is one of the most reliable members of the Republican party in Fay- ette Township, which welcomed him to its commu- nity as a valued accession to its business and social circles. Our subject was born Feb. 2, 1850, at Sag Har- bor, Long Island, and is the son of Frederick and Mary (Comstoek) Tryon, natives of New York State. His father learned the trade of a cooper, which he followed in the Empire State for a period of probably thirty years, and then coining West he purchased a quarter section of land near the city of Ottawa, LaSalle County, of which he at once took possession with his family. The household included the following-named children : Maria, Charles, Fred N., Clark Smith, Clarence E. and L. C. Maria be- came the wife of James Ebersol, who is carrying on farming near Ottawa; the next, a son. Charles, is a prosperous farmer of Fayette Township; CLirk Smith lives in LaSalle County, and is engaged in farming; Clarence E. is an insurance agent in Ot- tawa, 111.; L. C. is a farmer and resides with his parents. Upon coming to Fayette Township Mr. Tryon was accompanied by his brother, who joined with him in his first purchase of land. They afterward made a division and the brother is now living on an adjoining farm. Mr. Tryon was married, Feb. 8, 1872, to Miss Katie Kiner, who was born in Perry County, Pa., April 19, l_853, and is the daughter of Jacob and Arabella (Barrick) Kiner, prosperous farmers residing in LaSalle County, III. Mr. and Mrs. Kiner are natives of Pennsylvania, and came to this State and settled in LaSalle County in 1853. where they have since resided. They be- came the parents of ten children, all of whom at- tained to mature years. Their names are as follows : ; Maggie; Katie, the wife of our subject: Frank, | Nelson. Mary, Ida, Melvina, Cora, William and Henry. Maggie and Frank are deceased. Mrs. Tryon received a fair education in the dis- : trict schools, and remained with her parents until her marriage with our subject. The wedding took i place at the home of the bride and they commenced t 732 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i: life together on a farm in LaSalle County. They may reasonably anticipate a future comparatively free from the cares which make so many lives a burden. -#- E BOHLANDER. Some of the best and most proficient mechanics of this coun- try, as well as some of the most accomplished scientists, were born abroad, and if one will take the trouble to examine into the matter, it will be found that very many of those who have become eminent bear names indicating German birth. The name of the subject of this sketch, who is a wagon and carriage manufacturer of Pontiac, is indicative of his nativity. He was born in Germany in 184!), and is the son of Fred and Barbara (Kielim) Boh- lander, who were natives of the same country. The father was overseer on a large tract of timber and attended to the sale of all timber taken, keeping a record of all such transactions. His family con- sisted of five children, three of whom are living George, Ernest and Lizzie. Ernest is a clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now the pastor of a church at Evansville, Ind. He came to America in 1867. George Bohlander came to this country in 1865, settling in Butler County, Ohio, where he worked on a farm for several years, and as a section hand on a railroad for six months. He remained there until the 4th of March, 1868, and then came to Ot- tawa, 111., where he served an apprenticeship of three years with a wagon-maker. After completing his trade he worked as a journeyman until June, 1877, and in that year came to Pontiac, commenc- ing in business for himself in 1878. A fine wagon- shop costing $1,600 was built on Howard street in 1885. In addition to manufacturing vehicles him- self, he has kept in stock ready-made carriages and buggies of St. Louis and Chicago manufacture. A lithographic view of Mr. Bohlander's carriage- works forms a valuable adjunct to this sketch, and we take pleasure in presenting it on an accompanying page. In Iis7;> Mr. Bohlander was married to Miss An- nie Beer, a native of Germany, and they have had one child, named Fritz. The father of Mr. Boh- lander died in 1864, and the mother in 1885, in Germany. They were both members of the Luth- eran Church. Mr. Bohlander is eminently a self- made man having depended almost entirely upon his own resources both in boyhood and manhood, and all his surroundings indicate that he has fought the battle of life well. He is a highly esteemed citizen, progressive in his notions, affable in man- ner, and sympathetic in nature. He is a Repub- lican, and at all proper times devotes his energies for the success of that party. J. EVANS is one of the active and enterprising young men who have ma- terially assisted in making an important lo- cal business center of Saunemin, and in his enterprises has met with a good measure of success. lie is a general dealer in all kinds of agricultural implements, as well as buggies, wagons, etc. Mr. Evans is a native of Tennessee, where he was born on the 28th of December, 1856. He is the son of Jeremiah and Matilda Evans, both of whom died when our subject was about four and one-half yeaiv of age. The father died first, and the mother came to Marshall County, 111., our sub- ject accompanying her. and there resided a few years. After the death of his mother Andrew went to Centralia, 111., where he lived in the family of George A. Bliss for about six years, when at the age of fifteen he began the battle of life for him- self. He worked as a farm hand near Centralia about two years, .and then returned to Marshall County, 111., where he engaged at work upon the farm for three years. At the end of this time he rented a farm in the same neighborhood, which he cultivated successfully for the next two 3- ears. On the 19th of January, 1881, Mr. Evans was married, in Livingston County, to Miss Rachel Nor- man, a daughter of William Norman, of Saunemin Township, this county. They have had three children, two of whom are living Eva M. and Jessie H. Mr. Evans first came to Livingston County in the spring of 1878, and for nine years thereafter cultivated his 80-acre farm, one mile south of Eylar, living alone the first year, and at- t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 733 tending to the household as well as the farm duties. .Mr. Kvans still owns the farm, on which he has placed first-class improvements. He began his pres- ent business in January. 1X87, and lias already be- come convinced that in this line lie will be as suc- cessful as he heretofore has been as an agriculturist. Having been reared upon a farm and followed that occupation until the present year, he is thoroughly conversant with the needs of the farmers, and can supply them with just such implements as are best adapted to that section of the country. Mr. Evans having been left an orphan at a tender age, neces- sarily encountered many drawbacks in his early career, but he went to work with the determination and will to solve the problem of life, and he has succeeded. In the fullest meaning of the words he is a self-made man, and deserves much credit for what he has accomplished. Mr. and Mrs. Evans are both members of the Christian Church, and take part in all the society events of the neighborhood. Mr. Evans has satis- factorily served in the capacity of School Director, and warmly entered into the work with a will to elevate the standard of education and add to the efficiency of the public schools. AFAYETTE TANNER, a prominent farmer ^ J} w 'ght Township, located on section 15, has been a resident of Livingston Count}' for twenty years, during which time he has not only been pecuniarily successful, but has made an en- viable place for himself in the history of the town- ship and the count}'. He is of French and English descent, on the maternal side coming from the fam- ily of Lamoreaux, of whom Judge Lamoreaux, of Saratoga, N. Y., is a descendant. This family is of French Huguenot >tock. and >till retains the tradi- tions of the flight from France, at which time they left so hastily that all their property was left be- hind. They fled from their homes and country in order to escape religious persecution, and to enjoy the rights of those who worship God after the dic- tates of their own conscience. The Pilgrim Fathers, Puritans. (Quakers and Mennonites left their homes for the same reason, and from all these people have descended many of the noblest men and women of this country. Frederick Tanner, the lather of our subject, was of an English family, who were pioneers in New York State. He lived in Schaghticokc, Rensselaer Co., N. Y., and was a blacksmith by trade. He was ' married to Miss Elizabeth Lamoreaux, of Dutchess County, N. Y., and to them were born seven chil- dren Elmore, Elvira C., LaFayette, Maria A., George W., Joseph W., and William all of whom are living, excepting Elmore and William. These children were all born on the old homestead, where two generations had lived before them. The father finally moved to Rock City, Saratoga Co., N. Y., where he followed his trade. In 1847 he moved to LaSalle County, 111., and purchased a farm in Eden Township, where he lived the remainder of his days, and where he accumulated considerable prop- erty, owning at the time of his death a valuable farm. He was a Democrat in politics, and an ad- herent of the doctrines of the Methodist Church. LaFayette Tanner, our subject, was born on the old homestead in New York, on the 26th of June, 1 827. He learned of his father the trade of a black- smith, and came with him to Illinois. He returned to New York, and on the 23d of February, 1854, was married to Miss Clara A. Robbins, of Schuyl- ersville, Saratoga County. She was born on the 1 8th of December, 1832, and is the daughter of Rich- ard and Sarah Robbins, of Pittstown, N. Y. Her father was an Englishman, who came to this conn- try when a young man. His correct name was Rob- binson, but it was shortened after he came to this country by his friends and neighbors dropping the last two letters when addressing him. lie was a. miller by trade, and died in 1846, at the age of forty years. The mother was an English lady, whose family settled in Canada. Directly after marriage Mr. Tanner took his young wife to LaSalle County, 111., where he man- aged his father's farm for two years. lie then bought a farm in Putnam County, 111., where he lived twelve years, and where his children, whose names are as follows, were born : Jennie, Fred, La- Fayette and' Guy. Jennie married William Bunt- ing, a farmer of D wight Township; Fred is a farmer at Beatrice, Neb., and LaFayette and Guy are at 7:! I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. home; LaFayette is managing his father's farm, and (luy operates a rented farm. In 1867 Mr. Tanner moved with his family to Livingston County, and purchased a farm of 160 acres, eligibly situated near I) wight, and here, in a beautiful section of the county, the children have been reared, and recei veil corps of correspondents at the centers of population in the county are se- lected with reference to their good standing and reliability. Its growth has been phenomenal in ne ws- p.-iper history, and its list of subscribers has gradu- ally grown larger without any special effort in that direction, until the families into whose homes it goes number many hundreds. It has attained its position in the newspaper world by assiduously shutting out all objectionable advertising, or read- ing matter of a questionable character, and taking high moral grounds on all public questions. While it is Republican in politics it treats all with fairnes>. and thus holds the esteem and respect of all political parties. Thus it is at all times fit to enter the fam- ily, and its patrons have no fear of anything being admitted to its columns that cannot be read aloud in the family circle. The Blade has done and is still doing much to elevate the profession of jour- nalism, and will receive its reward by an unparal- leled patronage by the intelligent people of Liv- ingston County. fifj AMES CHAPMAN. The name of this gen- tleman is familiar to the people of Odell from his long residence here and his worthy career as a citizen and member of society. He was fora period of nine years Station Agent of the Caynga Railroad, and served a long term as Justice of the Peace. He distinguished himself as ,-i worthy and useful member of the community, quiet and law-abiding, and interested in all those enterprises tending to the advancement and welfare of the people. Jame.- Chapman was of English birth and par- entage, and passed his youthful days in the town of Ashton-under-Lyne. where his birth occurred Nov. :j. 1830. His parents, Walter W. and Han- nah (Buckley) Chapman, came to America in the fall of 1848. when their >on James was a youth of eighteen years, and coming directly to the Wot located at Morris, 111. A few weeks later the par- ents fell victims to the cholera epidemic then rag- ing in that section, leaving two sons, our subject LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 735 Miid liis brother Edwin Owen, who is now a resident of this county. The father was a gardener by oc- cupation and had immigrated to the United Stale* in the hope of bettering his condition, both socially and financially. James had been liberally educated and had been employed as a book-keeper in a fac- tor}- some time before coming to this county. Failing to secure a similar position here after the death of his parents, he engaged to learn the car- penter trade, at which he served two years, and then began to work for himself. His habits of in- dustry and sobriety secured him firm friends and he was prospered in his labors. Before reaching his twenty-fifth year he was united in marriage with Miss Agnes Allen, who was of Scotch birth and parentage, and the daughter of John and Isabel (Hood) Allen, who immigrated to America about the year 1832. They first located at Morris, this State, but later came to this county, where the father engaged in farming, and where both parents spent their declining years. The marriage of our subject took place in Lis- bon, Kendall County, and a few months later Mr. Chapman purchased 120 acres of land in Odell Township, this county, where he began farming, and in the meantime carried on his trade as time and opportunity permitted. At the time of his purchase the station of Odell had been located but there were no indications Of a town around it. He was appointed the first agent in 1863, and held the position until his death in 1872. The length" of ' time during which he discharged his responsible duties is sufficient evidence of the estimation in which he was held by the railroad company and the people of. Odell. The children of James and Agnes (Allen) Chap- man, eight in number, are recorded as follows: Hannah is the wife of Arnini Godwin, who is en- gaged in farming in LaSalle County; Alice mar- ried Richard Slim-, and lives in Minnesota; Isabel, Mrs. Daniel Godwin, resides with her husband on a farm in Odell Township; Margaret married James Stine, an enterprising farmer of Minnesota: Edwin, James and John employ their time in farm- ing, and are residents of Minnesota and Illinois; Walter W. we speak of below. Walter W. Chapman, a young man of more than ordinary ability, who has been finely educated in view of commercial pursuits, was born at his father's homestead in Esinen Township, July 21. 18J8. He is now carrying on merchandising in the village of Cayuga, and is the owner of a good farm on section 32, in Odell Township. After completing his Studies in the common schools he learned carpentering of his father, whose death oc- curred when he was a youth of but fifteen years. lie continued on the farm until the death of his mother, which occurred in 1881, and was then ap- pointed guardian of the younger children, of whose interests he still has charge. In the spring of 1 880, Mr. Chapman went up into Minnesota upon business and pleasure combined, and while breathing the invigorating air of the north employed his leisure time at his trade. Upon returning home he purchased the business which he is now conducting .it Odell, but preferring to reside in the rural districts he secured possession of an 80-acre tract of land on section 32, the cultivation of which he superintends and where he has a re- markably pleasant home. This home is presided over by the accomplished and amiable young lady who became his bride on the 28th of June, 1887. Mrs. Chapman was formerly Miss Ada E., daughter of Alvin and Susan (Withrow) Clark, who were natives of Nova Scotia, and have been residents of this county for a period of twenty years. Her father is a farmer by occupation and the parents are now residents of Odell Township. Mrs. Chap- man was born in Esmen Township, this county, June 23, 1867, and was the second in a family of four children born to her parents. She was finely educated, and engaged in teaching at an early age, having been identified with the public schools of this county four years, and still continues her pro- fession as a teacher in the Cayuga schools. Her amiability and excellent judgment have won for her a wide circle of friends among both pupils: and parents. Mr. Walter Chapman is quite active in politics and uniformly votes the Republican ticket. He is serving his lirst term as a member of the School Board in Cayuga, being the youngest man ever elected to the position in this city. In 1885, he took a commercial course in the college at Valpa- f t. 736 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. raiso, Ind., and thus prepared himself for the business which he had chosen as his future voca- tion. ILLIAM GINGERICH. Central Illinois, in common with many other sections of the great West, is much indebted for its devel- opment and cultivation to the enterprise and in- dustry of the thrifty German citizens. Among these the subject of this history occupies a promi- nent position. He is in the prime of life and in the midst of his usefulness, and has already acquired a tine property and a beautiful homestead of 160 acres on section 32. His o]>erations have been char- acterized by sound good sense, while he has taken advantage of modern methods and the latest im- proved machinery in the cultivation of the soil and bringing about the improvements with which he is surrounded, and which stand as a silent monument of his industry and forethought. Our subject was born and spent the first few years of his life in Kur-Hessen, German}', not far from the beautiful valley of the Rhine, where the cool climate and fertile soil afford the purest air to breathe and the best elements for building up the human frame. His birth took place April 14, 1842, and he was the only child of his father, John Gin- gerich, by his first wife, Magdalene Otto; the mother died when her son was three years of age. The father subsequently married again, and in 1*.">I the family immigrated to the United States, William being then a boy nine years of age. They spent a year in the State of Maryland and then came to Illinois, locating in Putnam County, where the father followed blaeksniithing until resting from his earthly labors, his death taking place Feb. 4, 1885. He had been married three times, and by his second marriage there were two children, who died in in- fancy. By the third marriage there were no chil- dren. The last wife had a child by her former husband, whose name is Mary Forcht, but she has adopted the name of her step-father, and is known as Mary ( iingerich: Young Gingerich was reared to manhood in Put- nam County, and made good use of his time while ]>ermitted to attend the common school. During the late war he enli>ted. Jan. 1, 1SC4, in Company B, 64th Illinois Infantry, and participated in the siege of Atlanta, where he was wounded in- both arms by the explosion of a shell, and still carries one of the balls. lie was sent to the hospital at Rome, Ga., where lie remained about thirty days. and then went home on a furlough. Subsequently he returned to Springfield and was detailed to the Veteran Reserve Corps at Rock Island, where he remained until the close of the war, and received his honorable discharge at Springfield, July -JO, 1865. He was thereafter employed at farming until his marriage. The lady who has been the close companion and best friend of our subject for a -period of over twenty years, was in her girlhood Miss Emma Krausbauer, and was married on the 21st of April. 1867. She is a native of the same Province as her husband, and was born Nov. 27, 1 83!l. She was the second child in a family of six born to Carl W. and Jo- hanna (Schoettler) Krausbauer, natives of the same locality and of pure German ancestry. The par- ents spent their lives in their native home, and are now deceased. Mr. Carl W. Krausbauer was a teacher in the public schools in his native home, and \vas Assistant Principal for the long period of fifty years in the same school. He was also organist in the German Reformed Church for the same num- ber of years. This is an honor to which but few men can lay claim. The' union of our subject and his wife was blessed by the birth of four children, whose record is a- follows: The eldest son, Otto John, died March I!, 1 883, when fifteen years of age ; he was a promis- ing young man, the favorite alike of old and young, and had commenced a career which held out great promises for the future; his death was a great blow to his stricken parents. Willie Frederick, born Jan. 7, 1870; Carl Oscar, Nov. 0, 1871 , and Louis Julius, Aug. 20, 1*73. are at home with their parents. Shortly after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. (Jin- gerich came. to this county, and located upon the land which they now occupy. They began house- keeping in a modest way, while Mr. G. proceeded industriously with the cultivation and improvement of liis purchase, and in due time received the re- ward of his industry. The fields are beautifully LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 737 laid off with hedge fences, and divided into 40-acre lots. Tlie lowlands have been drained with tile, ami there is now a good residence and all the other buildings required by the progressive agriculturist. Mr. G., with the exception of four years spent in the grain and eoal business at Chatsworth, has been a continuous resident here, and is widely and favor- ably known by the citizens of this locality. He keeps good cattle and horses, the latter Norman and Clydesdale, of which he has some fine speci- mens. Our subject, politically, votes independently, aiming to support the men whom he considers best qualified to serve the interests of the people. So- cially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity and the G. A. R., while in his religious views he is a Men- nonite. His estimable wife belongs to the Ger- man Reformed Church, but attends the Presbyte- rian Church at Chatsworth, there being no church of their own denomination. Mr. Gingerich is at present Township School Treasurer, which office he has filled very creditably for six years. .OLAND PERSELS, of the firm of Persels & Shelly, general merchants at Emington, came to Illinois when a lad seven years of age, and has been a resident of the State since that time. The family first settled in Grundy. a short distance south of the town of Gardner, where the father engaged in farming, and svhence he removed in the spring of 1859 to a farm on sec- tion 3, in Broughton Township, this county. Here he continued farming for eighteen years, and then retired from active labor and took up his residence at Gardner, where he now resides. The mother died at her home in Broughton, this county, Jan. 23, 1X77. The subject of this biography was horn in Wayne County, N. Y., Feb. 10, 1849, and is the son of Isaac and Clarissa (Bosworth) Persels, natives re- spectively of New York and Massachusetts, who removed from the Empire State in 1856. After the death of his first wife Isaac C. Persels was mar- ried to Mrs. Mary Blake, who is still living and a resident of Gardner, HI. The parental household included nine children, the fruits of the first mar- riage; of these six are living, namely: Henry, a resident of Binghamton, N. Y.: Samuel, of Ne- braska; Cynthia J., the wife of Amos Hertz, of Broughton Township; Roland, of Emington : Mary R., Mrs. Charles Cornell, of Kansas, and Herbert, also a resident of that State. The father of our subject is a man of good business capacity, a stanch Republican, politically, and a member in good standing of the Baptist Church, of which he has been Deacon several years. He has served as Road Commissioner and Township Treasurer, and been otherwise identified with local interests. He started in life practically without means, and by his industry acquired a good property, so' that in his declining years he is enabled to live in ease and comfort. He came to this county during the es- tablishment of its educational and religious insti- tutions, and contributed liberally of his time and means to the various enterprises set on foot to ad- vance the interests of the people in this direction.. The old residents have learned to appreciate him at his true value, and the younger ones regard him with the respect and confidence due the honored pioneers whose labors assisted so greatly in build- ing up the institutions the benefits of which they now enjoy. Roland Persels remained with his parents until reaching manhood, receiving a good education in the common schools, and becoming familiar with the various employments of the farm. He began early in life to form his plans for the future, and with the view of establishing a permanent home, was married, on the 19th of October, 1871, to Miss Laura A. Clover, who was born in Grundy County, III., Feb. Hi, 1849. After marriage they settled in Broughton Township, this county, and in 1887 .Mr. P. embarked in his present business, as a general merchant. In 1 > as a stock-raiser, and is in the habit of carrying off the blue ribbons at the various fairs of Central Illinois. Mr. Hack has very little to do with politics, but when called upon to signify his choice at the gen- eral election.-, votes the straight Republican ticket. He is now holding the oflice of School Director the second term, and with his estimable lady i> a mem- ber in good standing of the Lutheran Church. lie is the encourager of those enterpri-c-s calculated to advance the moral and intellectual welfare of the , community, and takes pride in contributing his T "."', . 'Un^BJ ' ' I RESIDENCE OF W-E.MoRRis,$EC.5,DwiOHT TOWNS HI R RESIDENCE OF JOSEPH PROESEL.SEC.SO, PONTIAC TOWNSHIP RESIDENCE or JEREMIAH SULLIVAN, SEC. |3,$UNBURY TOWNSHIP. t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 73!) quota to its agricultural and social interests. His little family group includes three children, born as follows: John Reuben, June 26, 1882; Emma Katie, April 28, 1884. and Iva Elizabeth, May 28, 1886. ^f OHN W. JENNINGS, who is superintend- ing the excellent 200-acre Jennings Farm, in Pleasant Ridge Township, is one of the most enterprising and energetic young agricult- urists and stock-raisers of Livingston County. In his stock operations he makes a specialty of hogs, which he prepares for the Chicago market, where the products of this farm have gained a distinct reputation. The Jennings Farm is located on sec- tion 34, which is one of the best sections of Pleas- ant Ridge Township, if not of the county. Mr. Jennings was born in Tippecauoe County, Ind., May 1, I860, and is the son of Solomon M. and Mary (Wheeler) Jennings, who were also na- tives of Indiana, and were married in 1848. The father died in Pleasant Ridge Township on the 21st of January, 1S78. The mother was born April 18, 1*33, and is still living; she is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father was a carpenter by trade, but passed a great portion of his life engaged in fanning. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which for many years he served as Class- Leader and Steward. Mr. Solomon M. Jennings was among the very first settlers in this township, having come here in 1803, and \\;is always foremost in public enterprises, and In-Ill the office of School Director for a great many years. He was an active member of the Masonic fraternity, from which he received the sad rites of burial. To Mr. and Mrs. Jennings were born five children Squire T., Sarah E., John W., Mary L. and Emma Z. Squire T. married Ada Booth; Sarah E. married H. H. Grafton, and resides at Manitou Springs, Col. The subject of this sketch during his early boy- hood attended the common schools near where he lived, after which for two years he was a student at Onarga College, located at Onarga, 111. After leaving college he returned home and engaged in work upon the farm. At the time of the writing of this sketch he has the management of the home place, which is under a high state of cultivation. Mr. Jennings is engaged in stock-breeding on a large scale, and while making a specialty of hogs, also raises roadsters and draft horses of a superior quality. He finds a ready market for all the horses he produces, because of their excellent quality. In politics Mr. Jennings affiliates with the Repub- lican party, which party is exactly his age, both having been born in 1856. The friends of both hope that it will be many years before they outlive their usefulness. The only office he has ever held is that of Pathmaster. In no sense is he an office- seeker, as his time is so thoroughly occupied with the cares and responsibilities of the farm that he could give little attention t.o discharging the duties of office. As representative of the buildings in this section of country, we present on another page of this ALBUM a view of Mr. Jennings' residence. - field, Mass., and David held the commission of Major in the War of 1812, in which he served as a soldier from the beginning to the end. Afterward he took up a tract of land in Seneca County, N. Y., and spent his declining years on the farm where his son Adin D. now resides. The father of our subject was born on the farm where lie now resides, and where he in turn reared and educated his chil- dren. Morell Southwick, of our sketch, pursued his early studies in the same school-house which his father had attended when a boy, and like him spent his childhood and youth amid the quiet scenes of country life. He remained under the home roof until twenty-three years of age. and as one of the first important steps when starting out for himself in life, was united in marriage with Mis- Mary Lu- fanni Augell. the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Wayne County, N. Y., Oct. 21, 1863. Mrs. Southwick was born in Gayland, Wayne Co., N. Y., Aug. 11. 1844. and was the youngest daughter who reached maturity of Ethan LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 741 4 and Martha (Dudley) Angell, whose history ap- pears elsewhere in this work. After marriage the young people located on a farm in the township of Junius, and a year later Mr. S. resolved to seek his fortune in the oil regions of Pennsylvania. Not long afterward he was taken ill, and for a year was unable to labor or do any active business. In the fall of 1865 he visited a brother at Louisville, Ky., and from there went to Toledo, Ohio, where his sis- ter resided. Here he was joined by his wife, and in the fall of 1865, after a brief visit to Michigan, they came to this county, where Mr. Southwick farmed a year on rented land and then embarked in the lumber trade at Odell. It was now his in- tention to remain permanently, but a year later cir- cumstances changed his decision, and he traded his town property for a farm of 160 acres in Union Township, where he remained five years. He then rented his land and removed his household goods to Odell, where he spent the winter and returned East in the spring to visit his parents and friends. In the fall, upon starting for the West again, he was induced to go to Grand Rapids, Mich., where he became interested with a lumber company and re- mained until the following year. Then returning to Odell he embarked in the express business, which he continued four years and afterward engaged in general merchandising. Upon the dissolution of the firm p vith which he was engaged, he repaired to Emington, and for the year following purchased grain for the Hossacks who were large dealers at that place and at Odell. The firm subsequently failed, and to Mr. Southwick was assigned the duty of straightening up their affairs. He was for two years following engaged in the grain business and merclrandising, and his next removal was to the farm which he now occupies and which was pur- chased by his wife's father in 1880. Since taking possession of this he has bent its energies to its im- provement and cultivation, and has built' up one of the most attractive homes in the township. Mr. Southwick met with his first great affliction on the 26th of November, 1886, when death en- tered the home circle and the faithful and affection- ate wife and mother was taken from her sorrowing family. Mrs. Southwick was a lady who possessed all the womanly virtues, and carried out in her daily life those sentiments of deep piety of which she was always the earnest defender. She was re- fined and cultured, and remarkably sensitive to right and wrong as firm an advocate of the for- mer as she was strong in her resistance to the lat- ter. She was kind and generous as a friend and neighbor, and possessed that cheerful spirit which drew around her a large circle of warm friends. She was cut down in the midst of a bright and use- ful career, leaving her husband and three children to mourn their irreparable loss. Their eldest daughter, Lulu, was educated for the vocation of a teacher, which she had fo abandon on account of the illness of her mother; Hattie is pursuing her studies at Odell, and Frank attends the district school. Mrs. Ethan Angell, the mother of Mrs. South- wick, was of English birth and parentage, and her parents immigrated to America about the time of their marriage, settling first near Ithaca, N. Y. Mr. Angell, shortly after his marriage, removed to Gay- land. He was the son of a cotton manufacturer, carrying on business at Pleasant Valley, but whc was afterward burned out and subsequently en- gaged in hotel-keeping. yiLLIAM BURRELL, a gentleman fond of country life and the owner of a good prop- erty in Newtown Township, is contractor for the No. 3 Shaft of the C. W. & V. Coal Com- pany, with which he has been identified since 1875. He came to Newtown Township about fifteen years ago, and has distinguished himself as a wide-awakf and enterprising citizen, a good business man, and one thoroughly identified with those interests which tend to the progress and welfare of the people gen- erally. He supplies this company with all kinds of timber required in the working of the mine, and is one of the most trusted men connected with it. He also buys all the mules that are used in the mines. Our subject was born in Putnam County. Ohio, in 1842, and lived there until sixteen years of age, and after the decease of his parents, David and Margaret (Henderson) Burrell. They were natives of Pennsylvania and Ohio respectively, and the 712 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. father was about forty years of age at the time of his death. Their family consisted of eight children : Joseph, the eldest, died in childhood ; Anna became the wife of A. J. Bowman, of Piatt County, this State, and died leaving four children; Eli is en- gaged in farming in Champaign County; Mary is the wife of David Gumley, a farmer of Kansas; Calvin is a carpenter by trade, and lives in Dan- ville, 111.; Minerva, Mrs. Clayton Johnson, lives in Piatt County; John is farming in Kansas, and Will- iam is our subject. Young Burrell upon coming to Illinois located in McLean County, and upon the outbreak of the late war enlisted in the 33d Illinois Infantry, and served four years and four months. He was pres- ent at many of the important battles in the South and Southwest, namely: Port Gibson, Jackson, Miss., Champion Hills and the siege of Yieksburg, and upon one occasion was slightly wounded, al- though not disabled. He went all over the South, from Georgia to Texas, and although the experi- ence was severe in some respects, in others it is one from which he would not willingly part. He was discharged at Springfield in the fall of 1865. Mr. Burrell after the war located at Indian Grove, in the southern part of this county, where he carried on farming seven years, and thence removed to his present location. While a resident of Indian Grove he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Cooper, the wedding taking place at Chenoa. Mrs. Burrell was born in the State of Missouri, and is the daugh- ter of S. J. and A. Cooper, natives of Tennessee, whence they removed to Warren County, Mo., early in life. The household circle included Joseph, who died in Missouri when about tift3 7 -one years of age; Elizabeth, who was married, and with her husband is now deceased: Mary, the wife of Robert Moore, and a resident of Iowa, and Anna, who is now dead. The wife and mother departed this life at the home- stead in Missouri. The father subsequently re- moved to Indiana, where his death took place about 1854. Mr. and Mrs. Burrell began the journey of life together at a snug home in 18G8, and the household was completed by the birth of four children. Their eldest son, William D., is now an active young man, busy and industrious like his father, and is at present switchman for the No. 3 Shaft; Arlie D. is clerk in a dry-goods store at Streator, 111.; Lulu Grace and Myrtle, the youngest,, are still in school. The family occupy a neat and comfortable re~i- dence and are generally respected. FRAMES WYLIE, of Broiighton Township, came to Livingston County in the spring of 1877, and was for several years a resident of Round Grove Township. From there he removed to Broiighton in the spring of 1882, and took possession of his present farm. This com- prises the southwest quarter of section 27, and un- der the skillful management of its present propri- etor has become quite valuable. Mr. W3'lie has been a life-long agriculturist, and in all respects a self-made man. He set out for himself early in life, depending upon his own resources, and the result indicates that he has made good use of his time and opportunities. In addition to general fanning he has been quite successful as a stock- raiser, having given considerable attention to this business for several years past. Mr. Wylie was born on the other side of the At- lantic, in Count} 1 Antrim, Ireland, in May, 1822. His parents, James and Jane (Bay lie.) Wylie, were also of Irish birth and parentage, the former a. weaver bv trade, and both spent their entire lives upon their native soil. Their household included eight children, of whom but three survive, namely: William, of Ford County, this State; Elspie, the wife of William Eaton, of this county, and James, of our sketch. The latter, in common with his brothers and sisters, received but very little educa- tion, and when young was taught to make himself useful about the home, and also learned weaving of his father. He followed this trade several years in his native county, and was there married. Oct. 1, 1841, to Miss Ellen W. Wylie, one of the play- mates of his childhood. They continued in Ire- land twenty-one years after their marriage, in the meantime becoming the parents of seven children: Mary was born Aug. 22, 1846, and is the wife of Thomas McC'une, of Ford County; Jane was born Nov. l!l. 1 s-lii. and i> the uife of Andrew Todd, of LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Gardner, III.; Margaret was born April 11,1852, and is the widow of the late Hugh Essington, of Ford County; Catherine, born Feb. 28, 1855, is the wife of William Todd, of Livingston County; Elspie was born Sept. 8, 1857, and married John Murray, of Kankakee County; John, born Aug. 26, 1860, married Miss Maggie Findley, of Liv- ingston, and lives in this county ; Nancy, born Sept. o, 1864, is the wife of Hugh McCoughey, of Ford County. Mr. Wylie, not satisfied with his conditions or his prospects in Ireland, started for America in the spring of 1862. He came directly to this State, locating first in Kendall County, of which ho was a resident thirteen years, and afterward of Ford County two years. He came to Livingston County in 1877, locating first in Round Grove Township, whence he removed to his present farm in 1882. All the family are members of the Presbyterian Church. They were welcomed to the community as a valued accession in point of intelligence and true worth, and the parents in their later years are taking life easily, and enjoying the comfort to which the} 7 are so justly entitled. Mr. Wylie is a Republican. 1 > t ff AMES M. MORTLAND, largely identified with the stock-raising interests of Newtown Township, like many of the enterprising men around him, is an emanation of the old ^^^-' Keystone State, his birth taking place in Butler County. July 24, 1851. The family was well known in that section of Pennsylvania, and was represented by at least three generations. Our subject is the son of John and Margaret ((irilliu) Mortland. al>o natives of Pennsylvania, and began life under the same roof where his father was born. The mother was born near the central portion of the State, in Huntingdon County. They carried on farming like most of the people of that region and became the parents of nine children: Peninah E. is the wife of Daniel McCarty, who is engaged in mining in Colorado; they are the par- ents of six children, one of whom resides with our subject. Mary Ann married Joseph A. Nichols, a carpenter of Newtown Township, and they have four children : Susannah T., Mrs. Thomas Arnold, lives with her husband on a farm in Michigan; Nancy J., widow of John Jones, lives with her father-in-law, Z. R. Jones, at Smithdale, and has one child, a son, Thomas; Sarah E. died when an interesting young lady of eighteen years; Hannah E. lives at home with her mother: John S. remains on the homestead with his mother, together with his 'younger brother, Orville. The parents of our subject, in the spring of 1855, gathered together their household effects and with their children left their old home in Pennsylvania to seek a home in the farther West. The journey was made overland by wagon, and upon coming in- to this county, they located in Newtown Township, where the father took up a tract of land and where they lived about eight years. Thence they crossed the Mississippi into Missouri, in October, 1865, making this journey also with horses and wagon. While on the road the father contracted a severe cold, from the effects of which he never recovered, although lingering until March, 1866, when he passed from earth. His remains were laid to rest in Davis County. He was in the prime of life, about forty -five years of age. That same year the mother with her fatherless children returned to this county, where they have since lived. Mrs. M. kept house for her father, James Griffin, in Reading Township, three or four years, and while her children were small. James M. during his childhood was taught to make him- self useful, and being industriously inclined, worked at farming, carpentering and cabinet-making, or whatever else he could find to do in order to provide a home for his mother and her family. The man- ner in whieh he performed his filial duties gained him the respect of all who knew him. The mother is still living near the home of her son and although quite advanced in years, is in the enjoyment of good health. The maternal grandparents of our subject, James and Elizabeth (Kohlomyer) Grillin, were natives of Pennsylvania, and the grandmother of German descent. Her father, who was born in Germany, was a soldier under the first Napoleon, but ran away from the army and came to this country. He was followed to New Orleans but succeeded in 744 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. eluding his would-be captors. Not long afterward he migrated to Pennsylvania, where he spent his last years. James GrifHn and his wife came to this county about 1856, and the mother died in the fall of that year. They had a large family of chil- dren, of whom there are living Margaret, Sarah, Henry, Susan, James. Hannah, John, George, Alfred and Amanda. The parents of our subject were devoted mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which the father was an active worker, and was particu- larly instrumental in the training of the young, act- ing as teacher and Superintendent in the Sunday- school and raising his voice in the Master's cause whenever opportunity permitted. James M. re- mained under the home roof until his marriage, which took place Dec. 23, 1877. His chosen bride was Miss Ardilia Grimes, of Newtown Township, and the daughter of John and Eliza (Brumfleld) Grimes. Her mother's people were among the first settlers of Livingston County, coming here when there were but three families within its limits along the Ver- milion River. They took up their residence in Newtown Township, where their daughter, Ardilia, was born Oct. 10, 1859. Of this union there is one child, Stephen E., born Dec. 9, 1878. The young wife lived less than two years after her marriage, her death taking place Oct. 15, 1879. Mr. Mortland was subsequently married. Jan. 21, 1887, to Miss Mollie Cooper, a cousin of his first wife, and who had made her home with the parents of the latter since the death of her father and mother when she was a young child. They enjoy the comforts of a pleasant and attractive home on section 10. Mr. M. employs himself in light labors and officiates as Town Collector and School Di- rector. EANDER HAMILTON, who is a dealer in those very essential articles of merchandise __ and commerce known as lumber, coal and building material, in the town of Sauneinin. 111., is a native of Hartford County, Conn., where he was born on the 12th of August, 1829. He is the son of Eli and Laura (Buckland) Hamilton, both of whom were New Englanders by birth. He is of Scotch ancestry on the paternal side and English on that of the mother. His paternal groat-grand- father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, where he is said to have rendered valiant service to the young and struggling Government. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native- State, where he availed himself of all the facilities possible while obtaining a good English education. At the age of fifteen years he began to learn the trade of a carpenter and builder, and when twenty years old he also learned that of a machinist, and followed those two trades alternately fora number of years. On the 3d of May, 1 858, while yet a resident of Connecticut, Mr. Hamilton was married to Cor- delia D. Lawrence, of Washington County, N. Y., where she was born on the 18th of November, 1828. She is the daughter of Jacob and Olefa (Derby) Lawrence. To Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton were born two children : Cora M., a lady of fine education and the present efficient Assistant Super- intendent of Public Schools of Livingston County, and Olefa, formerly book-keeper and cashier in the Bank of Saunemin. Mr. Hamilton first came to Illinois in 1853, and for three years was engaged as a locomotive engin- eer on what is now known as the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quiucy Road, and ran between Galesburg and Moudota. He returned to his former home in the East in 1856, and came again to Illinois in the spring of 18C8, since which time he has been a res- ident of Livingston County. He resided at Chats- worth, engaged in various business enterprises, until the spring of 1881, when he became a citizen of Saunemin, and has since been engaged in the lumber, coal and building material trade, in which he has met with very good success. Mr. Hamilton is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, and is at present serving as Treasurer of Sullivan Centre" Lodge No. 73K, at Sauuemin, of which he has in former years been Secretary. He is a member of Saunemin Lodge No. 728, I. O. O. F., of which he lias filled all the chairs, and for the past fifteen years he has been a member of the Grand Lodge of the State. He served on the Village Board of Trustees at Chatsworth for two terms, and was a member of the first Village f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 745 I- Board of Trustees, of which he was President for two terms in the village of Saunemin, and is at present serving as Treasurer of the village corpor- ation. He is a man who enters heartily into any- thing he undertakes and generally carries his pro- jects through to successful aceomplishent. 'LVA ALLEN MAJOR, who owns 160 acres on section 35, Forest Township, where he does general farming and raises blooded stock, was born in Woodford County, 111., July 28, 1850. He is the son of William and Elizabeth (Dickinson) Ma^or, natives of Kentucky, who were born near Hopkinsville. Christian County, and whence they came to Eureka, Woodford County, where the father remained un- til his death, which occurred on the 1 3th of June, 1882. The mother is still living at the age of fifty- eight, on the home farm with two grandchildren. The father was a Republican in politics and took an active part in political and public affairs, filling int of the offices in the township in which he lived. He and his family were members of the Christian Church. Mr. Major's ancestors for three generations back on both sides were farmers. The great-grandfather came from France to this conn- try, landing at New Orleans. To the parents of our subject there were born seven children, whose names are : Horace, Alva Al- len, Charles E., Benjamin, Mary C., Annie E., and one who died in infancy. Mary C'. became the wife of A. M. Wright, of Broad well, Logan Co., 111., and died on the 3d of October, 18H6, leaving two chil- dren, named William C. and Guy A., who are liv- ing with their grandmother; Charles E. married Miss Nellie, a daughter of Levi Mathews, of Taze- well County, and lives at Eureka; Horace married Lucy A., a daughter of George Boyd, of Eureka, Woodford County, has two children, and now lives at El Paso, Woodford County; Benjamin is mar- ried to Sarah A. Cation, and lives in Forest Town- ship. Alva Allen Major was nineteen years of age when he left home in the fall of 1860, and spent a year in Missouri and Kansas, where he prospected for a location. He returned in the fall of 1870, and at- tended school during the following winter. In the spring of 1871 he went to Colorado, where he re- mained during the summer and returned to Eureka in the fall. In 1 873 he came to Livingston County, and first located on section 35, where he bought eighty acres of land, while his father gave him an- other eighty, which made him a farm of 100 acres, which he has since occupied. This farm is well im- proved and is considered worth, at a reasonable valuation, $60 per acre. Mr. Major was married, Feb. 9, 1876, to Virginia, daughter of James and Amanda (Hampton) Haynes, of Eureka. Virginia was the fifth child in a family of nine. Mr. and Mrs. Major have one child, a boy named Fred, who was born Nov. 25, 1877, and is now attending school. Mr. Major was a Democrat until 1876, in which year he concluded to change his politics, and cast his vote for Rutherford B. Hayes for President, and has since continued to vote the Republican ticket. lie was elected School Director of District No. 7 in 1882, and served three years. He and his wife arc earnest members of the Christian Church and belong to the congregation at Eureka. In connection with this sketch of Mr. Major is shown on another page a view of his residence. ONRAD SEMANDEL, a prominent and in- fluential resident of Dwight Township, was born in the Kingdom of Bavaria in 1851. His father, George Semaudel, immigrated to this country from Germany in 1852. Soon after com- ing to the United States, he made his way to Grundy County, 111., where he purchased land directly from the Government. He married Miss Margaret Con- rad, of Germany, and to them were born seven chil- dren Mary, John, Conrad, George, Chris., Law- rence and Lizzie. These children are all living, and are honored citizens of various parts of the country. The father also is living, and seventy-two years of age. Through that industry and good management which is characteristic of the German people, he accumulated considerable property, lie has been a member of the Lutheran Church all his life, and in 746 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. principles of religious faith has brought up all his children. In politics he is a Democrat, and has al- ways taken an interest in political matters. In his old age he enjoys the respect and esteem of his fel- low-citizens, as the result of a correct life and good habits. At the time his parents came to this country, the subject of this sketch was but one 3'ear old, and when a little lad began attending the common schools, and likewise took the first steps toward a practical knowledge of farming. When he was twenty-one years of age, he began operations for himself by renting land of his father, and continued business in this manner until 1878. In that year he bought the land on which is located his present residence. In 1878 he was married to Miss Chris- tina Hahn, daughter of Michael and Sophia Halm, of Dwight Township. The wife died two years after her marriage. In 1881 Mr. Semandel was married to Barbara Hahn, a sister of his former wife. Two children have been the result of this marriage William and Dora the. Mr. SemandePs political affiliations are with the Democratic party, in which he is an active worker. Mr. and Mrs. S. are both members of the Lutheran Church, and are highly respected in the community for their upright and praiseworthy lives, and generous and kindly deeds. Prosperity has smiled upon the efforts of Mr. S. in tilling the soil, and he has one of the plcasantest homes in Dwiglit Township. E. GREENE, now located on sec- tion 24, in Rook's Creek Township, com- menced farming on a portion of his father's land when a young man twenty-one years of age, and since that lime lias bent his energies to tin- es- tablishment of a permanent home. The comfort- able aspect of his present abiding-place would in- dicate that he has succeeded admirably in his un- dertaking. He is now the proprietor of fifty acres, with a good residence ami all necessary out-build- ings, and is classed among the prosperous and rep- resentative farmers of Livingston County, lie giver- his attention largely to stock-raising, in -* which department of agriculture he has uniformly met with success. Mr. Greene, a native of this State, was born near Bloomington, Nov. 13, 1853. lie is the son of Jesse and Esther (Hadden) Greene, natives of Northamptonshire, England, and who were about the same age. The father was born Nov. 1 I, 1829, and was married soon after reaching his majority. They immigrated to America shortly afterward, and coining directly to the West, located near Bloomington, where the mother died when her son, our subject, was about three years old. Jes>e Greene subsequently removed to Livingston County, locating in Eppard's Point Township, where he and his two brothers had purchased a farm. He afterward disposed of his interest in this property and purchased 115 acres in Rook's Creek Township, and in 1 8(io was married the sec- ond time, to Mrs. Sarah J. Tanner. Our subject received a limited education under very adverse circumstances, and remained work- ing for his father until reaching his majority. Afterward he started out for himself, invariably receiving as much as $20 per month, as he was of good constitution and more than ordinarily en- ergetic and industrious. Upon his twenty-first birthday his father had given him a colt, which, however, proved to be balky and he traded it off. By this trade he secured a good animal and pur- chased another, and thus had a full team, with which he commenced farming on a portion of the homestead where he has since continued. Mr. Greene, after passing his twenty-fifth birth- day, was married, on Christmas Day, 187*, at '> o'clock, P. M., to Miss Lillian L. Wood, at Jame- son, Davis Co., Mo., the Rev. A. J. Worlcy being the officiating clergyman. Mrs. Greene is the daughter of Lyman and Sarah (Heath) Wood, na- tives resjK'Ctively of Massachusetts and New York. Her father was born Jan. 20, 1830, and the mother Sept. :i, 1K28. They were married in Bin-can County, 111., in 1851. Their family included the following children: Darwin D., a resident of Ne- braska Township: Frederick Fremont, living in LaSalle County, Kan.: Frank Leslie, a resident of Hates County, Mo., anil Rosa M., who resides with her parents in Labette County, Kan. Joseph I RESIDENCE or REASON SPRINGE R,SEC 25. LONG POINT-TOWNSHIP MANAGER PONTIACUJWBERYARD RESIDENCE &, LUMBER YARD OF F. N SMITH. .PONTIAC. RESIDENCE or JESSE: LITTLE SEC^S^BROUGHTON TOWNSHIP 4- 740 t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Heath, the maternal grandfather of Mrs. Greene, was drowned in Lake Michigan while on the voy- age from New York to Chicago. The vessel, which was under the management of a drunken crow, caught (ire, and Mr. Heath taking a child in his arms jumped overboard, expecting to save their lives by means of a float, but sank to rise no more. His wife, Laurane, subsequently died near Green River, Ind. Miss Martha J. Greene, the sister of our subject, became the wife of Jacob II. Gillman, of Nebraska Township, and has two children. Of his father's second marriage there were three children : Ma- rietta, born March 10, 1866; John T., in Decem- ber, 1868, and William, in November, 1875. Mr. and Mrs. George E. Greene have no children. \fjOSEPH S. FRANCIS, a dealer in coal and fuel, in the town of Forest, is a native of Brown County, Ohio, where he was born Aug. 16, 1845, and is the son of John and Margaret (Ross) Francis. In September, 1880, the parents of our subject came to Illinois and settled in Livingston County. In 1864 Mr. Francis enlisted, and was mustered into the service as a recruit of Company E, 129th Illinois Infantry, which regiment accompanied Gen. Sherman in his famous march to the sea, and also to Washington City, where it participated in the grand review of the army at the close of the war, and was mustered out at Springfield, 111., in June, 1865. Mr. Francis was neither wounded nor taken prisoner during his term of service, although many times in a position where he was liable to be visited by one or the other of these calamities. On his re- turn to Livingston County he resumed farming, which he continued until 1868, when he be^an clerking in a general store at Forest. In 1871, in connection with another man, he engaged in the restaurant and grocery business, and one year later became sole proprietor of the concern, which he conducted until 1875, when he returned to the farm. In 1870, in company with his brother Albert, Mr. F. e>tablished the Pioneer Tile Factory of Livingston County. This industry has grown to great magni- tude in the county, as the people came to under- stand the value and importance of using tile. They also manufacture brick, and did an extensive trade until 1876, in which year he established his present business, still owning a share in the tile factory, however. Mr. Francis' farm is located on section 10, within one mile of the village of Forest, and comprises 1 20 acres. The residence which he erected on this farm in 1882, is a two and one-half story and basement, and is the only brick farm residence in the township. It is of modern architecture, and contains all the modern conveniences. It occupies a commanding position on the farm, and is the ob- ject of admiration of all the passers-by. On the 1 6th of August, 1 88 1 , Mr. Francis was mar- ried to Ella S. Williamson, daughter of William J. and Nancy Williamson, of Russellville, Ohio. She was born in Brown County, Ohio, Jan. 1, 1862, where she resided until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Francis have had four children, one of whom died in infancy; those living are named as follows: Lulu W., Bertha J. and Walter S. Mr. and Mrs. Francis are leading and active members in the Meth- odist Episcopal Church. In politics our subject is an ardent Republican, and for four years was Treas- urer of the Board of Highway Commissioners, in which position he acquitted himself with credit. Mr. Francis has popularized himself in his various business capacities with the substantial men of Liv- ingston County, and has had considerable to do with the shaping of public affairs. E SKINNER, one of the most gen- ' a '" na ^ ure( l lnen f Odell Township, is a farmer and stock-raiser, owning a good tract of land on section 30. He was born in Troy, Ohio, on the 5th of December, 1822, and was the second child in a family of seven born to Joseph M. and Lydia (Stillwell) Skinner, natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey respectively. The paternal grand- parents, George and Elizabeth Skinner, also natives of the Keystone State, migrated to the vicinity of Cincinnati, Ohio, at a time when there were only a few log huts where that great city now stands. t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. The father of our subject, upon reaching man- hood, engaged in merchandising at Troy, Ohio, and continued there all his life. In the meantime he served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and the Black Hawk War. He reared a large family, and the sons also followed mercantile pursuits with the exception of the subject of this sketch, whose in- clinations were in he direction of farm life. He was educated hi the city schools, and learned the trade of a tanner, which he followed near his birth- place fifteen years. He then moved to Louisville, Ky.. and engaged in the ice business for six years, In the year 184!) Mr. Skinner was married to Elizabeth Shafer, who was born in Lancaster County, Pa., and was the eldest child born to Echhard and Rachel (Smith) Shafer, natives of Pennsylvania, who moved to Ohio at an early day, and afterward to Illinois, where they died. Mr. Skinner moved from Louisville, Ky., to Livingston County in 1856, and bought 280 acres of wild land, and a year later he moved his family and located on the farm he now occupies. In the month of May, 1804, he enlisted in the service of the United States. He had returned to Ohio on a visit, and was one of the 40,000 troops that the Governor offered to the Government for the protection of the capital. He was a member of Compan}' K., commanded by Capt. Counts, of the 56th Ohio Regiment, and was mustered in at Camp Dennison, near Cincinnati, and sent to Washington City, around which they were placed on guard duty under the command of Col. Ross. In the attacks by Gen. Buell, they saw active service at Fts. Lincoln and Strong. This was the last attempt of the Confederates to reach the city of Washington, and the war soon closing, his regiment returned to Ohio, and was mustered out at Camp Dennison. Mr. Skinner remained in Ohio until the following spring, and then returned tohishome in Illinois, where he has eversiuce lived, and now owns 290 m-res of finely improved land. In horses he makes a specialty of Cleveland Bays and Normans, with a preference for Durham cattle and Cotswold sheep. He is an active, enterprising farmer, one who has traveled much East, West and North, as well as having made a journey to Califor- nia, but he has never yet found a place that, in his judgment, surpasses Illinois, and especially the , county of Livingston. Mr. Skinner is not an office- seeker in any sense of the word, but is active in his allegiance to the Republican party. The only office he ever consented to hold was that of School Di- rector. Mr. and Mrs. Skinner are the parents of ten chil- dren, nine of whom are living: Loretta L., Clara L., Elias Freeman, Rachel Lydia, Lucy L., Mattie L., Echhart, Joseph M., Luella L. and Emma L. Lucy L. died from an injury received in a runaway accident when a child; Loretta married John Fowl, and lives in Odell Township; Clara married Joseph French, and lives on a farm in the same township; Freeman is a railroad conductor in Nebraska ; Rachel married James Jones, a tinner by trade, who lives in Illinois; Mattie married J. W. Adams, who is now General Passenger Agent in California; Echhart, Joseph, Luella and Emma are living with their parents at home. The children are all well educated, and have had advantages which fit them for professional litfes. The parents are members of the Presbyterian Church, to which nearly all the chil- dren belong, and in which the father is an Elder. They constitute a family which is deservedly popu- lar in the community where they reside. S A. LEONARD. After having spent an active life in agricultural pursuits the subject of this sketch has thrown off the cares of business and has retired to a life of rest in the city of Odell. Mr. Leonard was born in Washington Comity, N. Y., on the 24th of August, 1834, and was the j'oungest of a family of three children born to Jar vis and Lavisa (Gillett) Leonard. Jarvis Leonard was born in Essex County, N. Y., on the 22d of February, 1807, and was the son of Elisha and Chloe (Mason) Leonard, of Mas.-a- chusetts and Connecticut respective!}'. This gen- tleman was drawn out for personal defense air the time of the Revolution when the British invaded the United States from the north, but was not a regular soldier. It is supposed that his maternal grandparents were natives of New York, but the record of their lives was never preserved. The father of Mr. Leonard was a farmer by occupation LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 751 in his latter years, but his early life was devoted to tlu- passenger packet line service on the Erie Canal before the New York Central Railroad was built. He was a retired farmer al, the time of his death, which occurred in December, 1880. The three children born to his first wife were named Eliza J., Mortimer E. and Philctns A. Their mother, Lavisa Gillett, died when Philetus was about six months old. The father afterward mar- ried Esther Pierce, a native of Erie County, N. Y., who bore him one child, Mason J., and died in 1844. He was a third time married, to Mrs. Anna Tenbroeck, whose parents were natives of Otsego County, N. Y. ; she was born in 1804 and now lives upon the home farm with a younger sister. By this union there were no children. Philetus A. Leonard was reared to farm life by hi.- grandparents in Cattaraugus Co., N. Y., where he and his brother remained until the second marriage of his father occurred, when the brother went to live with his father. Philetus was educated in the common schools while living on the farm, and re- ceived a partial academic course. He was never associated with his brother and sisters from his in- fancy, and as a consequence the four children are almost strangers to each other. They were never to- gether but once in their lives, and then only at one meal. After the death of Mr. Leonard's grandparents he went to his father's home, where he remained three years, then being in his nineteenth year. He then left home, and entered the academy at Aurora, Erie Co., N. Y., where he remained one year and then taught school one year. Following this he entered Rushford Academy, Allegany County, and remained three years, and then taught school one winter, and spent the summer in a cheese factory. In 18;59 he came west, and traveled through Mis- souri, but at that time the country was engaged in a guerrilla warfare, and he found nothing to encour- age settlement, so he returned to Illinois, and set- tled in Will County, where he engaged in farming and teaching. In the spring of 1861 he returned to New York, and on the 7th of March married Augusta Cherryman, the youngest of three daugh- ters of Reuben and Hannah M. (Hackett) Cherry - man. She was born on the loth of May, 1839, and her father was bom in England on the 31st of August, 1814, and was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (.Tenner) Cherryman, of England. Han- nah M. Hacket was born in Plymouth, Chenango Co., N. Y., on the 6th of December, 1811, and was the daughter of Major and Eunice (Kinney) Hacket, also natives of New York. Reuben was a Baptist preacher, and served in the ministry for more than fifty years in Western New York, and is one of the charter members of the association. He and his excellent wife are still residing in the field of their labors, and considering their ages, are re- markable workers. Mr. Leonard and his wife first settled in Will County when they came to Illinois, where they rented and managed a farm for six years, and then came to Livingston County. During his winters in Will County he taught school, but upon his re- moval to this county he at once bought 160 acres of improved land in Odell Township, near the town of Odell, where he settled and began life as a far- mer. For about twelve years he lived upon his farm and cultivated it, during which time he pur- chased eighty acres more. In 1878 he removed to the city of Odell and retired from active life, his health being completely broken, and further activ- ity on the farm entirely out of the question. In 1831 he purchased lots on which he erected a fine residence, in which he has since lived, and now de- votes his time to his home and the farm, which is rented. To him and his wife four children were born, all of whom died in infancy. The}' have adopted two children, Charles A. and Bt-lle. Charles married Belle Timmins, of Lafayette, Ind.,and lives in Goodland, that State, where he is engaged in farming. They have two children, Mary and a babe; Roy, the oldest child, is dead. Mr. Leonard is deeply interested in the educa- tional and moral progress of the community in which he lives, and white on the farm was one of the representative members of the School Board. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and are earnest supporters of that society. They were largely instrumental in bringing the Chautau- qua Reading Circle to its present state of develop- ment. Mrs. Leonard is a forcible and interesting writer, and has frequently entertained the society t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. with the productions of her pen. Mr. Leonard is the possessor of a fine library, :md is also a prom- inent member of the circle, to which lie gives the fruits of his careful researches. It may be truth- fully said that among the literary people of Odell they have no peers. 1 LEXANDER ALGEO. Prominent among the self-made men of Livingston County, who started with nothing but their own indomitable' perseverance and energy, and who have made a financial success in life, is the gentleman named at the head of this biographical sketch, who is living on section 15, Owego Town- ship. He was born in Ireland on the 22d of Sep- tember, 1831, and is the son of Robert and Martha A. Algeo, also natives of the Emerald Isle. They were the parents of ten children, of whom the fol- lowing-named survive: Eliza, John. William, Alex- ander, James, Robert, Joseph and Samuel. Alexander Algeo was reared in his native coun- try until he reached the age of nineteen, when he emigrated to America. The education which was afforded him was rather limited, as might be ex- pected from the facilities for obtaining an educa- tion in the place of his nativity. In the year 1849 he took passage for America, in a sailing-vessel at Londonderry, and after a voyage of about six weeks landed at the port of Philadelphia, whence he proceeded to Chester County, Pa., where for a period of about eighteen months he was employed in a rolling-mill at Pluenixville in that county. He then went to Safe Harbor, Lancaster Co., Pa., where he was employed for several years in a roll- ing-mill. A few years before the breaking out of the Civil War he migrated to Illinois, where he lived both in LaSalle and Marshall Counties until the year 1859, when he moved to Livingston County and settled on section 15, Owego Town- ship, where he has remained ever since. Mr. Algeo was married, on the 10th of January. 1806, to Mrs. Jane Welch, of Pennsylvania, and they have had thirteen children, ten of whom are now living Samuel J.. Hamilton. Martha J., Rob- ert, William, Margaret. Mary, Joseph, Elsie and David. The names of the deceased were: Alex- ander, Ralph and George. When Mr. Algeo ar- rived in America his cash capital amounted to fifty cents, a very small basis upon which to expect to build a fortune, but he lost no time in finding something for his willing hands to do, and during his residence in this country, by industry, perse- verance and good management, he has succeeded in accumulating 250 acres of valuable land, on which he has erected good buildings and provided with good stock. Mr. Algeo votes the Democratic ticket, but has never been a seeker of office at the hands of that or any other party. For the good he is able to accomplish he has consented for several years to serve as Director of School District No. 5, and takes great pride in furthering the educational in- terests of that district. He is a man in whom his neighbors repose the greatest confidence, and he has established a business reputation which makes his verbal obligations as good as his written bond. HARLES L. ROMBERGER, the leading at- torney and counselor-at-law at Dwight, is of an old Pennsylvania family, of German an- cestry, who were pioneers of that State, and came to these shores shortly after the landing of William Penn, settling in one of the valleys of the Susque- hanna River. The great-great-grandfather of our subject, accompanied by a brother, was the first of the family who arrived in this country. Luther D. Romberger, the father of the subject of our sketch, was born in Dauphin County, 1'a.. and when a young man, in 185(>, he came to Illinois and settled at Princeton. Here he became a clerk in a store, in which occupation he remained until 1859. From Princeton he went to Wyanet where he was engaged in the mercantile business for eight years. While living at Wynnet. on the 1st of March, I860, he \\.-i~ married to Miss Francisco, daughter of Obe- diah and Louisa Weaver. To them have been born two children, whose names are: Emma L., now Mi 1 .-. Frank II. Hoffman, of Philadelphia, and Charles L. Mr. IJoinberger returned to Princeton in 1808, fr LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 753 where he continued in the mercantile business, un- til 1874, when he disposed of his store. He was a prosperous business man and accumulated consid- erable real and personal property. In political matters Mr. Komberger is a stanch Republican, and socially he is a Mason of the 32d degree. He is still residing at Princeton, wholby retired from active business. He takes great interest in bee culture and has one of the largest and finest apia- ries in the State. In 1886 he shipped over 15,000 pounds of choice comb honey to New York City. Mr. Romberger possesses remarkable perseverance and energy, and by steady industry has worked himself up in the world. His father died when he was but an infant, and from the time he was eight 3'ears of age he was obliged to depend upon him- self, and is truly the architect of his own fortune. He is a man of great force of character, and re- markable business ability, and by extensive reading has made himself one of the best informed men in that section of the State. Charles L. Romberger, our subject, was born on the 12th of June, 18(J2, and his youth was passed in gaining an education. He was graduated in the classical course at the Princeton High School in 1880, and in the fall of the same year he entered the law department of the University of the State of Michigan, and was graduated in 1882, as a Bachelor of Law, at nineteen years of age. While attending the law school he spent his vacations at the law office of Henderson & Trimbcll at Princeton, 111. In the fall of 1882 he entered the law office of Mayo & Widmer, at Ottawa, and attended to their office business until 1884. He was admitted to practice at the bar of Illinois, by the Supreme Court, at Ottawa in 1883, and came to Dwight in January, 1884, where he has since resided. On the 7th of October, 1884, Mr. Romberger was married to Miss Nellie Ensign, of Hartford, Conn., the daughter of Edward and Martha Ensign. Mr. and Mrs. Romberger have been blessed by the birth of one daughter, upon whom they have con- ferred the name of Louise ; the date of her birth was Aug. -26, 18S7. Mr. Rombergvr's political affili- ations are with the Republican party, and in a soci- ety way he has reached the seventh degree in the Masonic fraternity. Both he and his wife arc mem- bers of the Congregational Church. Mr. Romber- ger has the reputation of being an honest and able lawyer, a careful and conscientious business man, and already enjoys a large and lucrative practice. AMUEL C. BRECKENRIDGE came to the West twenty-one years ago, in 1.S66. He first crossed the Mississippi southwest into Missouri where he staid three months, intending to return to Indiana, but on his way stopped in Livingston County to visit an uncle, and wisely concluded to remain here. It proved a fortunate decision both for himself and the com- munity where he has since made his home. He has improved a good farm and contributed his full share toward the development of the resources of this section. lie has always taken a warm interest in the progress of his adopted county, and in his township has served as Assessor, Supervisor and School Director. He identified himself with the Presbyterian Church in 1858, and has since contin- ued one of its most useful members. Upon reach- ing his majority, he cast his first Presidential vote for Abraham Lincoln, and since that time has been a cordial supporter of Republican principles. Mr. Breckenridge was born in Clinton County, Ind., Nov. 29, 1842, and is the son of William and Martha (McCreight) Breckenridge, natives of Ohio. The father's ancestors were of Scotch-Irish descent, and the mother's, it is supposed, for several gener- ations were residents of Pennsylvania. The Breck- enridge family was represented in this country at an early day, probably before the Revolutionary War. When our subject was a child three years of age, his parents removed to Brown County, Ohio, where he attended school during his child- hood and youth. Upon the outbreak of the late war he enlisted in Battery F, 1st Regiment, and was mustered into service Sept. 2, 18(11. The regi- ment was sent to Camp Dennison where it re- mnined until February 14 following, and was then assigned to the Army of the Cumberland under command of Gen. Buell. Its first campaign was in Kentucky, and after the fall of Ft. Donelson, in which it took part, it went south and partici- f. 754 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. pilled in the battle of Nashville, Tenn. Mr. B. was here taken ill and left in the hospital at Columbia, while his division went on to Shiloh, where he joined it thirty-four days later. It marched to Corinth, Miss., and was present at its evacua- tion, going thence to Dccatnr, Ala., where it crossed the Tennessee River and was constantly skirmishing with the enemy all the way back to the Ohio River. After a three days' rest at Louisville. Ky., it fought in the battle at Perry ville, September 8, and afterward met the enemy at various other points until it reached Murfreesboro. After the memorable engagement at this point came the fight at Stone River, which began December 31 and con- tinued five days. At this place Mr. Breckenridge received^ slight wound, which would have been far worse if his canteen had not checked the force of the bullet. Upon its return to Murfreesboro, it rested for a period of 104 days, when it started for Chattanooga, where it met the enem3 7 , and afterward at Chickamaugn, where 17,000 Union soldiers were killed, wounded or captured. At this place also Mr. B. received another slight wound from the fragment of a shell. lie was in the sub- sequent battle at Chattanooga, after which he went to Nashville, where he with his comrades closed up one term of enlistment, and immediately entered upon another. At this time he was given ;i thirty days' furlough, and upon his return to his regiment participated in the battle at Decatur, Ala., which proved the winding up of his fighting. He re- ceived his honorable discharge at Camp Dennison. Ohio, in .Inly, 1865, and the following year came west, as we have stated. Mr. Breckenridge was married, March 29, 1X611, to Mrs. Martha J. (McMillan) Edgington. Mrs. B. is the daughter of William and Eliza McMillan, and was born in Rook's Creek Township, Nov. 27, 1838. She was the eldest of four children, and wa.- first married, Oct. 20, 1857, to D. Edgington. by whom she became the mother of two children William, born Sept. 1!), 18.">X, and Robert, Oct. 13, 1860. Her brother, Robert B., is unmarried and a resident of the Indian Territory; James C. died in 1880, aged thirty-six years; William I), is a resi- dent of this county and has two children. Mr. and | Mrs. B. are the parents of five children, namely: i Andrew, who was born June 26, 1*70; James Por- ter, Aug. 20, 1871; Rosa, Dec. 19, 1873; Aaron Douglas, Nov. 15, 1877, and Jesse, Dec. 24, 18x2. Mr. Breckenridge was the youngest child in a family of seven, all of whom lived to mature year-. His brother Robert is a resident of Frankfort, Ind. ; Elmer is married, has several children, and lives in Johnson County, Kan.; William Porter is married, and with his family resides in Adams County, Ohio; Rebecca was the wife of W. O. McCreight, and died about 1867, leaving three children who are living in Adams County, Ohio; James Stewart married, and became the father of three children who are residents of LaFayette, Ind. ; he is now deceased. Sarah Jane, the wife of Dr. Adamson, of Adams County, Ohio, died about 1X66, leaving one child. EV. JOHN HOOBLER was born in Perry County, Pa., Aug. 2, 1801, and at the close of a busy and useful career departed this life at his son Fred's home in Newtown Township, April 16, 1886, aged eighty -four 3'ears, eight months and fourteen days. He organized the first society of the United Brethren in New- town Township, and besides his ministerial duties, officiated as an Elder, and was otherwise one of the pillars of the church during his lifetime. He was a man of great force of character and kindly im- pulses, and adorned his profession by his daily walk and conversation. Mr. Hoobler remained in his native State until a young man twenty-two years of age, and then mi- grated to Montgomery County, Ohio. After a short residence in that locality he removed to Indi- ana, remaining in Fountain County a brief time, and in 1826 changed his residence to Vcrmillion County, where he resided a good many years. Wherever it was his lot to be, he invariably made his mark as a man of more than ordinary ability, and in 1836 was elected to represent Yermillion County in the Indiana Legislature, of which body he was a member several years. In IX 11 he again started westward, locating first in Vermilion Coun- ty, this State, whence he came to Livingston in 1851. He had already been deeply interested in LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 755 f church matters, and at this time had been chosen Presiding Elder, officiating thus six years in the Central Illinois Conference. In 1*72 he returned to Perrysville, Ind., and engaged as a local preacher until returning to this county in 1874, where he spent the last twelve j-ears of his life. In 1851 Mr. Hoobler purchased eighty acres of land in Newtown Township, and soon afterward entered 1,400 acres, which was mostly devoted to pasture. He was foremost in all the enterprises calculated to encourage the moral and educational welfare of the people, and while for over fifty years he was a laborer in the Master's vineyard, he also in the meantime built up a good homestead and superintended the cultivation of a large tract of land. It is hardly necessary to say that he spent few idle moments, his various interests requiring bis attention continually, either at one point or an- other. While in Indiana he traveled a district em- bracing over 100 miles, and besides his legislative duties, attended the general conference and was always prominent in the councils of his church. In early life he had identified himself with the Demo- cratic party, but later adopted Republican princi- ples, and was a strong Prohibitionist. During the agitation of the Fugitive Slave Law he was most radically on the side of the oppressed, and lifted up his voice at every opportunity in behalf of those in bondage. In 1854 he was nominated County Judge against Judge Babcock, but the county be- ing Democratic he was defeated with the balance of his ticket. Mr. Hoobler was married when about twenty years of age, and while a resident of Pennsylvania, to Miss Rebecca Fetterhoof, the wedding taking place in the spring of 1821. This lady was born in Franklin County, Pa., June 5, 1796. and de- parted this life at her home in Newtown Township Aug. G, 1871. During their life together of more than fifty years, Mrs. Hoobler had been the faithful and sympathizing companion of her husband, stand- ing by his side in all his difficulties, and encourag- ing him in all his just purposes. Her remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at New Michigan, and she is kindly remembered by a large circle of friends. Mr. Hoobler was again married, Feb. 17, 1872, to Miss Lydia A. Hulick, who was also born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 21, 1816. She is still living and a resident of Vermilion County, 111. Mr. Hoobler was the father of eleven children, namely: Jeremiah, a resident of Livingston County: Jemi- ma, the wife of Jacob Kuns; David, John F., Frederick; Mary, the wife of J. W. Fleshman ; An- drew J., William O., Julia, Daniel, and Catherine, the wife of D. Gouty. RS. ELIZABETH BLUE, located on sec- tion 10, Rook's Creek Township, is the daughter of'John Johnson, and was born in McLean County, this State, Dec. 19, 1831. When she was about eighteen months old her par- ents came to Rook's Creek Township, where she has since resided. She received a limited educa- tion in the district schools, and when about twenty years of age was united in marriage with Benjamin Hin ton Bide, July :i, 1851. The young- people be- gan life together on a farm on Wolf Creek, Liv- ingston County. Mr. Blue was born in Ohio about 1824, and was the son of Garrett and Jane (Somers) Blue, who it is supposed were natives of Virginia. They emi- grated to Illinois in the pioneer days, about 1830, and endured in common with the people of that time the hardships and privations incident to life in a new country. The parents of Mr. Blue, witli two brothers, the wife of another and the child of another, died of cholera in Pontiac Township, in 1849. The parental household included eight chil- dren, who were named as follows: Daniel, Mary Ann, Benjamin II., Matilda, Polly J., Keziah. Gar- rett and Rebecca. Daniel died Sept. 3, 1849, and left a wife and two children; Mary Ann was mar. ried three times, and became the mother of eleven children; Matilda, Mrs. Ross, is deceased; Polly J. was twice married, and became the mother of two children; she is now a resident of Missouri. Keziah, the wife of Howard Gentry, had one child, and is now deceased; Garrett died unmarried, when twenty-three years old; Rebecca died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Blue became the parents of six LIVINGSTON COUNTY. children Frances II., Sarah Ann, Daniel Harvey, Oliver H., Clara E. and Mary Olive. Frances H. is the wife of Andrew S. McMillan, and a resident of Rook's Creek Township; Sarah Ann married John Neifing, a farmer of Pontiac, and has five children; Daniel Harvey is married, and the father of two children; he lives at Odell, 111. Oliver II. and Mary Olive remain at home; Clara E. is the wife of Robert Algeo, has one child, and is living near Swygert, this count}'. Mr. Bine politically, is Democratic, and religiously holds to the Baptist doctrine. The farm comprises forty acres, with comfortable buildings, and is principally covered with timber. i Sp^fc UFUS W. BABCOCK, agent of the C. & A. R. R. Co. at Pontiac, is one of the prominent V business men of the township, where he wg> lias been a resident for over thirty years. Upon first coming to this county he purchased a farm on section 3G, which he disposed of three years afterward to engage in merchandising, and conducted a general store for a period of twelve years. He finall}' disposed of this to enter the em- ploy of the great corporation with which he has since been connected. Mr. Babcock is a man of much force of character, ancl upon coming to Central Illinois identified him- self with the interests of his adopted county. He was the lirst Mayor of Pontiac, and afterward officiated as Alderman, besides serving as Town Clerk and School Trustee a number of years. The community which has known him so long and so well holds him in general respect, and he has contributed materi- ally to the welfare of the people. Our subject is a native of Austerlitz, Columbia Co., N. Y., where he was born July 29, 1822. He is the son of Elisha and Sophia (Mather) Babcock. natives respectively of Hampshire and Franklin Counties, Mass. His father was for a number of years engaged in the manufacture of carriage* and wagons, and was numbered among the substantial business men of Columbia County. lie was a prom- inent man in his county, and represented his town- ship in the Board of Supervisors. He was an ar- dent admirer of the brotherhood of Masonry, and a man distinguished for his patriotism. He joined the State Militia during the troubles of LS12, and marched with his regiment to Boston, but was not called into active fighting. He died in Austerlitz about 18. r )4, and the mother followed her husband to the silent land three years later. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Elisha Babcock, Si 1 ., served in the Revolutionary War, and was after- ward a pensioner. He married a Miss Burt, of Northampton. His native town was Easthampton, where he followed the chair and pump business, and died about 1837. His father was a native of Ston- ington. Conn., and a seafaring man, who com- manded a privateer during the Revolutionary War. The Babcock family was of English descent, and this last-mentioned gentleman was probably its first representative in America. The maternal grand- father of our subject was William Mather, who married Miss Tirzah Morton. He was a native of Boston, and his wife of Franklin, Mass. Grand- father Mather was a Captain in the War of 1812, and afterward carried on an extensive business as a contractor and bridge-builder, which he followed from the time he was a young man until he labored no longer. He was the son of William Mather, Sr., also a native of Boston and captain of a merchant ship, and who followed the sea until retiring from active business. He also was of English descent, and claimed kinship with Rev. Cotton Mather, whose name was synonymous with the religion and morality of those days. Rufus W. Babcock spent his younger days un- der the parental roof, and attended the village school until a youth of seventeen years. He was ambitious and fond of his books, and now com- menced teaching, which he followed six winters in succession and employed his leisure time in the study of law. He was admitted to the bar when twenty-three years of age, and for ten years follow- ing practiced successfully as attorney and solicitor. He had always been interested in the cause of ed- ucation, keeping himself well posted in the best methods of modern instruction, and on account of this was appointed Superintendent of City Schools in his native town, where he also officiated as Town Clerk. He was appointed Postmaster in IMlii, 1111- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 761 der the administration of James K. Polk. In 1856 he left the Empire State, and soon afterward began his creditable career in the West. Mr. Babcock was married, Feb. 24, 1847, to Miss Elizabeth Reed, a native of Franklin County, Mass., and the daughter of Simeon and Miranda (Morton) Reed. She was born in 1818, and is the grand- daughter of Justin Morton, who was well and fa- vorably known throughout Franklin County. Mr. and Mrs. Babcock have one child, a son, Benn C., who was born in November, 1863, and married Miss Ella Harrington, of LaCrosse, Wis., where he is now a telegraph operator. Our subject is Dem- ocratic in politics, and although not meddling much with the factions of the day, keeps himself well posted upon matters of local interest. He is a stockholder in the Livingston County . National Bank, and owns a good residence on Howard street. -*-5 <-- -o-S^fflH>o .&{<_ AVID IIOOBLER, one of the honored pio- neers of Livingston County, and whose portrait, with that of his estimable wife, is presented in this connection, first purchased land in Newtown Township in the spring of 1854, of which he took possession three years later. This was before the time of railroads through this sec- tion, and when farm produce was transported to market twenty-four miles away by horse and ox teams. Mr. II. knows all about the difficulties of life in a new country, and as soon as he became a youth he put his shoulder to the wheel, and in common with both old and young of that time, made himself as useful as was possible. Livingston County dur- ing that period of its existence had no place for idlers, and the person who declined to engage in some useful occupation was soon constrained to move on." Our subject, who commenced business life in a mode>t manner, with little capital save his strong hands and resolute will, many years ago became one of the leading spirits in the community and agri- cultural intppots of Newtown Township. He is the owner of a fine farm of 443 acres, which is operated by tenants. Mr. Iloobler carries on general mer- chandising at Manville, which is located on the Wabash it Pacific Railroad about fifteen miles north of Pontiac. He makes his purchases in Chicago, and keeps a large and well-selected stock of every- thing required in the Village and country household as well as the lighter farm implements. He is widely and favorably known throughout the northern part of Livingston County, and has accumulated a fine property through his own industry and good man- agement, as well as the assistance of his own and his wife's parents. Mr. Iloobler was born in Vermillion County, Ind., May 7, 1 828, of which locality he remained a resi- dent until a young man twenty -three years old, with the exception of one year spent in Vermilion, 111. He was married in his native county, where he con- tinued to reside until 1857, and then took up his abode permanently with his family in Newtown Township. They first settled near what was then called New Michigan, and which was one of the largest towns in the county at that time. He farmed in that locality two years, and subsequently oper- ated a farm adjacent, which he had purchased a short time before the building of the Wabash Rail- road in 1871. In Newtown Township he purchased land on section 21, where he followed farming sue- O cessfnlly until 1 869, and the year following invested a part of his surplus cash in a stock of general mer- chandise. Since that time he has been engaged in trade and numbers his patrons among the best peo- ple of Newtown Township and vicinity. The parents of our subject, John and Rebecca (Fetterhoff) Hoobler, were natives of Pennsylvania, the former bom in 1801, and the latter in 1795. Mrs. Iloobler was a remarkably active old lady, and at the time of her death in 1870, although seventy- five years old, had scarcely a gray hair on her head, while her teeth were all perfect. Her husband sur- vived her several years, although he had been ill for a long time, having received an injury from a fall which partially disabled him. He died in April, 1 886, when eighty-four years old. John Iloobler was elected a member of the Legislature in Ver- million County, Ind., from 1836 to 1840, and or- ganized the first United Brethren Church in Ver- million County, Ind. They became the parents of eleven children, eight of whom are still living. Of the deceased two died when quite young. William O. married and reared a large family, and acctimu- 762 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i lated a handsome property; he died when forty- five years old. Those living are Jeremiah, who was born in 1822, a third time married, and is a resident of Newtown Township: Jemima is the wife of Jacob Kuns, a farmer of Newtown Township; Catherine married David Gouty, and lives in In- diana; David, our subject, was the fifth child ; John F. is married and lives in Missouri; Mary M. is the wife of John W. Fleshman, of Streator, III. ; Fred- erick is married and resides on the old homestead ; Andrew J. is carrying on general merchandising in Manville. Our subject, after reaching manhood and laying his plans for the establishment of a future home, chose for his companion Miss Sarah Fleshman, of Indiana, to whom he was married at the home of the bride in Perrysville, Ind., March 15, 1853. Mrs. Hoobler is the daughter of William and Sarah (Charley) Fleshman, and was born in Vermillion, Ind., April 3, 1831. Her parents were natives of Virginia and Kentucky respectively, the former born Nov. 18, 1795, and the latter Aug. 3, 1798. They were married Dec. 25, 1815. William Flesh- man was a very industrious and capable man, a nat- ural mechanic, and built the first boat that was run on the Wabash & Erie Canal, in Vermillion County, Ind., in the year 1846, making his headquarters at Perrysville, at the lower end of the locks. He was a zealous Christian and with his wife a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The household included twelve children, namely : Will- iam, who was born in Indiana, and Harding, both deceased; Christina, who married George Weir and lives in Logansport, Ind. : Amos, a resident of Ver- million, Ind.; Elizabeth and Susan, deceased; John W., a resident of this State ; Sarah, Mrs. Hoobler, and Martha and Mary, twins, now living in Livingston County, 111. Mr. Fleshman identified himself with the Republican party after its organization, but af- terward cast his influence in support of Prohibition, being the first man in his township to prevent the use of liquor by his men in the harvest field. He and his excellent wife both died at the old home- stead in Vermillion County. Ind. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hoobler are re- corded as follows: Sarah R. was born Oct. 1!), 1854, and died Nov. 2, 1866; Lilly Belle was born July 28, 1861, was married to William G. Ilohenshell, Oct. 28, 1884. and is living with her husband on the farm of her father; Zua, born Jan. 5, 1867, and Norton, Jan. 15,1869, are at home with their parents. Mrs. H., who has inherited largely the piety and force of character of her lamented father, is a de- voted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Our subject, politically, is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party, and has served two years as Su- pervisor. He has filled most of the township olliccs in his township, notwithstanding it is very strongly Republican, which shows what honesty and integrity will accomplish. Such noble traits will generally be recognized by any community. eEPHAS COE. Among the well-to-do far- mers of Livingston County, who have suc- ceeded through individual effort, economy and judicious management, in acquiring a handsome property, both real and personal, our subject de- serves prominent mention. He is living upon his large and productive farm on section 9, Reading Township, and in addition to the cultivation of cereals is extensively engaged in raising high-grade stock. Mr. Coe is a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born on the 14th of November, 1853. He is the son of Silas and Ruth (Church) Coe (see sketch of Girard Fordyce). The parental famiry of our subject included the following-named children : William, who was born Jan. 28, 1837, died Oct. 4, 1864; Joanna, born March 26, 1839; John, June 12, 1X42; Henry, born Feb. 14, 1845, died on the 7th of February, 1865; Joseph, born Dec. 25, 1847; Sarah, Nov. 2, 1850; Cephas, Nov. 14, 1853; Lile Ann, Feb. 28, 1K57, and Robert G., Feb. 4, 1860. Our subject was married, on the 24th of Septem- ber. 1879, to Miss Caroline, a daughter of Benja- min and Mary (Latham) Barackman. The father was born Dec. 11, 1824, and the mother Sept. 1, 183d. The latter was the daughter of Lyman S. and Mary A. (Gallop) Latham. Mrs. C'oe's parents were married on the 13th of April, is 17. and be- came the parents of the following-named children : Daniel, Prudence E., Mary A., Franklin, John, Car- f 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 763 oline M., Charles, Willis H. and Benjamin. Dan- iel, born Jan. 0, 1850, married Ida Flesliman, and they have three children ; Prudence E., born Feb. 11, 1852, married Joseph Coe, and they now reside in California; Mary A., born Jan. 13, 1854, died Dec. 27, 185(i; Franklin, born Dec. 17, 1855, died Dec. 24, 1860; John, born May 6, 1858, died Oct. 3, 1859; Caroline M., born Dec. 24, 1860; Charles M.. born Dec. 28, 1862, was educated in the com- mon schools, and was graduated from the Western University at Bloomington, 111.; Willis H., born May 11, 1865, is now attending school at Dixon, 111.; Benjamin, Jr., born July 18, 1867, died Nov. 29, 1867. To Cephas Coe and wife five children were born : Robert and Roland, twins, were born July 2, 1880, and died in infancy; Ivy Bell, born April 18, 1882; Prudy E., Nov. 15, 1884, and Charles J., Jan. 15. 1887. Mr. Coe's farm consists of 240 acres of good land, all of which is under cultivation, except eighty acres, which is located on section 10. He has placed 2,400 rods of tiling on this farm, and has therefore much improved its productiveness. Mr. Coe is an active member of the Republican party, and evinces considerable interest in political mat- ters, especially of a local nature. He has filled the office of Township Assessor, and is now Treasurer of the township school funds. Mr. Coe belongs to the Christian Church, and Mrs. Coe to the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and they warmly espouse all movements for the betterment of the society of which they form a part. , LIVER P. McDOWELL. In the towns and villages of Illinois are many venerable men who desire to pass the remaining days of their lives where there is more bustle and activity than on a farm. These are men who have devoted many long years to opening and improving the country, and having attained the ends they sought in the occupation of fanning, prefer to engage in other business where returns are quicker if not surer. They are the sterling men of the villages and towns, and their counsel and advice are often sought and always valuable. The subject of this sketch is both a retired farmer and business man, and resides in Fairbury. He was born in Scioto County, Ohio, on the 7th of February, 1827, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Price) McDowell, with whom he remained on the farm doing his share of the work and attending the common schools until he reached his majority. In 1850 he came to Illinois and located in Avoca Township, Living- ston Count} 1 , on the Vermilion River, where he purchased lands in the spring of 1850. which he oc- cupied in the fall of the same year. On the 2d of June, 1858, Mr. McDowell was mar- ried to Miss Emily Myers, who was born on the 25th of March, 1832, in the State of Maryland. She is the daughter of Eli and Catherine (Umphen- our) Myers, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania respectively. The father was a farmer by occupa- tion, and came to Illinois in 1850, and was a Dea- con of the Baptist Church for many years. He was born in 1706, and died in 1860 near Chenoa. The mother was also a member of the Baptist Church, and lived a true Christian life. She was born in 1809 and died in Illinois in 1875. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. McDowell was the oldest, and the others were : William A. married Eliza St. John ; Joseph E. married Ruth St. John; Matilda married James McDowell, who was killed at Vicksburg, June 15, 1863, while a member of the 3d Illinois Cavalry, in which he en- listed in 1862; he left a wife, and one child, named Lillian, since deceased. Benjamin F. married Miss Sophia Macy; Samuel D. married Miss Ada St. John; Charles F. married Miss Liz/ie Waggoner, and Nelson J. married Miss McElhany. Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have had seven children Osmer M., Laura C., Emma, Joseph E. L., Addie E., Charles P. and Luella. In 1865 Mr. McDowell relinquished his occupa- tion as a farmer and moved to Fairbury, where he engaged in wagon -making, in which business he re- mained one year and then engaged in the hardware business, which he conducted successfully for twenty years. In 1887 he disposed of this busi- ness and retired from active life. He owns some farm land in Livingston County, and has recentty made some land purchases in Sherman County, 7(!4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Kan. Mrs. McDowell is an active member of the Baptist Church, in the affairs of which she takes much interest. Mr. McDowell is a stanch Repub- lican, and continues, as he has in the past, to give the men and measures of that party his hearty support. They have accumulated sufficient of means and property to make them comfortable dur- ing the remaining days of their lives. J "7 AMES E. BLAKE, a prosperous and promis- ing young fanner, located on section 27, | Amity Township, was born on the 1 2th of ' September, 1854, and is the son of Joseph Blake, who was a native of Maine, where he was born on the 27th of March, 1812; he died on the 9th of July, 1875. At one time he was the owner of 440 acres of laud valued at $25 per acre, and owned at the time of his death, after giving to his children and selling some, 130 acres valued at $40 per acre. He came to Ohio in early childhood with his parents, and on the loth of January, 1835, he was married to Drusilla Carpenter, a native of Ohio, where she was born on the 22d of November, 1815, and was the daughter of Robert and Mary (Ball) Carpenter. Joseph Blake was of a family of twelve children, whose names were as follows: Daniel, Lucy, Samuel, Sarah, Mary, Cresia, Jane. James, Jason, Nancy, John and Joseph. Daniel was by occupation a far- mer, and died at the age of about eighty-six ; Lucy married Lemuel Ruker, and was the mother of eight children, four of whom were living at the time of her death; Samuel Blake married Sarah Ann Reese, and they had a family of six children, three of whom are now deceased ; he was a farmer by occu- pation, and died at Pontiac. Sarah married Gar- land Ruker, and they had nine children, six of whom are now living; Mary married Peter Bryon, and they are both dead; Cresia married Allen Ruker, and they had a family of seven children, two of whom are dead ; Jane married William Far- ley, and died leaving six children; James and Ja- son were twins; James married Rosanna Archer, and is now dead ; Jason married T. Ruker ; Nancy married William Ruker, has a family of seven chil- dren, and resides in Monroe County, Iowa; John married Jane Bowersock, is a Methodist preacher residing in Kansas, and has a family of seven chil- dren. On the 13th of November, 1880, James E. Blake was married to Ann Eliza, daughter of Jacob and Eunice (Ruker) Allen. By this union there have been four children, three of whom are living: Car- rie Drusilla, born Sept. 13,1882; Henry Edward, Jan. 10, 1884, and Flossie Maud, July 15, 1886. Mr. Blake is by occupation a farmer and stock- raiser, and manages the 130-acre farm which be- longs to his mother, for her use for life. He is one of a family of thirteen children, who were born in the following order: Robert, Aaron, Daniel, Reason Henry, Joseph W., Mary Jane, Margaret A., Win- field Scott, Alexander. Elizabeth, James Edwards John Columbus and Caroline Josephine. Robert, was born Oct. 8, 1 835, in Ohio, and was married on the 24th of August, 1860, to Lucinda Stephens; to them have been born five children, three of whom are living; he is a carpenter by trade, and now lives in the city of Lawrence, Kan. Aaron, born on the 6th of March, 1837, in Ohio, and died in Illinois on the 28th of April, 1869; Daniel was bom in Ohio, Dec. 16, 1838, and married in Illinois on the 28th of May, 1 8(5 1 , to Desoline Erp, and had a family of thirteen children, eight of whom are now living; they now reside in Rook's Creek Township, this county. Reason Henry was born in Ohio, Dec. 25, 1841, and died in that State May 8, 1842; Joseph W. was born in Ohio, Aug. 31, 1842, and died May 4, 1843, in Ohio; Mary Jane v/as born in Ohio, June 28, 1844, and was married in Illinois, June 25, 1851, to Homer Erp, a farmer by occupa- tion, and they have had seven children, two of whom are living; Margaret A. was born in Ohio, Oct. 4, 1846, and was married on the llth of No- vember, 18C8, in Illinois, to D. C. McClelland ; they have one child and live in Kansas. W infield Scott was born in Ohio, Dec. 20, 15? 48, and was married in Illinois, July 30, 1870, to Miss Mary Stephens; they have had a family of seven children, six of whom are living. Alexander was born in Ohio, Dec. 18, 1850, and died in that State June 2.~>, 1*57; Elizabeth was born in Ohio, July 6, 1852, , and married Samuel \Vert, March 31, 1870; they LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 765 have a family of six children, five of whom are liv- ing, and now reside in Amity Township. John Co- lumbus was born July 20, 1857, in Illinois, and married Jeanetta Lucas; they have had four chil- dren, three of whom are living in Amity Township. Caroline Josephine was born in Illinois, Oct. 30, 1859: she was the wife of Samuel K. Reynolds, and died May 1, 1887, leaving two children. James E. Blake, at the time this sketch is written, does not own any land of his own, but with his energy and business habits, seconded by the efforts of his esti- mable wife, he will not be many years in accumulat- ing a competenc3 r . They- are both deservedly popular with the people among whom they live. t J 'TAMES MORTLAND, a pioneer resident of Livingston County, is the owner of a snug j home in Newtown Township, where he is ' now living comparatively retired from active labor, and watched over by the affectionate care of his daughter. He learned the trade of a carpenter in early life, and for many years worked at this in connection. with farming, and accumulated sufficient means to enable him to pass his declining years in ease and comfort. Our subject was born in Butler County, Pa., April 20, 1830, and is the son of James and Mary (Van- derlin) Mortland, also natives of the Keystone State. James Mortland was born May 10, 1798, and de- parted this life at his home in Butler County, Pa.. June 10, 1871. The mother was born about 1799, and died Feb. 12, 1877, in Butler County, Pa. Her father, John Vanderlin, was born and died in But- ler Count}', Pa., where he spent his entire life, and lived to the advanced age of ninety -six years. His son, Stephen, at the age of ninety, finally met an ac- cidental death by a fall on the ice. The father of our subject was reared to farming pursuits, which he carried on extensively in Butler County, and was a man of much force of character, becoming identified with the political affairs of that section. He was an uncompromising Democrat, politically, and there were few public enterprises in which he was not prominent. The parental house- hold included ten children, of whom but three are living: Elias is married, and the father of six chil- dren; he occupies a part of the old homestead, liv- ing under the same roof where he was born, and, it is believed, the roof under which his father before him first opened his eyes to the light. Stephen lives on another part of the homestead, is married and the father of six children, two deceased. The subject of this sketch remained at home un- til a youth of eighteen years, and then learned the carpenter's trade, serving a three years' apprentice- ship under the instruction of James Griffin, of his native county. The latter is still living, and eighty- five years of age. He came to this county in the spring of 1856, but subsequently returned to his old home in Pennsyl vania. Young Mortland worked at his trade five years in his native count}', then came to Illinois, locating in Newtown Township in the winter of 1856, where he has since remained. As a boy at school he was fond of his books, and made the most of his opportunities, and was en- gaged as School Trustee for a period of fifteen years. He was soon recognized as a valuable accession to this community, and is now serving his fifth term as Assessor. His genial disposition and upright course in life have secured him the esteem and con- fidence of all who know him. Mr. Mortland, not long after coming to Living- ston County, made the acquaintance of Miss Mar- garet Lnndy, who became his wife Aug. 13, 1857. She was the daughter of Enoch and Delphia (Houchin) Lnndy. and born in Newtown Township, where she lived with her parents until her marriage. She was a young bride, being little more than six- teen years of age at the time of her marriage, her birth taking place March 14, 1841. The wedding was celebrated at her father's house, and Rev. John Hoobler, who is written of elsewhere in this ALBUM, officiated. The young people lived with friends six months, then commenced housekeeping in a modest dwelling in Newtown Township. In due time they became the parents of seven children : William C., born May 28, 1858, was married to Miss Mattie May Hoobler, Jan. 30, 1881, and is farming in New- town Township; Mary Susannah, born Feb. 1,1860, became the wife of Jacob Ziegler, Aug. 22, 1881; they are also living on a farm in Newtown Town- ship. Rosella Catherine, born May 23, 1801, is the f 766 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. wife of Frederick Conner, married Aug. 21, 1881 ; they live in the village of Manville, and Mr. C. is engaged in farming. James Enoch, born Nov. 21, 1863, died April 8, 1865; John H., born Feb. 1, 1867, died Feb. 10, 1869; Candace Delphia, born Dec. 6, 1870, is the sole companion of her father's home, the wife and mother having departed this life July 26, 1881. The youngest child, Pearl May, was born June 4, 1880, and died Jan. 23, 1884. Mrs. Mortland was a lady highly respected in her community, and an active member of the United Brethren Church, in the prosperity of which she took a great interest. Our subject has never been very active in politics, but thoroughly believes in Re- publican principles, which he has supported since the second election of A. Lincoln. I' IOHN COOMER, a retired capitalist, and the first resident of Fairbury, is a New En- glander by birth and spent his early years in Glover, Orleans Co., Vt., where his birth took place May 4. 1817. He is the son of John and Sarah (Mason) Coomer, natives respectively of New Hampshire and Massachusetts. The father was of French descent and died in Vermont in 1864; the mother descended from an excellent old English famil.y and preceded her husband to the silent land in 1859. John Coomer, Sr., was a farmer by occupation and died a poor man, leaving nothing to his two children, our subject and his sister Sarah, who married William Wolcott, and is a resident of Glover, Vt. Our subject early in life was made acquainted with its cares and responsibilities, and received but a limited education. After reaching his majority he served an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, which he followed about sixteen years. Sub- sequently he engaged in farming, which he continued in Vermont until 1848, when he made a flying trip to the West, and determined upon a permanent settlement in this section of country. He, however, returned to New England, and was detained there seven years, at the expiration of which time he started again for the West, accompanied by his wife and child, and journeyed first to Michigan, where they took up their abode for a year, when they came to Chenoa, 111., and lived five months. In 1857 Mr. Coomer with his family came to Fairbury, arriving on the 31st of December. There was then no sign of a town, and Mr. Coomer was the first to settle upon its present site. It seems, however, that speculators had intended to lay out a town here and rumors to this effect had been published in the Peoria papers. People soon be- gan to come, and Mr. Coomer in due time estab- lished a lumber-yard which was quite well patron- ized as the town began building up. Eight years later he sold out, and with the capital accumulated commenced loaning money and officiating as gen- eral real-estate agent. He seemed well adapted to this vocation and was remarkably fortunate in his investments. lie has now ten houses and lots in the village, and a fine tract of 350 acres of valua- ble land. He has done more than any other man to build up the town, and is regarded as one of the old landmarks who will be sadly missed when he shall have been gathered to his fathers. He has been a stanch adherent of the Republican party since its organization, and served as Assessor for a period of seven years. Mr. Coomer was first married to Miss Jenette Abbott, who lived only six months after her mar- riage. His present wife, to whom he was married March 18, 1845, was formerly Miss Harriet N. Cheney, who was born June 16, 1821, in Orleans County, Vt. The wedding took place at the home of the bride in Orleans County, Vt., the officiating minister being Rev. Elias Kilby, pastor of the Con- gregational Church. Her parents, Joel and Olive (Hill) Cheney, were natives of New Hampshire, the father of Welsh and the mother of English an- cestry. Mr. Cheney was a farmer of ordinary means, and the parental- household included eight children, namely: Oracy, Harriet, Milo, Eleanora, Wealthy W., Augustus G., Hubert P. and Olevia. The family are all members of the Congregational Church. Mr. Cheney was born in 1791, and de- parted this life in 1857. The mother was born in 1795, and died in the city of Albany, Vt., July 6, 1 s(Jl. She was a lady highly esteemed and a mem- ber in good standing of the Congregational Church. Mr. and Mrs. Coomer have two children, a son LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 767 and .1 daughter Alien C. and Fann}- M. Allen C. was born in Vermont, April 12, 1847, and married Miss Louisa Cox; he is now engaged in conducting a boarding-house in Kansas City. Fanny M. was born March 30, 1 863, and remains at home with her parents. Mrs. Coomer is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. j>ILLIAM II. C'ORNWKLL, son of Solomon S. and Emily (Morrison) Cornwall, was born at Princeville, Peoria County, this State, Jan. 14, 1844. He was reared to farm pur- suits, and received a common-school education, and after a service of three years and ten months in the Union army, settled down in Waldo Township, where he has since been one of the most highly re- spected citizens of Livingston Count}'. The war record of our subject, having formed a most important period of his life, we give in sub- stance as follows: He was but eighteen years of age at the outbreak of the Rebellion, but notwithstand- ing his youth, was admitted to Company D, llth Illinois Cavalry. He marched with his comrades to the field of conflict, and took part in the battles of Shiloh, luka and Corinth, being at the latter place captured by the rebels, but paroled fifteen days afterward. He remained at St. Louis until the fol- lowing February, when he was exchanged and joined his regiment at Jackson, Tenn. He afterward met the enemy in several skirmishes in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi, and thence went with the army of Gen. Sherman from Vicksburg to Meridian, dur- ing which raid his regiment captured a gun from the rebels, and then returned to Vicksburg, where it veteranized and was gran ted a thirty days' fur- lough. Young Cornwell, after visiting his friends at home, returned to Vicksburg, and with his regiment was detailed to patrol the river along this point. lie afterward took part in the charge at Port Gib- son, where the}' captured the entire battery of the enemy, and thence going to Memphis, he was as- signed to the command of Gen. Grierson, and as- sisted in cutting off Hood's communication with the main army. In December, 18G4, they captured the troops of Gen. Forest besides a train-load of arms and provisions for Hood's army. On the 28th of the month they seized Egypt Station with about 500 prisoners. Mr. Cornwell was here wounded by a musket ball which passed entirely through his hip. He was carried off the field, and being left behind, was taken prisoner and sent to Anderson- ville, the horrors of which he endured until after the surrender of Lee. He was then released, and received his honorable discharge in Springfield, 111., on the 22d of July, 1865. His record, like that of hundreds of others, about whom history has been silent, was one of hardship, danger and privation, but lie possessed the same indomitable spirit which sustained his comrades and led them to endure suf- ferings which could not be described by words. He received the commendation of his superior offi- cers, and enjoyed the respect of his comrades, and is one of the brave few who remain to tell the tale of life in a Southern prison. Upon his retirement from the army, Mr. Corn- well returned to his home in Peoria County, and commenced farming on land belonging to his father. After thus securing a good start in life, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth C. Thomson, of Brimfield, Peoria County, Rev. Samuel Smith of the Methodist Episcopal Church, officiating. The wedding took place at the home of the bride Feb. 28, 1 867. The young people remained in Peoria County until the spring of 1870, and then removed to a tract of land which the elder Cornwell had pre- viously purchased, and which has since been their home. This was deeded to our subject the follow- ing year, and in 1872 he purchased 160 acres ad- ditional on sections 1 and 12. Here he has carried on fanning and stock-raising after the most modern and approved methods, and has embellished the township with one of the handsomest and most pro- ductive farms within its limits. Mr. Cornwell, in 1 875, was elected Justice of the Peace, which office he has since held, and has also served six years as Commissioner of Highways. He has been Township Collector, and has repre- sented the township in the County Board of Super- visors most of the time since 1884. He is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, and a Trustee of the Methodist Episcopal Church, with which he has f 768 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. been connected for the last ten years. The fact that he has been a continuous office-holder in a township strongly Democratic, speaks well for his popularity as a citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Corn well are the parents of six ehil- dren, all living and born as follows: Albert W., Sept, 27, 18G9; Lester P., Nov. 28, 1871; Charles A., Jan. 13, 1876; Hubert, Dec. 20, 1881; Mabel, Jan. 25, 1883, and David, March 1G, 1880. Mr. Corn well was the eldest in a family of four children. His eldest brother, Charles A., is a practicing law- yer of Peoria, 111.; Julia is the wife of Edwin El- liott, a skillful architect, who is now engaged in fanning, and lives at Princeville, having two chil- dren; Addie married H. W. Crawford, Station Agent at Monica, 111., and has one child. Solomon and Emily Cornwell were natives re- spectively of Dutchess County, N. Y., and New Haven, Conn. The former was born in 1812, and the latter about 1815. They are both living, and still residents of Princeville. The paternal great- great-grandfather was a Scotchman by birth and ancestry, while on the mother's side our subject is of English descent. Mrs. Cornwell was born at Brimfield, Peoria Co., 111., Oct. 24, 1849. She is in all respects the suitable helpmeet of her husband, looking well to the domestic affairs of the home- stead. AVID S. CRUM. There are sections of I) Illinois which are almost wholly settled by Pennsylvanians, and it is an invariable rule that where such is the case there can found thrift, intelligence and morality deeply rooted. It is characteristic of the Pennsylvania!! that wherever you find him, no matter what his vo- cation in life may be, you find him a man of parts. If he is a farmer, he is a good farmer; if he is a stockman, he excels in that line of business, and f he is both farmer and stock-raiser, you will find i;i mail who has reduced those kindred callings al- most to a science. It is not inappropriate to s.v that this is illustrated in the person of the subject of this sketch, whose stock farm is located on sec- t ion 17, Belle Prairie Township. David S. Criim was born in Huntingdon County, Pa., on the 8th of December, 1826, and is the son of Cornelius and Margaret (Gray) Crum, natives of Pennsylvania and Ireland respectively. Cor- nelius Crum was born on the 22d of December, 1790, and died on the 29th of August, 1850, in the State of Ohio, where he had moved from Pennsyl- vania in September, 1840; he was a farmer by oc- cupation. The mother was born Oct. 31. 17'Jlt. and died in Ohio on the 26th of February, 1K5.'!. The were married on the 1 1th of October, 1811, in Pennsylvania, and were members of the Methodi>t Episcopal Church, in which Mr. Crum was Class- Leader, Steward and Exhorter for many years. In 1836-37 he was a member of the convention which revised and remodeled the constitution of the State of Pennsylvania, which has ever since been the or- ganic law of that State, and was also a member of the Ohio State Legislature during the years 1H45- 46. They were the parents of ten children, viz: Mar} 1 , Catherine, Margaret It., John B., Samuel D. ; James S., who died at the age of eight years; David S., William A., Rebecca T. and Sarah S. David S. Crnm spent his boyhood days upon a farm, performing his share of the work during the summer months and attending the district school in winter. While attending school he made the most of the opportunities offered, and received more than an average education. In 1851, at the age of twenty-four years, he was married to Miss Mary A. Walton, and two years thereafter came to the West. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1830, and was the daughter of William and Elizabeth (Gehman) Wal- ton, who were natives of England, and immigrated to this country at an earl}' day. By this marriage five children were born, two of whom died in in- fancy. The living are: Dwight M.. who married Miss Lydia M. Yanpaten: Edwin W., who married Miss Sabra Yanpaten, and Lina E., Mrs. Peter Mc- Donald. Their mother died in I860. When Mr. Crum located in this county, in 185.'!. he entered 480 acres of Government land, of which he sold 120 acres, and he has subsequently purchased 160 acres. In 1862 he married Mrs. Mary M. Morgan, a native of Pennsylvania, and they have had two children: Mira A., Mrs. Lorenzo Alford, and Jen- nie F., Mrs. George II. Bennett. The second wife I RESIDENCE OF R.D.GREGG, SEC. 22 . ROUND GROVETOWNSHIP. RESIDENCE OF L.T. SHEPHERD , SEC. 29. SAUN EM IN TOWNSHIP RESIDENCE or W*. CHAMINGS^SEC.S. BELLE PRAIRIETOWNSH IP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 771 died in 1873. Mr. Crum was a third time married, in 1 874, to Miss Jane E. Parmcnter, a native of Providence, R. I. } vvho came West when but a child. Mr. Crum and his wife arc members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, of which he lias been Stew- ard and Class-Leader many years. He can truly be said to be one of the pillars of the church, and was one of the principal members instrumental in building- Fair View Chapel, which is located on his land. Mr. Crum lias met with a large measure of success in his calling. His farm now consists of 520 acres, perfectly drained by the tile system, and on which he has erected an elegant dwelling-house. While in no sense a politician, he is a strict parti- san of the Republican party, and upon all occasions does what he can to further its interests. BNER W. CAMP, a descendant of old Revolutionary stock, is a farmer and stock- raiser on section 10, Esmen Township, and was born in Waterbury, New Haven Co. Conn., on the 26th of December, 1827. He was the eldest child of Ephraim and Eliza (Webster) C'amp, natives of Litchfield County, Conn., as were also his grandparents, Ephraim and Sarah (Moss) Camp. The grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, volun- teering twice, and being drafted three times. He was sixteen years old when he first entered the army, and served five years. He was one of the guards around the gallows at the hanging of Maj. Andre, and was at Valley Forge with Washington, where he almost lost his feet from exposure during that terrible winter. He was urged to secure a pen- sion on account of disability incurred in the war but always declined, stating that he did not need it and the Government was too poor to afford it. The maternal grandparents were Tola and Silence (Guernsey) Webster, natives of Litchfleld County, Conn. Tola Webster was called to service as Cap- tain of a cavalry company, but never saw active service. The father of Mr. Camp was a blacksmith by trade, but abandoned that calling early in life for watch and clock making, which occupation he fol- lowed until 18f>5, when, to escape the confinement involved he came West, arriving in Livingston County on the 14th day of May of that year. His first purchase of land was on section 10, Esmen Township, and here he remained until his death, on the 9th of May, 1877. He secured an excellent little farm which he put under a high state of culti- vation, and erected a blacksmith-shop thereon, in which he followed his old' trade at leisure times. He was an active politician all his life, and was al- ways greatly interested in the leading topics of the da}-. He was an old-line Douglas Democrat. The early life of our subject was spent upon the farm, and his education was obtained in the common schools. When he came to Illinois he was posted on New England farming, but found himself no match for the enterprising "sucker" until he had learned the western methods of agriculture. He re- mained at home with his parents until the father's death, and has never left the old homestead. On the 6th of May, 1855, Mr. Camp married Mary E. Cook, who was born in Cheshire, New Haven Co., Conn., on the 10th of August, 1834, and was the fifth in a family of seven children born to Aaron and Emily (Hitchcock) Cook, who were na- tives of the same county, where they died, the for- mer on the 23d of February, 1 842, and the latter on the 27th of November, 1805. Soon after mar- riage Mr. Camp brought his wife to the West, but all her family remained in the East. They have always lived upon the old home place, where they expect to spend their declining years. Mr. Camp has served the people as Constable eight years, and Justice of the Peace twelve years. He also served as Collector in 1861, at a time when the banks went down like straws before the wind, and wildcat money was so plentiful that a day's collections fre- quently would not pay for a dinner. He filled this office two terms. Mr. and Mrs. Camp are the parents of eight chil- dren, namely : George A., Emily R., Henry A., Edward T., Toot} 1 , Bennie, Royal G., and one who died in infancy. George A. was born Dec. 8, 1857; Emily R., Dec. 29, 1859; Henry A., June 23, 1863; Edward T., July 2, 1867; Tooty, Nov. 22, 1870; Bennie, July 26, 1872, and Royal G., Oct. 24, 1874. The only survivors are George A., Henry A. and T , , 772 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Royal G. Mr. Camp takes an active part in poli- ties, and votes with the Independent party. George A., the eldest son of Aimer W. Camp, was born in Livingston County, 111., where he has always resided. He was reared on the farm and attended the common schools of the district. He remained at home until 1884, when, on the 27th of February, he was married to Mary Donohoe, the third in a family of eight children born to Francis and Pleasant (Furr) Donohoe, who were natives of Virginia. When a young man Mrs. Camp's father came to Illinois, and later in life settled in Living- ston County. Mrs. Camp was born in LaSalle County, 111., near Ottawa, on the 20th of May, 1864. She came to Livingston County witli her parents in 1868, where she married Mr. Camp. They live on a rented farm on section 1 6, Esmen Township. ONROE J. BOSWORTH, the son of a pio- neer of LaSalle Count}-, and now one of the most thrifty farmers of Livingston County, residing in Sunbury Township, was born in LaSalle County, in what is now known as Miller Township, on the 27th of August, 1843. His father, Carr W. Bosworth, was born in Essex County, N. Y., while his grandfather was a farmer and shoemaker who spent his life in that county. The father was left an orphan at twelve years of age, and found a home with strangers till the age of seventeen years, when he went to Genesee County, where he married and lived until 1842, when he came to Illinois and settled in what is now Miller Township, LaSalle County. In making his journey to the West he traveled with teams to Buffalo, N. Y., thence across the Lakes by boat to Chicago, and from Chicago to LaSalle County with teams. Upon arriving at his destination he entered Gov- ernment land, on which lie built a house in which our subject was born. He still resides on this farm, which he lias improved, and erected thereon a good class f six months. At the time of her death a biog- rapher wrote of her: '-For several years past she had been a great sufferer, but during it all she man- ifested great patience and resignation to the Lord's will, yet never losing heart and hope. She was one of the constituent members of the Fair- bury Baptist Church, and in the honest and best sense of the word a Christian. As a neighbor she was highly esteemed, as a church member uniformly consistent, expressing in her life the sentiment of the poet So shall my walk be cl< -e with God. Calm and serene my frame: yet those who knew her in her home relations knew her best; as a wife, devoted and true: as a mother, gentle, tender and affectionate. One of the sons, in visiting home, stated that his mother had never whipped him. nor had she ever scolded him. She wa> a rare woman, wonderfully gifted; chastened and resigned until ready to live or die; hence as she came down to the end of the journey she had no fear. The funeral was largely attended at the late home. The weather on that day was very in- clement, yet many, even through the storm, ac- companied the bereaved relatives to the cemetery. The services were conducted by Revs. Palmer, Crosby and Christie. Mrs. Crouch was a lady of great culture, and taught school for seven years previous to her marriage. She was a great Sun- day-school worker, and was an ardent advocate of the right of women to vote." The children who were born to Mr. Crouch by the third wife were named: Charley, Sinah, Otis E., Benjamin F., Hattie B., Jessie H. and Lottie I. Charley was born in 1858; Sinah was born in I860, and married E. Darnell; Otis E. married Miss Cora Kent, of Cheyenne County, Kan. Mr. Crouch came to Illinois in 1 843, locating in Marion County, where he remained eighteen months, and then went to Woodford County, where he operated a sawmill for two years, after which he followed blacksmithing until 1851. In that year he came to Livingston County and purchased 105 acres of land, to which he has added until he now owns 230 acres, on which a frame dwelling and commodious out-buildings iiave been erected. Mr. Crouch is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is an ardent Republican in politics. There is no half-way ground either in his religious or political beliefs, and he espouses warmly the doctrines of both his church and party. JOHN CAMPBELL, whose excellent farm is located on section 8, Esmen Township, where he owns 160 acres of land besides forty acres in Amity Township, was born in Wayne County, Ind., on the 1 3th of May, 1 822, and was fciken by his parents to New Paris, Preble Co., Ohio, when but an infant. He is the eldest of a family of four children, three boys and one girl, born to Joseph and Sarah (Walker) Campbell. The Walker family were natives of Kentucky, and resided in Green County, where the mother of " LARCH LAWN STOCK FARM", PROPERTY OF E.5.( kRK,5Ec*32.&33, READiNcTowNSH i p. LIVINGSTON Co, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 783 Mr. Campbell was born. She was the daughter of Samuel and Rebecca Walker, who were among the early settlers of Indiana. Samuel Walker was in the service of the Government during the War of 1812, and had charge of the commissary depart- ment. The maternal grandparents were John and Mary (McCoy) Campbell, of Scotch ancestry, but natives of Virginia, who migrated to Kentucky be- fore the War of 1812, and thence to Indiana before the Government had located the boundary line be- tween Ohio and Indiana. They resided in Preble County, Ohio, after the boundary line was estab- lished. The father of the subject of this sketch was a carpenter by trade but operated and owned a farm while following that occupation. In 1 837 he came to Illinois and settled in Vermilion County, but afterward removed to Fountain County, Ind. In 1852 he returned to Illinois and bought a farm in Livingston County, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1855. John Campbell was reared to farm life, and educated in the common schools. At the age of twenty-one he removed to Vermilion County, 111., where an uncle resided, and began life for himself as a farmer. On the 4th of February, 1 844, he was married to Emma J., the third child born to Thomas W. and Delilah (Paj r ne) Douglas, the former of Maine and the latter of New York. The father of Mrs. Campbell went to Indiana where he married, and then went to Cincinnati, remaining one winter, during which time his daughter Emma was born, on the 1st of February, 1826. He then returned to Indiana and from there migrated to Illinois, settling in Vermilion County, where he bought a farm on which he and his wife resided until their death. Immediately after marriage, Mr. Campbell bought 160 acres of wild land in Vermilion County, 111., and settled on it. Two years later he sold this, and in 1 856 bought 1 20 acres of wild land in Living- ston County, upon which he at once settled and began the work of improving it. He has lived upon this farm ever since, and has brought it under a splendid state of cultivation, erecting also upon it comfortable and commodious buildings. He takes great pride in producing superior grades of stock. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have had seven children, five of whom are living Edward Clinton, Sarah D., Fred S., Thomas A. and Emily A. All live in Iowa; the others died in infancy. Edward married Mary Swaner, and lives on a farm in Harrison County ; Sarah married James T. Hadley, and lives on a farm in Shelby County ; Fred married Ann E. Payne, and lives on a farm in Harrison County; Emily married George Longnecker, and lives on a farm in Harrison County; Thomas is unmarried, and manages a farm in Harrison County. Mr. Campbell has served as Assessor, School Trustee, and as long as he had a child to educate, as School Director. He was the first Assessor after the town- ship was organized. He has always taken great in- terest in his township affairs and has heartily ex- tended aid in building up and improving the com- munity. He is very active in political matters, and supports the Democratic ticket. OHN H. CORBIN. Among the younger farmers and stock-raisers of Sunbury Town- ship none are more entitled to a place in this ALBUM than the subject of this sketch, who has within his short career demonstrated that he knows how to conduct a farm successfully and to get on in the world. His 80-acre farm on sec- tion 29 is well improved, and under an excellent state of cultivation. Mr. Corbin was born on the 6th of January, 1845, in Taylor County, W. Va. In the order of their birth he was the second in a family of seven children born to Oliver H. P. and Mary E. (Flow- ers) Corbin, of Virginia. Our subject was reared to manhood on the farm of his father, and received his education at the- common schools. He came West with his parents, of whose household he re- mained a member until he was thirty years of age, devoting his best energies to the prosecution of the work upon the farm. On the 12th of April, 1875, Mr. Corbin was married to Miss Julia Sanger, who was born in Es- sex County, N. Y., on the 3d of February, 1856. She was the sixth child born to Cornelius and Sarah (Arving) Sanger, who were natives of New York. Her paternal grandparents, Coleman and Anna (Comstock) Sanger, were also natives of New 7s I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. York, and the maternal grandparents, William and Mary (Craig) Arving, were natives of New York State. The parents of Mrs. Corbin first settled in Livingston County, after which she accompanied them into Missouri. After remaining in Missouri for a time they all returned, and the subject of our sketch and his wife settled on a farm of eighty acres where they now reside. This farm is com- jjosed of excellent land, a greater portion of which is under cultivation. It contains good buildings, both for dwelling purposes and the necessities of the farm. To Mr. and Mrs. Corbin have been born two children: Raymond on the 2 1st of March, 1876. and Charlie on the 6th of June, 1880. They are both bright little fellows and add much to the cheerfulness and pleasure of the Corbin household. Mr. Corbin does not give much attention to polit- ical matters but contents himself with voting for his party's nominees, providing they are always good men. His political faith is in harmony with the Democratic party. He has been entrusted with important township offices upon several occasion^. and for the past fifteen years has served as School Director. He has also been Overseer of Highways and Township Collector, and in all these positions has satisfied the people by intelligently and fairly discharging the trusts imposed upon him. Ho is a member in good standing of the I. O. O. F., in which fraternity he takes a lively interest. <3 i LEXANDER CUPPLES. The northern part of Livingston County is liberally set- tled with an intelligent and industrious population, composed largely of Irisli- American citizens. They are tacitly acknowledged to be among the most enterprising and industrious of the business men and farmers of Central Illinois, Miid are uniformly liberal-minded, public-spirited, and, almost without exception, take a lively inter- est in the growth and well-being of their adopted State. The subject of this biography occupies ;i po.-ition in the front ranks of these men, and be- sides being a skillful and prosperous tiller of the soil, has secured by his own efforts an excellent fund of general information, making him a man remarkably intelligent to converse with. His ha> been an interesting experience in life: he has seen the representatives of many lands, and has made the most of his opportunities. Our subject was born in County Down, Ireland, Sept. 8, 1839. His father, James Cupples, was a native of the same county, where he was reared to manhood, engaged in farming, and married .M i-s Agnes Henry, with whom he had been acquainted since childhood, and whose birthplace was not far from his own. The father visited America after- ward, spending, however, but a few weeks, and with this exception passed his entire life in his native county, as also did the mother. Their household included ten children, of whom but four are now living, while Alexander is the only one who settled in America. He attended school quite steadily during his childhood and youth, remaining under the parental roof until seventeen years of age, and then determined to cross the water. Embarking on a sailing-vessel at Liverpool in the month of March, he landed in the city of Boston thirteen days later, and went directly to New York City, where he engaged in the dry-goods house of A. T. Stewart one year. He then returned to Boston and clerked until the following year, when he crossed the Atlantic to England, where he be- came connected with the dry -goods house of A. & S. Henry & Co., and was sent by them to New York, where he represented their interests until 1876. From the Empire State he migrated to New England, residing in Connecticut two years, and then setting out for the West located upon the land which he now owns and occupies. The property of Mr. Cupples includes 240 acres of highly cultivated land, with an excellent set of frame build ings, good farm machinery, and a choice assortment of live stock. His accumulations have been the result of his own industry and persever- ance, as he commenced in life poor in purse and with little to encourage him. He now occupies an enviable position, socially and financially. :mervcd as Township Clerk and 1 t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 785, |j been Schoul Director for several terms. He is among the first men whom his fellow-citizens con- sult in regard to the various enterprises set on foot for the general welfare of the community. In 1870 Mr. Cupples visited Ireland, and spent a few weeks pleasantly with his boyhood friends and relatives. He has a brother whom he never saw, as he was born after Alexander came to America, and was in Australia for the benefit of his health at the time our subject visited his native country. Mr. Cupples, while a resident of New York, was united in marriage with Miss Alfte A. Kennedy, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, Nov. 18, 1862. Mrs. Cupples was born in Charles- town, Mass., July 30, 1836, and is the daughter of J. F. and J. C. Kenned}', natives of Massachusetts, but now residing in New York. Of this union there have been born eight children Agnes H., Franklin II.. Jennie, Alexander, James, William, Alice and Samuel. Most of them are at home with their parents. Our subject and his wife are mem- bers in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Nevada, and no family in the community is more highly esteemed. 1 SAAC W. GATCHELL. In noting the people of a county as generously populated and wealthy as Livingston, we become cognizant of the fact that in that section is represented almost all nationalities, and nearly all the New p]ngland and Middle States. The subject of this sketch was born near the Atlantic coast in Lincoln County, Me., on the llth of June, 1837, and has consequently now passed his fiftieth year. He is the son of Aaron and Ada Gatchell, who were also natives of the Pine Tree State, and the maternal ancestors were of Welsh descent. The father of our subject died in 1879, and the mother is now living in Maine. The parental family of our subject included eight children, of whom the following are known to be liv- ing: M.-irtha, the wife of Charles Flagg, of Maine; Betsey, Mrs. William Bragg, of Iowa; James, of Brookfield, 111. : Sewell, of Ottawa: Charles, who * remains in his native State, and Isaac W., of our sketch. Isaac was reared to manhood in his native State, receiving a good English education, and when ready to start out in life for himself, at the age of twenty-two years, set his face westward and located in LaSalle County, this State. Here he re- sided until the outbreak of the late war and then, laying aside for the time his cherished plans, enlisted in Company F, 104th Illinois Infantry, being as- signed with his regiment to the Army of the Cum- berland. Later they were transferred to the Ten- nessee Division, and afterward going farther south, participated in the battles of Ilartsville, Resaca, Peachtree Creek and Chickamauga, besides meet- ing the enemy in many other important engage- ments. His regiment first unfurled the stars and stripes of the 14th Corps at Mission Ridge, and af- terward joined the command of Gen. Sherman in his march from Atlanta to the sea. The last en- gagement in which our subject participated was at Bentonville, S. C., which was soon followed by the surrender of the Confederate General, Lee, when the troops were ordered to Washington for the grand review. Mr. Gatchell had been peculiarly fortunate, escaping wounds and other disasters, and receiving his honorable discharge at Washing- ton, D. C., was mustered out and returned home in June, 1865. Mr. Gatcheironce more took up his abode on prairie soil, and in the spring of 1873 purchased his present farm of 240 acres on section 4, in Owego Township. The larger portion of it is now under a good state of cultivation, and it is enclosed with substantial fencing and supplied with all needful buildings. This property is the accumulation of years of toil and self-sacrifice, but Mr. Gatchell feels that he is amply rewarded by the result. The marriage of our subject took place on the 24th of August, 1867. His wife, in her girlhood, was Miss Martha, daughter of Henry and Abigail Mason, natives of Ohio, who became residents of LaSalle County about forty-three years ago. Their family included eight children, namely: Vesta, Lu- ther, Wilbur, John, Ida, Norah, Ellen and Arthur. Mr. Gatchell has spent his time principally in at- tending to his own concerns, but has never been backward in giving his assistance to those enter- ,, 4 786 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. prises calculated for the good of the community. He is decidedly Republican in politics, is an oblig- ing neighbor and friend, and distinguished by all the qualities of an honest man and a good citizen. J~ OSHUA T. COX is known as the proprietor of the beautiful farm on section 10, which comprises 160 acres and is finely adapted to" 1 stock-raising, to which it is largely devoted. Mr. Cox deals largely in high-grade cattle and first- class general purpose horses, including several brood mares of fine blood. He located in Belle Prairie Township eleven years ago and was at once recognized as a valued addition to the community. He is what may be properly termed a self-made man. as he started out in life when a lad but fifteen years of age and has since "paddled his own canoe." His first venture was as a soldier in the Union army, enlisting in the 161st Ohio Infantry, and was accepted, notwithstanding his youth. He served over a year and met the enemy in several important battles. He fortunately escaped wounds and sick- ness, and received his honorable discharge in 1864. Mr. Cox was born in Harrison County, Ohio, Aug. 25, 1845, and is the son of Joshua and Edith.a (Bell) Cox, natives of Maryland. The father died in Harrison County, when our subject was a young child. He had never been of robust constitution, and although remaining upon the farm and super- intending its operations, was able to do but little manual labor, consumption having fastened upon him, which claimed him for a victim when about forty-eight years of age. The mother continued a resident of the Buckeye State, and died there in May, 1885, at an advanced age; both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their children, nine in number, were named respectively: William F., Elizabeth, Rebecca, James. John, Ebenezer, George. Joshua T. and Sarah. After leaving the army Mr. Cox returned to his old home in Ohio, where he was variously employed, and finally appointed cashier of the Tuscarawas Valley Bank at New C'omerstown, which position he occupied about five years. He came to Illinois in 1876, locating first on a farm near Fairbury, where he carried on agriculture until accumulating means with which to purchase his present homestead. He was united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Thomp- son, Jan. 25, 1883. Mrs. Cox is of English birth and parentage, beginning life in Huntingdonshire, April 19, 1863. Her parents, Charles and Emma (Hillson) Thompson, immigrated to the United States in 1873, and located in Minonk, 111., where the mother died nine years later, in December, 1882. Mr. Thompson is still living and a resident of Washburn, Woodford County, where he carries on butchering. The parental family included twelve children, namely: Sarah A., Alberta, James, George W., Sarah, Charles E., Polly, John, Emma. Lizzie, Florence and Ella. Sarah A., Alberta and Polly are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have two sons Charles D. and Amos F. In addition to his farming and stock operations Mr. Cox in the year 1887 interested himself in a steam thresher of the J. I. Case pattern, which he has operated to good advantage, in thirty days turning out 60,000 bushels of oats. It may readily be surmised from the foregoing that he is unusually wide-awake and enterprising, and is never so con- tented as when busily employed. He takes a lively interest in what is going on around him, and polit- ically is a true-blue Republican. HARLE8 II. HOKE, the leading and popular liveryman of Odell, although but twenty- seven years of age, has already established himself in a good business and secured the patron- age of the best people in his township. He is a native of Livingston County, and was born in Un- ion Township, June 28, 1860. His parents, Samuel and Elizabeth "(Kenney) Iloke, were natives of Pennsylvania, and among the most highly re- spected residents of the northeastern part of Liv- ingston County. Mr. Hoke, as the son of a farmer, passed his childhood amid the quiet scenes of country life, and like Whittier's '-barefoot boy," attended the com- mon school. He continued under the home roof until twenty-one years old and then, having already LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 87 ir formed his plans for the future, married one of thfe nicest girls of the neighborhood, Miss Alice S. Funk, the wedding occurring at the home of the bride, Nov. 22, 1881. Mrs. Hoke was the eighth in a family of nine children born to her parents, Abram and Margaret (Hutchison) Funk, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this ALBUM. The young people first settled on a farm in Un- ion Township, not far from the parental homestead, but Mr. H. believing he could do better elsewhere, repaired to Odell and purchased the lively outfit of Mr. Vosburg. The following May 14, the estab- lishment was destroyed by a cyclone, which carried away indiscriminately animals and vehicles. The harness and other equipments were many of them scattered to the four winds. Mr. Hoke, however, made the best of circumstances and immediately re-established himself in the same business, in which he has prospered and built up a fine patronage both in the city and suburbs.- He is one of the most prominent members of the Horse Fair Association, which meets monthly and furnishes a market for this necessary animal within a radius of thirty-five miles. Considering the important interests over which Mr. Hoke has control, it is not to be wondered at that he finds little time to meddle with the concerns of his neighbors or enter into the strife for public office. He recognizes, however, the influence of each citizen upon the affairs of the country, and performs his duty in times ol general election by casting his vote with the Republican party. LSOM P. CHAMPLIN. By a law of na- ture the traits of the parents are often trans- mitted to the children, and if the sins of the father are visited upon the sons in some instances, there are undeniable and unmistakable evidences that the virtues of the parents are in- herited by sous and daughters, and in this way the equilibrium between the good and the bad is main- tained. In the sketch we have in hand are traced the lives of the father and mother, who were honest members of society while living, and were sincerely mourned when dead, and it is to one of their off- spring this page is dedicated. In him will be found those traits that characterize honorable and hon- ored parents, and fully illustrate the axiom, "Like father, like son." Mr. Champlin is a representative farmer of Avoca Township, where he is located on section 28. He is a native of Jefferson County, N. Y., where he was born on the 10th of June, 1842, and is the son of Moses and Tirzah Champlin, both of whom were natives of New York. His paternal ancestors are of German, and maternal ancestors, of English de- scent; both his maternal and paternal grandfathers, it is said, were soldiers in the War of 1812. To his parents were born eight children, of whom the fol- lowing survive: Lewis C., Alsom P., Henry C., Nancy M., and Ella J., the wife of Klias Virgin. When about twelve years of age the subject of this sketch accompanied his parents when they re- moved to Illinois, where they settled in Wood ford County, whence, after a short time they removed to Marshall County, where they resided until 1857. In the spring of that year they came to Livingston Count} 7 , settling in Avoca Township, where the father died on the llth of January, 1887, and the mother on the 10th of August of the same year. Moses Champlin came to this county a poor man, and through hard work, good management and economy, acquired a comfortable home for his fam- ily. He was one of the representative pioneers of the county, and was esteemed by all for his many virtues and scrupulous honesty in all his business transactions. It can very truly be said that in his death the county lost one of its best citizens and most public-spirited men a man who was always engaged in some good work. In political affilia- tions he was always loyal to the Republican party, of which he vvas a member for many years. Alsom P. Champlin has been a farmer all his life, and in connection with that occupation, has at times engaged in the work of a plasterer and mason. On the 10th of August, 187G, he was married to Jennie Virgin, of Livingston County, and they have had one child, upon whom they conferred the names of Clara Myrtle. Mr. Champlin owns a good farm, in the management of which he has been eminently successful. In many traits of his character he re- 4 788 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i sembles his father, and is esteemed for many of the virtues which were possessed by his son. He also is a Republican in politics, and gives his best ener- gies to that party. On account of his warm inter- est in all educational matters he has been for several successive terms chosen as Director of Schools, anil has also served as Assessor of Avoca Township. He and his wife occupy an enviable position in the esteem and respect of their neighbors, and what- ever they find to do for the good of the community they do with a right good will. 1 NDREW J. CORBIN. One of the snug- gest 80-acre farms in lEsmen Township is located on section 4, and has been owned and occupied by the subject of this sketch for thirty -three years. Mr. Curbin was born in Har- rison County, W. Va., on the llth of August, 1818, and was the youngest in a family of twelve chil- dren, of whom Auderson and Elizabeth (llaines) Corbin, natives of the eastern part of Virginia, were the parents. The father was a farmer by occupa- tion, and lived and died in Harrison County. He was a Revolutionary soldier, entering the Conti- nental army at the age of sixteen, and serving un- til the close of the war. He experienced all the hardships and horrors of that period in the history of our country, and at one time lived seven days on a few grains of corn and an old leather belt which he burned to a crisp and ate. He died at the age of eighty-six, on the 1st of March, 1845. Mr. Corbin was reared to farm life., and had no opportunities for education except short terms at country schools in the winter season. From the time he was sixteen years old he worked in a black- smith-shop on his father's place, and became quite proficient in that trade, which he followed exclu- sively for eight years. On the 18th of January, 1843, he was married to Sarah J., second child in.a family of eight, born to Dr. Jesse and Mary (Lucas) Flowers, who were of Irish ancestry. Before mar- riage Mr. Corbin went to work in a distillery, where he remained for four years, and followed the same occupation for five years after marriage. He then bought eleven acres of land and farmed until 1854, when he sold out and came to Illinois, locating in Livingston County", where he bought eighty acres of land in Esinen Township, which constitutes the farm on which he now resides. He immediately moved upon this farm, and has since devoted his life to developing and improving it. They have had >ix children, four of whom are living Thomas J., Francis B., Rachel and" William Perry. The eldest, Celia Ann, and an infant are dead ; Thomas married Mary Nichols, and is engaged in farming in Chase County, Kan.; they have a family of nine children Joanna, Nora, Anderson, Bertha, Charlie, Lloyd, Morgan, Olive and Jackson. Francis also lives in Chase County, and is a farmer and horse-dealer; Rachel is the wife of Benjamin Flowers, of Em- poria, Lyons Co., Kan., and they have two chil- dren, Cecil and Nettie; Perry married Flora Rhodes; they have three children Jessie S., Ora and an in- fant. Mr. Corbin has never taken a very active part in politics, but invariably caste his vote for the Dem- ocratic ticket. He has served as School Director, and Road Commissioner several times. During the late war he was drafted for service in the army, but being over the age established by law for compul- sory service, he was never taken into active service. EORGE B. MONGER, a retired hotel-keeper, but now the owner of 1,000 acres of land on sections 35 and 36, Esmen Township, where he is devoting his time exclusively to agricult- ure and stock-raising, was born in the town of Sullivan, Madison Co., N. Y., on the 9th of April, 1838, and was the fourth in a family of seven boys, children of William II. and Emily A. (Buslmell) Munger, natives of New York. The maternal grandparents were Reuben and Betsey (Chapman) Bushncll, who were natives of Connecticut. The father of Mr. Munger was an inn-keeper, and built Lafayette Hall at Verona, N. Y., and kept it as a hotel for twenty-five years. He was an enterpris- ing man, and largety interested in the country's progress at that time. lie was a neighbor and warm personal friend of Hon. Horatio Seymour, and I t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 7S!I - wielded a strong influence in State politics. He died in 1854. The widow survives him, and re- sides with her son at the Arcade Hotel, Springfield, Ohio. Mr. Munger was reared" to hotel life, and was educated in the city schools of his home. His mother moved West, and settled near Morris, 111., where she had purchased a farm. He remained at home until the war broke out, and in August, 1861, enlisted in Company G, 36th Illinois Infantry, Capt. Parkhurst commanding. Mr. Munger be- gan to raise a company, but afterward united his men with Capt. Parkhurst's command, and \v.-is mustered in at Aurora. The company was placed under Col. Grossell, and was first sent to Rolla, Mo., where he was assigned to Curtis' command, which was attached to the Army of the Southwest. It was engaged in active skirmishing from the start, and met the first stubborn resistance at Pea Ridge. After this engagement Curtis' army moved from Pea Ridge in the direction of Helena, Ark., on the Mississippi River, which place was reached after a long and severe march, through a country which was barren of subsistence. Mr. Munger remained with the same division during his entire service, participating in all the marches and engagements in which it took part. Three of his brothers were in the service also. He was injured at Pea Ridge, but not wounded afterward. All the brothers went through the war without serious damage, but one of them died soon after his return. Mr. Munger was mustered out at Washington, and returned to his home, where he spent the next year, and then he and his brother started a hotel at Bridgeport, N. Y. In the city above mentioned, on the 18th of No- vember, 1863, Mr. Munger married Miss Mary M. Siver, daughter of Joseph and Betsey (Ochempach) Siver, who were natives of New York. Three years later they came West, where he bought a hotel at Earlville. He remained there three years, and then went to Princeton, 111., and purchased the Empire, the leading hotel there. He bought it on Tuesday, and on Thursday it was totally destroyed by fire, without any insurance, leaving him to begin at the bottom of the ladder again. In a little while he started the National Hotel in the same town, from which he went into the American, remaining in that place altogether seven years. From there he went to Chicago^ where he managed the Burdick House three years, the Clifton House some years, and the Matteson House five years. He then concluded to quit the hotel business and become a farmer and stock-raiser. In December of 1885 he bought a little more than 1,000 acres of laud in the township of Esmen, which he has stocked with fine Norman horses, Short-horn cattle and Southdown sheep, and where he proposes to indulge his taste for farm- ing and stock-raising the remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. .Munger have but one child, Carrie E., wife of Clarence Russell Britton, of the Britton Iron and Steel Company, of Cleveland, where they reside. Mr. Munger takes no part in political mat- ters, but devotes his entire time to business and domestic affairs. It' l\ m HESTER F. CROUCH. The early life of this gentleman was spent in New England ^^^7 among the New Hampshire hills, where his birth took place in the little village of Haverhill, Aug. 27, 1815. lie was reared and educated in his native county, remaining under the home roof until after passing his thirty-first year, and working with his father on the farm, which had been in posses- sion of the latter for a long period. He came to the West in 1854, and two years later purchased eighty acres of his present homestead, which now consists of one-quarter of section 22 in Indian Grove Township. He brought with him to Illi- nois the substantial traits of character with which he had been born and bred, and is tacitly accorded the respect and esteem of his neighbors. Our subject is the son of Ephraim and Rebecca (Whitmore) Crouch, also natives of the old Granite State, where they spent their entire lives. They are remembered by their son as Christian people possessed of the noblest qualities, and performing all their duties in life as parents, neighbors and friends, in a most praiseworthy manner. Ephraim Crouch was reared to farming pursuits, which he LIVINGSTON COUNTY. followed all his life near the place of his birth, and there rested from his labors in August, 1 853. He was a Christian in the broadest sense of the word, although never having connected himself with any religious organization. The same may be said of the mother, who passed to her rest many years previous to the death of her husband, her decease taking place in December, 1837, while she was com- paratively a young woman. The eight children of the parental household were named respectively, Eliza, Sarah, Rebecca, Olive, Franklin, Chester F., Richard and Ephraim. Of these six are living and mostly residents of Illinois. Mr. Crouch was first married in New Hampshire in 1847, to Miss Harriet Taplin, who remained his companion for a period of thirty years and passed away Nov. 20, 1877, leaving two children George B., who married Miss Lucetta Watkins, and Evelyn, Mrs. Elliott Carter; both reside in this county. The mother came to the West with her husband and died at her home in this township, where her remains were laid to rest in Indian Grove Ceme- tery. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Oct. 20, 1879, was formerly Mrs. Ursula (Makepeace) Sackett, daughter of Solomon and Jane Makepeace, and widow of James Sackett. The latter, a native of Lewis County, N. Y., was born in 1822, followed farming all his life, and died at his home in Pleasant Ridge Township in 1871. He was a true Christian gentleman, and served as Class-Leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. He had been a resident of Illi- nois twenty years, locating first in Kendall County, whence four years later lie came to Livingston and took up a tract of land in Pleasant Ridge Town- ship, where he spent the remainder of his days. He was prominent in local affairs, and held the of- fice of Justice of the Peace four years. Mrs. Ursula Crouch was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., in 1827. Her father and mother were na- tives of Massachusetts and Connecticut respect- ively, and their family included seven children, namely : Lucy, Ursula, Jackson, Mary J., Solomon, John D. and Lydia. The marriage of Ursula with Mr. Sackett resulted in the birth of ten children, namely: John H., Delia, Sabrina, Emma, J. E., Mary, Ella, Lydia, Hattie and Willie. Mr. Crouch is a decided Republican, politically, and served -as Postmaster at Haverhill eight years. y" 1LLIAM A. PHILLIPS occupies the home- stead of his father, one of the most thor- oughly cultivated farms of Newtown Town- ship, and also represents this township in the County Board of Supervisors. He is a man of standing in his community, possessing good business capacities, and in all respects a public-spirited and liberal-minded citizen. His property is located on section 5, and he in common with a large propor- tion of the farmers of Livingston County, takes pride in his live stock especially, and gives to this department a large share of his attention. The subject of this biography was born under the roof where he now lives, Oct. 3, 1855, and is the son of Jacob and Mary (Zeigler) Phillips, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this ALBUM. The father is still living on the old homestead. The dwelling formerly stood three- fourths of a mile west, whence it was removed to its present location as being a more convenient and desirable one. Young Phillips passed his childhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons in the early days, and pursued his first studies at the district schools. He was a studious boy, ambitious to ex- cel, and in the fall of 1872, when seventeen years old, repaired to Clarke County, where he took a thor- ough course of study, spending two years and six months preparing to enter upon a collegiate course at Westfield College. His plans, however, were sadly broken in upon by his failing health, and he was obliged to abandon his books and return to the more active life of the farm. Soon- afterward he commenced working on his own account and began the establishment of a home for himself. In pursuance of his later plans Mr. Phillips now secured himself a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Catherine Parcel, to whom he was married at the home of the bride, in Westfield, Aug. 27, 1876, Rev. William McGinnis, of the United Brethren Church, officiating. Mrs. Phillips was I I .- RESIOENCEOrTHOMAS MILLS, SEC I. LONG POINT TOWNSHIP RESIDENCEOF CHRIST. GMELICK, SEC 7, AMITY TOWNSHIP RESIDENCE OF IRA COOK, SEC 16, AMITY TOWNSHIP, t. ; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 793 born in Westfleld, May 8. 1857, and is the daugh- ter of John I. and Jane (McQuern) Parcel, natives respectively of New Jersey and North Carolina. The father was born in 1805, and the mother about 1821-22. The parents of both migrated first to Ohio during its early settlement, and subsequently to Indiana, where the young people were married. From the new State of Indiana they removed to Illinois, and located in Clark County, where they still live, the mother in good health but the father quite feeble. They are people highly respected by all who know them, and members in good standing of the United Brethren Church. Their six children were named respectively, Margaret and Frances, twins; Samuel, Catherine, Alexander and Linnie. Of these two are deceased, and the others are mar- ried and residents mostly of Illinois. Margaret, the widow of Edwin Fish, resides in Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips after their marriage made their home at their present residence, and are the parents of one child, a son, Clifford, born March 17, 1885. They belong to the United Brethren Church at Smithdale. The wife of our subject is in every way fitted to be the companion of an in- telligent and well-educated man, having taken a course of studies at Westfield College, giving par- ticular attention to music, in which she became proficient as a performer, and engaged in teaching before her marriage. Mr. Phillips is a firm adherent of the Republican party, and besides his present office has held that of Township Clerk. He has been Supervisor of Newtown four years, and has proved himself ad- mirably fitted for the discharge of his duties. J^ OHN COCKRAM. The United States pos- sesses more inducements to emigrants from European countries than any other country ' in the world, and affords more opportunities also for the vocations of life. All varieties of cli- mate are represented within its boundaries, and its natural resources include nearly all that are com- prehended by other sections of the globe. So far as climate and soil are concerned, they stand unex- celled for the production of crops, which form the staple of life in all civilized countries, and as far as the relations of the people are concerned, the far- mer in this country is the peer of any other man, no matter what his calling in life may be. or how exalted his political position. The subject of this sketch, who is a representa- tive and progressive farmer and stock-raiser, resid- ing on section 30, in Avoca Township, is a native of Devonshire, England. He was born on the 4th of July, 1836, and can consequently celebrate his birthday and the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of his adopted country simultane- ously. He is the second son of William and Mar- tha Cockram, also natives of England. While yet a boy in his native country he received a very fail- English education, and acquired a practical exper- ience in farming. In 1856 he took passage at Liv- erpool on a steamer bound for America, and after a voyage of nine days landed at Quebec, whence he almost immediately proceeded to the State of New York, where he resided in Batavia for about eight years. On the 7th of March, 1862, at Batavia, N. Y., Mr. Cockram was married to Helen Haslip, a na- tive of London, England. In the fall of 1869 they came west and located in Livingston County, where for several years they lived on rented land until he could acquire sufficient means with which to pur- chase a farm. Their efforts in this direction were successful, and the home place now consists of eighty acres of well-improved land, equipped with appropriate buildings. When he landed in Amer- ica he had but $8 in his pocket with which to begin life among strangers and in a .strange land, but he had an indomitable will and a determination to succeed, having come to this country for the pur- pose of making it his permanent home. Mr. Cockram is a Democrat when it comes to National issues, but in the matter of electing town- ship and county officers he gives his support, re- gardless of party, to the candidate he considers most competent to fill the office. He has been fre- quently solicited to accept office at the hands of his fellow-citizens, but has invariably declined, be- ing of an unassuming nature, and not having a taste for office-holding. He and his wife are both reputable and respected members of society, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. enjoy the confidence and esteem of the community. They are so situated that in their declining years they will enjoy all the comforts of life, and will look back with considerable satisfaction at the events which led up to their success. \ . NDREW B. CLAUDON, money loaner, K-ll grain and coal dealer, and owner of the ft Fairbury Elevator, .was born in Lorraine, while it was yet a Province of France, Aug. 31, 1846, and is the son of Nicholas and Bar- bara (Bechler) Claudon, who were also natives of France. The father was born in 1800 and is still living in France, following his occupation of farm- ing. The mother was born in 1814, and died in January, 1880. Mr. Claudon is one of a family of eight children, namely : Christian, Joseph, Mary, Andrew B., Bar- bara, Peter, Nicholas B., and one who died in in- fancy. Christian married Miss Annie Beckler; Jo- seph married Miss Mary Mosierman ; Mary is the wife of M. D. King; Barbara married C. Summers, and they are residents of France; Peter married Miss Katie Vercler, now deceased, and his second marriage was to Miss Lena Engel; Nicholas B. mar- ried Miss Maty Schertz, of Tazewell Count}', 111. ; they have two children Chester, and an infant not named. Andrew and Nicholas compose the firm of Claudon Bros., grain dealers, which business was established in the fall of 1877. They are the larg- < est grain-buyers in Livingston County, their pur- chases annually aggregating about 000 carloads. They have the confidence and esteem of the grain- raisers of all this section of Illinois, and virtually control- the trade within the teriitory tributary to Fairbury. Andrew B. Claudon was married, in 1877, to Miss Mollie A. McDowell, a native of Illi- nois, where she was born in 1853. They have had three children Allie B.. Annie J. and Burt, the last-named dying in infancy. Nicholas Claudon was married on the 2d of Feb- ruary, 188l', to Mi>s Mary Sdiirtz, whose father, Joseph Schirtz, a miller by occupation, was one of tlic pioneer:- of Ta/ewcll County; she was born in May, 1860. Nicholas Claudon came to Illinois in 1873, and located in Chenoa, where he remained seven years engaged in farming. In 1881 he moved to Danvers, McLean County, where he entered into partnership with C. R. Stuckey, as dealers in gen- eral merchandise, in which business they accumu- lated some money. On the 5th of July, 1883, Nicholas disposed of his interest there and moved to Fairbury, and entered into partnership in the grain business witli his brother. Andrew B. Clau- don came to Illinois in 1867, locating in Chenoa, where he remained two years engaged in the har- ness business. In 1809 he closed up his affairs there and came to Fairbury, where he worked at the same business for five years, at the end of which time he made a visit to Europe and again looked upon the scenes of his childhood. Upon his return to the United States, he entered upon the business of grain- buyer, which he has since continued. In political matters both brothers act with the Republican party. IRAM DRONENBURG, a representative farmer and stock-raiser of Owego Town- ship, where he owns a finely cultivated tract of 156 acres on section 4, is a native of Frederick County, Md., where his birth took place Dec. 28, 1817. He remained in his native State until after his marriage, and then migrating west- ward to Marshall County, 111., during its pioneer days, pitched his tent in this localit\", and here he has since remained. This movement on his part proved an advantageous one for himself and of equal benefit to the community. He has acquitted himself creditably us a citizen and with marked skill as an agriculturist, besides developing prime qualities as a business man. The parents of our subject, Jacob and Ma 1-3' (Madary) Dronenburg, were natives of Pennsyl- vania. and the paternal ancestors were of Holland descent. The paternal grandfather of our subject. Jacob Dronenburg, Sr., served in the War of 1812, and spent his last years in his native Maiyland. Hiram, of our sketch, was the fifth in a family of twelve children, of whom besides our subject the following survive, namely: Jacob, of Maryland; t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 795 Margaret, widow of the late Charles Hagan, of Richmond, Va.; Henry, of Maryland : Rachel, the widow of the late SamneJ Kit-miller, of Bartholo- mew County, Ind. ; Mary A., Mrs. Nathan Jones, of Maryland, who is now a widow; William and Charles. The two last named are also residents of Maryland. Mr. Dronenburg spent his childhood and youth in his native county, receiving a limited education and assisting his father in the blacksmith-shop, (where the latter employed much of his time) until fourteen years of age. The father of the family wa> then called hence, his death taking place about 1832. Several of the sons of Jacob Dronenburg had learned the trade of their father, and after, the death of the latter Hiram also began a regular ap- prenticeship, and followed blacksmithing entirely until 1857, in which year he came to Illinois. He was a resident of Marshall County until 1871, and thence came to Livingston County, where he prac- tically abandoned blacksmithing and took up the more congenial pursuit of agriculture. When Mr. Dronenburg took possession of the land which he now owns the sod had scarcely been turned by the plowshare, and the transformation which has been brought about, it will be apparent at once to the reflective mind, has been accom- plished only by the most persevering industry and patient waiting. The fields are now enclosed with beautiful hedge fencing, and the dwelling is sur- rounded by shade and ornamental trees, while a fine orchard stands in the rear, indicating at once the commendable pride and taste of the proprietor. The lady who has shared the fortunes of our subject for a period of over forty-five years, and to whom he was married Dec. 12, 1839, was in her girlhood Miss Sarah A. Price, a native also of Maryland, and daughter of Job and Mary Price. Of this union there were born six children, of whom they have suffered the loss of three. Those sur- viving are: Bertie, the wife of Robert Miller, of Odell Township; Robert, who is farming in Owego Township; and Laura, the wife of David Dowhow, who resides in the eastern portion of the county. Those deceased were named Mary, William and Reverdy. Mary died at forty-four years of age ; the others passed away in early childhood. Our subject is essentially a self-made man, carving out his own fortune unaided, and has proved an ad- mirable illustration of the results of industrious ef- fort coupled with an upright and worthy life. He has taken a lively interest in the moral and educa- tional welfare of his community, and has been a cheerful and liberal contributor to those enter- prises tending to this end. Politically he is a con- scientious Democrat, and with his estimable wife occupies an enviable position in his township, en- joying the confidence and esteem of all who know him. He has. represented Owego Township in the County Board of Supervisors several terms, and has also served as Commissioner of Highways, and to whatever position he has been called he has dis- charged his duties with credit to himself and satis- faction to all concerned. Mr. Dronenburg and his aged partner are now passing down the sunset hill of life, a life which they may justly feel has been well spent, for they have reared their children care- fully and have striven to exert a good influence upon all around them. OIIN G. LOCKNER. This gentleman is pro- prietor of one of the most beautiful home- steads in Livingston County. It comprises 160 acres of land and is located on section .">, in Germanville Township, in all respects forming one of the most attractive spots in the landscape of that region. The soil has been brought to a high state of cultivation, while the farm buildings invari- ably attract the attention of the passer-by as having evidently been erected under the supervision of a proprietor of refined tastes and ample means. The residence stands on a slight elevation and com- mands a view of the surrounding country within a radius of many miles, including the town of Mel- vin, which at a distance of nine miles is plainly visible. Mr. Lockner took possession of this delightful .-pot in the spring of 1871. It would not then by any means bear comparison with its present condi- tion, although its natural advantages were great. Mr. Lockner by his skill and industry has developed in .1 surprising manner the resources at hand, and I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. has been well repaid for his outlay of time and means. Of all the men who came from the Father- land to build up a home in the New World few have been more fortunate in their undertakings and none more deserving. The essential points in a history of more than ordinary interest are as fol- lows: Our subject was born in the central part of the Kingdom of Prussia, June 24, 1840. He was the second of three children, the offspring of Goothelf and Anna Lockner, who were also of German birth and parentage, and were reared and married in their native Province. In 1857, when John G. was a youth of seventeen years, they came to the United States with their family and first located in Men- dota, this State. The parents resided in LaSalle County the remainder of their days, engaged in farming pursuits. The father rested from his earthly labors in the spring of 1878, and the mother eighteen months later, in 1880. The three children of the parental household were all born in Ger- many. William, the youngest, a bright and intel- ligent lad nine years of age, was drowned in New York Harbor when the}' landed in this country. Anna is the wife of John Dnmett, a farmer of La- Salle County. Our subject celebrated his seventeenth birthday upon the Atlantic Ocean on the voyage to Amer- ica. He remained with his parents on the farm until the outbreak of the late war. in the meantime having become thoroughly Americanized. Feeling that the interests of his adopted country were his own, it is not surprising therefore, that now, in common with thousands of other young patriots, he was anxious to do battle in defense of her in- stitutions, and accordingly proffered his services as a soldier of the Union, soon after the first call for troops. He was mustered into service as a member of Company K, llth Illinois Infantry, and partici- pated in the battle of Shiloh and other minor en- gagements, after which he was detailed to service at the headquarters of Gen. McPhcrson for eight- een months. With the exception of a furlough of thirty days, he was continuously in service there- after until the close of the war. During this period he traveled over nine of the Southern States, and although seeing much danger and hardship, was neither wounded nor captured, although in the thickest of the fight at Shiloh and where five men were shot down at his right side. He \vas mustered out by special order in December, 1865, at Mem- phis, Tenn., after having gained the marked ap- proval of his superior officers, and the good-will and esteem of his comrades, by his bravery and un- selfishness. Upon returning to civil life Mr. Lockner took up his abode in Marshall County, this State, where he was engaged in farming pursuits until 1871. Then, having some means, he decided to invest in real estate in this county and settled where he now resides. Very little of the sod had been broken and there were no buildings of any kind. The land is now all under cultivation, and the residence, erected in 1887, is acknowledged to be the best in Germanville Township. The lady who has presided over his household affairs for a period of nearly twenty years, was in her girlhood Miss Catherine Seifert, and became the wife of our subject in Woodford County, 111., in 1870. Mrs. Lockner was born in 1842, and is now the n.otlier of six bright children, namely: Jacob, Mary, Katie, John, William and Henry. Mr. Loekner is a stanch Republican, politically, and always ready to support the principles of his party. He is wide-awake, enterprising and indus- trious, and no man in the county stands higher or enjoys in a larger degree the esteem and confidence of his fellow-citizens. He has served as School Di- rector in his township and is a member in good standing of the Lutheran Church. As illustrative of the progress made in the style of architecture in this section of coimtrj' we present On another page a view of Mr. Lockner's residence. ETER HARRINGTON, a native of the Em- pire State, has been a resident of Dwight Township for eighteen years, and is- one of the most useful and substantial members of the agricultural community. The history of his family is one eminently worthy of record. :inc| which he preserves with conscientious care as a mat- ter which will be of invaluable interest to his chil- I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 797 dri'ii. The world naturally reverts to tlie antece- dents of the prominent man involuntarily, wish- ing to know under what circumstances he com- menced life, and with what elements he has had to contend, particularly if his career has been fortu- nate, as has that of our subject. Michael Harrington, the father of Peter, was born in County Cork, Ireland, whence he emigrated when a young man, about 1837, after his marriage, and after the birth of two children. The mother, formerly Miss Ellen Mahony, was born in the same locality as her husband, and cheerfully accompanied him to the New World, which they had sought in the hopes of bettering their condition and giving to their children the advantages which there seemed no prospect of obtaining upon their native soil. They located in New York, where the father was employed at farming for eight years following. In 1844 they removed to Wisconsin, and Mr. Harring- ton purchased a farm in Saukville, Ozark Countv, where he built up a comfortable home, and where his death took place in 188G. He had lived to the advanced age of eighty-one years, and his course had been such as to secure for him the highest re- spect of all who knew him. The parental house- hold included eight children, who were named re- spectively, Bartholomew, John, Peter, George, Den- nis, Michael, Mary and Ella. They are all living, and residents mostly of Wisconsin. The mother is dead. Michael Harrington, after becoming a nat- uralized citizen, identified himself with the Demo- cratic party, whose principles he supported with all the energy of his character. He was an industrious, hard-working man, and is remembered by his chil- dren with the highest respect and veneration. Peter Harringcon was born in Herkimer County, N. Y., in 1837, and was a lad of but seven years when his parents removed to Wisconsin. He re- members the fact that they settled in a home among the Indians, when a large portion of the countrv was still a wilderness, and wild game was plenty. Amid these surroundings it was hardly to be ex- pected that he could acquire a finished education, but he was naturally fond of reading, and after be- coming acquainted with the tirst rudiments, made good progress in learning through his own exertions and by the aid of observation and experience. He remained contented with the quiet pursuits of farm life, his greatest ambition being the establishment of a home of his own. The men of thirty years ago, and in that section of country, not being as fashionable and exacting as they are at the present day. bravely started out when comparatively young in years, and took upon themselves the responsibilities of a famrly. The young lad IPS too were usually thoroughly trained in those arts which have such great influence in the happiness and contentment of a home. Young Har- rington accordingly, at the age of twenty years, having already selected his future helpmeet, was married in the spring of 1857, to Miss Catherine, daughter of Dennis and Ellen (Leary) McCarty, of Saukville, Wis. They settled contentedly down to housekeeping on the little farm which had been pre- sented Mr. H. by his father, and where they resided until 1864. Our subject then disposed of his prop- erty in Wisconsin, and removed with his family to Chicago, 111., but six months later rented a farm in LaSalle County, upon which he operated three years, and then secured possession of his present farm. To Mr. and Mrs. Harrington there were born ten children, whom they named respectively, Michael, Dennis, Mariah, Kate, Daniel, Celia, Peter, John, George and Arthur. The faithful and affectionate wife and mother de- parted this life at her home in Dwight Township, March 8, 1869. She possessed all the qualities of a worthy Christian lady, conscientious in the dis- charge of her duties, and doing everything in her power to make the home of her husband and chil- dren the most attractive spot on earth. With her husband and family she adhered firmly to the Catho- lic faith of her forefathers, and her name is held in universal respect by all who knew her. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Oct. 8, 1885, was formerly Miss Ellen, daughter of Patrick and Johanna (Donohoe) Burk, of Dwight. Mrs. Harrington - was born July 1, 1848, at the home of her parents in Ireland, and was favored with a good education and careful training in those duties and accomplishments which have fitted her to preside with nice judgment and discretion over the home of one of the most promi- nent citizens of a highly intelligent community. t t. I 798 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. The Harrington homestead invariably attracts the eye of the passing traveler as being one eminently desirable, and under the supervision of a gentle- man of good taste and thorough experience as a farmer and business man. The dwellings are sub- stantial, and kept in good order, and the farm stock and machinery are entirely creditable to the proprie- tor. / OIIN W. MARSH, who is now a farmer and I stock-raiser on section 8 in Pontiac Town- ship, is a man who has siK-ut most of his life in other business pursuits, and became an agriculturist but a few years ago. He is a native of Madison County, N. Y., where he was born on the 23d of July, 1834. His parents were James and Esther (Miller) Marsh, the father being a na- tive of New England, and the mother of Chenango County, N. Y. His paternal ancestors were of Scotch-English descent. When about three years of age, his parents moved to Chenango County, X. Y.,and there lived until he reached his twelfth year. In his fifth year his mother died, and his father died when he was but twelve years of age, making him an orphan at this tender age. After his father's death he returned to Madison County, N. Y., and for two years resided with an uncle named Isaac Marsh. At fourteen years of age he began busi- ness for himself, working by the day, job or month. In his seventeenth year he began learning the trade of a shoemaker, serving for two years and a half, at the end of which time lie bought out the busi- ness of his employer, Alexander Covey, of Brook- field, N. Y., and conducted the business succe.-.- fully for several years, when he sold out with the intention of going West. He reconsidered his pur- pose, however, and again entered into business in the same town, which he continued until nearly the close of the war. In November, 1854, Mr. Marsh married Cornelia Beebe, daughter of Amos Beebe, of Madison Coun- ty, N. Y., and by this marriage there were five chil- dren: Louisa, the wife of William Black, of Wood- ford County, 111.; John A. married Ellen A. Hake. of Wood ford County, 111., and is superintendent of the manufacturing department and salesroom of John McCalla, of 1'outiac; William A. is operating a part of the homestead; Willis S. is foreman in the fitting department of the shoe manufactory in the State Reform School at Pontiac. John AY. Marsh married his present wife in 1871, she being Mi-s Lucene A. Lawson, originally of West Vir- ginia, but at the time of marriage residing in Wood- ford County, 111. By this marriage there are four children Esther. Edson, Mary and Lucinda. Mr. Marsh came to Livingston Count}- in the spring of 1 866, and was located for two years three miles northeast of Pontiac, and then moved to Cayuga, where he engaged in farming and the boot and shoe business. In the fall of 1869 he moved to Pontiac, and for a short time was employed in the boot and shoe business for other parties, and then began business for himself, and gradually worked his business up to that point that made it the largest in the city. He continued in this busi- ness until 1876, when he moved to his farm, on which he has resided ever since. His farm consists of eighty acres of good land, which he successfully cultivates. Mr. Marsh is a non-partisan in politics, and when he does take any part it is in furtherance of the Prohibition party. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and for many years has devoted consider- able time to ministerial work. He lectures quite frequently in Livingston and adjoining counties on questions of morality and reformation. He is a man of education and large information, and has pronounced views upon all the questions of the day, particularly those which relate to religion and reform. NDERSON COKBIN. The subject of this biography is one of the oldest and most (! highly respected residents of SunbniT Township. At the time of his coming here, in !&>;>, there were but four families within its limits. He has watched with interest and satisfac- tion the development and growth of Central Illi- nois, and contributed in no small degree to its pres- ent importance and prosperity. Mr. C'orliin was born in Harrison County, W. Va., March l.'i, 1813, and came to the West in the t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 70!) 1 strength of his young manhood, prepared to battle with the elements of life in a new country, to es- tablish a homestead, and build up a record that should reflect honor upon his posterity. When we consider what he has accomplished and the estima- tion in which he is held by the people who have known him so long and well, it is hardly necessary to say that his career has been a success. He is now retired from active labor, and in the precincts of a pleasant home in the village of Blaekstone is enjoying the fruits of his early industry. The father of our subject, Anderson Corbin, Sr., was born in Culpeper, Va., and was the son of Francis Corbin, also a native of the Old Domin- ion. The latter was a farmer by occupation but afterward joined Hhe army, and died in the service of his country while fighting on the side of the Colonists during the Revolutionary War. His son Anderson, encouraged by the example of his hon- ored sire, also entered the army when but fourteen years of age. He served as a substitute until the close, and was present at the surrender of Corn- wallis. The father of our subject, after retiring to civil life, purchased a tract of timber land in Harrison County, and located there during its ear- liest settlement. He redeemed a farm from the wilderness and established a comfortable homestead, upon which he spent the remainder of his days, his death occurring about 1 SSo. He had married in early manhood Miss Elizabeth Haines, a lady of excellent character and well fitted to become the companion of an intelligent and worthy man. The mother of our subject was born in Maryland, and was the daughter of Henry Haines, one of the earliest pio- neers of Harrison County, W. Va. He removed to Greene County, Ohio, and died at an advanced age. The parental household of our subject included six sons and six daughters, of whom Anderson was the tenth in order of birth. He was reared on the old homestead in Harrison County, and remained with his parents until ready to establish a home for himself. After marriage he purchased a tract of partly improved land five miles from his father's farm, where he resided nine years. He then sold this property and removed to Ritchie County, W. Va., where he carried on farming until the fall of 1854. Not being entirely satisfied with the results of his labor he decided to seek the great West, and disposing of his property interests in the Old Do- minion, he started upon a long journey overland to the Prairie State. He was accompanied by his wife and seven children, and had a conveyance consisting of a wagon drawn by two horses. Upon arriving at Lal'orte, Ind., however, they concluded to spend the winter there, but in the spring they resumed their journey, and arrived in this county on the 29th of April, 1855. They had traveled after the manner of the emigrants of those days, camping and cooking by the wayside and sleeping in their wagon at night. Much of their road lay through an untraveled countiy, and in many districts the inhabitants were few and far between. Wild game was plentiful, and the traveler of those da_ys, who seldom started out without his gun, was able to supyly his family with the finest of wild meats. In this manner the emigrants fared not badly. Mr. Corbin located at once in Sunbury Township, where he purchased a quarter section of land at $5 per acre. It was wild prairie upon which not a furrow had been turned. He rented a tract of im- proved land adjacent, and in connection with farming carried on blacksmithing, which he had learned in his native State. In the course of five years he was enabled to build upon his own land, and located in a dwelling of his own in February, 1860. He also put up a blacksmith-shop, and pur- sued his trade while superintending the improve- ment of his farm. He lived and labored there con- tinuously until the spring of 1881, when he wisely decided to retire and spend his declining years in the ease and comfort which he had so justly earned. He accordingly purchased a neat home in Black- stone, and, surrounded by his children and friends, is enjoying a green old age. Although having passed beyond his threescore years and ten, he is still active, and takes a lively interest in National, State and county affairs. He made the most of his opportunities for education while young, and has always kept up a regular course of reading, by which he has become well posted upon all matters of general interest. His manners are those of a gentleman born and bred, and his conversation that of a man who has had a rich experience in life T son LIVINGSTON COUNTY. and has kept his eyes open to what was going on in the world around him. He is liberal in his relig- ious views, and politically one of the stanchest ad- herents of the Democratic part}'. The lady who has been the close companion and friend of our subject for a period of over fifty years, was in her girlhood Miss Mary A. Coplin, and became his wife on the 4th of May, 1837. Mrs. Corbin is a native of the same county as her husband, and was born in 1812. Her parents were Benjamin and Nancy (Bartlett) Coplin, natives of Harrison County, W. Va. Of her union with our subject there were born the children whose record is as follows: Nancy E., the wife of William Van Schoy, is a resident of Streator, 111. ; Olive lives in Pontinc; Augustine makes his home in Streator; and Benjamin remains with his parents in Blackstone ; Celia became the wife of Henry Bregg, and they are residents of Newtown Township ;Garrett died in 1885, when forty years of age; Martha married C. C. McDonnel. and died in Esmen Township in 1880. The children were carefully trained and educated, and those surviving have taken their rightful place in the community as the offspring of one of the most valued residents and honored pioneers of Livingston County. THEODORE MONK. This gentleman has located his permanent home very many miles from the place of his birth, which was on the other side of the Atlantic, in the little manufactur- ing town of Sommerda, Prussia. He there began life April 26, 1839, and at an early age was placed in school, continuing at his studies until a youth of fourteen. His parents were natives of the same Province as their son, and the father, Gustavus Monk, was a cloth-dresser, preparing the material for market after it had been woven. The mother's maiden name was Leinsenbast. Our subject upon leaving school was bound out to learn the machinist's trade, at which he worked three years, and then prepared to immigrate with his father to the New World. They embarked on a sailing-vessel, and after a tedious voyage of seven weeks arrived in New York Harbor, whence they proceeded to Milwaukee, Wis. There young Theo- dore secured employment at his trade, but a year later went south to St. Louis, and for two years thereafter was employed in a machine-shop. We next find him engaged as cook on board a boat ply- ing the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. He was thus occupied until the outbreak of the Rebellion, and then enlisted in the 4th Missouri Cavalry, under the command of one of his own countrymen, Gen. Sigel, and they began to encounter the enemy at various points in the Southwest. Later, at the battle of Pea Ridge, our subject received a serious injury from his horse falling upon him. and from which he has never fully recovered. He would not abandon his comrades, however, but persisted in remaining in the service, and was pres- ent at the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Jackson, and all the engagements of that campa'gn, up to the siege and capture of Vicksburg. He afterward with his regiment pushed on to Atlanta, where, having served out the period of his enlistment, three years and four months, he was honorably dis- charged and mustered out at St. Louis. Mr. Monk upon leaving the army came to Peoria and engaged as "mine host" of the Washington House. Six mouths later he abandoned hotel- keeping, and locating in Minonk engaged in the grocery trade, where he continued successfully for a period of fifteen years. In the meantime he had been married, Sept. 9, 1866, to Miss Louisa, daugh- ter of George A. and Dorothea (Swartz) Sauer, of Nebraska Township, Livingston County, Rev. Henry C. Dent officiating. While residents of Minonk they became the parents of six children, two of whom died there. Since their removal to Nebraska Township there has been born one more. Their eldest son, Einil T., was born July 29, 1 867 ; Will- iam H., Nov. 9, 1868; Matilda L., Dec. 28, 1871; Elizabeth F., July 20, 1874; Lydia D., May 28, 1880; George A., Sept. 21, 1882; and Henry C., Oct. 11, 1885. In 1880 our subject, abandoning the grocery business, came to this county and commenced farming on rented land. Three years later his father-in-law, Mr. Sauer, presented him and his wife with 160 acres of land, which our subject and his family have since occupied, and where he has FACTORY of J.W M F - DOWELL.SEC. 22 . AvOCA TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 803 given liis undivided attention to the cultivation of the soil and the raising of fine stock. Mr. M. is distinguished by the leading traits of his country- men, namely, honesty, industry and a strict atten- tion to his own concerns. He has consequently become a popular citizen, and his farm forms one of the most attractive spots in Nebraska Township. He is a Democrat politically, and is serving his fifth year as School Director of his township. Both Mr. and Mrs. M. arc members in good standing of the Lutheran Church, at Minonk. The mother of our subject, who was of German birth and ancestry, spent her entire life in her na- tive country, and died there in early womanhood. The father, after coining to this country, subse- quently crossed the Mississippi and spent his last days in Frankfort, Mo., where his deatli took place about 1858. Theodore was the 3'oungest in a family of three children, the other two being sis- ters. Louisa, the eldest, is married, and continues in her native land ; Theresa came to America, and wj- afterward married in St. Louis; she is now a resident of Frankfort, Mo., and has one child. The mother of Mrs. Monk was of French descent, and born in the city of Paris about 1825. She came to America with her parents when a maiden of sixteen years, and was married at Lacon, 111., about four years later. She departed this life in 1882. and was buried at Minonk, 111. Mr. Saner was born in Germany, about 1818, and emi- grated from the Fatherland when a youth of six- teen years. After the death of his first wife he married a second time, and there was born one child. He is now a resident of Dana, 111. Theodore Monk is a man of fine personal appearance, about five feet four inches in height, with a bright, Imzel eye and black hair. reared to manhood in Livingston County, where he obtained a good education in the common schools, and afterward was graduated from the com- mercial department of the Onarga Business College, located in Iroquqis County, 111. He was married, on the 13th of February, 1877, to Miss Chloe M. Fugate, of Livingston Count}', and to them was born one child, Gertie M., in 1879. This wife died in 1880, and Mr. McDowell was again married, this time to Luella A. Tanner, daughter of the late William Tanner, of Livingston County. One child has been born to them. Mr. McDowell is the owner of a good farm of ff 804 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. jieros, all of which is under an excellent state of cultivation. He established his present tile fac- tory in 1883, and it is fitted up with the newest and most modern machinery used in that business. He employs on an average for the year round, eight men. The good quality of the tile he manu- factures has created such a demand for it in Liv- ingston County that the entire product is used nt home. Both in his farming and tile business he has been successful. In addition to his other busi- ness enterprises, he, in company with his brother, Grant Y., has engaged in the importation of En- glish Shire horses. During the autumn of 1887 they brought over thirteen head of these splendid animals. Mr. McDowell is known as one of the leading- Republicans of Avoea Township, and his party, friends and the people generally have kept him in office for several years. For four years he served as Clerk of the township, and as Road Commis- sioner, in which position he is serving his ninth year, and is now serving his second year as Town- ship Treasurer. He is classed among the most in- fluential and highly esteemed citizens of Livingston County. Mr. and Mrs. McDowell are both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which they take an active interest and occupy a conspicuous position. \Ve give a view of their homestead in this volume, as one of the representative places in the county. RS. ASENITII NORMAN, the widow of Isaac Norman, late of Avoca Township. occupies the comfortable homestead which was left her by her first husband at his death. Her property includes eighty acres of land, is located on section 13, and comprises one of the most fertile tracts in Livingston County. Mrs. Norman is the daughter of John and Mary (Blunt) Snider, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. After marriage her parents located in Vermilion County, this State, and were anidiiir its early settlers. Their daughter, Asenith. was born there Jan. 30, 1834, and remained with her parents in her native county until her first mar- riage, Dee. 5. 1850, to Alfred Lane. This gentle- man was a native of Illinois, and born May .",. 1826. This union resulted in the birth of four children, namely: Mary E., now the wife of James W. Graves, of Avoca Township; Nancy, who died when twenty-four years of age; John C., a resident of Avoca Township: and Sarah .1., who died when nearlj' seven years old. Mr. Lane departed this life at his home in Avoca Township, Jan. 10, 1859. He was a gentleman of much force of character, and became prominent in the township affairs, serv- ing as School Director, and otherwise identifying himself with the best interests of the people. He came to this county in 1851, and located on the farm now occupied by Mrs. Norman, in Avoca Township. When he first took ^possession the sod was still unturned by the plowshare. Mr. Lane had secured 160 acres of prairie and twenty -eight acres of timber, which he operated in the wisest manner, and from which he built up one of the most valuable homesteads in the southern part of this county. He was active in the cause of religion, and one of the most prominent members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Avoca, to which he was a liberal and cheerful contributor. In his family he was kind and indulgent, and among his neighbors self-sacrificing and obliging. He had commenced in life comparatively without means, and at his death left an estate including 300 acres of land, with good farm buildings, a choice assort- ment of live stock, and a goodly amount of valu- able farm machinery. He did not mix very much in political matters, but uniformly cast his vote with the Democratic party. Mrs. Lane continued a resident of this township until her marriage with Isaac Norman, Jan. 10, 1 M: 1 . Mr. Norman was born in Licking County, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1S40. and his marriage with Mrs. Lane re- sulted in the birth of the following children: Will- iam, now deceased; Amie and Rosa, residents of Avoca: Delia and Eli/a, deceased; Wesley and A-ciiith, the latter of whom died in infancy. Isaac Norman came to this county in l^.'il, which remained his residence until his death, Feb. 4, 1884, and during the more than thirty years in which he walked in and out among the people of this section, he had by his upright course in life commended himself to their esteem and confidence. r LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 805 Religiou>ly lie had been at one time a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and politically voted with the Democratic party. John ('. Lane, the son of Mrs. Norman by her first marriage, has inherited in a marked degree the talents of his father, and is starting out in life under the most favorable auspices. He was born in this county on the 23d of March, 1857, and is now consequently thirty years of age. He has for the last few veal's been operating a snug farm on section 14, where he is building up a comfortable home, and is ahead}- looked upon as a citizen of whom much -is expected in the future. He has spent his life so far in this county, and has also thus far in life been engaged in farming pursuits. He was married, Sept. 26, 1878, to Miss Maggie, daughter of Michael Fogle, who was formerly of Avoca Township but is now a resident of Kansas. The young people are the parents of three children Cora M., Rosanna and George W. The property of young Mr. Lane comprises fifty -six acres, where he has a neat residence and is conducting his farm operations with excellent judgment. He is also a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Republican in politics. NDREW S. McMILLAN, of Rook's Creek Township, owns eighty acres of good land on section 10, where he carries on general farming and stock-raising, and by his hon- esty and industry has secured the confidence and esteem of his neighbors. His possessions have been accumulated by his own industry and perseverance, and he has suffered adversity with the balance of mankind, having lost considerable by the rascality of an unscrupulous man. His career has been marked by steady persistence, however, and as he is still a young man it is probable that a few years will find him occupying a good position among the landed proprietors of Livingston County. He has served as School Director in his township several years, but has declined seeking other offices, pre- ferring to give his principal attention to his farm and his family. Politically, he votes the straight Democratic ticket, and religiously is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church. His household in- cludes six bright children, born as follows: Fran- ces A., Feb. 14, 1872; Andrew Benjamin, June 3, 1874; Louisa Pearl, Aug. 24, 1877; William Ernest, Jan. 20, 1880; Ira Reason, Jan. 12, 1883, and Harry Robert, Jan. 18, 1886. The family resi- dence is a modest but comfortable dwelling, and the out-buildings are kept in good repair. Mr. McMillan, a native of this county, was born in Pontiac Township, Jan. 8, 1848, and was the youngest of four children, the offspring of Andrew S. and Mahala (Springer) McMillan, the former a native of Virginia, where it is supposed the mother was also born, and whence she afterward removed with her parents when young to Ohio. The mother died when our subject was an infant of six or seven months, and he was then taken into the family of his aunt until after the second marriage of his father. He then returned to the parental roof, and six or seven years later was doubly orphaned by the death of his remaining parent. He then went to live with an uncle, William McMillan, who also died a few years afterward. Thus deprived of a home again, he worked about from place to place, and subsequently made his headquarters at the house of his eldest sister, Mrs. Mary Brown. When nine- teen years of age he took a trip to Kansas, driving a team through for J. M. Edenfield, of Rook's Creek. He was gone three or four months, then returned to Illinois, and in 1868 rented a tract of land in Pontiac Township, where he carried on farming until the following year. He then crossed the Mississippi again into Kansas, returning to Illi- nois a few months later. He was married, Jan. 6, 1870, to Miss Frances Helen Blue, daughter of Benjamin II. and Elizabeth (Johnson) Blue, natives of Ohio and Illinois respectively, the father now deceased, and the mother a resident of Rook's Creek. The young people commenced life together on section 12, in Rook's Creek Township, where Mr. McMillan had purchased forty acres of hind, which they occupied six years. He then secured his present homestead, where he has since resided. The parents of our subject were residents of Rook's Creek Township at the time of the Black Hawk War, living near the old fort, all traces of which are now swept away by the hand of time. 1 806 Oft th LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Of the first marriage of his father there were burn the following: Mary, now the wife of Reason Brown, a prosperous fanner of Pontiac Township, and the mother of five children; Hannah, who first married John Edgington, now deceased, and sub- sequently his brother Richard. Of the second marriage of his father there was born one child. Anna C.; now the wife of Oman Hendershott. of Pontiac Township. fILLIAM H. ENTWISTLE, pleasantly lo- cated in the southeastern part of Living- ston County, on section 25 in Charlotte Township, occupies the homestead which his father built up from the primitive soil, and where that parent is now spending, his declining years The property includes 360 acres of finely cultivated land, which, naturally fertile and beautifiill}' located, has been thoroughly developed and produces in abundance the richest crops of the Prairie State. The farm is stocked' with good grades of the do- mestic animals, including Durham cattle and Nor- man and Clyde horses. The farm buildings are all that could reasonably be required for comfort and convenience, and everything about the place indi- cates thrift and prosperity. The early home of our subject was in Waukesha County, Wis., where his birth took place in March, 1 852. lie is the youngest in a family of four children, the offspring of James and Jane (Draper) Entwistle, natives of Lancashire, England. The father learned the trades of carpenter and weaver in his native town, and first immigrated to America in 1831. A few years later he returned to his native shire, and was there married to one of his childhood associ- ates, Miss Jane Draper, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in June, 1836. Not long afterward the newly wedded pair set sail for the purpose of establishing their home in the New World. They made but a brief stay in New York City, and from there proceeded to Waukesha County, Wis., where their four children were born. and whence they removed to Peoria, this State, in the spring of 1864. The father not long afterward purchased 160 acres of wild land in Charlotte Township, this county, of which the family took possession the following spring, making themselves comfortable in the small frame house which stood upon it. James Entwistle was prospered in his farming operations, and added piece after piece to his landed possessions until he became proprietor of one of the most desirable homesteads in that section of country. The two elder children married and es- tablished themselves in comfortable homes of their own, but our subject, William II., has continued under the home roof all his life. The faithful wife and mother departed this life on the 18th of No- vember, 1880. The father is still living and re- mains on the homestead with his two younger sons. James Entwistle, upon coming to this country had very little means, and the valuable homestead which now attracts the admiring gaze of the trav- eler is the result of his own unaided industry. He trained his sons to habits of economy and correct moral principles, and has lived to see them become highly respected members of the community. AMUEL I. CAIRNS. The vocation of a farmer is an honorable and independent one, and he who succeeds in that occupation, particularly under circumstances which are at first unpropitious, is entitled to more credit than the man who becomes a millionaire ns a sequel to having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Among the agriculturists of this country all the happinos and comfort is not to be found upon the threshold of those who count their acres by the thousands and their cattle upon a thousand hills, but real contentment may be looked for on the farms with quarter-section boundary lines or less. The subject of this sketch is the owner of eighty acree on section 26, Rook's Creek Township. lie is the sou of Michael K. and Mary (Skeels) Cairns, and was born in Tuscarawas Co., Ohio, Aug. 10, I*."p2. lie cnme with his paivuN to McLean County in isfili, where his father bought a farm of 160 a-- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 809 G.,Nov. 3, 1881; Louis H., Sept. 17, 1884, and Paulina R., Sept. 2(J, 1887. The eldest is an inter- esting girl fourteen yenrs of age, and little Paulina, a babe of four months. I LEXANDER GRANT, who first opened his eyes among the Highlands of Scotland. U crossed the Atlantic to the New World in l.s, r >2. and for twenty years thereafter fol- lowed the carpenter's trade. In I8G1 he decided to change his occupation and take up farming. In tin's he has been more than ordinarily successful, and is now the proprietor of a fine estate, includ- ing 273 acres of land, a fine residence and all the other surroundings of a desirable and comfortable home. The main points in a history of more than ordinary interest are substantial!}' as follows: Our subject was born Feb. 21, 1821, and re- mained upon his native soil until 18;V2. He had in the meantime served his apprenticeship at the car- penter's trade, and after coining to America located first at Joliet, III., in the vicinity of which place he lived, with the exception of one year, until coming to this county. Soon after his arrival here he lo- cated on section 12, Round Grove Township, where he continued, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and in 1882 put up his present residence at Reddick, where he is'now living- retired from active labor. When Mr. Grant first arrived in this county the country was comparatively new and his neighbors were few and far between. He put up the first building in Gardner, Giundy County, which was a section-house of the Chicago & Alton Railroad. He has never been afraid of hard work, always made it a point to live within his income, and has been particularly fortunate in his investments. Although a Republican, and a strong temperance man, he has never aspired to be an office-holder, and has coii>eqnently given his time and attention to his real-estate interests and the cultivation of his land, The marriage of Alexander Grant and Miss Katie C. Leonard was celebrated at the home of the bride, in Joliet, 111., in May. 18G1. Mr.-. Grant was born in the city of Manchester, England, in 1 s i 1 , and came to Canada with her parents when thirteen years of age. A year later they migrated to the States and then took up their residence at Joliet, 111. Her parents, Frank and Mary (Leh- man) Leonard, were natives of England, and the father a stonemason by trade. Their family in- cluded eight childien, of whom Mrs. G. was the youngest. The parents of our subject, John and Mary (Irv- ing) Grant, were of pure Scotch ancestry, and spent their entire lives in the land of their birth. John Grant was a farmer by occupation, and pos- sessed all the honest and reliable traits for which his nationality is so greatly noted. The parental hou>choln section 7, in Nebraska Township, is the son of Barthol and Mary (Westergar) Peterson, and was born in Denmark on the 24th of .lime. iM.'iS. lie was reared on a farm, and in accord- ance with the laws of his country, attended the schools during the required time. He was twenty -- _'i .jZJr-^ 8, ,. t I !i I -t F FARM RESIDENCE AND PROPERTY OF BENJAMIN CA TENANT HOUSE. M, SEC. IS. LONG POINT TOWNSHIP, LIVINGSTON Co. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 815 years of age when he came to this country, being on the ocean twenty-one days, lie lander! in New York in 1858, and remained in that State during the winter, and in the spring went to StaU'ii Island, where he engaged in work for a farmer for about two years. Soon after the commencement of the war, he enlisted as a soldier in the 2!tth New York Infantry, and served with that command until he was honorably discharged in June, 1863. During the time he was in the service he participated in the first battle of Bull Run, battle of Winchester, second battle of Bull Run, where he was twice wounded, first in the left thigh, by which the bone was fractured, and was hit by a piece of shell on the lower part of the right leg. He was taken pris- oner and for lack of transportation was left to lie in the hot sun on the battle-field for eight days. Afterward he was paroled and sent to the hospital at Washington, where he remained for two months, and was then sent to the hospital at Annapolis, Md., and remained there about three months, at which time he was exchanged and rejoined his regiment. After this he was in the battle of Chancellorsville. where the famous Confederate General, Stonewall .lackson, was killed. His entire service was in the Army of the Potomac, and he endured all the hard- ships which befel that army, and participated in many skirmishes and reconnoissances which' have no place in history, but in which many men lost their lives or became maimed and crippled for life. After his discharge from the army in 1863, he re- turned to New York, where he remained about one year and then went to Rhode Island. On the 29 th of January, 1865, Mr. Peterson was married to Christina Yost, daughter of Charles and Margaret (Welt) Yost. Mrs. Peterson was the old- est child in a family of six: Edward, her brother, who went through the army without injury, is mar- ried, and lives in Rhode Island near Narragansett Bay, and has six children; Margaret, who married John Morgan, lives in Rhode Island, and has four children; Caroline married George Friday, lives in Rhode Island, and has two children; Charles is married, lives in Rhode Island, and has three chil- dren; Albert lives in Rhode Island; Louisa, born July 27, 1808, lives with Mrs. Peters >n. In the March following- his marriage, Mr. Peterson again enlisted in the army, this time joining the 29th United States Veteran (Hancock's) Corps. After remaining in Camp Stoneman until July, his com- mand went to Rhode Island, where they did pro- vost duty until Jan. 21, 1866, when they went to Staten Island, where they did various kinds of duty in connection with companies of the regular army. They remained on Staten Island until the 7th of March, 1866, when they were honorably discharged. Within two days after his discharge from the army, Mr. Peterson and his wife started for Liv- ingston County, 111., where he purchased forty acres ! of land on section 30, Nebraska Township. On this land they lived for three years, and then dis- posed of it and purchased eighty acres of land in Woodford County. On this he lived one year, when he leased it to other parties and moved to Minonk. At the end of a year he sold his land and bought property in that town. In 1X72 he again went upon a farm, which he rented, and re- mained for two years; he then bought eighty acres of land in Waldo Township, and lived there one year, when he sold that land and bought eighty acres in Woodford County, on which he remained nine years. He then disposed of that land and bought eighty acres on section 7, Nebraska Town- ship, and forty acres on section 1 X. On the home place he has as fine a building site as there is in Nebraska Township, and his various buildings are first-class in all respects. The farm is well drained with tile ditches, and the fences are constantly kept ! in good repair. In stock-raising his specialties are fine Norman horses and Poland-China hogs. Al- though Mr. Peterson is Democratic in politics, he cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln. Mr. Peterson's parents never came to this coun- try, and his father's death occurred before our sub- < ject was born, and the mother tiled in her native country in April, 1866. Our subject was the youngest child in a family of four, whose names are as follows: Peter B. was married, and at his death left a family of four children, one of whom, Chris, came to this country, and is now in the em- ploy of oiii- subject; John came to America and served as a soldier for three years during the war, and escaped without injury; he is married, and lives in the State of Nebraska. Mary married II. "I T LIVINGSTON COl'XTY. Christenson, and died in Denmark, leaving four children, one of whom, Peter, was reared by our subject, and now lives in Minnesota. The subject of our sketch is of a genial and generous nature, and makes friends readily, and when a friendship is once formed with him it is retained. lie is de- servedly popular with all the people of the sur- rounding country, and enjoys their confidence to the fullest extent. 5- ---- +-> v C- --------- : ;K ENJAMIN CARLTON is spoken of as "a thorough gentleman, and one of Long Point's most substantial men." He is finely located on section 16, where he has a good farm, and where for the last ten years he has made a specialty of stock-raising. lie is one of the pio- neers of Livingston County, coming here before wild game was exterminated, and has seen as many as 100 deer in a single herd bounding over the prairie or through the forest, and has often killed several in a day. He took up his residence in Long Point Township in 1840, and no man has watched with more satisfaction the development of Central Illinois, and the settling up of this section by an industrious and intelligent people. He selected for his future home a spot many leagues from his birth- place, he having been born in County Kent, En- gland, Aug. 21, 181.0. His parents were Edward and Judith (Preble) Carlton, also natives of County Kent, and of pure English ancestry. His father was a carpenter by occupation, and spent his entire life in England. Both his father and mother were high-minded Christian people and members of the Episcopal Church, in the doctrines of which their children were carefully reared, and to which our subject still adheres. Mr. Carlton continued to reside in his native county until the summer of 1835, employing his time after becoming of suitable age mainly in fann- ing. Then, deciding to immigrate to America, he embarked on a .-ailing-vessel, and after a tedious voyage of sixty-one days landed in New York City. Thence he proceeded to Cleveland, Ohio, where he served an apprenticeship at the mason's trade, which be followed at Columbus, in Southern Ohio, and St. Louis. Mo. Since a resident of Lonu' Point he \v.-i.- united in marriage with Miss Laura Miller, their wedding taking place in 1854. Mrs. Carlton was a native of Pennsylvania, and of this union there- was born one child, a daughter, Mary L., who is now the wife of Royal R. Gould, and resides in Long Point. The mother passed from earth, dying at her home. Mr. Carleton was subsequently married, in the year 1859, to Miss Jane Silleck. a native of Canada. This marriage resulted in the birth of one child only, a daughter, who is now the wife of Franklin Bosserman, also of Long Point, and the mother of one child. Mrs. Jane (Silleck) Carlton departed this life Oct. 18, 1881, and her remains were laid to rest in the cemetery at Long Point. The homestead has since been presided over by Mrs. Bosserman, the daughter. The property of Mr. Carlton includes 400 acres of some of the finest farming land in Central Illi- nois, all under a good state of cultivation, and sup- plied with a handsome residence, good barns, and three tenement houses for the use of those who work the land. The homestead invariably attracts the eye of the traveler as being complete in all its appointments, and under the supervision of an in- telligent and industrious man. It is with pleasure that we present a fine double-page view of the es- tate in connection with this brief outline of its en- terprising owner. Mr. Carlton keeps himself well posted upon matters of general interest, and has contributed his full quota toward the development of the western part of Livingston County, which when he came here presented a wild and desolate appearance, the homes of the settlers being few and far between, and the present flourishing towns of the county then but mere hamlets. He has been promi- nent among those resolute men of forethought and good judgment through whose foresight and energy this county now rank> among the best in the Prai- rie State. M. McINTOSIl. a general merchant at lilackstone, Sunbury Township, was born in ConiKTSville, Favette Co., Ind., on the 2si>tcd in the maintenance of his father's family until after passing his twenty-fourth year. Then, desirous of something better he de- termined to seek his fortune in the West, and al- though without means, made his way to LaSalle County, to the home of his uncle, and soon after- ward secured employment on a farm. '1 here he remained a year, and the following winter was pur- snadecl to take charge of a school in the country , near by. He gave such good satisfaction that at the close of his first term his wages were increased j and he was invited to teach the winter following, which he" did. He remained in that region until the fall of 1H6G, and then, accompanied by a brother, came to Livingston County and purchased 236 acres of wild land. This they afterward sold at an advance, and Mr. Carpenter was variously employed for five years following, though mostly engaged in farming upon rented land. He had now some means and felt justified in taking upon himself the I responsibility of family ties. Mr. Carpenter was united in marriage with Mrs. Clara A. (Parker) Stone, on the oth of Januaiy, 1871. Mrs. C. was the widow of Hannibal Stone, and the daughter of Alvah and Polly (Chambers) Parker, natives of New York State. Their daugh- ter Clara was born in Luzerne County, Pa., Sept. 11, 1837, and was the youngest in a family of five children. Of her union with Mr. Stone there were born five children, namely: Columbus, Mary A., Hattie E., Frederick A. and Ella. The latter died in infancy; Columbus is farming and stock-raising in Gunnison County, Col.; Mary A. is the wife of Obey Aspy, and the mother of two children Pearl and Clara; her husband is a carpenter by trade and they reside in Kansas City, Mo. Hattie, Mrs. William Truxal. is the mother of two chil- dren, and resides in Mt. Pleasant, Pa., where her husband is engaged in farming; Frederick A. is a stock dealer of Ouray County, Col., and runs a transfer train to and from the mines in the mount- ains. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter resulted in the birth of one child, a daughter, Mabel E., who was born Dec. 5. 1872, and is now a bright young girl of fifteen summers. The family resi- dence is pleasantly located on Prairie avenue, and its inmates enjoy the society of man}' friends. Mrs. Carpenter is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church. Mr. Carpenter is one of the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 810 Town Trustees, and politically, is a strong Prohi- bitionist. His pronounced opposition to the liquor trallic in all its forms has made him a leader of his party in this section. TEPHEN WOODING. One of the finest homes in Pike Township is located on sec- tion 12, on the road leading from Chenoa to Pontiac, and is the property of the gen- tleman whose name heads this sketch. It com- prises 126 acres of finely cultivated land, an elegant frame residence flanked by shapely and substantial out-buildings, including two new barns and all the necessary structures required by the enterprising and progressive modern fanner. The dwelling is situated in the midst of beautiful grounds, about fifty-five yards back of the public road, with a fine driveway and surrounded by choice shade trees and shrubbery. The hand of taste is everywhere apparent, and the outlay of means has been clearly most wise and judicious. Mr. Wooding took possession of his property in the fall of 1867, which, however, he had purchased two years previously, and since that time has given his attention principally to increasing its attractive- ness and value. The result is one in which he may reasonably take pride. Our subject was born in Northamptonshire, En- gland, Feb. 11, 1830, and is the son of Jesse and Anna (Rainbow) Wooding, natives of the same country. Jesse Wooding was born about 1805, in Northamptonshire, and received a common-school education. His father died when he was but a youth, and he remained with his mother until she, too, passed away. He was married to Miss Ann Rainbow in 1828, and for several years thereafter followed farming and brewing. The condition of his finances not being quite satisfactory, neither the prospects for the welfare of his children, he decided to emigrate to the New World, and accord- ingly, accompanied by a part of his family, sailed from Liverpool and landed in New York City about June, 1854, with his wife, his sons, James, George and Isaac, and his daughters, Ann and Eli/abeth. They first located in Salem, N. J., where the father was taken fatally ill and died ten days afterward. His remains were buried in the cemetery at Pennville. The widow and her family remained in New Jersey about two years, then came west to Fulton County, this State, where she resided four years. Subse- quently she removed to Piatt County, where her death took place in February, 1 87 I . The parents of our subject were members and regular attend- ants of the Church of England and reared their children in the faith to which they had adhered for many years. These, eleven in number, are re- corded as follows: Jesse died in infancy; Stephen, our subject, was the second born: William, David, Joseph, James, Isaac, George, Ann, Elizabeth and Mary, comprise the remainder. They were all born in Northamptonshire, and with the exception of Jesse, Mary and David, all came to the United States. Mr. Wooding was educated in the common schools of his native town,, and remained there, variously employed, until reaching his majority. He and his brother William then decided to seek their fortunes on the other side of the Atlantic, and bidding farewell to their childhood associates, sailed from Liverpool on the 1st of April, 1851. After a pleasant voyage of thirty days they landed in Philadelphia, May 1, and proceeded to Salern, N. J., where they went to work by the month, and were afterward joined by the balance of the family. The brothers when they landed had one pound sterling between them. This, however, did not dis- may them so long as they were in possession of their health and strength, and they were busily em- ployed usually until the time of their starting West. I'pon this trip our subject visited the States of Illinois, Missouri and Louisiana, but finally re- turned to New Jersey and remained at Salem a year longer. He now determined to locate perma- nently in the West, and coming to Fulton County, this State, rented a tract of land, upon which he farmed four years ami then removed to Piatt County. A year later he returned to Fulton County, farmed tin-re another four years, and in tbe fall of 18(57, having invested his capital in Pike Township, this county, came in and took possession of his property, with the results we have already stated. Mr. Wooding was married, while a resident of ' 8-20 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Fulton County, March 1, 18(50, to Miss Sarah Humphrey, at the home of the bride, in Canton Township. This union resulted in the birth of four children, namely: Benjamin F., Charles 8., Nettie and Jessie. The two younger died in child- hood and the others continue 'vith their father. Mrs. Sarah (Humphrey) Wooding departed this life at her home in Pike Township, in 1873, and her re- mains were laid to rest in Rook's Creek bury ing- ground. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Oct. 4, 1874, was formerly Mrs. Susanna (Cheney) Mycr, widow of Martin H. Myer, and daughter of David and Susannah (Stallings) Cheney, both natives of Alleghany County, Mfl. They spent their entire lives in their native county, and there their remains were laid to rest. Mrs. W. was born in the same county as her parents, July 3, 1837, and was the eighth in a family of fourteen children, namely: Nancy, Robert, Eliza- ' beth, Thomas, Deborah, Isaac, Maria, and six who died in infancy. Nancy, the widow of H. Harris, is living near Columbus, Ohio; Robert is a resident of Hampshire County, Va. ; Elizabeth is deceased: [ Thomas is living in Missouri; Deborah, Mrs. Ed- j ward O'Neill, remains in Maryland; Isaac occupies the old homestead, and Maria is the wife of Thorn- ton Crabtree, a resident of Cumberland, Md. The parents of Mrs. W. were active and devoted mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the ! doctrines of which they faithfully reared their chil- dren. Mrs. Wooding by her first marriage had three children: Eli B. ; Adelia, now the wife of Levi Lacoek, of Eppard's Point Township, and William T. During the past three years Mr. Wooding has wisely taken life easy, enjoying the fruits of his early labors. During the summer of 1887, he crossed the ocean and visited the scenes of his childhood in Northamptonshire, being accompanied by his brothers, William and Joseph. Although they greatly enjoyed the trip, and weie received with open arms by their kindred and friends. Mr. Wooding, when his vi>it was ended, checrfnllj' re- turned to his adopted county, and exclaims with enthusiasm, "Give me America." His admirable qualities as a citizen received early recognition by ' the people of Pike Township, whom he served as School Director and Trustee for seven years, and has been otherwise prominent in local affairs. He cast his first Presidential vote for John C. Fremont, and has been a stanch Republican since the organ- ization of the party. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Stephen Wooding by name, was also of English birth and ancestry, and spent his entire life in his native shire. He was the father of five children, the eld- est being a daughter, Avis, who married George Sparks, and immigrated to America in 1855. They settled in St. Paul, Minn., where both died, leaving one child, a daughter, who is now a widow and lives in St. Paul. Rebecca and her husband, Benjamin Stan ton, are both deceased; Jesse, the father of our subject, was the third child ; Elizabeth and her husband, James Winters, both died, and left two children ; James, the youngest, lived and died in England. ENRY IMMKE, a gentleman in the prime of life, proprietor of a splendid farm on section 36 in Owego Township, is a man respected for his sterling worth and integrity, and comes of that class of citizens noted for their en- ergy and determination to get on in the world. He is a native of Germany, where he was born on the 1st of September, 1843, and is the son of John and Christina Immke. He remained in his native coun- try until in his eighteenth year, when, making up his mind that whatever future there was for him lay in America, he took passage on a sailing-vessel at Bremen in 1861, and after a voyage upon the ocean of six weeks, with the usual discomforts and thrilling episodes, landed safely in New York, and almost immediately came west to Illinois. In 1867 he came to Livingston County, where for a time lie worked as a farm hand, and in this manner accumu- lated sufficient money to begin business for himself. In November, 18G9. Mr. Iminke was married to Anna Licsge. and they have had seven children, six of whom are living Maggie, Katie, William, Frederick, Henry and Elizabeth. Upon coming to Livingston County, he did not chose any permanent LIVINGSTON COUNTY. S21 abiding-place, but shortly after marriage he settled in Saiincinin Tovvnslii[), where he remained until lie removed to his present residence in Owego Town- ship, in the spring <>f 1< S 7*. His Imiiie place con- sists of 400 acres of land, and he has the satisfaction of knowing that every ncre of it, and all its equip- ments, are the result of his own hard labor and judi- cious management. Upon his arrival in America, he not only had no means, but was in debt to the amount of $43. This obligation he soon dis- charged, and then began the work of Accumulating for the future. A visit to his home and an inspec- tion of his farm audits surroundings, will convince any one that he has been eminently successful. Mr. Immke is a member of the Evangelical Asso- ciation, and is a devoted teacher in the Sunday- school of that church. He is a man of moral and religions sentiments, and is a liberal contributor of time and m< mey for the enhancement of the moral tone of the community. He is not a political par- tisan, but places his vote where he considers it will do the most good for the greatest number of peo- ple, regardless of the aspirations of party politicians. For three years he has served as Director of Schools, and takes a lively interest in educational matters. SNYDEK, a native of Jefferson County, N. Y., took up his residence in this county in tlie spring of 1876, locating on eighty acres of land on section 32, in Broughton Township, where he has since remained and given his attention to the cultivation of the soil. He has been skillful and industrious, exercised good judgment in his operations and his investments, and is a man held generally in roped by his community. He comes of a good family, his father having been ninny years a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and who at pre.-ent reside- near Ben ton Harbor. Mich. Mr. Snyder was born Aug. 2!i. 1*11, his parents being Warren and Louisiana Snyder, natives of the Empire State, and the mother now deceased. His paternal grandfather, Richard Snyder, was one of the early settlers in the Mohawk Valley, where he spent the latter years of his life. The parental family included seven children, of whom the fol- lowing survive, namely: Mahlon, a resident of South Chicago; Mary, the wife of C. J. Huffstater, of Benton Harbor. Mich.; Orin, of our sketch; Eliza, Mrs. Lewis Svvisher, living near Benton Har- bor. Mich., and Jay, a resident of Iowa. Our subject continued in his native county until reaching manhood, receiving a limited education in the common schools, and employed himself prin- cipally in farm pursuits. He was married not far from the home of his childhood, on the 17th of Au- gust, 1862, to Miss Martha Allard, a native of his own county, and born Sept. 15, 184a. The parents of Mrs. Snyder, Almon and Ann E. (Etheridge) Allard, were also nalives of the Empire State, and are now dead. Their family included eleven chil- dren; those living are : William, and Dorcas A., the wife of James Huffstater, both residents of Jefferson County; Matilda, Mrs. Francis Shoecraft, of Wayne County, N. Y. ; Clarinda, the wife of Boswell Brown, of Jefferson County ; Edson, of Jefferson County, and Martha, Mrs. Snyder. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder remained in New York State three years after their marriage, then in Michi- gan about two and a half, and then came directly to this county, locating a few years afterward on their present farm. The record of their eleven children is as follows: James A. was born Aug. 14, 1 864, and married Hattie Stacey Nov. 26, 1 887 ; Edgar, born June 8, 1866; Jennie, born Sept. 20, 1867, married Isaac Herner, March 16, 1886; Almond, born Dec. 11, 1869; Merlon, Feb. 19, 1872; Cora, Aug. 18, 1873; Menzo, Aug. 18, 1 876 ; Frederick, April 27, 1878; Eva, Oct. 27, 1880; Elmer F., Aug. 11, 1883: and Harry, April IK, 188.".. Mr. Snyder has been the architect of his own fortune, commencing in life with comparatively nothing. This condition by no means proved a drawback, as the men who have acquired their prop- erty by their own industry are usually competent to take care of it. He cast his first Presidential vote for Lincoln, and has since been a decided Repub- lican, although in local matters he sets politics aside, and votes for the man whom he considers best quali- fied for office. He has been School Director in his district several terms, and takes an active interest in the measures set on fcot for the general welfare of his community. - 8-22 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. KLIN CONVERSE, one of the oldest living pioneers in his neighborhood, resides on sec- lion 33, Owego Township, and was born in Addison County, Vt.. on the 1st of November, 1834. He is a son of Heman and Hannah (Cramp- ton) Converse, both of whom were natives of New England. His paternal ancestors were of English and the maternal of Holland descent. The grand- father, Paine Converse, was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was at the battle of Plattsburg. To Heman Converse were born ten children, nine of whom are living: Alonzo, Melissa, Hnl- dah ,1., Emily, Orlin, Louisa, George, Harvey and Melinda. Alonzo is in Dakota; Melissa is the wife of J. W. Benham, of Barber County, Kan.; Hnldah J. is the wife of Harvey Newell, of Wisconsin; Emily is the wife of Robert Smith, of Barber County, Kan., and Louisa of W. O. Hinde, of Ad- dison County, Vt. ; George resides in Addison County, Vt., and Harvey in Butler County, Iowa; Melinda is the wife of Dennis Norton, and they re- side on the homestead in Vermont. For many gen- erations the Converse family has been noted for its longevity, and the mother reached the age of eighty- nine years, dying in July, 1887, and the father in 1872, at the age of seventy years. The grandfather died in his eighty-first year. Orlin Converse was reared to manhood in his native State, receiving a fair education in the com- mon schools, and in 1855 he migrated to the West and located in Livingston County, where he has ever since resided, with the exception of three years that he was a soldier in the Union army. He was married, Jan. 7, 18G2, to Rebecca Rockwood, a native of Livingston County, and daughter of Dan- iel Rockwood, one of the pioneer settlers of the county, and one of the commissioners appointed to locate the county seat. To Mr. and Mrs. Converse two children W'jre horn Roland P., and Jessie, de- ceased. On the 2d of August, 1862, Mr. Converse en- listed in Company G, 129th Illinois Infantry, in which command he served until the close of the war. and participated in the battles of Rcsaca, Peach- tree Creek. Kennesaw Mountain. Marietta, siege of Atlanta. Bentonville. and the entire campaign, which included Sherman's march to the sea, wind- ing up with the grand review in Washington nt the ce>sation of hostilities. He was discharged from the service with the rank of Sergeant, on the 20th of June, 1865. Immediately upon his discharge from the army he returned to Livingston County and settled permanently on his present farm. He now owns 360 acres of good land, which he has brought under a high state of cultivation, all of which has been accomplished through his own in- dustry and good management. For two terms he has served as Supervisor of Owego Township, and is at present serving as Road Commissioner. For twenty years he has served continuously as School Director in District No. 9, and takes a very great interest in all matters pertaining to schools and ed- ucation. In politics he is an adherent of the Re- publican party, to which he shows his devotion by regularly voting its ticket and giving to its candi- dates a cordial support. ERNARD LYONS, who came to this coun- try a poor boy and is now the owner of numerous farms in Livingston and Kendall ' Counties, was born in Longford County. Ireland, on the 22d of November, 1822. He is the son of Daniel Lyons, and the grandson of Thomas Lyons, both natives of that county. They both followed farming and spent their entire lives there, the father d3 T ing at the age of eighty -four years. The maiden name of the moiher of our subject was Ann Gilligan, a native of the same count}", and a daughter of Bryan Gilligan. She died at the age of eighty-four years, having spent her entire life in that county. The paternal grand- mother of our subject was Ann Brady, and the maternal grandmother was Ann Corcoran. The parents of our subject had thirteen children born to them, and of that number eight came to America: Thomas G. now lives in Nevada Township; Ber- nard is our subject; John lives in Odell Township; Patrick resides in Dakota; Stephen, in Saune- inin Township: Maria MeCorniick, in Saunemin Township: Kate Dougherty lives in Ottawa, La- Salle County : Francis, one of the brothers, was in this country about five years and while here en- FARM RESIDENCE OF S . GOLEM AN , SEC. 9 . LONG POINT TOWNSHIP . FARM RESIDENCE OF ELIA5 J. LUNDY.5EC5 .28flc.29.NEW TOWN TOWNSHIP. I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 825 ga^-ed in teaching a portion of the time. lie re- turned to Ireland, and now resides on the old home- stead. Mr. Lyons remained a resident of his native country until he was twenty-four years of age and then came to America, at first locating in New York City. I'pon his arrival in New York he was without funds, but soon found employment of var- ious kinds, which enabled him to support himself. He remained in New York and vicinity until the fall of 1849, when he concluded to come West and see what there might be in store for him. He traveled by rail to Buffalo, and by boat across the Lakes to Detroit, and then by rail across the State of Michigan to Chicago. Upon his arrival in Chicago he supplied himself with a stock of Yankee notions, which he engaged in peddling throughout the surrounding country. In the spring of 1850 he began farming in Kendall County. where in the fall of that year he purchased eighty acres of wild prairie land, and the following sum- mer built a frame house of small dimensions. He resided there until 1855, and improved the land materially and erected good frame buildings. In 1865 he rented this land to other parties and came to Livingston County, where he first purchased 160 acres of land in Nevada Township, and has been a resident continuously of the county all the time. In 1868 he bought the farm he now occupies, which at that time was wild prairie, but through his untiring energy it has been reduced to a state of splendid cultivation, and he lias erected a good set of frame buildings. In this home farm there are 360 acres of well-improved land. In addition to this he owns 160 acres in Owego Township, and 160 acres in Esmen Township, besides the farm he own- in Kendall County. These farms were all wild prairie lands when he first purchased them, but they arc now all models of cultivation and im- provement. On the 13th of August, 1851, Mr. Lyons was married to Mary McKanna, who was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, on the 29th of July, 18:!:!. She is the daughter of John and Ellen (Trayner) McKanna. both natives of County Tyrone. They came to America in 18:!,"), and located in Lowell, Mass., where they remained four .years, and then came to Illinois and settled at Lockport, Will County, where they lived until 1814. In that year they moved to Kendall County, and bought a tract of unbroken prairie laud. At that time wild ani- mals were numerous, and game of all kinds was plenty. He built a log cabin on his land and lived there until 1X58, when his death occurred. The wife died about 1876. Mr. and Mrs. Lyons are the parents of eleven children, whose names are as follows: Ann, John H., Margery E., Daniel S., Sarah J., Joseph P., William F., Catherine M., Michael E., Adeline A. and Bernard A. Daniel S. resides on the farm in Esmen Township. Mr. Lyons has been Highway Commissioner for three years and has served as School Director and Trustee, and has been Supervisor for the township one .year, and in all these various official capacities has given excellent satisfaction. In his attention to public business as well as his own private business, he displays much intelligence and enterprise, and pardonably prides himself on the accomplishments of his life, considering the humble start he had. TEPIIEN COLEMAN, who has for many years been a resident of Long Point Town. ship, is now engaged in farming and stock- raising on an excellent farm of 174 acres located on section 9. He is a native of Obio, and was born on the 10th of September, 18:>1. He is the son of George and Sallie (Triplet) Coleman, who were natives of Ohio. The father was born in 1799, and died Dec. 2:3, 1850. He taught school for some time in Ohio, and in the fall of 1833 he came to Illinois and engaged in agricultural pur- suits. By this marriage, besides the subject of our sketch there were born the following-named chil- dren : Edward was born on the 26th of May, 1833, married Miss Hattie Smith, of Bureau County, 111., and they have six children; Eli was born Aug. 30, 1 835, and went to Colorado twenty-one years ago, since which time no intelligence has been had from him: James was born May 10, 1837, and died on the Gth of May, 1843, from the effects of being scalded by the contents of a coffee-pot; Emily was born May 29, 1 840, and was the wife of Marion *_> a very estimable woman and endeared herself to all who knew her, died" on the 13th of May, 1854. Mr. Critten has never married again. His deceased wife was a member of the Methodist Church, and died in the full faith. Mr. Critten's farm consists of eighty aCres of excellent land, which is hand- somely improved and highly cultivated. Politically our subject is a Democrat, and has served three years as Road Commissioner of Read- ing Township, and also three years as Road Super- visor, Mr. Critten became a citizen of Livingston County in the fall of 1858, and during this time has been. exclusively engaged in agricultural pursuits. At the time of his first settlement in this county Ottawa was the nearest market point for the selling of grain and the purchase of supplies. He has been a witness of the progress made in the opening and developing of the county. J1AMES LANGAN. A large proportion of | the early residents of Sunbury Township I were self-made men, and sought a home ' many miles from the place of their birth. Many of these crossed the Atlantic in the strength of their youth and courage, and the review of their career is intensely interesting, inasmuch as it proves to what extent a man is dependent upon his own exertions. The subject of this biography is one of the finest illustrations of the self-made man who in his youth battled with adverse circumstances, but allowed nothing to disma}' him. In tracing the history of our subject we find that he was born in the maritime county of Mayo, Ire- land, June 15, 1828, and is the son of Patrick and Mary (Langan) Langan: the former was the son of James Langan, and both were natives of the same county, where the grandfather spent his entire life engaged in farming pursuits. lie married one of liis youthful associates. Miss Julia Rooney. who. like her husband, remained a permanent resident of her native county. They were the parents of two -on- and three daughters. One son died when a f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. \ youth of sixteen years, the other son, Patrick, Mini the three sisters married and reared families of their own. Patriek, the father of our subject, was the only one who came to America. He was reared to manhood on the homestead of his parents and learned the trades of bricklayer and stone-cut- ter. He subsequently operated as a contractor and also superintended his farm, residing in Ireland until about 186K. He then, with his wife, crossed the Atlantic and spent the last years of his life at the home of our subject, his death taking place in 1S7:> when he was seventy -three years of age; the mother had died in Streator at the age of sixty-nine years. She was in her maidenhood Miss Mary Langan, the daughter of John and Catherine (Burke) Langan. Both daughter and parents were born in County Mayo, in which the latter passed their entire lives. The children of Patriek and Mary Langan, five in number, consisted of four sons and one daughter, <>f whom our subject is the eldest. His parents were in fair circumstances and gave to their chil- dren a good education. They were at the same time trained to habits of industry and frugality, and early in life learned to make themselves useful. James remained a member of his father's household until the spring of 1IS51. He was a youth of more than ordinary intelligence, and believed that with a fair opportunity and in a suitable locality he could make of himself what he could never expect to be under existing conditions. He had received letters from friends across the water and had eagerly pe- rused the papers relating to the advantages given the enterprising emigrant in the New World, and determined to seek its shores. One morning in July he left home with a younger brother to take :i load of ,( raw ),, sell in the town- of Balliiui. From this sale he realized '5, nearly 2;"), in cash. lie sent his brother home and took the next stage for Dublin and thence to Liverpool, where he en- gaged passage on the next vessel for America. Seven weeks and three days later found him disem- barking from the ship "\V~arbler" at the wharves of New Orleans, with a cash capital of fifty cents in his pocket. His lirst business was to look around for something which would increase his exchequer, but from this effort he realized oiilv his board, be in" cheated out of his week's wages. He then decided to leave the Crescent City, and succeeded in con- tracting to work his passage on a steamer to St. Louis and thence in a similar manner to LaSalle, III., where he landed still clinging to the fifty cents which he had brought with him from the old coun- try. This he finally offered to the landlord where he stopped for his night's lodging, but the gentle- man very humanely refused to take it. Young Langan had an uncle in LaSalle County, twenty-five miles from the town, and lie set out on foot for the house of his relative. Soon after reach- ing his destination he was attacked with ague and was for nearly a year unable to work. He finally presented his cherished fifty cents to one of his cousins, and was most of the time without money for twelve months thereafter. As soon as he was able he engaged as a farm laborer at #12 per month, and was thus employed for fifteen months following. Subsequently he assisted in the construction of the Rock Island Railroad and afterward performed the same duties with the Illinois Central Railroad. He worked for the latter with a shovel four weeks and then went into the stone quarry. His intelligence and industry won him the confidence and approval of his employers and not long afterward he was ap- pointed foreman over a large gang of workmen, at a salary of $60 per month, which position he re- tained nine months. He then purchased a one-half interest in a threshing-machine and the same in a McCormick reaper, both of which he operated two seasons, afterward selling out and investing the proceeds in live stock. In the summer he employed herders to look after them on the prairie and in winter hired men to cut hay for them. In the meantime he was himself engaged in breaking prai- rie for the Illinois Central Railroad Company at $6 per day. When this job was completed he was em- ployed by the farmers around at the same work and in the mild seasons often slept on the grass on the open prairie and without shelter. Our subject, still pursuing the climbing process and making headway at each move, now began to enlarge his sphere of action, and rented the farm of his uncle for a period of three years. He had in the meantime been married, and now located with his family on a piece of ground belonging to his I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. father-in-law. He still kept his stock, and his herd steadily increased in numbers until he had nearly 100 head. In September, 1863, he visited this county and purchased 240 acres of land at $0.50 per acre in Sunbury Township, upon which he lo- cated two years later and has since remained. He made purchases of land from time to time until he became the owner of 1 ,200 acres, besides town lots in Dwight. When Mr. Langan became a property owner in Sunbury Township, the larger portion of it was wild prairie, owned by non-residents, and he was appointed agent for the sale of a large propor- tion of these lands. He also dealt in real estate in Kankakee and Grundy Counties. His business talent was phenomenal, and as the conservator of large in- terests he has acquitted himself as a most valued and useful factor in the development of Sunbury Township. The intelligent and industrious class of people with whom it was soon settled came here, many of them, through his solicitations, and he smoothed the way many times out of their difficul- ties. His example proved a stimulus to numbers, who made desperate efforts to emulate his enter- prise. His home farm embraces 560 acres, with the most elegant and substantial improvements, and everything indicative of the progressive agricultur- ist and the enterprising citizen. Mr. Langan was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Coffey, Nov. 29, 1854. Mrs. Langan was born in Jersey City, N. ,1., March 7, 1*36, and is the daughter of Timothy and Mary (Gorman) Coffey, natives of Roscommon Count}', Ireland, and both now deceased. Of her union with our sub- ject there were born the children whose record is as follows: Thomas N. is farming in Sunbury Township: Mary is the wife of Hugh Molanney and lives in Grundy Count}'; Katie married William Cusick and also lives in Grundy County; James II. is a student at Dixon College, 111.: one child died young. Mr. Langan politically is a conservative Demo- crat, casting hi:- vote at Presidental elections with the party of his choice, bnt in local affairs voting independently, lie keeps himself well posted upon current events and takes a lively interest in every- thing pertaining to the welfare of his adopted country. He has never consented to hold office, but became a Justice of the Peace for his own con- venience in transferring lands. He always, how- ever, gives his time cheerfully to the promotion of his friends at times of election, and nothing ple;i.-i - him better than to see a worthy man entrusted with the interests of the people. He was reared in the faith of the Catholic Church, in the doctrines of which his honored parents were firmly engrafted, and still clings to the religion of his forefathers, being a member and an attendant with his wife and children of the Catholic Church in Sunbury Town- ship. W. KENYON, one of the reliable and sub- stantial business men of Odell, which is an important station on the Chicago & Alton Road, in Livingston County, is the subject of this sketch. He is now engaged in the lumber trade, and kindred branches. He was born in Troy, N. Y., on the 17th of December, 1824, and was the second in a family of ten children born to Daniel and Araminta (Armstrong) Kenyon, both of whom were natives of New York. The paternal grand- father was Amasa Kenyon. The maternal grand- parents were Isaac and Phu-be Armstrong, all of whom were natives of New York. The father of Mr. Kenyon was reared on a farm until he grew to manhood, and when he started in life for himself, located at Troy, N. Y., and engaged in boating on the Hudson. In 1836 he moved to Newark, Wayne County, where he followed a mercantile life for a time, and then engaged in farming until his death. Mr. Kenyon was reared to farm life principally, and engaged in farming on his own account three years before his majority. All the education he received was obtained in the common schools. At the age of twenty-one years he was married to Mary Grant, on the 8th of October, 1845. She was the eldest in a family of five children born to Eliab T. and Eliza (Wilkinson) Grant, who were natives of Rhode Island, and. early settlers of New York. Mr. Kcnyon and his wife first settled in Newark, where he engaged in the dry -goods business, which he continued until 1806. when failing health com- pelled him to give up his business, and for two or f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 831 three years he retired from active life. During the war he was a member of the War Committee in his district, and spent the greater part of the your in organizing troops and doing other things connected with tin 1 war recruiting service. In 18G6 he sold all his interests in the East, and coming to Odell on a visit to his brother, he became interested in the lumber business with him. In 1808 lie made a sec- ond visit, and was so greatly benefited in health by the climate, that he resolved to bring his family and locate for a time. In 18(J8 he moved, and for a number of years he and his brother were associated together in the lumber and coal business. Me then bought the interest of his brother, and for the past ten y ears has been alone. Seven years ago he opened a second yard at Cabery, which is now man- aged by his brother, who was his former partner. Mr. and Mrs. Kenyon are the parents of three children, two of whom are living. Willie T. and Annie M. ; Charles died in childhood ; Willie mar- ried Miss Abbie Supplee, and lives in Chicago, where he is with Felix & Masters in a wooden- ware establishment. Mr. Kenyon has always been more or less active in politics, usually voting the Demo- crat ic ticket, and was a member of the Town Board in Newark, where he was engaged in business. Since locating in Odell, he has served as President of the Town Board, and was a Town Trustee for many terms. For the first time in many years he is now not connected with any office. His excellent wife is a member of the Universalist Church, and with the aid of her husband, has been instrumental in building up the society in all its branches. 4 I OUIS M. IPSON. Bornholm is an island in the Baltic Sea. lying ninety miles east of Zealand and twenty-five miles south of the southernmost point of Sweden, and belongs to Den- mark. It is about twenty-three miles long by eight- een broad, and has an area of 2:>0 square miles. In general the coast is high, presenting perpendicu- lar cliffs, close to which is deep water, but where the cliffs do not prevail reefs and sand banks stretch out to sea, rendering approach dangerous. Excepting a heath tract near the center the land is generally fertile. Good building stone and marble are quarried and coal is likewise produced, but it is <>f an inferior quality. The island has long been famous for its rock crystals, and agriculture, cattle raising, fishing and seafaring afford the chief sup- port of the inhabitants. It was at the fort of Christainson, not far from the Island of Bornholm, that the subject of this sketch, who is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 12, Rook's Creek Township, was born on the 17th of October, 1853. Mr. Ipson is the son of Didrik Funk and Char- lotte (Larson) Ipson, and with them resided in the town of Honne, the capital of Bornholm, until he was twenty years of age, receiving a good common- school education and also learning the trade of a shoemaker from his father. In the spring of 1873 he bade good bye to his island home and came to America. Immediately after landing he came to Livingston County, and in 1875 went to Wiscon- sin, where he remained a short time and then re- turned to Illinois. On the 23d of December, 1879, he was married to Elizabeth M., daughter of Claus and Christina B. Anderson, of Bornholm. After his marriage he rented land which he farmed for three years and then purchased eighty acres, on which he now lives. Mr. and Mrs. Ipson have four children, whose names are: Clarence William, who was born Get" 19, 1880; Agnes Luella, June C, 1882; Elmer Louis, March 2, 1884, and Charles Didrik, June 13, 1886. Mr. Ipson is the second in a family of seven chil- dren, five of whom are living; they were named as follows: Louisa Didrikka, Louis M., Charles Peter, Magdalena Charlotte and Ilansine. Louisa married Christian Oleson, has seven children, and lives in Pontiac; Charles is married and has one child: Magdalena is married and has two children; both live in Bornholm. as also does Hansine. Mr. Ipson's father was born on the 2d of February, 182(i, and his mother in 1834. The wife of our subject was born on the Island of Bornholm on the 20th of May, 1 8GO. She and a younger sister came to this country in 1876, landing at New York on the 21st of May. after a voyage of nineteen days. They were delayed on the way two days by heavy fogs, and at one time they thought they were go- ing to be shipwrecked. She is the fourth child in I 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ;i family of eight, five of whom came to this coun- try. The names of the children are : Eliza Cather- ine, John Peter, Caroline Maria, Elizabeth M., Maria Christina, Hansine Wilhelmina, Annie Boeldine and James Otis. Eliza C. is married, has three children, and lives at Bornholm; John P. is married, has three children, and lives in Kansas; Caroline M. is mar- ried, has two children, and lives in. Piatt County, 111. ; Maria C. is married, has two children, and lives in Kansas; Hansine W. and Annie B. live in Born- hulm; and James O. lives in Piatt County, 111. Since coming to this country Mr. Ipsou has been successful in his business affairs, and his 80- acre farm is the result of his thrift and industry. He has erected a comfortable home and his farm buildings are of good quality. ARTIN PEARSON. Of course the early settlers of Illinois had no forests to fell and clear away in order to make their land tillable, but they had the prairie which had grown wild from the beginning of time to break and convert to a condition of cultivation. This was not an easy task, and the work had to be performed with the most primitive kind of imple- ments, for but little progress had been made in the improvement of machinery. At the time the sub- ject of this sketch came to Illinois but little of the hind was under cultivation, and the prairie grass, which had -been growing for centuries, hud become so rank and matted together, and the roots had become so strong and tenacious that oxen or teams of four horses had to be attached to the plow in order to prepare the ground for cultivation. But when this grass wa> finally subdued the pioneer farmer was repaid for the arduous labor required, for Hie rich soil produced abundant crops. Mr. Pearson is one of the oldest pioneers in Avoca Township, and is a representative farmer and stock-raiser, re- siding on section 24. Mr. Pearson is a native of Tippecanoe County, Ind., where he was born on the 22d of July, 1830. He is the son of Lot and Sophia (Staley) Pearson, natives of Ohio and North Carolina respectively. His maternal grandfather, Jacob Staley. was a sol- dier of the War of 1812, and his paternal ancestors were of English de.-cent. His parents settled in Tippecanoe County, Ind., at a very early day, and both died when our subject wa.s only about nine years of age. Of their family of children the fol- lowing are living: Meredith, of Kansas; Eli, of Avoca Township; Mary, wife of David Bod ley, of Kansas, and Martin. The subject of this sketch having been left an orphan at such a tender age, was thrown upon his own resources and con- sequently received but a limited education. At seventeen years of age lie was apprenticed to the blacksmithing trade, which he followed for about thirteen years. In 18;"3 he came to Livingston County, where he has since resided. During the first four years of his residence here he engaged in blacksmithing, and then began farming, settling on his present farm in Avoca Township. He settled on this farm when it was raw prairie with the ex- ception of about live acres, which had been broken, and has witnessed the development of the county from its most primitive condition until it is now one of the best improved counties in the State. In common with all pioneers the hardships which he endured were many and trying, but he nobly sur- mounted all obstacles and now owns 160 acres of land thoroughly drained, and under the most perfect state of cultivation. The farm buildings are of mod- ern architecture, and include all the conveniences. Mr. Pearson heeded the call for men to assist in suppressing the Rebellion, and in the month of August, 1862, he enlisted in Company G, 12!)th Illinois Infantry, which was assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. During his term of service he participated in the battles of Resaca, Burnt Hick- ory, Kennes;iw Mountain, Peach tree Creek, the siege of Atlanta, and the battle of Nashville. Becoming sick at Atlanta he was fnrloughed for twenty days, and at Nashville he had a relapse which compelled him to remain in the hospital for three months. He was honorably discharged on the 5th of July, 18G5, and immediately returned to Illinois. Mr. Pearson was first married in 1 *52, to Clarissa Tucker, a native of Ireland. His second marriage was to Sarah L. Hefner, on the 18th of March, IS;")!!. She is a native of Livingston County, and .' 1 , - RESIDENCE OF DANIEL 6ALLU P.5EC . 16 , DWI6HT TP. RESIDENCE OF JOHN M ? G E E ,S EC . 24 , SU N BU RY TP, -7- . .: : ' ;;, 5V :c -':-: ^fe ^^ RESIDENCE FO A . G . P T TE R , 5 E C . 5, DWIGHT TP. t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 835 a daughter of Nicholas and Mary Hefner, who were among its pioneers. To them have been born seven children, four of whom are living Leo W., Mattie A., the wife of Wallace Foster, Oscar E. and Eva. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which lie has served as Steward for a considerable time. Politically he is a Prohibitionist, and in the cause of that party he is an untiring and earnest worker. So far as official position is concerned he has served the people well, in the capacity of Justice of the Peace twelve years, Assessor two years, Collector two years, and is now serving his fif- teenth year as Road Commissioner in Avoca Township, and has "likewise served five years as Township School Trustee. He has all his life been an energetic, hard-working man, and his accumula- tions testify to his industry and good management. In all matters pertain ing to the welfare of the com- munity in which he lives he occupies a leading position. ARTIN ALLEN NEWMAN, a leading farmer and stock-raiser on section 22, New- town Township, lives on a fine farm of 200 acres, which is under a good state of cul- tivation. He was born in Vermillion County, Ind., on the 25th of October. 1818, and remained there until 1838. During the boyhood days of our subject he had no educational advantages whatever, and has learned to read and write since his marriage in 1H43. In 1837 he took a wagon-load of apples from Vermillion County to Chicago, requiring four weeks to make the trip with an ox-team. In 1838 he removed to Illinois and settled in Ottawa, where he lived until he came to Livingston County, break- ing prairie and working on the ferry across the Illi- nois River during summer, and chopping wood in winter. In 1840 he returned to Indiana and brought his mother and four children to LaSalle County, where he cared for the family until 1843. On the 2d of January, 1843, Mr. Newman was married to Hannah Springer, a native of Livingston County and daughter of Job and Dorothea (Parker) ma f Coi Springer, who were old residents of Livingston County, in which they have since died. After marriage Mr. Newman engaged one year in farm- ing, but not being successful, he removed to Ot- tawa and hired out to a carpenter at $10 per month for one year. After this he worked at that trade on his own account for several years. He then ac- cepted employment from the State for some time, building the aqueduct across Fox River. While engaged in this work his health became impaired, and he was compelled to remain idle for a consid- erable time. He then engaged in peddling, in De- cember. 1847, visiting monthly during the next year almost every house in Livingston Count}', and meeting with good success. He then worked for Walker & Hickling for a time, and in the spring of 1850 moved to what is now New Michigan, Living- ston County, and opened a store, pre-empting also a quarter section of land, on which he located the town. In 1851 he contracted to carry the mail from Ottawa to Bloornington weekly, by the way of Pontiac and Indian Grove, at $7 per trip. After this he exchanged eighty acres of his land for a tavern stand in Lexington, McLean County, which he soon afterward sold, and with the proceeds pur- chased land near Pontiac. In the spring of 1854, he purchased an interest in a mill at Ottawa, and in 1857, during the panic which swept over the country in that year, lost all of his accumulations, excepting the 160-acre farm that he now lives upon. His actual loss at the time was about *G,000. In June, 1860, he took a mail contract between this point and Odell and to Ottawa, which he held six years, and then for seven years he kept the post- office at Manville, Newtown Township. Mr. and Mrs. Newman are the parents of the fol- lowing-named children: Lysander, Flavilla, Mauley J., John Milton, Clarinda G., Martha Jane, Lueiiia Belle, Dorothea J., Ida May, Emma and George Walker. Lysander died in childhood ; Flavilla and Mauley J. died in infancy; John M. is married and lives in Streator, where he conducts a feedyard ; he lias three children. Clarinda G. died in her thirty-third year, and left three children, one of whom diedln infancy. Martha J. married W. H. Palmer, has four children, and lives in Genesee County, N. Y. ; Lucina 1). is unmarried, and lives with < 1 830 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. her sister in New York : Dorothea J. is the wife of \\. ,1. Pilcher, has four children, and lives in Kansas : Ida Maj' died at the age of four years: Emma and George W. are at home. Mrs. Newman i.s an ardent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and Mr. Newman belongs to the Republican party. They are both most estimable people, and enjoy the esteem and respect of all their neighbors. ; AMES BRYDON. The farm property of this gentleman is beautifully located in Charlotte Township, on section 24, and comprises 120 1 acres of land with n handsome and substan- tial residence, a good barn and other out-buildings, and is well stocked with graded Durham cattle, thoroughbred Norman horses and Poland-China swine. The fields are divided with neatly trimmed hedges and the whole presents a pleasing picture of the model country estate. Our subject beside> these good things of life has an intelligent family of children, to whom he is giving a good education and training them to become praiseworthy and use- ful citizens. He is practically a self-made man, who has battled with many difficulties in life, and his property is the accumulation of his own indus- try and frugality. The dwelling stands in the midst of handsome shade trees, both natural and orna- mental, and not far away is one of the most beauti- ful groves in Livingston County, planted by the hand of the proprietor. The early home of our subject was on the other side of the Atlantic, in the city of Liverpool, En- gland, where his birth took place July 27, 1838. He is the younger of two children born to George and Eliza (Ballantyue) Brydon, natives of Scotland and of Scotch descent. George Brydon in early life learned the cabinet-maker's trade at Liverpool but subsequently returned to his native county, and died there when his son Jann^ was but three years of age. The mother only survived three years, and .lames was taken by his maternal aunt, Miss Jane Ballantyne, of Selkirkshire, Scotland, where he was reared and obtained his education. In 1853. when a youth of fifteen years, in company with his sister and aunt he set sail from Liverpool on the vessel "Benjamin Adams." and after a pleasant voyage of five weeks and three days, they landed in New York City. Thence they proceeded directly to Kankakee, 111., to the home of an uncle, with whom our subject remained until March following. lie then set out in life for himself, being employed as a farm laborer until in August, 1861. The outbreak of the Rebellion necessitating a call for volunteers, our subject, Aug. 28, 18G1. en- listed at Chicago in Company K, 42d Illinois In- fantry, and at once entered into active service. With his comrades he first met the enemy at Farm- ington, Miss., and subsequently participated in the battles of Stone River, Chattanooga and Chicka- mauga, and was engaged in the raid through Ivist Tennessee to Knoxville. At the expiration of his first term of enlistment he re-entered the ranks Jan. 1, 1864, and not long afterward joined the army of Gen. Sherman on its march upon Atlanta, and wa.- present at the siege and capture of the city. He received his honorable discharge Jan. 10, I860, and suffered but one wound, which confined him to the hospital a little over a month. Mr. Brydon upon retiring from the army, came to this county and purchased eighty acres of wild prairie land, which is now included in his present homestead. He continued, however, working for others until he could obtain sufficient capital to secure the implements required for the cultivation of his land, and in the spring of 1868 broke the sod of about forty acres and put in a crop. As soon as this was completed he commenced the erec- tion of a house, which was finished in June fol- lowing and to which he brought a bride not long afterward, his marriage with Miss Eliza A. Je.-sup taking place July 27, 1868. The wife of our subject was born in Cambridge, Ind., March 29, 184o, and is the daughter of Jona- than E. and Mary (Burkett) Jessup, natives of South Carolina. The mother is deceased and the father is now living in Nebraska. The young peo- ple commenced life together on the new farm, and as years passed by there were added by degrees the various improvements which the passing traveler now looks upon with admiration as the embellish- ments of a home supplied with all the comforts of t ; i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 837 life and ninny of its luxuries Mr. B. subsequently added forty acres to his first purchase, and the whole 120 acres is under a fine state of cultivation and exceedingly fertile. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Brydon were nine in number, seven now living, namely, four sons and three daughters These bear the names respect- ively of Mary E., George E., James F.. Florence I., Ai. Edith and Wesley. They form a blooming family of whom the parents have reason to be proud, and whom they are training in those vir- tues and accomplishments which will constitute them valuable citizens and desirable members of the social circle. ACOB OPPY. There is something about an unselfish man which naturally attracts you to him; something which makes you feel better when you are in his presence and under his influence. An unselfish man is a valuable acquisi- tion to any community, for lie is happiest when en- gaged in good deeds, and doing something which will make the community better. When the unselfish man is connected with the work of religion and reform liis influence penetrates every nook and corner of his surroundings, and to him can lie traced either directly or indirectly the beginning of nearly all enterprises which have for their object the amelioration of the distress and the reformation of mankind. In the Mibject of this sketch we have illustrated the good which can be accomplished by unselfishness in con- nection with earnestness and sincerity. Mr. Oppy is an honored citizen of Avoca Town- ship, and a native of Champaign County, Ohio. He was born on the 20th of October, 1819, and is the son of Abraham and Sarah Oppy, the former a native of Virginia, and a soldier in the War of 1812. His ther died when Mr. Oppy was but ten days old, and when he \\.-is quite a small boy he accompanied his father to Logan County, Ohio, where he resided until he reached his fifteenth year. At that n-e he removed to Grant County, Ind.. where he remained until he reached the years of manhood. The greater portion of his life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits .-ind stock-raising, except during his ten years' residence in Grant County, Ind., where he was engaged in milling. On the 2d of February. 1840, our subject was married to Emma A. Xeal, a native of Grant Coun- ty, Ind. She died on the 22d of September, 1842, and on the 8th of January, 1843. Mr. Oppy was married to Elizabeth P. Briggs, a native of Grant County, Ind., who bore him six children, and died on the 31st of October, 1858. On the 30th of March, 1859, Mr. Oppy was married a third time, the lady of his choice being Rebecca A. Kendall, a native of Indiana, and she had five children Dor- cas- J., Tillie A., Minnie E., Cora D. and Linda L. In the spring of 186;") with his family he came to Livingston County, and immediately located upon the farm he now occupies near Fairbury. This farm consists of 130 acres of well-improved land, which is fully equipped with appropriate farm build- ings. Besides this he is the owner of a good property in Fairbury. lie and his wife are both identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church in Fairbury, in which he served fifty years as a local minister and in other official capacities. He has been a generous supporter of the church, and is quite liberal-spirited and unselfish in all his motives. While in a general sense he affiliates with the Re- publican party in the selection of officers for the administration of local affairs, he aims to cast his ballot for men of pure character and best fitted for the positions to which they aspire regardless of political parties. In his earlier business career Mr. Oppy endured many hardships and exercised much self-denial, but was always confident that the future had in store success for those who strived for it. His faith was well founded, for he has been success- ful, and no man ru the community enjoys more of the respect and confidence of the community than the worthy subject of this sketch. UGH McKEE, retired farmer and a resident of Fairbury, came to Illinois thirty-five years ago, locating first in Putnam County, where he spent one year, and then coming to this county, entered 200 acres of land from the Government, and which is still in his possession. ' 838 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Although carrying on general agriculture, he has distinguished himself as a successful breeder of Short-horn cattle and Poland-China hogs, and has exhibited some of the finest animals ever raised in this county. He has been prominent in local af- fairs, serving as School Trustee thirteen years, Road Commissioner two terms, and in 1855 was elected Justice of the Peace, receiving his commission from Gov. Matteson. While holding this position he officiated at the marriage of four couples, one of these being John Darnell, son of a Baptist minister. Politically, he is a straight Democrat, and has been identified with the Baptist Church over tliirty years, and officiated as Deacon and Trustee. It will thus be seen that Mr. McKee has been no unimportant factor in the affairs of Indian Grove Township. Our subject is a native of Westmoreland County, Pa., and was born March 8, 1823. He is of Irish parentage and the son of Henry McKee. The fa- ther followed farming pursuits, and is still living in Pennsylvania. He was born in 171(2, and is con- sequently nearly ninety-five years of age. The pa- rental household included nine children, namely: Mary A., William; Hugh, our subject; Diana, Lou- isa, Sarah, Finley, Henry and Margaret. Sarah and Margaret are still unmarried and living with their father. The paternal grandparents of our subject came from the North of Ireland in time for grandfather John McKee to serve as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and during the later trouble in 1812. Subsequently he settled in Pennsylvania, where he spent his last days. The maternal grand- father, Isaac Linn, served as a Captain in the War of 1812 under the immediate command of Gen. Harrison. Mr. McKee spent his boyhood and youth in his native State, and after reaching his twenty-third year was united in marriage with Miss Jemima Linn, on the 2(!th of March, 1840. Mrs. McKee was born in Fayette County. 1'a.. June 11, l,S2:j, and by her union with our subject became the mother of seven children : Their eldest born died in in- fancy: William 11. grew to man's estate, and was killed by the faU of a tree when twenty-five years of age: Andrew L. married Miss Flora Crouch, and i> a fanner: Henrietta K. M., the wife of Will- iam J. Fowler, is living in Nebraska; James A. died soon after his birth; Antoinette died at the age of one year and two days; Olive V. K., the j'oungest, is unmarried and remains with her parents. Mrs. McKee is the daughter of Andrew and Ra- chel (Fry) Linn, natives of Pennsylvania, where they followed farming and spent their entire lives. Andrew Linn was born in 1797, and departed this life in 1881, being eighty -four years of age. The mother was born in June, 1803, and died in 1883, at the age of eighty years. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Mrs. McKee was the eldest. James T. was married, and died during his service in the army as a member of the 85th Penn- sylvania Infantry: Isaac C. ; John W. also served in the Union army four years; Martha; Caleb F. lost his life in the army; Mary S. : Coiirtland S., and Isaac, the youngest, who died when eleven months old. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. McKee was a minister of the Baptist Church, in which he labored faithfully for a period of forty years, during this time occupying one pulpit. QUIRE F. CARPENTER, the father of Charles Wheaton Carpenter, the well-known dealer in live stock and coal at the city of Odell, was born in Luzerne Count}', Pa.. June 15, 1815, and w;is the sixtli in a family of ten children, the offspring of Amos and Cynthia (Frank- lin) Carpenter, natives resi>ectively of Connecticut and Khode Island. Mr. Carpenter was reared to the various employments of farm life, and received but a limited education, lie spent most of his life in his native county, where his death took place Oct. 29, 1883, at the age of sixty-eight years. Mr. Carpenter began farming for himself when twenty-two years of age, and on the Kith of Febru- ary, 1837, was united in marriage with Miss Ma- tilda Champlin, who was the eldest of four children born to Benjamin and Mary (Clark) Champlin. She began life June (i, 1*1:5. Her parents were na- livoof Rhode Island, and her father descended from a long line of people who had been uniformly engaged in agricultural pursuits, Mrs. Carpenter I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 839 departed this life a few months previous to the death of her husband, passing away Dec. 30, 1882. The remains of both were laid to rest in Waverly Cemetery, near the old homestead, which is still in possession of their descendants. The family of Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter included eight children, seven now living. They are re- corded as follows : Charles Wheaton was born Dec. 11, 1837: Mary Cordelia, Sept. 28, 1839; James Clark, Jan. 30, 1842; Christopher Champlin, Aug. 10, 1843; Willet Manuel, Jan. 3, 1848; Isaac Mon- roe was born June (i, 1849, and died Feb. 8, 1852; Cyrus Benjamin was born Sept. 3, 1852, and Amos Franklin, Sept. 12, 1853. Three are married and settled in comfortable homes, living mostly in Odell and vicinity, and represent the intelligent and re- spectable element of society. Of Charles, the eldest, a sketch will be found elsewhere in this volume. They received careful training under the home roof, and a good education in the common schools. Mr. Carpenter was a stanch Democrat, politically, although he meddled little with public affairs, pre- ferring the quiet retreat of his home and family, and devoting his attention mainly to the labors and duties of his homestead. Both he and his excellent wife identified themselves with the Baptist Church early in life. BARREN WEBSTER, one of the most wor- thy and intelligent members of the farm- ing community of Broughton Township, is a fine illustration of the self-made man, who com- menced life without other capital than his strong hands and resolute will, and has built up a good homestead from a tract of land of which he took possession when it was little removed from its prim- itive condition, lie has been a resident of this county for a period of over thirty years, and num- _ bers scores of friends among its intelligent and most highly respected people. He followed gen- eral farming the first two years, but latterly has given considerable attention to stock-raising, in which lie has met with unqualified success. He has been particularly active in the establishment and maintenance of schools, and has served as Director in his township for a number of years. His pre- cepts have closely been followed by practice in his own famih', as he has given his children the best advantages which his means would afford, and fitted them to take their station in life as useful and in- telligent members of society. Our subject was born in Little Valley, Tuscara- was Co., N. Y., Jan. 18, 17. which had their effect upon so many business mer, induced Mr. Webster to dispose of his Michigan land, and he then returned to his native State, About this time the New York purchase of titles has still further added to his re- sources. For the past three years, however, Mr. Webster has been quite an invalid, only being able to move about in a rolling chair. His active mind, however, remains unimpaired, and he can still give his attention to the investment of his funds. Mr. Webster has been twice married. His first wife was formerly Miss Louisa Clark, of Monroe County, N. Y., who died eighteen months after her wedding, leaving one child, D. Franklin, who fol- lowed the mother six years later. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Feb. 3, 1848, was in her girlhood Miss Elizabeth Lewis, a native of Monroe County, N. Y., and born in 1827. This union resulted in the birth of one child, a daughter, who died at the interesting age of twelve years. Mrs. Webster, a lady held in the highest esteem by her neighbors and acquaintances, gives to her invalid husband all possible care and attention, and has proved his closest friend and counselor. Mr. Webster cast his first Presidential vote for John Quincy Adams, and supported the old Whig party until it was succeeded by the Republicans, since which time he has been a stanch adherent of the latter party. While a resident of New York State, he frequently discharged the duties of the local offices to which he was from time to time elected, and has always kept himself thoroughly in- formed upon matters of general interest. He was in Western New York during the excitement con- nected with the reputed abduction of Morgan by the Masons, and became strongly prejudiced against secret societies, to which he has sturdily opposed himself since that time. His whole career has been illustrative of courage and perseverance, which seem to have largely constituted the inborn ele- ments of his character, and which have served him so well in time of need. f Philadelphia on the 13th of March, 1847. He received a fair common-school education, which he has materially improved by study and constant reading since grown to man- hood. Mr. Ostrander was married, in December, 1878, to Miss Ophelia Foster, daughter of R. B. Foster, of Avoea Township. To them have been born three children Hariy M.. Elbert R. and Roy. Mr. Ostrander lias met with considerable success in his various business ent-erprii-es. in all of which he ' displays good judgment as well a> proper conserva- tism. Aside from business affairs he is one of the leading citizens of Avoca Township, and takes an interest in all matters which concern the people. In the matter of office-holding he has served :i~ Treasurer of Avoca Township school-, four years, and as Township Clerk one term, while he is now serving his second term as Justice of the Peace. In 1864 Mr. Ostrander enlisted as a soldier in the Union army, serving in Company F, 138th Illinois Infantry, as private. The duties of this regiment lay mostly in Kansas and Missouri, and consisted of garrison and outpost duty. After serving from May until October, 1864, he received his honorable discharge. In business circles people do not misunderstand Mr. Ostrander, for they know that whatever he en- gages to do he will perform, and as the saying goes "his word is as good as his bond." He enjoy? the confidence of all the people with whom he has busi- ness relations, and in the offices of public trust which have been confided to him he has shown much ability and given great satisfaction to the people. He is a man of whom anj' community may justly be proud. J"~/AMES A. HUNTER, the ex-Sheriff of Liv- ingston County, who has retired from active business life and is residing in Odell, was ' born in Mercer County, Pa., on the 1st of November, 1831, and is the youngest of ten chil- dren born to John and Jane (Mortimore) Hunter, who were natives of Westmoreland County, Pa. The paternal grandparents were David and Jane (Galloway) Hunter, who were natives of Westmore- land County, and originally of Protestant- Irish de- scent: the maternal grand pa rents were Jonathan and Mary (Gray) Mortimore, the former of Scotch descent. Mary Gray, at the age of twelve years, was captured by the Delaware Indians, while her parents were attending to the evening duties of the farm. The parents were both killed and the little girl carried into captivity, where she remained in the family of the chief for three years, and then es- caped and returned to her friends. She was treated r f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 47 with the utmost courtesy all the time, but con- stantly guarded as a prisoner. She afterward mar- ried Jonathan Mortimore, who was a miller by trade, and built the first gristmill in that part of the country. The father of Mr. Hunter was a farmer by occu- pation, and spent his life in Pennsylvania. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was wounded at a drill exercise, from the effects of which he was afterward disabled and discharged from the service. ' His death occurred at his home in Lawrence County, Pa., in 1854. Mr. Hunter attended the common schools when a boy, and at the age of eighteen began to learn the trade of a blacksmith. He followed this occupation in the neighborhood of j his home for some time after completing his ap- prenticeship. On the 2d of November, 1H54, Mr. Hunter mar- ried Miss Jane Struthers, who was born in Mercer County, Pa., on the llth of March, 1834, and was the daughter of John and Carrie (Duff) Struthers. She was the mother of four children: Edwin A., who was born Nov. 5, 1857; Alexander Lawrence, March 1, 1800, and two who died in infancy. Alex- ander L. died July 31, 1864, and the blow fell so heavily on the mother that she never recovered from the shock, and dying, left Mr. Hunter with only his little boy to cheer him. In 1862, on the 2d of August, the subject of this biography enlisted in Company H, 134th Pennsyl- vania Infantry, beginning service as Second Ser- geant, but was soon promoted to Orderl}' Sergeant, and then commissioned Second Lieutenant by An- drew G. Cm-tin, War Governor of Pennsylvania. The muster into service occurred at Harrisburg on : the 9th of August, 1862, and his rapid promotion ! placed him in the position of Second Lieutenant on the 1st of January, 1863. His first active service was at the second battle of Bull Run, and following in succession were the battles of Shepherdstown, under Col. Ed. O'Brien, 5th Army Corps: Fred- ericksburg; Antietam, under Hooker, where he was wounded while in command of his company by the bursting of a shell, a piece of which struck him in the left breast, from the effects of which he was disabled for active duty. Later he again took command of the company, and was soon afterward discharged, on the 27th of May, 1863, when he re- turned to his home. Then he went into the oil fields of Pennsylvania, where he remained for a time, but not wishing to again settle among the scenes of his sorrows, he turned to Illinois and lo- cated first at Morris, where he engaged in the con- fecti< inery business. On the 25th of October, 1806, Mr. Hunter mar- ried Mrs. Rhoda (Galloway) Shields, the seventh in a family of twelve children born to George and Angeline (McFarland) Galloway, natives of Penn- sylvania. The father makes his home with his daughter, and is now in his eighty-ninth year, hav- ing been born on the 25th of October, 1798: he is hale and hearty, with a clear and active mind. Mr. Hunter moved to Odell, where he bought grounds upon which he built a residence, and engaged in blacksmithing and carriage manufacturing. This he followed until 1878, when his popularity as a citizen and his executive ability, shown in local offices and as a delegate to county conventions, led the Republican party to select him as a candi- date for Sheriff's office. He was elected by a good majority, and entered upon the duties of the office with the zeal and earnestness he always displayed in the discharge of uny duty that might be assigned him. During this term occurred the celebrated Johannes Deboer case of Livingston County on a change of venue, and prosecuted by the Hon. S. S. Page, now Judge of the Circuit Court at Peoria. The case terminated in the execution of Deboer in the jail at Pontiac during Mr. Hunter's term of office. In 1880 he was again a candidate for the office, and was re-elected. The Greenback and Democratic parties united on the opposition candi- date, and a strong fight was made on him and the Hon. L. E. Payson. They carried the county in spite of the combination against them, tying on all their majorities from districts to total results. This term was characterized by the energy he displayed in clearing np and completing all the work on his hands, so that when he passed out of office there was no business left unfinished except what court in- junctions had retarded. At the close of this term he retired to his home in Odell, where he had erected a fine residence during his incumbency, and the only official position he' has held since was the \ t 84 8 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Postmastership of the Senate in 1883 at Springfield. Mr. Hunter lias purchased fifty acres of land in the village limits, which he cultivates at his leisure, and enjoys the fruits of his industry and frugality. ; One of his sisters, Mrs. Ruth Hamilton, the only one now living besides himself of a family of ten i children, is now a widow, and makes her home with him. Mrs. Hunter is an active member of the Congregational Church, closely uniting with that in the absence of a Presbyterian Church, to which her membership belonged. r J1ACOB KING is one of the enterprising I farmers and stock-raisers of Waldo Town- I ship, and is located on section 14. He was I born in Germany, Sept. 14, 1833, and is the son of Christian and Phu'be (Bernard) King. When he was about one and one-half years of age he was brought to America by his parents, who located in Butler County, Ohio, where the father followed farming on rented ground for six years, and then moved to McLean County, 111., where he located on a farm between Bloomington and Danvers. Here our subject secured what education he was able to obtain, working a portion of the time for himself, and a part for his father, until he was about twenty-four years of age, when he rented ground and commenced farming for himsi-lf. When about twenty-five years of age Mr. King was married, Dec. 8, 1858, to Miss Ann, daughter of John and Magdalena (Salzman) Newhauser. After his marriage he farmed rented ground for about six years and then moved to Waldo Town- ship, where he purchased eighty acres of land, which he has since increased to 160 acres, all of which is finely located and well cultivated. He has erected good and comfortable buildings, and constructed a sullicit'iit number of tile ditches to thoroughly drain the farm. In this ALBUM is shown a view of Mr. King's residence. Mr. and Mrs. King have had born to them ten children, whose names are as follows: Samuel, Plm-be. Barbara, John, Christian, Jacob, Emma, Anna, Simon and Amlia. Samuel was born Nov. 1, 1859, and died April ]>, 1863; Phu'be was born .March 0. I.S(',L>, married Joseph Xehr, has two chil- divn, and lives in Waldo Township: Barbara was born March 11, 1864, married Christian Augustine, and lives in Nebraska Township; John was born March 30, 1866, is unmarried and lives in Waldo Township; Christian was born April 4, 1868, and is unmarried ; Jacob was born Jan. 10, 1871, and died June 16, 1872; Emma was born Jan. 3, 1*7:!. and died June 10, 1876: Anna was born Dec. 17, 1874, and died July 10, 1883: Simon was born Dec. 8, 1876, and Amlia, Aug. 9, 1879. Our subject was the third child in a family of ten, eight still living, who are married and have families, as follows: Christian has five children, and lives in Waldo Township; John has seven children, and lives in the same township; Jacob, our subject; Daniel has three children; Peter, six; James, four, and all live near Hudson, 111.; Barbara married David Ropp. and has five children, and Samuel has two children; both also live near Hudson, III. Mrs. King was born in France on the 20th of April, 1841, and came to America with her father when she was fourteen years of age. She is the seventh child in a family of eight, who were named as follows: John, Joseph, Andrew, Christian, Peter. Valentine, Ann and Barbara. John is married, has one child, and is engaged in the busine>> of milling in France: Joseph was married and died, leaving one child, who has since died : Andrew was married and died, leaving two children; Christian is married, has two children, and lives in Africa; Peter and Valentine are deceased : Barbara married Peter Zehr, has four children, and lives in Nebraska Township. Mr. King is Democratic in politics, and has filled the office of School Director for seventeen years, a record which is not excelled by any other citizen of the district. He is a member of the Mennonite Church, and devotes considerable atten- tion to church matters. a IMEON ARNETT. Virginia has the honor of having produced more occupants of the Presidential Chair than any other State in the Union, and i> commonly called the Mother of Presidents. Virginia is also the birth- place of many of the most estimable citizens of the West, among whom is the subject of this sketch, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 849 I an extensive farmer and large stock-raiser on sec- lion 11, Rook's Creek Township, who was born in Washington County, Va., on the 13th of August, 1814. His maternal ancestors were of Irish-Swe- dish descent, and his paternal ancestors were pure Irish. When a hoy Simeon Arnett moved to Marshall County, Va., where he was apprenticed to the tailor's trade in the city of Wheeling, and served two years, but not liking the place he walked to Penn- sylvania where he remained about two years, and then returned to Randolph, Va., in 1X31. From there he went to Scottsville, Albemarle County, seventy-five miles above Richmond, and then to Charlottesville. In 1832 he crossed over the Alle- ghany Mountains on foot. At that time the coun- try was infested with wild animals, particularly bears, which were very vicious at that season of the year. At Beverly, Clarksburg and Marietta, he worked at his trade as a journeyman for a time, and then returned to Moundsville, Marshall Co., Va., where he settled. Mr. Arnett was married to Elizabeth Ward, daughter of William and Margaret (Koiikle) Ward, on the 15th of October, 1836, near Moundsville, Va. After marriage he engaged at his trade and remained there until 1854. While lie resided in Moundsville he was Treasurer of the Council, and took great interest in the affairs of the State Mili- tia, being Colonel of the 13 4th Virginia Militia Regiment, and during his residence here he also held the office of Justice of the Peace. In 1854 lu- moved west to Clayton County, Iowa, where he at one time owned 1,000 acres of land, but not liking the climate he sold out and came to Wood- ford County, 111., where he purchased 190 acres of land in May, 1856, and afterward enough to make 501 acres in all. He resided in Woodford County until 1S83, when he sold part of his land, retaining 310 acres, which he still owns. His home farm on sections 14 and 15 contains 410 acres of land, which constitutes one of the best stock farms in the county. It is well tiled, the buildings are first- class, and every appointment of the farm is ar- ranged for comfort. Mr. Arnett's social standing- is very high, and lie is a favorite with all hi> neigh- bors. In 176 he visited the great Centennial Ex- hibition at Philadelphia. Oh the Kith of October, 1 886, he and his wife celebrated their golden wed- ding, at which there assembled all the relatives who found it possible to attend, and the people of the entire neighborhood availed themselves of this op- portunity to show their deep respect for them. Mr. Arnett is a man of much firmness of character, as is shown by his resistance of temptation to be led into intemperate habits, which were so prevalent among journeymen tailors in early days. He be- came a member of the Methodist Church in 1833, and since then has been a prominent figure in that organization. In 1885 he was elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, and is the incumbent at the time this sketch is written. During the exist- ence of the old Whig party he belonged to that or- ganization, and took part in the Log Cabin and Hard Cider campaign, during which he attended a barbecue on Wheeling Hill, at Wheeling, W. Va., at which Southgate, of Kentucky, was the orator, and where he saw many old soldiers of the Revolu- tionary army. He followed the fortunes of the Whig party until it was merged into the Republican party, and has ever since been a steadfast and firm Republican. Mr. Arnett had one half-brother, Alfred Arnett, who fell from a tree in which he was gathering hickory nuts, and was so badly injured that he died soon after, at the age of seventeen. He also had a half-sister, Margaret V. Cockayne, who married Rev. William B. McFarland, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. She died in Marshall County, W. Va., and left two daughters: Florence V., who was married to W. J. Hunsaker, and lives at Los Angeles, Cal., and Lucy W., who is unmar- ried and also lives in California. Mr. Arnett has seven children living, named as follows: Margaret A., Hannah V., Martha A., Will- iam 11., James A.. Belle J. and Edwin II. Marga- ret A. was born June (i, 1838, and married Marion Moore, by whom she has one child living, named Ulysses S. ; her husband was wounded in the battle of Ft. Blakeslev, and shortly afU'rward died in the hospital at New Orleans. She was a second time married, to J. A. Armstrong, and lives at West Cliff, Col. Hannah V., born Sept. 29, 1840, has been twice marr.ed, first to (Jeorge ICmeiy, and a I I 850 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. second time to William Keever; they live at Gre- nola, Elk Co., Kan. Martha A., born Nov. 2, 1 si:;. married John Niergarth, has six children, and lives in Woodford County, 111.: William II., born Aug. 26, 1816, married Mary Ann Bryson, of DesMoines County, Iowa, has one child, and lives in Rook's Creek Township; James A., born Aug. 16, 1855, married Martha E. Ayres, has three children, and lives in Lane County, Kan . Belle J., born May 20, 1858, married George Marks, has one child, and lives in Rook's Creek Township; Edwin II., born Jan. 10, 1862, is unmarried and lives at home. Mr. Arnett's maternal grandfather, Charles Mc- Donald, took up about 1,100 acres of land near Moundsville, W. Va., over 100 years ago. He kept that farm, but took up his residence on an- other near Abingdon, in Southern Virginia, near the Tennessee line, where he died soon after. The great-grandfather, James McDonald, removed the widow to Fayette County, Pa. During the Revo- lutionary War James McDonald slept in his stable to protect his horses from the Tories. He was a Roman Catholic, and Charles McDonald belonged to the Baptist Church. In September, 1765, a brother of Mr. Arnett's grandmother was massa- cred by the Indians who were in ambush about eight miles below Wheeling, W. Va. He was a soldier in Capt. Foreman's company of scouts de- tailed to watch the Indians along the Ohio River. Besides the Captain twenty-one soldiers were killed. This grandmother was reared in a fort until she was five years of age, and at her father's house Gen. Washington used to stop when on his surveying tours. Mr. Arnett's uncle, Bartholomew McDon- ald, was in the War of 1812, belonging to the reg- ulars, and at Ft. Wayne was instrumental in saving the fort from destruction after it had been set on fire by the Indians who had surrounded it. The garrison was relieved the following day by Gen. Harrison. Mrs. Arnett is the second in a family of six chil- dren, as follows: J. C., Elizabeth, Henry C., John, William B. and Martha J. J. C. married Rebecca E. Bonar, has six children, and lives near Onarga, 111.; Elizabeth was born Jan. 31, 1819; Henry C. married Martha Konkle; John married Jane B. Bry- -011. has two children, and lives near Panola, Wood- ford Co., III. ; William B. married Sarah Hedges, has four children, and lives near Overtoil, Neb.: Martha J. married William Holliday; both died, leaving five children, four of whom live in Rutland, 111., and one is married and lives in Iowa. Mr. Arnctt has twelve grandchildren, one of whom, Mary Margaret Niergarth, was born in Woodford County, III., on the 23d of February, 186"), and makes her home with Mr. Arnett. She has four sisters and one brother living in Woodford County, 111. The mother of Mrs. Arnett was born on the 1st of March, 1797, and was married on the 7th of November, 1816, to William Ward, who was born on the 27th of October, 1792, and died on the 2()th of March, 1858. She is still living in her ninety- first year, enjoying such good health that there is a possibility of her being able to celebrate her one hundredth birthday. /^JEORGE D. PADDOCK is a gentleman i|| < -, widely known throughout Livingston Coun- '^^ ty, who has held many positions of trust and honor at the hands of his neighbors. For many years he has been a resident of Saunemin. where he is universally respected and esteemed. He was born in the city of Milwaukee, Wis., on the 25th of December, 1839, atid is the son of Aaron A. and Susan Paddock. The parents of our subject were natives of Onon- daga County, N. Y., while the paternal and ma- ternal ancestors were of Welsh and English descent respectively. Lewis Norton, the maternal grand- father, was a soldier in the War of 1812. In 1*11 our subject was brought by his parents when they migrated to Lake County, 111., where his father died on the 1 1th of May, 1877. To his parents were born eleven children: Elnora; Adelia, wife of John Monroe, of Baraboo, Wis. ; Asa B., of Lake County, 111. : Julia, wife of Samuel Lockwood. of Chicago, 111.; Lewis, of Lake County, 111.; George 1).; Mar- shall, of Saunemin; Albert, of Spencer, Iowa; Helen, wife of John Rich, of Saunemin: Ada, wife of Lewis Savage, of Antioeh, 111., and Richard, of Chi- cago. Elnora is deceased. George I). Paddock was reared in Lake County, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 851 4 III., where he received his education and resided until the breaking out of the 'var. In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company D. 96th Illinois Infantry, under Capt. A. Z. Blodgett, and the regi- ment soon afterward became a part of the army of the Tennessee. Mr. Paddock went with his company to Rockford, III., and there engaged in drill for about four weeks, and thence went to Kentucky and joined in the pursuit of Gen. Price, participating in several skirmishes. Subsequently he was under the . command of Gen. Rosecrans, and fought at the j battle of Franklin, while he was in numerous minor | engagements. While in (Jen. Rosecrans' com- ; maud he contracted a disease of the heart, and it was found necessary to send him to the hospital at Ttillahoma, Tenn., where he remained a short time, and was afterward in hospital at Nashville, Louis- ville, and finally at Qiiincy, 111., where he was dis- charged on the 25th of February, 1865. After his discharge from the army he returned to Lake j County and there resided until 1867, when he re- moved to Bourbon County, Kan., and there resided until 1869, in which year he came to Livingston County, and immediately engaged in general mer- cantile business, which he followed uninterruptedly fourteen years, lie being the pioneer merchant of | Sfumeinin. He was also Postmaster of the village seven years, and served as Justice of the Peace four years, and Police Magistrate four years. He is the present Treasurer of Sauneniin Township, and is now serving the second year of his term. He has also served as Clerk of the township sev- eral years, and was for four years Constable. Mr. Paddock was married, on the 31st of Au- gust, 1869, to Miss Mary Warner, who was born on the 7th of October, 1842, in Kendall County, III. She is a daughter of Charles and Melinda (Pierce) Warner, the father a native of the State of New York and the mother of Ohio. Her parents were among the pioneer settlers of Kendall County, and her grandfather, Thomas Warner, was a soldier in the War of 1812. The family of Mrs. Paddock's parents consisted of eight children: Daniel, of Iowa; Dewey, now deceased; Sarah, wife of L. P. Barnes, of Salem, Wis; George, John and William, of Iowa; Florence, wife of David Harvey, of Iowa, and Mary. Two children have been born to .Mr. -4. and Mrs. Paddock Lyman, of Bluff Lake, 111., and Agnes. Mr. Paddock had two brothers in the Union army, Marshall and Albert. Marshall went out as a musician and was present at the battle of Pea Ridge and numerous other engagements, and re- turned from the army with impaired health. Al- bert participated in the battles of Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Chickamanga, Franklin, the siege of Nashville, and was captured at Franklin and confined four months in a rebel prison pen at Ca- haba, Ala. He endured many hardships while there, but was finalh" properly exchanged, and subse- quently discharged at the close of the war, in April, 1865. The farm on which Mr. Paddock and family re- side consists of 220 acres, and is under a high state of cultivation, containing good and substantial buildings, fences and other improvements. Mr. Paddock's political proclivities are Republican, and he is active in his efforts to assist that party in electing its candidates. lie and his wife are both members of the Christian Church, and take a lively interest in church affairs. They spend the summer season principally at Bluff Lake, III., where he owns a summer residence and a steam pleasure yacht. Mr. Paddock is broad and liberal in his views, both in regard to public affairs and private enterprises. He has always been a stanch advocate of better schools and a higher grade of moralitj", and so far as practicable and possible has put these views into operation. /CHRISTOPHER C. HUMPHREYS. One fl( thing will attract the attention of whoever ^^^x reads the contents of this ALBUM, and that is the number of persons now living in Livingston County who responded to the call of the Govern- ment from 1861 to 1865, for soldiers to assist in suppressing the most gigantic rebellion the wo: Id ever knew. No matter what their nativity may lie. ;i large proportion of the biographies of the present citizens of Livingston County must record the heroic deeds of the subjects of the sketches in the war for the I'liiou. This shows patriotism, and T 8.52 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. wherever the people are patriotic, there citizenship is of a high standard. The subject of this sketch is a prominent farmer of Avoca Township, located on section 21. He is [ a native of Muskingum County, Ohio, where he was born on the 28th of April, 1830, and is the son of William and Mary Humphreys, both natives of Ireland, who settled in Muskingum County in 1818. He is the youngest son of his father's family, and when four years of age accompanied his parents when the}- moved to Coshocton County, Ohio, where he was reared to manhood, receiving but a limited education owing to the meagre advantages afforded him. In the spring of 1861, while a resi- dent of Coshocton County, he enlisted in Company A, Kith Ohio Infantry, for the preliminary three months' service at the beginning of the war, and participated in a few of the engagements which soon followed in Western Virginia. On the 23th of December, 18G1, his three months' term of en- listment having expired, he again enlisted, this time in Company G, 80th Ohio Infantry, and dur- ing his term of service participated in the sieges of Corinth and Vicksburg, and in Sherman's march to the sea until Savannah was reached. After having served through the entire war, and made an honor- able and enviable record as a soldier, he was dis- charged on the 7th of February, 1805, and then re- turned to Ohio. On the 8th of June, 1871, Mr. Humphreys was married to Mar}- R. Beyer, and they have four children AVilliam A., John 15., Mary E. and Mar- garet H. In 1881 he came to Illinois and settled on the farm which he now occupies, consisting of 240 acres, all of which is highly cultivated, and contains good improvements. He 1ms recently ad- ded eighty acres to his landed area, making a total of ;!20 acres. In th!s connection we present a view of Mr. Humphreys' residence with its surroundings. Mr. Humphreys is practically a self-made man, for he had neither inheritance nor capital with which to begin the business of life, and what he possesses to-day is the result of his own industry and man- agement, seconded at all times by the best efforts of his estimable wife. In political matters Mr. Humphreys acl> with the Republican party, through patriotic motives, and not with the hope of obtain- ing office as a reward for his services. At the time this sketch is written he is serving acceptably as School Director, and under his administration the school affairs of his district are kept in admirable condition. Mrs. Humphreys, the very excellent wife of the subject of this sketch, is a native of Franklin County, Ohio, where she was born on the 18th of May, 184G. She is the daughter of John and Mar- garet Beyer, who were Pennsylvanians by birth, and died in Franklin County, Ohio. They had ten children, five of whom are living Cornelia, Will- iam, David, Sarah and Mary R. Mrs. Humphreys takes a warm interest in all matters which concern and affect the society in which she moves, while she is highly esteemed and respected as a neighbor. 1)() DIRKS. This gentleman, who is vigor- ously prosecuting his farming operations on section 26, Avoca Township, is a fair repre- sentative of the substantial German element which has been so prominent and useful in the early settle- ment of this State. He was born in the Province of Hanover, Germany, March 26, 1842, and is the son of Lnctken and Annie (Mueller) Dirks, who were also of German birth and parentage. He was reared to manhood in his native Province, and in accordance with the laws and customs of the Em- pire, was placed in school at an early age and thor- oughly educated in his native tongue. He remained under the home roof until reaching manhood, and as the eldest sou of the family was the first to com- mence life on his own account. Mr. Dirks immigrated to the United States in 1870, after reaching the twenty -eighth year of his age. The voyage was made on the sailing-vessel % 'Leipsic," bound from Bremen to Baltimore, and after a safe passage, which consumed fifteen days, he landed in the New World. He started directly for the West, stopping first in Woodford Count}', where he remained employed as a farm laborer un- til the spring of 1882. lie had lived economically and now had a snug sum of money, by the aid of which he secured possession of the eighty acres of land which constitutes his present farm. Heovcr- t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 855 came tin.' difficulties of struggling with a strange soil in a new country, and has met with excellent suc- cess in his farming operations. His straightforward methods of doing business have also secured him the confidence and esteem of the community, where he is held in the highest respect. Mr. Dirks, after becoming a resident of Avoca Township, and finding that he could comfortably maintain a family, was united in marriage with one of his own country-women, Miss Katie Wilts, May 20, 1 87 1 , and they became the parents of three children. They have met with a great attliction, however, in the loss of two of these, Bernhardt and Maggie, having now only one child living, a son, Louis, who was born July K>, 1883, and remains at home with his parents. The residence is a neat and sub- stantial structure, while the barn and out-buildings bear fair comparison with those of the other pro- gressive farmers of the township. Mr. Dirks after becoming a naturalized citizen identified himself with the Republican party, to which he has since given his cordial support. As representative of the buildings in this sec- tion of country we present on an adjoining page of this volume a view of Mr. Dirks' residence. 1 Jp^OBERT DUNLAP, who is engaged in farm- f ing on section 21, Dwight Township, is of Scotch-Irish descent, his remote ancestors emigrating from Scotland to Ireland, where they settled. James K. Dunlap, the father of the subject of our sketch, came to this country in 1861. Two of his brothers, Rev. George K. Dunlap, Bishop of the Episcopal Church, diocese of Ari- zona and New Mexico, and William Dunlap, a re- tired merchant of St. Paul, Minn., had come sev- eral years before. James K. Dunlap was a stone- mason, and worked at his trade in Newport, Ky., and Cincinnati, Ohio. He left there in 186!) and came to Livingston County, where he engaged for a time in farming, but is now working at his trade in Dwight. While yet living in Ireland, he was married to Miss Jennie Meins, of Ireland, and of the same descent as himself. To them were born nine children Thomas W., Robert, Alexander, Mattie A., George J., James, Lydia L., Adam and Maggie. Robert Dunlap, our subject, was born in Ireland, on the 29th of August, 18411, and came to this country with his father when a lad of thirteen years, lie received a common-school education by dint of his own efforts, and partially learned the trade of a , stonemason. When twenty years of age he located in Illinois, and rented a farm in Livingston County, where he began the chosen vocation of his life. On the 26th of November, 1874, Mr. Dunlap was married to Miss Agnes M. Stephenson, daughter of James and Primrose (King) Stephenson, of Union Township, Livingston County. Her parents were born in Scotland, and her mother came first to Can- ada with her parents, and then with them, located in Pennsylvania. Upon his arrival in this country, Mr. King went directly to Pennsylvania, where they were married. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Dunlap are the parents of four children Jennie A., Mabel II., Maud L. and Ada F. In 1875 Mr. Dunlap rented a farm owned by Jesse Diffenbaugh, and upon this place he still re- sides, although in 1883 he purchased a farm of eighty acres in Round Grove Township, which he has leased to other parties. Mr. Dunlap is consid- ered a skillful fanner, and HI this section of Liv- ingston County has earned an enviable reputation as such. There is one maxim he always lives up to, and that is, " Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well," and the system and order which prevail about his premises prove conclusively that he fully comprehends the meaning and force of the same. UGUSTUS E. DINET, who is engaged in the business of general merchandising in the town of Odell, was born in Alsace, then a Province of France, on the 28th of April, 1851, and is the eldest of four children born to August and Catherine (Roy) Dinet, natives of France. The father was a farmer by occupation and a cooper by trade, who left France in 1854, and settled in Syracuse, N. Y., where he remained for two years, and then sent to France for his fam- ! h i s.-.r. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1 ily. They arrived in 1850, and he has made his home at Syracuse ever since that time, living upon a farm. The subject of this sketch was educated in Syra- cuse, N. Y., in the common schools, and afterward attended Ames Business College for two years at Syracuse. At the age of seventeen he engaged as a clerk in a grocery store, and two 'years later he came West and located at Ottawa, 111., where he engaged as a book-keeper in a general merchandise store and remained about five years, when ho re- moved to Joliet and took the management of a dry- goods store, which he conducted for three years. From there he went to Chicago and entered the employ of the wholesale dry-goods firm of Carson, Pirie, Scott & Co., and for three years represented them as a traveling salesman. He then entered the firm of Dinet, Nachbour & Co., as its senior mem- ber, and opened a dry-goods store at Joliet. At the close of the first year he sold his interest in this firm and returned to Chicago, where he again took the road as a traveling salesman, engaging with the Chicago Corset Company, and remained in their employ six months, when a change in their plans caused him to resign his position. He then came to Odell, 111., and in 188:> bought a general store, which was in the hands of an administrator ; and for sale. Since that time he has continued this business with good success. While living in Joliet, on the 5th of September, 1 s.si, Mr. Dinet married Katie McAllister, of Odell, who was the second child in a family of four born to Patrick and Mary McAllister, who were natives of Ireland but immigrated to America at an earl}" day, and are now residing at Odell. Mr. and Mrs. Dinet reside in a house which they built soon after marriage, and in which they are permanently settled. Mr. Dinet lias been prosperous in his business affairs, and ranks with the best nu'ivantilc firms in this part of Illinois. His varied experi- ences as clerk, merchant and traveling salesman, make him thoroughly acquainted with the details of merchandising, both as seller and buyer, lie is a thorough-going bu>iness man, and to his affairs devotes such constant attention that he (iuds little time to give to politics, other than to go to the election and vote the ticket, of the Democratic party, of which he has always been a member. He and his excellent wife are active members of the Catholic Church, to which they are much devoted. ENRY D. FISK, Superintendent of City Schools at Dwight, is the scion of an excel- lent American family of English descent, and a gentleman eminently qualified for his responsible position. His first years were s]>ent in Abington, Mass., where he was born Sept. 2">, 1855. and whence he came with his parents to Illinois when a child five years of age. Young Fisk remained on the farm with his par- ents, pursuing his studies in the district school and afterward entering the city school at Chenoa. He studied until fifteen years of age, when his prospects were sadly broken in upon by the death of his father, and he was then thrown upon his own re- sources and obliged to look out for himself. He had thereafter not only his own living to make, but he assisted in the support of his widowed mother, employing himself at whatever he could find to do to increase the family income, while at the same time he employed much of his leisure time with his books, and when eighteen years of age was con- sidered qualified to assume the work of a teacher. Ilis first labors in this direction began in Chenoa Township, where he taught one year. He then taught three years in what is known as the Ilogan School, Pike Township, this county: two years in the "Ballinger" district, and then one year in the same township in which he began teaching. He removed from Chenoa in 1881 and took charge of the school at Cayuga, where he remained two years, and at the end of this time was chosen Principal of the Dwight High School. The year following he was elected City Superintendent, and for the past four years has discharged his duties in an eminently creditable and satisfactory manner. The paternal grandfather of our subject was a New Hampshire fanner, and possessed all the staid and sturdy attributes of his New England progeni- tors. lie was reared among his native hills, and in early life married :i lady of his own county and t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 857 I r reared a family of children. His son, William B., the father of our subject, was born and reared on the farm in the Old Granite State, but on arriving at years of maturity left the agricultural districts, and going into the city of Boston, engaged in con- tracting and building, for which work he possessed natural talent. When twenty-eight years of age he was united in marriage with Miss Angeline Farrar, of Buckfleld, Oxford Co., Me., and the daughter of David and Cynthia (Waterman) Farrar, who were also of New England birth and parentage. The two children of this union were a son and a daughter, Flora and Frank, the latter of whom died when eleven years of age. The mother passed away in early life and William B. Fisk subsequently married her sister, Sarah C. This marriage resulted in the birth of eight children, namely : Henry 1)., Helena, Frederick E., Clara, Webster, Albert, Howard and William B. Helena died at the age of three years, Howard at thirteen months; the others are all liv- ing. The elder Fisk followed his profession of architecture in Boston for several years, after which he removed to Abington, Plymouth County, where he remained until 1858. He then determined to see something of the great West and started out by team, traveling through the States of Iowa, Wisconsin and Northern Illinois. The year fol- lowing he located on a farm five miles west of Chenoa, McLean County, this State, and while cul- tivating the soil continued the business of architect and builder until 1865, when he removed to the city of Chenoa, where he spent his last years. His death occurred in 1 870, after he had passed his fifty-first birthday. The father of our subject was a strong Repub- lican in his political belief, a radical temperance man, and a leading member of the I. (). G. T., in which organization he took a deep interest. He was the contractor and builder of the High School building at Chenoa, the Hamilton Block, which was the first brick structure of importance in the city, and the Presbyterian Church, the first house of worship put up in Chenoa. During the late war his sympathies were entirely with the Union cause, and the care of his family alone prevented his becoming an active soldier, although he was beyond the re- ijnired age. He possessed intense moral convictions and had a peculiar abhorence of decit and hypoc- risy. The children inheriting such characteristics and with such an example could scarcely fail to be otherwise than truthful and correct in their habits of life, as the result has proved. Henry 1). Fisk has been a hard student, and for years has given all his leisure time to his books. He takes a lively interest in the establishment and maintenance of educational institutions, and regu- larly attends the Teachers' Institutes in order to give and receive instruction in regard to the best methods of carrying on the training of the present generation. Politically, like his father before him, he is a strong Republican, but is so thoroughly ab- sorbed in educational work that he gives but little attention to politics, aside from casting his influ- ence upon the side of good Government, and to as- sist in the election of men best qualified for office. On the lllth of November, 1879, Mr. Fisk was united in marriage with Miss Estella E., daughter of Jonathan and Lovica (Day) Ilaynes. The two children born of this union were named respectively Josie Dee and Ora Lou, of whom the latter died in infancy. Little Josie is now five years of age, a bright and interesting child and the joy of the household. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fisk are active members in the Congregational Church of D wight. ALAt;I11 SHELLY, many years one of the most substantial farmers of Round Grove Township, is now retired from active labor, enjoying the fruits of his industry at a snug home in the village of Campus. He came to Livingston County in the pioneer days, and has contributed his full share toward the development of its resources, and the encouragement of its set- tlement by an intelligent and progressive class of people, lie has been a man prominent in all pro- gressive movements, and one regarded by his com- munity with universal respect. Mr. Shelly is a native of Bucks County, Pa., where his birth took place June 21. l.sis. Hjs early life was spent upon the farm of his father, but like many a youth he desired a change, and accord- ingly leaving home, he took up the trade of a cigar < I 858 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in:iker, and was thus employed two years: In 1841, bent upon seeing something 1 more of the world, he started out on foot from the city of Phil- adelphia and walked to Pittsburgh, a distance of ,300 miles, making the journey in nine days. From there he migrated to Beaver County, where he re- turned to farming pursuit*, and from thence to Butler County, where he worked by the month two years. Thence he went over into the State of Ohio, and rented a farm in Mahoning County one and one-half years, and when this contract had expired determined to go farther west. Mr. Shelly arrived in Gardner, Grundy County, this State, in August, 185G. and remained in that section of country until the following spring. In the meantime he had been looking about for a per- manent location, and coming to this county, de- cided there was nothing more desirable, and ac- cordingly purchased 140 acres of land on section 1, Round Grove Township. The appearance of this section of country thirty years ago was widely dif- ferent from that of the present, and Mr. Shelly per- formed his full duty upon the plat of ground which he had selected for the field of his future operations. In due time he had the land all enclosed and laid off into convenient fields, had erected a good resi- dence and the necessary farm buildings, and was looked upon by his neighbors as one of the most valued members of their community. He had en- couraged the establishment of schools and lent his aid and influence to all those enterprises which had for their object the progress and welfare of the people around him. He also added to his first purchase, and finally became the owner of 344 acres. He contin- ued to live there and prosecute his farm work un- til August, 1883, when he rented the homestead and removed to Whiteside County. He has lived in that and Livingston County alternately, but now makes his home with his daughter, Mrs. Emma Simpkins. Mr. Shelly, while a resident of his native State. was married, in Butler County, in April, 1*12, to Miss Lovina Shelly, who wa.- born in Butler County Oct. 22. 1.S22, and i> the daughter of Henry and lietsey (Landis) Shelly, also natives of the Key- r-tone State. ( )ur subject and hi.- wife were play- mutes Almost from (.'hi Id hood, and have lived to- gether harmoniously now for :i period of fortv-fivc years. Their union was blessed by the birth of eleven children, the record of whom i-:i> follows: Rosetta, the eldest daughter, is now the wife of William Bauehnmn, and resides in Franklin Count}', Iowa ; Matilda is the wife of B. F. Whitmore, a prosper- ous farmer of Grundy County, 111.; Absalom mar- ried Miss Mary McLean, and died in Round Grove Township Nov. 28, 1875; Addison married Esther Lapp, and is a resident of Whiteside County, this State; Andrew married Miss Mary M. Ibe, and is carrying on fanning in Frontier County, Neb. : Sa- rah, the wife of Cyrus Miller, resides in Whiteside County, 111.; Uriah married Miss Sarah Clover, and is engaged in merchandising in Emington: William married Miss Mary Slade. and is also farming in Frontier County, Neb. ; Mary became the wife of C. W. Simpkins, and died in Grundy County, 111., in March, 1882; Lovina, Mrs. Elmer Clover, re- sides with her husband on a farm in Round Grove Town.-hip: Emma married C. W. Simpkins, of Campus, and they have one child, a daughter, Eily May, who was born March 1, 1885.. Mr. Shelly has been a supporter of Republican principles since 1856, a period of thirty years, hav- ing been a Whig before the organization of the Republican party. He and his estimable lady, re- ligiously, are connected with the Church of God. >ILLIAM P. JOHNSON, a large land-owner in Livingston and Grundy Counties, resid- ing on a 280 -acre farm on section 10, Round Grove Township, is the son of Nicholas and Melinda (Cloud) Johnson. The father was born in Montgomery County, Pa., and the mother wa> a native of Kentucky. The father of Nicholas John- son was William Johnson, who served as a soldier during the entire continuance of the Revolutionary War. He was a Captain, and expended his entire property -in securing funds with which to clothe the men under his command, lie died in Montgomery County, 1'a., about live years after the war closed. His wife, the grandmother of our subject, was Sa- rah Johnson, who also died in Montgomery County. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. S.-,9 The parents of our subject married and settled in Dearborn County, Ind.. where they engaged in farming, although in his younger days the father followed the occupation of a butcher. The mother died in Dearborn County, Ind., and the father in Hamilton County, Ohio. They had a family of thirteen children, ten girls and three boys, nine of whom are at present living. Our subject was the fifth child, and was born in Dearborn County, Ind., March 10, 1829. He was trained to the work of a farmer, and during his boyhood days attended the common schools in Indiana and Ohio. He re- mained at home until he was twenty-six years of age, at which time he was married. On the 29th of October, 1854, in Hamilton County, Ohio, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Martha A., daughter of Aaron and Margaret (Pass- more) Simonson. Her father was born near New- ark, N. J., and it is supposed the mother was born in Ohio. The father and mother died within two days of each other, of cholera, in 1850. The grand- father of Mrs. Johnson was Barney Simonson, who moved with his family from New Jersey to Ohio at an early day. He was a soldier in the Revolution- ary War, and died in Hamilton County, Ohio. His wife, the grandmother of Mrs. Johnson, was Cather- ine Freeman, who was reared in New Jersey and died in Ilamilion County, Ohio, at the age of ninety-eight years. The parents of Mrs. Johnson had nine children, six girls and three boys, of whom she was the fifth child. She was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, Sept. 7, 1837, and there grew to womanhood. Two years after marriage, in the fall of 185(i, Mr. Johnson came with his wife and one child to Liv- ingston County, and settled in Round Grove Town- ship on section 10, where he purchased eighty acres of partially improved land. Besides a stable there wa> a log house on the farm, which they occupied four years, when they built a neat and comfortable farm house, and afterward erected a good and com- modious barn and other out-buildings. He began life j without means, and has secured to himself a good competency through the very best management and jndiciou- economy. Be-ide the farm already men- tioned lie owns eighty acre> in Grundy County. When lie and his family came to Livingston County the transportation was by ox-teams, and they en- joyed the novel trip to the fullest extent. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson became the parents of eight children, who were named as follows: Margaret M., Zarum S., Eliza J., Susan A., John B., William E., Oscar E. and Martha N. Margaret, Eliza and John are deceased, /arum married Jennie Miller, and resides in Dwight, 111. ; Susan married Fred Tan- ner, and resides in Gage County, Neb., while Will- iam, Oscar and Martha reside at home with their parents. Mr. Johnson is a Democrat in politics, and has ae ceptably filled the oltice of Assessor of the township. He is devoted to his business affairs, and is a citizen highly esteemed by the people of his sec- tion, enjoying their confidence to the fullest extent. OE W. SIMPKINS, who represents the res- taurant and confectionery business at Caui- pus, is a rising young citizen of good busi- ness ability, and has been located here since the spring of 1884. His straightforward business methods and the creditable manner in which he con- ducts his establishment, have secured for him the patronage of the best residents of the town and vicinity. Mr. Simpkins was born in Mercer Count}', Pa., Sept. 13, 1859, and reared on a farm. He was a bright, ambitious boy, and greatly desiring a col- legiate education, he attended closely to his studies in the primary school, and then entered the Normal School at Valparaiso, Ind., where he intended to re- main until he had completed the full course and was graduated. Circumstances, however, over which he had no control, broke in upon his cherished plans, and after two years he was obliged to leave school and return to his father's farm, in Grundy County, 111. A year later he engaged in the insurance busi- ness, and made his home in Grundy County until the spring of 1 *H.">. Then he came to this county and rented a tract of land in Round Grove Town- ship, lint the result of this venture not being en- tirely satisfactory, he repaired to Gardner, and was there occupied as a clerk and in the insurance busi- ness until taking up his residence in Campus. The F t SCO LIVINGSTON COUNTY. t busbies* in wliidi lie is now engaged requires tact and good judgment, :md there are. indications Ili.-il lie possesses these in a measure equal to the de- mand. Mr. Simpkins while a resident of Round Grove Township was united in marriage with Miss Mary Shelly, on the 8th of March, 1881. The young wife lived but a little over a year after her wed- ding day, her deatli taking place in Grundy County, March 23, 1 882. The present wife of our subject, formerly Miss Knima Shelly, was born Oct. 23, 1863, and they were married at Pontiac, 111., Nov. 15, 1883. Of this union there is one child, Eily May, born March 1, 1885, and now a bright little girl of three years. Mrs. S. is the daughter of Malachi Shelly, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this Al.lilM. Our subject is a reliable member of the Repub- lican party, and belongs to the Baptist Church of Gardner. CUNNINGTON. The traveler in passing through the southeastern part of Livingston County and in noting the fine farms and substantial buildings of that section, particularly observes the property of the subject of this sketch, which comprises 160 acres, and is pleas- antly located on section 29, Charlotte Township. It speaks for itself as having been under the super- vision of a thorough and intelligent agriculturist, a man of sound sense and refined tastes, who is at- tached to his friends and his family, and has en- deavored to make his home the pleasantest spot on earth. The residence and adjacent buildings are neat and substantial, kept in good repair, and the farm stock and machinery are of excellent descrip- tion. Everything about the premises seems to have been made subservient to the one design of a homestead that should be at once an ornament to the township, and a credit to its projector. In this volume is shown a view of Mr. ('nuningtou's resi- dence with the adjacent grounds. Mr. Cunnington is a native of England, his birth taking place in Cambridgeshire in 1H2!, at the modest home of his parents, Thomas and Su>an (Turpitt) Cunningtoii, who were also of English birth and ancestry. Their household included seven children, of whom Thomas wa* the lifth in order of birth. His father was a farmer by occu- pation, and presented the example of an honest and upright citizen who provided comfortably for his family, and performed well the pn.-t assigned him in life. He lived to be quite well advanced in years, and looked his last upon earthly scenes in the home where he had lived for so many years and where his children were born. His death occurred in the spring of 18(iC, aged seventy years. The faithful and affectionate wife and mother survived her husband twelve years, and then passed away when seventy -eight years of age. Thomas Cunnington early in life became familiar with farm pursuits, and received a common-school education. He had always been a serious and re- flective lad, and began earl}- in life to think about the future. When nineteen years of age, not being satisfied with his prospects on his native soil, he set sail from Liverpool in August, 1848, and after a rough voyage on .an English vessel, arrived in New York Harbor five weeks from the time he started. He remained near the metropolis two or three years, where he was occupied as a farm laborer, working in the fields in summer, and chopping wood in the winter. He then migrated west, coming into Ta/.e- well County, this State, where he had acquaintances, and remained until the spring of 18(11. The previ- ous year, however, having been fortunate in saving a snug sum of money, he purchased eighty acres of wild prairie, and now commenced the erection of a shelter for himself and his young family. Mr. Cunnington while a resident of Tazewell County had met and married Miss Matilda Turpitt, the wedding taking place Dec. 16, 1858. Mrs. Cunnington was born about 1837, and is of English !ince.-trv. She accompanied her husband to the West, and in the spring of 1*01 they took po>scs- sion of their land, where our subject cultivated the soil until 1872, and put up a few necessary build- ings besides the dwelling. He then sold out and purchased Hie quarter section where he now reside*. Its natural resources were fair, and through his wise management the land has been brought to a high state of cultivation and is very fertile. He keeps good horses and cattle, and has contributed T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 861 in no small degree to the assessment value of Char- lotte Township. Mr. and Mrs. ( 'imnington became the parents of three children Annie Elizabeth, A-lvin T. and Will- iam Henry. Annie E. was born Feb. .">, 18GO, and was taken from the household circle by death on the 27th of March, 187!l, when an interesting young girl of nineteen years; she suffered greatly, being ill about three weeks, and in their deep affliction the parents received the sympathy of the entire community. As an only daughter she was the pride of the household, and a child of whom the}- had great hopes for the future. Alvin T. was born Dec. 23, 1863, and William II., Dec. 2.1, 1867. Mr. Cunnington has given to his two sons a good education, performing in this respect all that his means would justify. They are bright and prom- ising young men, and if their lives are spared, will without doubt prove an honor to their parents. Mr. Cunnington has been quite prominent in the affairs of his township, serving a number of years as School Director and Road Commissioner. He came to the township while it was still a part of Pleasant Ridge, and as one of the early settlers who made good use of his time and interests himself in the welfare of the people around him, enjoys in a marked degree the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. JJOHN H. BEATTY, a farmer and stock-raiser, I living on section 2, Broughton Township, is | the son of William and Eliza (Smith) Beatty, ' and was born in Loudoun County, Va.,Nov. 10, 1847, of which State his parents were na- tives, and where they spent their entire lives. His father, a farmer, was born about 1811, and was probably of English descent. He at one time owned a few slaves, but at the breaking out of the Rebellion he espoused the cause of the Union, and realized the terrors ami cruelties of war, living as he did in the section of the country which witnessed the marching and counter-marching of armies, and a constant succession of battles. He experienced many hardships, having his horses taken, and his buildings set on fire, though the flames were extin- guished by two of his sons. His loyalty to the cause of the Union never wavered, however, and he lived to see his country at peace and his State again restored to the Federal Union. His death took place in July, 1883. The elder Beatty was the father of fourteen chil- dren, eleven by the first wife and three by the second. There are seven by the first wife still living, all of whom are married and doing well. There are six- teen grandchildren. The mother of our subject was of German descent, and died in October, 1871, aged about fifty-six years. Our subject was too young to do military service in the army, but be- fore the war was over he joined the Home Guards, an organization designed for the protection of pri- vate property from the enemy, and has in his pos- session a revolver given him by Gen. Stephenson, who told him to keep it as a memento as long as he should live. In November, 18C9, our subject made his first migration to the West, going to Kansas, where he engaged in various occupations. Apparently not suited with that country, he returned to his father's home in Virginia, where he remained until Jan. 21, 1873, at which time he was united in marriage with Miss Annie Arnold, daughter of Martin L. and Elizabeth (Smith) Arnold. Her parents were of German descent, but were natives of Virginia, where she was born in Loudoun County, May 20, 1851. The Arnold homestead, which has been in the family for several generations, is still owned by the Arnold heirs. In 1874 our subject moved to Maryland, where he engaged in farming for one year, when he mi- grated to his present home, which consists of 160 acres of as fine land as can be found in Livingston Count}'. That he has met with abundant success in his western home, is evidenced by his well-filled cribs, his good farm buildings, and the excellent character of his live stock. He is an intelligent, progressive and wide-awake citizen, and is deeply interested in educational matters, having served as School Director for several years. He is the kind of man whose proence in any community tends to its improvement and upbuilding, morally and so- cially. Mr. Beatty is the seventh child in a family of eleven, seven of whom are still living: Samuel re- 862 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i t sides in Virginia; Charles in Broughton, III.; Mary is the wife of Thomas Slater, and resides in Round Grove, as does also James; Jennie is the wife of Theodore Gruzen, and lives in Virginia; George Townsend lives in Brougliton Township. The wife of our .subject has one brother, Americus, who was born June 29, 1849, and lives in Ohio. AMUEL BARLOW. Many of the men of stroii"; hands and resolute will, who came to this section of country during the early days, had emigrated from foreign countries, and bent their energies to the development of the great West. Among these was the subject of this sketch, who is now the owner of a beautiful farm on section '28, in Nebraska Township, where he has established one of the pleasantest homesteads in the western part of Livingston County. In this con- nection is shown a view of Mr. Barlow's residence with its surroundings. Our subject, the son of Samuel and Ellen (Wrig- ley) Barlow, was born in Lancashire, England, Aug. 18, 184'.*, and seven years later crossed the Atlantic with his parents, landing first in New York City. Thence they immediately proceeded westward to Peoria County, this State, where the father farmed on rented land for a period of seven years. They then went into Woodford County and purchased a tract, where they made their home until their death. They wore both natives of Lancashire, where they were born in 1811, the father in March, and the mother in May, and the}' were married about 1830. The mother passed away in March, 18(>C, and the father nineteen years later, on the 31st of July, 1885. Their remains lie side by side in Clayton Cemetery, Woodford County. Samuel Barlow continued under the parental roof until twenty-seven years of age, farming and buying hind in partnership with his father and brother. In the meantime his affections had been captured by the daughter of a neighbor, near whom his father's family had lived for a number of years, namely, Mi>> Mary T. R. Vilven, who became his wife March 28, 1877. She is the daughter of William and .Mary (Richards) Vilven. natives of England, the father born July 1 I, 1824, and the mother in June, 1817. The latter died at her home in Woodford County, Feb. 20, 1886. Mr. V. is still living in Woodford County. Mrs. Barlow was born in Dev- onshire, England. April 29, 1848, and came to America with her parents when a child five years of age. She is the second in a family of six. namely : John Richards, Mary, Richard T., William Richards, Elizabeth E. and Malora R. William and Malora are at home with their father. After his marriage Mr. Barlow continued in Woodford County, farming for himself about six years, when selling out, he purchased eighty acres in Nebraska Township, this county, where he has since resided. His land is remarkably fertile and well cultivated, and the low places have been thor- oughly drained with tile. Amid his other bless- ings have come four bright children, all living, and born as follows: Mary Ellen, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 1879, in Woodford County; Addie V., Sunday, Oct. 2, 1881 ; Frank T., Thursday, Aug. 14, 1884; and Lawrence Guy, Friday, March 25, 1887. The last two were born in Livingston County. Mr. B. was the seventh in a family of eight chil- dren, who were named respectively: William, Rob- ert, Ann Jane, Stephen Thomas, Sarah M., Ellen, Samuel and James H. These are all residents of Illinois, are all married, and with the exception of Stephen, all have children. OBERT A. GRAHAM. One of the later valuable acquisitions of Livingston Count v in the way of enterprising citizens is the subject of this sketch, who is a farmer lo- cated on section 3, Long Point Township. He was born on the 8th of February, 1855, and is the son of William and Mary (Jefferson) Graham, the former born in Ireland and the latter a native of England, who came from that country to Canada, thence to Michigan, and afterward to Illinois. Rob- ert Jefferson, her father, was about ninety years of ago when he (lied in Newtown, Livingston County. William Graham was born on the 20th of Febru- RESIDENCEOFSAMUEL BARLOW, SEC. 28. NEBRASKA TOWNSHIP. 'f?M/UM~EMMA,3H 3/4/4-.JJ RESIDENCE orRoBT. A.GRAHAM,(BREEDER OF POLAND CHINA HoGS),SEC.3. LONG POINT TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 865 ary, 1814, and was a fanner by occupation. lie came from Ireland to America about 1X38, and par- ticipated in the Mexican War. He was married, on the 27th of March, 1845, to Deborah Evans, Rev. S. B. Brown officiating. By this union there was born one child, Margaret J., on the 3d of Feb- ruary, 1846; she died Aug. 23, 1847. Deborah Graham, the wife, died on the 12th of September, 1846. After coming from the Mexican War Will- iam Graham took up a claim in Reading Township, Livingston Count}', in 1848, and soon afterward married Mrs. Mary Smith, widow of George Smith, the Rev. Fletcher Royal performing the ceremony on the 24th of June, 1841). In the same year she died of milk-sickness, and Mr. Graham was again married, on the 6th of July, 1851, to Miss Mary Jefferson, by Isaac Painter, Esq. She was born June 7, 1 835, and bore to her husband the follow- ing-named children: John A., William, Robert A., Emma and George W. John A. was born April 23, 1852, and died Sept. 3, 1852; AVill- iam was born June 19. 1X53, and died Sept. 2, 1875; Emma was born Jan. 26, 1857, and married Benjamin G. Miller, from whom she obtained a di- vorce after the birth of two children; in 1886 she married Frank Muller, has one child, and they re- side in LaSalle County. George W. was born Feb. 12, 1859, married Miss Cordelia Law, of Bruce, LaSalle County, in September, 1880; they have two children, and live in Bruce Township, LaSalle County. William Graham died Oct. 20, 1858, and his widow, Mary, married Frederick Richards Sept. 16, 1859; he had been married twice before, first to Miss Grotey in Germany, by whom he had one son. boni Dec. 25, 1852, and one daughter, who died in infancy. By his second wife, Miss Greener, he had one child, who was born Dec. 1 1, 1854, and died Jan, 22, 1855. To Mr. and Mrs. Richards were born the follow- ing-named children: Melissa J., Thomas, Mary, Frederick, Alexander, Louis, Walter and Charles. Melissa J. was born Nov. 15, 1860, and died April 4, 1879; Thomas was born Aug. 19, 1X62, married Lena Missell, and resides in Bruce Township, La- Salle County; Mary was born July 29, 1864, mar- ried George M. Loy March 4, 18X6, has one child, and resides in Otter Creek Township, LaSalle County; Frederick was born Oct. 26, 1866, and died Feb. 11, 1876; Alexander was born Aug. 15, 1868; Louis was born Dec. 15, 1870, and is a stu- dent at the High School at Streator; Walter was born Aus-. 31, 1873, and Charles in October, 1875. Robert A. Graham was married, on the 22d of February, 1877, to Miss Maggie A. Armstrong, of Reading Township. She is the daughter of Thomas and Maria Armstrong, natives of Ohio. The latter now makes her home at the residence of Mr. Gra- ham. To Mrs. Graham's parents were born the following-named children: Martin, Edward, Salem S., William, Theodore, George, Doom, Maggie A., Kate and John. Martin married Susan Fox, of Ohio, and they have had six children, three of whom are living, and live in Montgomery County, near Havana, Kan. ; Salem S. married Susan Buz- zard, of Ohio, who bore him the following-named children: Allen, Lizzie and Eugene. Allen mar- ried Alniira Deafenbaugh, and they reside in Read- ing Township; Lizzie married Henry Walter, has two children, and lives in LaSalle County; Eugene is at home. The first wife died, and Salem subse- quently married Miss Jane Kellogg, daughter of William Kellogg, and to them were born six chil- dren, all of whom reside at home in Reading Town- ship. William Armstrong married Lib. Arnold, of Reading Township, and had one child: Theodore, deceased : George married Sarah Skaggs, daughter of Joseph Skaggs, and they had one child ; the mother and child both died, and George was again married, to Clara Holcomb, daughter of John Hol- comb, who bore him three children, two of whom are dead. George was killed in the coal mines in Eagle Township, LaSalle County, in January, 1881. Doom married Kate Kepple; they have four chil- dren, and live in LaSalle County; Kate, Maggie's twin sister, married Elijah Deafenbaugh; John mar- ried Lizzie Holcomb, daughter of John Holcomb; they have three children, and reside in Reading- Township. To Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Graham was born one child, Etta Florence, Oct. 22, 1882. Mr. Gra- ham came to Livingston County in the spring of 1884, and now owns 225 acres of land in an. excel- lent state of cultivation, on which is a first-class line of improvements. This farm is drained by sr.o LIVINGSTON COUNTY. about 500 rods of tile, which were put in at a <-o>t of $300. A view of this homestead embellishes this volume. Mr. Graham belongs to the Democratic party, and is at present discharging the duties of Road Commissioner and School Director. He holds a mem- bership in Lodge No. 602, I. O. O. F. : Encampment No. 147, and is also a member of Lodge No. 89, Knights of Pythias, at Streator. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which they take an active interest. J" AMES H. COSGROVE. Among the multi- tude of employes engaged upon great vail- way lines, none occupy a more important ' position, so far as the safety of lives and property is concerned, than the telegraph operators at the various important stations. It is through tlie operator that all the orders for running trains between his and other stations must pass, and a mistake on his part in receiving and writing an or- der may result in the most dire disasters, involving loss of life and destruction of property. The careful and competent operator who attends strictly to his delicate duties, soon makes himself secure in his position, and can depend upon permanent employ- ment. One of the most careful and competent operators along the line of the great Chicago & Al- ton Road Is the subject of this sketch, who occu- pies that position and also that of Station Agent at Odell, 111. Mr. Cosgrove was born in Nevada, Livingston County, on the 13th of May, 18C5, and is the sec- ond child in a family of four born to Peter and Mary (McAllister) Cosgrove, natives of Ireland and Pennsylvania respectively. His father came to America with his parents when quite young, and they settled in Livingston County. Mr. Cosgrove was reared on a farm, and during the winter months attended the common schools until the age of eight- een, at which time he left the farm Mini came to Odell, for the purpose of learning telegraphy in the railway station office. After one year's service un- der instruction, lie war- appointed night operator, and served in that capacity eleven months, at which time J. E. Birch, the agent at Odell, was transferred to Braidwood, 111., and Mr. Cosgrove was then made the agent and official operator, in which capacity be has since acted. Mr. Cosgrove was married, on the 17th of Feb- ruary, 1887, to Miss Agnes Chapman, the eldest child in a family of four born to Edwin O. and Mary J. (Thompson) Chapman, and born in Mont- rose, Iowa, on the Kith of September, 1805. She learned telegraphy under the instructions of her father in C'ayuga, at the age of nine years, and later had charge of the office at that place, where she remained until her marriage with the subject of this sketch, since which time she has been a resident of Odell, and has popularized herself with the best ele- ment of society. Mr. Cosgrove is not active in political matters, and has no taste for office-getting or office-holding. He devotes his entire time and energies during business hours to the discharge of the duties of his position, and is known as one of the most careful and painstaking operators on the Chi- cago it Alton Road. He and his bride are favorites in the society of the young at Odell, and by their geniality add much to its cheerfulness. They en- joy the esteem of all their friends and acquaint- ances. J~j OHN D. MARKS, a prosperous and happily I situated farmer and stock-raiser on section I 24, Rook's Creek Township, was born on I the 2d of July. 1813, in Fail-field County, Ohio, and is the son of Jacob and Rebecca (Cham- bers) Marks. He received a common -school edu- cation under adverse circumstances, studying at odd times when the labor at home would permit it. He is the second in a family of seven children, and was married to Elizabeth L. Eli, of Knox County, Ohio, who died about one year after marriage. leaving one child, Mary Jane, who was born on the 9th of August, 1830. She was married to William Chambers and moved to Missouri, where she died in the fall of 1885. leaving four children. Mr. Marks came from Ohio to Rook's Creek To\vn.-hip with his father, who brought his family West in 183(1, driving through with horse-team^ and arriving on the 9th of June. He lived with MB '4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 867 his father some two years after the death of his wife, and then went to Mackinaw. McLean County, where he clerked about six months, when he pur- chased the store. Soon after he came to Rook's Creek Township, where he built a water-power grist and saw mill upon the Vermilion River, part of the ruins of which yet remain. He continued in the milling business about two years, when he en- ' gaged a large force of men and took the contract for building the Hennepin Canal, which they con- tinued to work at until the State funds for the pay- : inent of the work were exhausted. Mr. Marks' second marriage occurred on the 2d of June, 1844, to Sarah Hancock, daughter of George and Nancy (Allen) Hancock. By this marriage there were born eight children Archibald A., Nancy E. L, Lucetta W., George W., Austella P., Timazone L., John A. and James W. Archi- bald A. was born April 21, 1845, married Sept. 30, 1866, and has three children; Nancy E. I. was born Aug. 24, 1847, married George Fowler, and died June 17, 1883, leaving three children, viz: Mae Estelle, who was born Oct. 11, 1870; Elvaretta, who was born Nov. !>, 1872, and died Jan. 22, 1887, and Artie Beaumont, who was born May 14, 1876. Lucetta W. was born Sept. 27, 1849, married Alson P. Pemberton Sept. 19, 1867, has seven children, and lives in Rook's Creek; George W., twin brother of Lucetta, married March 16, 1886, has one child, and lives in Rook's Creek; Austella P. was born July 2, 1852, and died April 25, 18(>8: Timazone L., born April 7, 1854, married I. E. Thompson, \i:i> two children, and lives in Northern Kansas; John A. was born Feb. 29, 1856, married in Jan- uary, 1882, has three children, and lives in Rook's Creek, and James W., born Aug. 2, 1857, married Jan. 10, 1H1S3, has two children, and lives in Pon- tiac Township. Soon after Mr. Marks' second marriage he went to fanning on what is now the homestead, and continued until about 1858, when he became infected with the gold fever and went to California, where he remained nearly ten years, alternating between riches and poverty. On one occasion he was offered $25,000 for his interest in a claim, which he declined, and the next week it was not salable at any price. After various suc- cesses and reverses he returned no richer than he < went, excepting what his property in Illinois had increased in value during his absence. In the year 1836 Mr. Marks was elected Constable, the first in Livingston County, and in 1 840, as a special agent of the Government he took the census of the county. He voted the Whig and Republican tickets for half a. century. He was at one time a member of the First Presbyterian Church, with which his ancestors for 200 years were connected. The parents of Mr. Marks were Jacob and Re- becca (Chambers) Marks. The mother came from Ireland and was of Scotch descent; the father was a weaver by trade, and made trips to America on the vessel which his brother John commanded and of which he was mate, trading in the celebrated Irish linen. Two years before the Revolutionary War broke out he located a piece of land near Woodstock, Shenandoah Co., Va., but when the war began he returned to Ireland and remained there until peace was declared. Upon his return to this country he found that some one else owned his land under the new government, and he bought another tract, which lie farmed until, becoming dis- gusted with slavery, he sold out and moved to Fairfield County, Ohio. Here he discovered the woman who became his wife and the mother of our subject. The latter's wife, Sarah Hancock, was born on the 7th of August, 1817, in Erville, Muskingum Co., Ohio, to which State her parents, who were natives of Virginia, had removed in that year, the transfer being accomplished b\' putting their goods in large packs and loading them on horseback. Her great-grandparents came from En- gland at quite an early day, and she supposes that her grandparents were born in Virginia. Her maternal grandfather, Moses Allen, served in the Continental army as a soldier during the entire time of the Revolutionary War; he drew a pension from the Government until the day of his death, which occurred in Tennessee, when he was nearly one hundred years of age. Her great-grandmother, while a young woman, was kidnapped in England and brought to America, where she was sold for her passage. It was here that she met her future husband, who had also been kidnapped, and after working out his own time helped to work out hers. Mr. Marks' wife remained on the farm while he t 8<;s was in California, taking care of the children, one of whom was a babe in her arms when he left while the oldest was fourteen years. She had to take entire charge of the farm, do all the buying and selling, teach the children farm work, etc. During her husband's absence there came a great hurricane which wrought much damage to the property. His children are nearly all settled in life close to him, and his declining years are being spent amid scenes of comfort. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. two years, her death taking J"jOHN C'OE, one of the most genial and popu- j lar men of Reading Township, is the owner I of over 207 acres of land, the most of which ' is under a high state of cultivation. The improvements which the passing traveler views with admiration are mainly the result of this gen- tleman's industry and enterprise, and he is con- stantly striving to bring about the best results after the most approved methods. His farm is a model one in every respect. The low land has been drained with 2,300 rods of tiling, and the buildings are in all respects a credit to the proprietor as well as an ornament to the township. We are pleased to present on an adjoining page of this AT.KIM a view of Mr. C'oe's residence. Our subject, like so many others who have largely contributed to the building up of Livingston County, was born in .Greene County, Pa., June 12, 1842, and is consequently in the prime of life and the midst of his usefulness. He is the son of most excellent and worthy parents, Silas and Ruth (Church) Coe, who were also natives of the Kej'stone State, and are mentioned in the sketch of Jared Fordj'ce, which will be found on another page in this work. Young Coe spent his childhood and youth after the manner of most farmers' sons, pursuing his studies in the winter season at the district school and in summer making himself useful in the corn and wheat field. I 'pon setting out in life for himself lie married a maiden of his own county, Miss Jemima Knight, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride about 18(55. The young people commenced house- keeping in Reading Township, and our subject oc- cupied himself at farming. This lady only sur- vived her marriage place in 1867. The second marriage of Mr. Coe took place in Reading Township in 1871. The present wife of our subject, who in her girlhood w:i- Miss Anna Keith, was born in Barry County, Mich.. July 11, 1850, and is the daughter of Howard C. and Eliza- beth (Warren) Keith. Her father, a native of Winslow, Me., was born Nov. !>, 1807, and adopted the calling of an apiarist, in which he became an expert, and was the patentee of the "Keith Bee Hive," which was manufactured extensively in tin- East. He spent the greater part of his life in Maine, and died in Reading Township on the 15th of March, 1872. His wife Elizabeth was born in Waterville, Me., June 20, 1812. The record of their children is as follows: Sarah, their eldest daughter, was married to W. H. Douglas, of Liv- ingston County, this State, and they subsequently crossed the Mississippi into Iowa, where Mr. D. is now engaged in farming. Willard S. is farming in Amity Township, this county. His' first wife was Miss Jennie Russel, who died leaving one child, Jen- nie, who is now married ; he is a second time mar- ried and has five children. Mary M. is the wife of John Wince, and the mother of two children; her husband is a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Owego Township. Albert H. is engaged in the livery business at Hastings, Mich; Ellen died when four years of age, and Anna, the wife of our sub- ject, was the youngest of the family. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Coe settled at Cornell, and in 1874 took pos-es-ion of their present farm. Their union has resulted in the birth of six children, of whom two are deceased. Willie A. was born March 1, 187.">, and is at home with his parents: George Elmer was born Feb. 15, 187(1, and died October 28 following: Alvin W. wa> born Feb. 17, 1878; Blanche Ethel. Aug. 2'J, 1-s.su .-an infant daughter, born Aug. 16, 1*8:!. is deceased ; Ralph (i. was born Dec. 11, 1885. During the late Rebellion Mr. Coe enlisted in Company G, l>th Pennsylvania Cavalry, and fol- lo\ved the life of a soldier until his honorable dis- charge, in 1*<>5. His regiment was under the com- mand of (Jen. Kilpatrick. and he first met the enemy at the battle of Hanover, lie also participated in FARM RESIDENCE OF JOHN CO E , SEC. 28 .READ1NB TOWNSHIP FARM RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM R EE D , 5EC.5 ,LO N6 POINT TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 871 , ,1 the engagements at Gettysburg; he was in the night attack at South Mountain, Md., where our force nf :!. i ii ii i captured 1,860 prisoners and destroyed .">00 wagons, and Iluntsville, besides being present at Ilagerstown and Hoonesboro. He after the engage- ment at Boonesboro went in the hospital ten months. He is a strong Republican, politically, and has served his township as Assessor and Treas- urer, besides holding the office of School Trustee four terms. As one of the leading men of his township who has given his support to its educa- tional institutions, and everything tending to the financial and moral welfare of the people, he is re- garded with more than ordinary respect, and con- sidered an important factor in the buildirg up of its interests. c* JfclLLIAM \/:J// mid relia Wy ship, has 1LLIAM REED, one of the steady-going reliable citizens of Long Point Town- has for the last five years been oper- ating on 120 acres of good land, which, although originally in fair 'Condition, he has improved by tile draining, and enclosed with neat and substan- tial fencing. The evidences of his thrift and sound common sense are exhibited on all sides, for he has built up a most comfortable homestead, not the least feature of which is an excellent orchard and plenty of small fruit besides. His buildings are neat and substantial, and the family residence is titled up with modern conveniences, tastefully fin- ished and furnished, and indicates the home of re- finement and intelligence. In this connection is shown a view of Mr. Reed's residence and surround- ings. Our subject is a very popular citizen, be- ing cheerful and genial in disposition, and having a due regard for the rights and the pleasures of those around him. The early home of our subject was among the hills of Clermont County, Ohio, where his birth took place July 1C, 1830. He is a son of Conrad and Catherine ( Weaver) Reed, natives respectively of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Conrad Reed was one of a family of seven children, his brothers and sis- ters being: Peter, John, Jacob, Martin, Elizabeth and Polly. The mother of our subject! also had six brothers and sisters, namely: Jacob, Mary, Daniel, Frederick, Nancy and Rebecca. Of these but one is living, her brother Frederick. The father of our subject departed this life in 1860. The mother is living at Streator, 111. William Reed spent his early years in Ohio, and came when a young man twenty-three years of age, to the Prairie State. He first engaged at farming, and was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Andievvs. They became the parents of the follow- ing-named children: Lizzie Ann, who married William Wilkinson, of LaSalle County, and the}' removed to Kansas, where Mrs. W. died July 3, 1882, leaving a family of four children, one of whom is now deceased: Florence, who married Smedley Wilkinson, and is living in Barton County, Kan.; they have six children; and George N., who was first married to Miss Thresher, of this county, now deceased. He subsequently married Miss Mary Alice Burkes, of Great Bend, Kan., and now resides at Portland, Ore. After the death of his first wife, our subject formed a second matrimonial alliance, with Mrs. M. J. (Marshall) Talbott. This lady was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, July i), 1840, and by her first marriage became the mother of one child. Her parents were Daniel and Han- nah (Smalley) Marshall, natives of Vermont and Pennsylvania respectively, and are both deceased. Mr. Reed has been no idler, either upon his farm or among his townsmen. He is a member in good standing of the Christian Church, and politically votes the straight Republican ticket. The temper- ance movement in this country enlisted his sym- pathies from the beginning, and he is one of the strongest advocates of Prohibition. He has always believed in the establishment and maintenance of schools, of which he has served as Director, and socially is a member of the Masonic; fraternity. IAL F. HAM LIN. The name of this gen- tleman is synonymous with honesty and re- liability. He has never made any great ^) pretentious in life, simply placing his high- est ambition among those who have built up a good record as citizens, and who have secured the confidence of their t'ellowmen. Most of his life has 872 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. *1 been spent in the rural districts, where he imbibed with the pure country air those correct habits which have prolonged his years in health and in strength, and kept his mind clear and unclouded 14x111 a firm basis. Most of his labors have been devoted to" farming and stock-raising, and he is now the owner of one of the finest estates in Odell Township, with his home located on section 1. Mr. Ilamlin first began life in Juniata Comity, Pa., Sept. 24, 182C, and was the third of eight chil- dren born to Thomas and Elizabeth (Kepner) Ham- lin, also natives of the Key.-tone State, where the father settled after his service in the War of 1812. The paternal grandparents were Thomas and Chris- tina (Shaffer) Ilamlin, natives of Pennsylvania, and his maternal grandparents, John and Mary (Fleigh- bnrger) Kepner. Both families were for many gen- erations reared in the country and familiar with farm life. Thomas Ilamlin was born in Junta ta County, Pa., Oct. 4, 1794, and remained there until after attaining his majority. He then migrated to Massillon, Stark Co., Ohio, making the journey overland in a lumber wagon, and being accompan- ied by his wife and three children, of whom our subject was a babe of six months. Thomas Ham- lin had intended establishing his permanent home in the Buckeye State, but was not satisfied with the outlook, and not long afterward returned to Penn- sylvania, locating in Huntingdon County. Thence lie removed to Blair County, and in 185;> to Illi- nois. The father of our subject upon coming to this State, located firvt in Livingston County, where he purchased a section of wild land of Alexander Campbell. He was better satisfied in this locality, and remained here the balance of his life,- improv- ing a good farm, and making for himself and his family a comfortable home, until his decease on the 12th of August, 179. The wife of his youth had passed away more than fift\- ycar> before, but he never remarried. He was largely instrumental in building up the community, and in the establish- ment of its olliccs and laying out town-hips. He meddled little with political matters, but when called upon to support a candidate ivas particu- larly careful as to the character of the man whom lie assisted to place in ollice. Hi- entire life wa> marked by that prudence and discretion which are the most valued elements in the character of a man botli in private and public life. Under the influence of this healthy atmosphere, ilia! F. Ilamlin grew to manhood, in the meantime assisting his father in the development of the soil and the building up of the homestead. He remem- bers the time when he leveled his rifle at the deer roaming over the prairie which is now dotted with fine dwellings and bears all the evidences of civili- zation. He began learning the blacksmith trade when a youth of seventeen, but this not being con- genial to his tastes, he served only his apprentice- ship, and then abandoned it. His education was conducted in the common schools, and it fell to his lot to remain with his parents and come into pos-es- sion of the homestead. The place where he now resides has thus been his abiding-place since he landed in Illinois, and he came into posse.ssion of it after the death of his father. His three brothers before this had each received a quarter of the orig- inal tract. During the Rebellion Mr. Hainlin wa> draft eel for the Union service, but being the only support of his aged father, he furnished a substitute. He was married, April 18, 1867, to Miss Laura V. Kenne}-, a native of Texas, Armstrong Co., Pa., where she was born Jan. 1C, 1850. Her parents, Samuel W. and Mariam V. (Fox) Kenney, were also natives of Pennsylvania, where her father for many years followed the profession of a teacher, but later engaged in general merchandising'. In 18;">5 he disposed of his interests in the Keystone State, and removed to Pulaski. Tenn., where he again engaged in trade, and remained until after the breaking out of the Rebellion. In 18G2 a de- tachment of Morgan's men raided the town, and destroyed his store with 13,000 worth of cotton. Mr. Kenney fled in order to save his life, and for three months remained in the woods secreted from the rebel-. In the meantime the town was captured by the Union soldiers, and under their protection lie returned North with his family, and leaving them with his wife's people at Red Bank, Pa., re- turned to Tennessee and became a scout for Gens. Rosccrans and Negly. lie was Mihscqucntry cap- tured by a detachment of (Jen. Bragg's command, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ST.-; ; and -entenced to death as a spy. All efforts to save him were unavailing, and in January, 1863, he wa- executed at Tullahoma, Tenn. His family never knew the exact date of his death, and only of late years learned the place of his burial, which was one and ;\ half miles north of the city of Tul- lahoma. He had sold his property in that State, and at his death his money, papers and watch, were left in the hands of Capt. Peadon, of Nashville, but were never returned to his family. A disposition to de- stroy all evidences of his identity was manifested from the first, and had it not been for Rev. G. W. Western, who performed the last sad rites, no trace of him would ever have been obtained. Mrs. Kenney, after the disappearance of her bus- | band, made her home for a time in New Bethle- I hem, Pa., and then came West with her family; she is now a resident of the city of Dwight. this county. Of her marriage with Mr. K. there were born eight children, of whom only four are living, namely: Laura V., Annie, John M. and A. Washington. Those deceased were, Samuel Harvey, Jennie, Wal- ter and Mima T. Harvey was accidentally killed at Chicago, Sept. 19, 1887, being crushed between cars while in the discharge of his duties as an engi- neer. He served as a valiant soldier in the late war, and when his first term of enlistment was out, re-enlisted and was in the Union service until the close of the struggle. Subsequently he identified himself with the G. A. R., and at the time of his death was a member of Dwight Post No. 626. He wa> remarkably upright in his life, and a member of the Presbyterian Church at Dwight, where his remains were taken for burial. He was also a mem- ber of Peoria Consistory, and Captain of Company E. 10th l.atallion, I. N. G., at Dwight. He left a widow and two children Charles H. and Annie M. Annie Kenney married Charles C. Arlington, an artist of Chicago, and she is also engaged in the same profession. John M. married Miss Alice Neadham, and is a resident of Chicago, where he is engaged as a contractor and builder: they have four children Alice M., John William, Nettie and Annie L. Washington married Miss Kate Gra- ham, of Odell, ami is conducting a sale stable in Chicago: their only child, Virgil, died in infancy. Mi. and Mrs. Ilainlin commenced life toirclher on the old homestead which the father of our sub- ject had built up, and have become the parents of one child, Arthur V., now a young man, and en- gaged as a carpenter. He is finely educated, and has inherited the same industrious and reliable traits which characterize his father. Mr. Hamlin, in 1887, retired from active labor, and is wisely- enjoying the fruits of his early industry. Other- wise than voting the straight Democratic ticket, he takes little part in politics, but has represented his township in the County Board of Supervisors and has officiated as Collector and School Director. Mrs. H. is strongly Republican in sentiment. Mariam V. (Fox) Kenney, the mother of Mrs. Hamlin, was born in Pine Creek Township, Arm- strong Co., Pa., April 17, 1828, and is the daugh- ter of John and Anna (Barclay) Fox, natives of the same county. Mr. Fox was a farmer by occu- pation, and spent his entire life in his native county, his decease occurring in 18f>5. He dropped dead of heart decease as his daughter was bidding him good-bye, when starting to the South with her hus- band. ENRY NETIIERTON, one of the mostskill- ful and successful stock-raisers of German- ville Township, occupies a good farm on section 1 1 , of which he took possession in the spring of 1869. He is a gentleman in the prime of life, blessed with muscular strength, the result of sensible living and correct habits, and with his family presents a picture of blooming health, whom the doctor passes by as a very poor patron. Our subject, like many of the other early residents of Livingston County, was born on the other side of the Atlantic, in Cornwall County, England, Feb. 12, 1838. He is the son of Richard and Catherine (Stevens) Netherton, w-ho were also of English birth and parentage, and who crossed the water about 1S48-49, locating first in Victoria, Province of Ontario, Canada, where they engaged in farm pursuits. The father, however, only lived until about 18;").'!. and our subject, a youth of fifteen 3'ears, assisted hi- mother in carrying on the farm. She survived her husband only about twelve years, her death taking place in 18(15. The household in- < i , 874 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. eluded five children besides Henry, namely : Will- iam, Mary, Ann, Phillipi, and one who died in in- fancy. Ann is now deceased, and the other three are residents of Canada. Our subject received a common-school education, became familiar with farm pursuits, and continued in the Dominion until 1866. Upon coming to this State he located first in Grundy County, whence he afterward removed to Kendall County, and from there to Livingston. Here he first took up a tract of uncultivated land in Germanville Township, which he improved and added to, so that he is now the owner of 320 acres which each year is growing more valuable. He received $600 from his father's estate, but the balance of his property has been the result of his own industry. His farm stock includes horses, cattle and hogs, and he is able to exhibit some of the best specimens of these that are to be seen in the southeastern part of Livingston County. The wife of our subject was in her girlhood Miss Sarah E. Walley, and they began life together in February, 1869, shortly before coming to German- ville Township. Mrs. N. was born in Grundy County, this State, Oct. 11, 1846, and is the daugh- ter of Zachariah and Catherine (Cryder) Walley, natives of Maryland and Ohio respectively. Of her union with our subject there are the following- children: Catherine E., William, Richard, Samuel, Arthur and Etta. Mr. N. is thoroughly imbued with Republican principles, and although meddling very little with politics, attends the general elections and to the best of his ability casts his influence in support of his convictions. OVEJOY HUNT is not only one of the lead- '"o fanners and stock-raisers of Reading Township, but he is an active man in the affairs of the county and township. His farm of 100 acres is located on section 20, and contains many valuable improvements. Mr. Hunt is a native of Ohio, where he vvas born in Delaware, now Morrow County, on the 10th of December, 1837. Our subject is the son of William Fleet and Mary L. (Barn>) Hunt, who were natives of New Jersey 4* and Vermont respectively; the former was born in 1804, and the latter in 1809. The father was the son of Stephen Hunt, who was born in 170 I, and died in 1852, in Ohio. The father was a fanner by occupation, and removed to the State of Ohio when a young man, where he first met the lady whom he afterward married; he died in Kansas in 1N75. His widow is now living in Tustin City, Los Angeles Co., Cal.. and is a hale and hearty old lady seventy- eight years of age. Lovejoy Hunt remained at home with his parents until the 22d of April, 1861, when he enlisted in Company D. 20th Illinois Infantry, for a term of three months, and after being in cainp one week, the company enlisted for three years, and served three years and nearly three months. From the 13th to the 16th of February, 1862, he was engaged in the operations about and the battle of Ft. Don- elson, Tcnn. On the 6th and 7th of April, with McClernand's division, he engaged in the battle of Shiloh, Miss., the position of his regiment being in the advance of the right wing of the army. On the 1st of September, 1862, he was with the regi- ment which, in connection with the 30th Illinois Infantry, was engaged at Briton's Lane. On the 1st of May, 1863, the morning after Grant threw his army across the Mississippi River below Vicks- burg, he was engaged in the battle of Port Gibson, and also at Raymond a few days later. He was also in the battle of Jackson, Miss., May 14, and on the l;">th, with his regiment, camped in the city. On the 16th he was in the battle of Champion Hills, where he was seriously wounded by a ball cutting off the leaders of the right foot, from which he has always been lame, and for which he now receives a pension of $6 per month. Upon leaving the army he returned to his home in this township, and remained with his parents until his marriage. On the 1st of April, 1866, Mr. Hunt was mar- ried to Lydia Rien, who was born on the 13th of .January, 1844. She is the daughter of Nathan and Martha (Fallows) Rien. who became the par- ents of ten children John F., Nancy Ellen, Will- iam, Eli II., Martha Elizabeth, Lydia, Mary Jane, Ku-aima, David Carter, and one born and died Dec. 30, 1836, unnamed. John F., born Jan. 28, 1831, married Eli/.a belli McEllfresh, by whom he had I RESIDENCE OF ALEX. S. PIPER. SEC 31. AMITY TOWNS HI P. RESIDENCE OF LOVEJOY HUNT. SEC. 20. READING TOWNSHIP. t. >" LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 877 eight children, six of whom died; Elizabeth Rien die.d in 1880, and John F. subsequently married Hannah Curtiss; they had two children, one of whom is dead. John F. was a farmer by occupa- tion and met his death in July. 1880, by a fall from ,-i ladder while picking apples. Nancy E. was born May 10, 1835, was married, and died Dec. 1-2,1851; William was born Nov. 17, 18:53, and died June 9, 183."); his death was caused by being- knocked off the wharf into the Ohio River by a dog. Eli H. was horn June 22, 1840, and died Oct. 30, 1840 : Martha E. was born Jan. 1, 1842, mar- ried James Smith, a farmer by occupation, has had eleven children, eight of whom are living, and re- sides in Edwards County; Mary J. was born Sept. 24, 1838, and died Aug. 30, 1839; Rosanna was born Dec. 9, 1846, and died Nov. 25, 1847; David C. was^born Aug. 11, 1848, and died in the army on the 1st of April, 1865, while a member of the 179th Ohio Infantry. To the parents of our subject were born eight children Albina Jane, Fidelia Ann, Lovejoy, Cor- nelia Eliza, Lenora Marah, AVilliam L. G., Myron Holly and Virgil Fleet. Albina J. was born in September, 1833, married William McKinney, a farmer of Reading Township, and they have a family of three children; Fidelia A. was born July 10, 1836, married Seymour Chambers, a lumber manufacturer, has eight children, and resides in Ohio; Cornelia E. was born April 18, 1839, mar- ried George Olmstead, a lumber merchant, had two children, and resides in Kansas City ; Lenora M. married Edbert Pratt, a farmer, has four chil- dren, and resides in Ohio; William L. G. was born in 1844, and died in Annapolis (Md.) Hospital, on i the 10th of August, 1863; he was a member of the 53d Illinois Infantry, and was starved to death in Libby Prison. Myron II. married Sarah Wamsley, has three children, and lives in Sumner County, Kan.; Virgil Fleet was born in 1851, and is a min- ister of the Second Ad ventist Church, in California ; j he was married to Alice Jane Smith, and they have had four children, four of whom are living. To Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy Hunt the following- named children have been born: Jessie Fremont, Duran, Milton, David Garrison and George Wash- ington. Jessie Fremont was born Sept. 17, 1807, I and is now visiting at the home of an uncle in Cal- ifornia; Dnran was born March C, 1869; Milton was born March .'!, 1871, and died Sept. 18, 1875; David G. was born June 16, 1876, and George Washington, Aug. 11, 1879. Another daughter was born Jan. 19, 1884, and died at the age of five days. Mr. Hunt cultivates a farm of 100 acres on sec- tion 20, on which he has made good and substan- tial improvements. He takes quite an interest in all matters pertaining to agriculture and stock- raising, and is an active member of the board con- trolling the Union Fair at AVenona. He is an active member of Streator Post of the G. A. R., and in political matters goes with the Republican party. He lias been elected one term as Township Col- lector, and has also held the office of School Di- rector nine years. Mrs. Hunt is an active member of the Christian Church, in which she takes much interest. The family, the children as well as the parents, are deservedly popular in the neighbor- hood in which they reside. As representative of the buildings of this section we present in the pictorial department of this Ai.r.iM a view of Mr. Hunt's residence and its sur- roundings. LEXANDER S. PIPER, one of the pro- gressive and liberal-minded citizens of Amity Township, located on section 31, is a native of Penns3'lvania, where he was born on the 10th of July, 1835. lie is the son of John and Ann ((^uigley) Piper, and the grandson of Samuel and Mary (Elder) Piper, while his ma- terual grandparents were Michael and Mary ijuig- ley. John Piper, the father, was a native of Pennsylvania, as was also the mother. lie was a Whig in early days and afterward a Republican, and was a leading member of the Presbyterian Church. His deatli occurred from heart disease in 1866, and that of his wife in the month of Decem- ber, 1837, when the subject of this sketch was but two years of age. In 1858 our subject removed from Pennsylvania to Wood ford County, III., and thence to Livingston County in 1867. Alexander S. Piper was married I r^ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I to Miss Delency Rice, on the 28th of December, 1866, in Woodford County, 111., by Rev. Isaac Cornelison, of the Presbyterian Church. She was the daughter of Elisha and Rebecca Rice, who were natives of New York. To Mr. and Mrs. Piper have been born five children, three of whom are living Rebecca Ann, Ada Laura and Charles Klisha. Rebecca, the eldest child, was born in 18G7, and is now attending the High School at Pon- tiac: Ada L. was born on the 8th of February, 18G9, and is a pupil in the common schools, assist- ing her in other also in the household work; Charles E. was born on the 23d of July, 1871. The uncles and aunts of the subject of this sketch were named as follows: James Piper, Robert, Samuel and Peggy. James P. died when quite young; Robert died when about forty years of age ; Samuel died of old age;' Peggy died at the age of seventy, and another sister died of lung trouble. The brothers and sisters of Mr. Piper were named as follows: Jane Isabel, Samuel Elder, Sarah Ann and Nathaniel. Jane I. died of bronchitis when about twenty- two years of age ; Samuel E. is a farmer by occupation, lives in Pennsylvania, and has a family; Sarah A. married, and died of consumption; Nathaniel lives in Kansas, and is employed in farming and stock- raising. The In-other and sisters of the wife of Alexander S. Piper are named as follows: Helen Melissa, William and Rosanna Rebecca. Helen M. is married to George Item ley, a farmer, and they live in Marshall County ; William is unmarried and is farming in Woodford County: Rosanna It. lives in Woodford County, where her father settled when he first came to this State: Mrs. Piper is the youngest of the family. Mr. Piper was in the ranks of the Union army for a term of three years and two months, as a member of Company I. llth Illinois Infantry, and participated in numerous skirmishes and many of the important battles of the war. The first en- gagement he was in was at Helmont. Mo., which WMS the beginning of Gen. Grant's magnificent career. At Ft. Donelson he received a gunshot wound in the left knee, and at the >ame time was hit by a slug, which caused such a serious wound that lie was sent to the hospital and then furloughed home for sixty day.- that he might recover. At the expiration of his furlough he returned to his regiment just after the battle of Shiloh, and partici- pated in the engagements at Jackson, Tenn., and La Grange and Holly Springs. Miss., in all of which engagements the Union side was successful. lie also took part in the battle of the Big Black in the rear of Vicksburg, and in the siege of Vicksburg until the surrender of the Confederates on the 4th of July, 186;!. Mr. Piper and family are now pleasantly located on their fine farm of 160 acres, where, besides farm- ing he gives large attention to the raising of stock, and not withstanding the dry summers of the past few years has been quite successful. He is a strong Republican in politics and an ardent member of the Methodist Church. As a citizen lie is liberal and progressive, and an earnest friend of all educa- tional enterprises. On an accompanying page of this AI.IUM may be found a view of Mr. Piper's residence with its sur- roundings. lOONER T. GUNDERSON is a farmer and stock-raiser, residing since Nov. 7, 18(17, on section 26, Broughton Township, and is the son of Thomas and Ellen (Osman) G undersoil. He was born in Norway, April 10, 183;!, and was reared on a farm, receiving a common-school education. At the age of fourteen he came with his father's family, which included five children, to America, lauding in New York in June, 1847, after an ocean voyage of six weeks, and reaching Chicago on the 8th of July. They located in LaSnlle County, III., where the father bought a farm, making a very small first payment as his means were limited. Our subject remained at home assisting his father until he was about twenty-five years old, when he went to Colorado, to the part called Big Timbers, near Pike's Peak. The following December he returned to Illinois, when lie began farming fur him- self on rented ground. By industry and economy he accumulated a little means, and was able to buy some ,-tock and teams, and finally eighty acre? of land where his home now is. -Sept. :i, 1 86.~>, lie wa> united in marriage with .Mi Juliette Mariott. t. If LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 879 I daughter of John R. and Margaret (Davis) Mari- ott, and born in Cumberland County, N. J., Aug. 31', 183!), of which county her parents were natives. Her father was of Welsh and Irish, and her mother of English descent. The father of our subject was born Dec. 6, 1800, and is now in his eighty -second year, living in LaSalle County, 111., retired from active pursuits. He was three times married. By the first marriage there were five children, as fol- lows: Ellen, Julia, Belinda, Isabella and George. Ellen married first A. Osborn, by whom she had two children; her second marriage was to David E. Davis, of which union there were no children. She is now a widow, living in LaSalle Count}', 111. Julia married Osmand Thomasson, lives in Leb- anon, Mo., and has five children ; Belinda married Lewis Jones, lives in LaSalle County, 111., and has four children; Isabella became ths wife of Ole Keikhus, resides in LaSalle County, and has six children. By the second marriage our subject's father had two children Edward T. and Amelia. Edward T. lives in LaSalle County, 111.; Amelia married Oliver Ellifson, who resides in Wright County, Iowa, and has two children. Our sub- ject's mother was born in 1 804, and died in La- Salle County, June 21, 1850. The wife of our subject is the youngest in a family of five children ; the record of the others is ns follows: Susan Ann was born Feb. 1, 1825, mar- ried John Heritage, lives in DeKalb County, 111., and has five children ; Anna Maria was born Sept. .'50, 1831, married Charles William Yonggren, lives at Amboy, Lee Co., 111., and has three children : Jona- than was burn Nov. 30, 1833, and lives at Augusta, Hancock Co., Ill; he was a soldier in the 105th Illinois Infantry, Company E, beginning as First Sergeant, but was afterward promoted to First Lieutenant, and filled for about two years the place of the Captain who had been wounded. He has two children. Margaret was born Nov. 14, 1836, and died in January, 1881. The father of Mrs. ('.. was born Nov. 2i), 1800, at Shiloh, N. J., and came to Illinois in 1850. set- tling at Shabbona Grove, DeKalb County, and liv- ing for the first eighteen months in a double log house, which was built expressly for the great In- dian chief Slmlihoim, who was then living, and oc- casionally paid a visit to his old hunting-ground. It was burnt about 1876. He located about one and one-half miles from there, and spent the remainder of his life, dying March 20, 1885. Her mother was born Sept. 24, 1797, and died Jan. 9, 1875. Our subject has four children: Elnian E.. who was born May 16, 1867; Earle Lloyd, Aug. 25, 1869; Margaret R., May 4, 1873; and Annie L., Aug. 8, 1875. In politics he is a Republican, hav- ing cast his first vote for J. C. Fremont. Mrs. G. is a member of the Christian Church. They arc among the leading citizens of the township, and have made all they possess by hard work, close economy and self-denial. EARING stands prominent among the | substantial farmers and stock-raisers of Broughton Township, where he lias a fine body of land on section 27, which comprises 320 acres, and is under a good state of cultivation. Like most of his neighbors around him, he com- menced in life a poor man, and has the satisfaction of knowing that he is indebted to nothing but his own energy and perseverance for his present pos- sessions and standing in the community, He is a liberal-minded citizen, an encourager of all enter- prises tending to the general welfare of the people, and is accordingly held in high regard by all who know him. Our subject is a native of the Empire State, where he was born, in Rensselaer County, Oct. 14, 1832. His parents were also natives of New York State, and to them were born five children, of whom four survive Samuel, Stephen, Sarah A. and our subject, all except the latter residents of their na- tive State, and living not far from the home of their childhood. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native county, receiving a limited education and making himself useful around the homestead. He was married, when twenty-four years of age, to Miss Catherine Lattimer, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Rensselaer County, in De- cember, 1on liquor forever. We had the opportunity of inter- viewing many recovered patients in Dwight while there gathering material for this sketch, and if the half told is true first, of the wonderful cures; and second, of the rapidity with which they are effected then truly is Dr. Keeley a benefactor of the human race. The increasing demand for these remedies assumed such proportions that in April, 1886, the entire business was incorporated in the name of The Leslie E. Keeley Company, under the general laws of the State, with a capital stock of 125,000. Dr. Leslie E. Keeley, the President and head of the company, is a regular graduate of Rush Medi- cal College, Chicago, of 1862-63. He entered the United States Army as a medical cadet, was pro- moted surgeon and served until the close of the war. He has been a resident of Dwight since 1867, and for a period of seventeen years surgeon of the Chicago & Alton Railroad Co. His pub- lished works include ''Opium, Its Use, Abuse and Cure;" "A Treatise on the Liquor Habit:" "The Morphine User, or from Bondage to Freedom;" 'Neurasthenia, or Nerve Exhaustion;" "A Treatise oh the Opium Habit;" and "Opium Smoking Does it Shorten Life." These subjects are all treated with a strength of argument and clearness of precept ion that cannot fail to convince the most incredulous. Years of careful stud}' and experience have given LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 888 f s the author an excellent field from which to harvest valualile knowledge, and so well has he improved the opportunity that even among the medical pro- fession he is a recognized authority on these ques- tions. Mr. Curtis J. Judd, Secretary and Treasurer of the company, was a three years' member of the 120th Illinois Infantry, entering as a private in Company B, in August, 1862. He was promoted at the close of his first year's service to Sergeant Major of the regiment, and served until the close of the war. He was afterward a successful merchant for seven years at D wight, in partnership with David McWilliams. His connection with this enterprise dates from its earliest conception, and through his rare skill, careful application and perseverance, the office illustrates a marvel of accuracy in the neces- sary details of its management. Mr. John R. Oughton, another member of the firm, formerly with the well-known drug house of Lord, Stoutenburg & Co., Chicago, is a regular graduated pharmacist, and an accomplished chemist of rare experience. He has exclusive charge of the laboratory, which is of ample proportions, and re- markably well equipped for the compounding and manufacture of these remedies. Every department of this valuable industry is under a perfect system, and every detail often the outgrowth of necessity seems to have had the most careful attention from the beginning. All shipments are made by express in pairs of two bot- tles, each securely packed in a plain case. The rem- edies are put up in an especially designed bottle, regularly patented in the United States Patent Office. It is peculiar in shape and can be readily distinguished from any other bottle in the market. It has only three sides, the back and right hand side being at right angles, while the other side de- scribes the arc of several circles. The portion aris- ing from the body of the bottle is, at different an- gles on different sides, and the lip is provided with a neat little spout or pour-out. On the front of the bottle, just below the neck, the letters "K. f oilier details of the business, which all pass under the same methodical system, and the utmost lire- caution is taken to respect in every particular the wishes of correspondents. The only publicity given is through testimonials in cases where full written authority has been granted. The office literature, in taste, design and workmanship, is a marvel of beauty and appropriateness, while the host of pam- phlets and other matter issued from time to time to the public exhibit a lavish generosity and never fail to receive their admiration and appreciation. "We Belt the World," as a trade murk, is an ap- propriate expression as to the extent of country reached by these remedies. Shipments are recorded from St. John, N. B. ; Canada; through every State and Territory in the Union; thence to Honolulu, II. I.; the Sandwich Islands; Sidney, New South Wales; Australia; Bombay, Calcutta and Seharun- poor, India; Montserrat, W. I.; Balize, British Hon- duras: Victoria, British Columbia; San Marcos, and Chihuahua, Mex.; London and Hull, England, and numerous other foreign points. There are Sanitar- iums established for the exclusive use of these remedies at St. Louis, Mo., Paris, Tex., and San Francisco, Cal., each under charge of a graduated and experienced physician, besides several private Sanitariums throughout the United States, which have adopted these remedies with most satisfactory results. ARON PRICKETT is engaged in farming on his own place, consisting of 240 acres of land, located on sections 24 and 26, Round Grove Township, and in addition is dis- charging the duties of Road Commissioner of the township. Mr. Prickett has been a citizen of Liv- ingston County since 1868, at which time he re- moved here from LaSalle County. Our subject was born in Kendall County, 111., Nov. !;">, 183!), and is the son of James and Rebecca Prickett, who died in Kendall County, 111., when Aaron was quite young. He was reared upon the T 884 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i farm, and what education lie obtained was in tlie common scliools during his boyhood. He remained in Kendall County until the spring of 1861, when lie moved to Grundy County, and began farming on his own account, renting land for that purpose. In the fall of 1861, however, being siezed with a desire to assist his country in the troubles which had come upon it, he disposed of his interest in the crops he had raised and joined the ranks of the Union soldiers. In September he enlisted in Com- pany A, 38 began the lum- ber trade at Alton, and continued there for a time, and then went to Cairo and engaged in the lumber and general commission business. In 186;") he went to Chicago, where he has been most of the time en- ganvd in the commission business. C. M. Cyrus began learning the trade of a printer in 1864, at Litchfield, Montgomery County. In ' Ji LIVINGSTON COUNTY. S87 1877 he cstahli>hcd and edited the Dwiglit <' history was born in Madison County, N. Y., May 29, 1829, and the following year his parents migrated to Illinois, making the entire distance with two horses and a wagon. They had then bat two children, our subject and his sister, Clarinda A., and their road much of the way lay through the swamps, over a corduroy road, and in a section of country very thinly settled. They camped and cooked by the wayside and slept in their wagon, seldom seeing the face of a white man, and only the blue smoke of an occasional cabin. They reached Chicago thirty days from the time of start- ing and about the 10th of October, when the agents of the Government were delivering to the Indians their stated annuities. It is hardly necessary to state that Chicago fifty- seven years ago bore little resemblance to the city at the present time. There was but one frame dwelling, and altogether little to indicate that it ever would be the metropolis of the West. The lloldridges tarried here three days, and then went into LaSalle County, where the father of our sub- ject took up several claims and waited until the land office was opened at Galena before he could secure a clear title. When this time arrived he entered the land from the Government, and set about its improvement and cultivation amid the difficulties of life in a new country. Asa Holdridge was one of the pioneers of LaSalle County, and being a man of great enterprise and industry, also progressive and intelligent in his ideas, ere long became one of the leading citizens. He was instrumental in bringing to that section many of the families who were mostly concerned in the development of its resources, the building up of schools and churches, and all the other institutions so essential to the well-being of society. In the course of a decade the struggling community be- gan to assert itself, and Mr. Holdridge was chosen as Supervisor of Eden Township, to which he had come before its organization, lie also held the office of Justice of the Peace many years. The faithful wife and mother who had stood by the side of her husband through his toils and difficulties and presided with dignity over his household affairs, rested from her earthly labors in October, 1854, and the father followed on the 7th of October, 1868. They spent their last years at the homestead which they had labored together to establish, and their names are held in grateful remembrance by those to whom they proved ever hospitable and kind. Our subject was reared to manhood amid the pio- f 888 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. T neer scenes of LaSalle County, and as soon as old enough assisted his parents and pursued his studies in the subscription schools. Although there could be no regular school system as at the present day, young Holdridge, being fond of his books and ambitious to learn, acquired a practical education, which has served him well all through life. There never was a time when he considered himself too old or too wise to learn, and he still follows the habits of his early youth in availing himsell of the useful and instructive reading which is now so easily obtained. He consequently has become well informed, and his knowledge has not only enabled him to pursue his farming operations intelligently, but has given him a good position among the progressive men around him. Mr. Holdridge when twenty-five years of age was married, in LaSalle County, March 1, 1855, to Miss Hannah Simmons, whose family, like that of his own, had settled in LaSalle County before town- ship organization had been effected. Her parents. Ira and Susan (Bowen) Simmons, had come to the West from Ohio. Of the six children born to Mr. and Mrs. Holdridge five are now living, namely : Clarence R., Harry A. ; Lizzie, the wife of E. J. Scovel, a grain, merchant of Saunemin; Ira G. and Ward. One daughter. Ella, died when seventeen years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Holdridge continued to reside in LaSalle Count}', where our subject had purchased a farm upon which he operated until 1871. Then, finding a spot in this county which appeared to him more desirable, he came to Saunemin Township in November, 1871, and took possession of his present farm, which is located on section 14. Here he commenced as a general farmer, and of late years has attained quite a reputation as a stock breeder. During these years he has been adding gradually to his real estate, and now in Livingston County alone has an area of 3.500 acre?, while in Kankakee he owns and controls a stock ranch of 600 acres. This property has been largely accumu- lated through his own sagacity and forethought, as he had to start with but eighty acres, which had been given him by his father after reaching his majority. The home farm of Mr. Holdridge is supplied with a handsome and substantial set of buildings, which with their surrounding!) attract the admiring attention both of people in that section and the travelers passing through it. A view of the prem- ises is given in this volume. His live-stock trans- actions are probably larger than those of any other man in the county. He has always been contented with the free and independent life of an Illinois farmer, while at the same time he has never been backward in tendering substantial assistance to those enterprises in the town which naturally af- fected the interest of the people around him. He has, however, steadily declined becoming an office- holder, although solicited to accept that of Repre- sentative, yet he is a warm supporter of Republican principles, and willing to work in any way except that which would interfere with his unostentatious and chosen career. The home and business inter- ests which he has built up will remain as a monu- ment of his thrift and industry long after he has been gathered to his fathers, and men will relate to their sons the history of his life of perseverance and frugality which has made his name honored thoughout Livingston County, and the portrait presented in this connection will preserve the fea- tures of the man who has done so much. fljj ACOB WAKEY, a native of the Kingdom of Prussia, sought the New World and a home in the West when a youth of sixteen years, which was nearly fifty years ago. He is now one of the most highly respected residents of Odell, to which he retired after a period of forty-nine years spent in agricultural pursuits, in which he built up a good home and secured a competency. He is a substantial and reliable citizen, who has pursued his course "in life without ostentation, and whose word is considered as good as his bond. Mr. Wakey was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, Ma}' 2, 1820, and was the fourth child of Frederick and Sophia (Peters) Wakey, who were natives of the same country as their son, and followed him to the United States about two years after his ar- rival here. They landed at New Orleans, where the mother was seized with a fatal illness of which she died a short time afterward. Frederick Wakey n f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 889 subsequently joined his son in this State and spent his declining years in LaSnlle County, where his death took place about 1839. The paternal grand- father of our subject, also Frederick Wakey, spent his entire life in his native Prussia, where he and a long line of his ancestors had been uniformly en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Jacob Peters, as well as all the other male members of both families, hail given several years of his youth to the service of the German Government in the army. Frederick Wakey participated in the revolution during which his native Kingdom was subjugated by the First Napoleon, and received a sabre cut across the head which nearly cost him his life. Mr. Wakey, our subject, in common with the ! youth of his native country, was thoroughly edu- cated in the common schools, and in addition to the employments of the farm, became familiar with the art of spinning. He remained with his parents dur- ing his residence in his native country, but at an early age began laying his plans for the future, and was strongly desirous of something better than the prospect held out to him there. Accordingly, one morning in April, 1836, he bade adieu to the friends of his childhood, and boarding a sailing- vessel at Bremen, moved out on the broad ocean to enter upon a new life in a strange country. After : a stormy voyage of forty-six days he landed in New York City, where he was joined seven days later by his brother, of Washington, Litchfield Co., Conn., who had come to meet him and welcome him to his home. He took up his residence in that State, and carried on farming three years and two months. In the meantime, his brother had mi- grated to the West, and Jacob followed him in 1841 , locating first upon a 40-acre tract of land near Ot- tawa, LaSalle County, which he had purchased, and where he had cultivated the soil until having an op- portunity to sell at a good advance. His next purchase was eighty acres in Bruce Township, where he determined to establish a permanent home. The next important step toward the consummation of his hopes was his marriage, which occurred on the 20th of June, 1848, his chosen bride being Miss . Eliza Jane McQuaid, who was then a resident of ! LaSalle County. Mrs. Wakey was born in Clearfield County, Pa., April 25, 1828, and was the fifth child of James and Jane (Ross) McQuaid, also natives of the Key- stone State, and the parents of five children. The father died in Clearfield County about 1828, and the mother subsequently married again, and came to LaSalle Count}', this State, with her second fam- ily of four children. Here with her husband, Isaac Corle, she resided on a farm, where our subject made the acquaintance of his future wife, and where they were married. Mr. Wakey and his young wife continued residents of LaSalle County until the spring of 1856, when selling out, they removed across the Mississippi to a point near Etna, Scot- land Co., Mo., where Mr. Wakey purchased a quar- ter section of wild land. They began housekeep- ing in a small frame structure and remained resi- dents there for a period of eight years, during which time our subject had brought about many improve- ments, and supplied the place with good buildings. At the breaking out of the late Rebellion, our subject formed one of the Home Guards, and in July following was mustered into a cavalry regi- ment of the regular service, whose duty was to watch the bushwhackers. Mr. Wakey's company was in active duty in that State most of the time during the war. and participated in the battle of Athens, where the Union troops were attacked by the rebel General, Greene. Later it fought at the battle of Kirksville, where 600 of the enemy were laid low. Its next encounter was with the rebel General, Marmaduke, at Cape Girardeau, who was defeated and driven out of that part of the State ; this occurred in April, 1863. Mr. Wakey then, on account of accumulated 3 - ears, and the exposure and hardship to which he had been subjected, was given his honorable discharge and returned home. The following spring he resumed his farming oper- ations, but found that the labor was beyond his strength, and accordingly sold out at the end of the season. He then took up his residence in La- Salle County, Me ride n Township, where he resided until the spring of 1865. Farm life, however, had a charm for him which he could not resist, and he accordingly purchased eighty acres of land near the town of Meriden, LaSalle County, upon which he commenced farming again and continued two yean. f t S!>0 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. He found, however, that this comparatively small area of land would not justify him in attempting to carry on agriculture in that section, and by the urgent advice of his children and friends, who en- deavored to convince him that he had labored long enough, he sold out once more and came to this county. Here the ruling spirit still predominated, and he purchased eighty acres of unimproved land on section 18, in Odell Township. His health now being quite recovered, he seemed to tike a new- lease of life and purchased the remaining quarter section which he improved and occupied for a pe- riod of twenty years. Here he erected a fine set of frame buildings and brought the land to a high state of cultivation. He now felt satisfied with what he had accomplished in life, and purchased a home in Odell. of which he has but just taken pos- session (October, 1887), and where he proposes to pass the balance of his days. To Mr. and Mrs. Wakey there were born four children: Lucy Ann, April 28, 1849; Mary Jane, Aug. 6, 1852: Lorenzo Dow, Oct. 9, 1856, and John Wesley, Oct. 9, 1859. The three eldest were laid away in the quiet country burying-ground in their childhood. John, the only survivor, married Miss Teresa Dunham, and manages the home farm. They have one child, Jacob A., who was born June 17, 1887, and took the prize at the late bab3' show in the city of Odell. Mr. Wakey and his son are members of the Congregational Church, and our subject has served as Road Commissioner and School Director. He takes a lively interest in pol- itics and votes the straight Republican ticket. As a representative citizen, Mr. Wakey's por- trait is entitled to a place in this ALBUM, and ft may therefore be found on an adjoining page. AMES HAMILTON, one of the most sub- stantial farmers and reliable residents of Union Township, came to this section of country bringing with him all the substan- tial elements of his excellent Scotch ancestry. His life has been somewhat varied, and in this neces- sarily brief manner we give its principal incidents. Mr. Hamilton was born on the other side of the 4 Atlantic, on New Year's morning, 1S3.">, in Lennox- shire. Scotland, which had been the home of his parents. William and Jane (Morrison) Hamilton, since they began life together, and which was the birthplace of the father. The parental household included nine children, of whom our subject was the fifth. His paternal grandfather had also been born on this farm, which had been the property of the family for several generations, while the male members had, almost without exception, been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. William Hamilton, when about twenty-three years of age, parted with his possessions in Scotland and emigrated to Amer- ica, spending six years in the Southern States, after which he returned to Scotland. He made a second trip to this country. He finally returned to his native Isle, where he was married to one of his childhood associates, and remained in Scotland until 1848, when he once more set sail for America, de- termined to establish a permanent home for him- self and his family. He embarked from Glasgow on the loth of April, on board the sailing-vessel "Merlin," which was lost with all on board, as no tid- ings of it were ever after obtained. One year later the bereaved wife died of a broken heart, and within a fortnight two of the children followed their mother to the silent land. Six children were thus left orphaned, and of these five are still living in America. The other four are recorded as fol- lows: Margaret became the wife of John Wyllie, who was formerly a resident of Union Township^ but is now deceased ; she still resides near her brother, our subject. Jeanette is the wife of Hugh Allen, a prosperous fanner of Peabody. Kan. : Mary is the widow of the late James Burnette, and is also living in Kansas; Lillie married John Stewart, who is carrying on farming near Fowler in Southern Indiana. After the loss of his father our subject continued in his native shire employed at farm labor until he reached his majority. His early advantages for education were quite limited, being confiiied to the country school, in which he spent only a short time. Upon becoming old enough to begin to lay his plans for the future, he determined to cany out his father's idea in regard to a home in the New World, and accordingly, in the spring of 1855, set 4- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. sail from Glasgow on board the "Mary Marross." When near the banks of Newfoundland the vessel during a thick fog collided with an iceberg, which at once destroyed masts and rigging, and left them almost helpless upon the face of the deep, and they were obliged to take to the boats and row away from the dismasted vessel. The entire voyage consumed two and one-half months, and upon reaching New York Harbor they were nearly ex- hausted. Fortunately no lives were !ost, although they experienced fearful hardships and privations. Mr. Hamilton now set out for friends in Canada, but not being favorably impressed with that sec- tion of country, started a week later for Illinois. He first took up his residence with an uncle near Plaintield. and afterward commenced learning the carpenter's trade at Piano, 111. His employer, to whom he had apprenticed himself two years, now concluded to abandon carpentering mid take up farming, and our subject agreed to go with him farther west, to Kansas. The John Brown troubles, however, interfered with their plans, and they wisely concluded that it would be safer to remain this side of the Mississippi. Mr. Hamilton then repaired to Chicago where he proposed to follow his trade, but the free circulation of wild-cat mone3 r induced him to abandon this project also, and going down to Tiskilwa, Bureau County, he engaged one season in chopping wood. At the expiration of this contract he engaged in farming in LaSalle County, and for three or four years thereafter made his home with his brother-in-law, John Wyllie. Mr. Hamilton, notwithstanding the adage that "a rolling stone gathers no moss," had managed to save a little sum of money, which he now decided to in- vest in land. Accordingly in the fall of 1800 he came to this county and purchased eighty acres from Alexander Campbell, who was a resident of LaSalle County, lie now began in earnest the cul- tivation and improvement of his purchase, and laid the foundations of a home before taking upon him- ' self the responsibilities of a family. Nine years later, on the 2!)th of December, l(j!l, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Ann, youngest daugh- ter of John and Mary (VValka) Kdgeeomb. Mr. and Mix Kdgecomb were of English birth and j>:ir- eutage and immigrated to America during their youth, settling first in Pennsylvania and afterward becoming residents of Peru, LaSalle County, where Mrs. Hamilton was born Dec. 22, 1840. Her father had followed farming all his life and spent his last years at the homestead which he had built up in Peru, his death taking place in 184'J, and that of the mother in 1870. Mr. Hamilton after his marriage at once brought his bride to the home which he had prepared for her, and where the}' have since lived harmoniously together. He added by degrees to his real estate until he was at one time the owner of 52(! acres. Later he commenced selling from this with the in- tention of removing to another part of the country, but subsequently abandoned the idea. He has now 420 acres under a fine state of cultivation and em- bellished with handsome and substantial farm build- ings, of which a view is shown in this connection. Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton became the parents of an interesting family of six children, four of whom are living, namely: Willis, who was born Oct. 13, 1870; John, Feb. 15, 1875; Benjamin, Nov. 3, 1880, and Elizabeth, May 29, 1883. In 1881 all the children they then had were stricken down with diphtheria, and little James and Mary fell victims to the dread disease, dying within nine days of each other. James was a bright lad of nine years and Mary had just passed her fourth birthday; the others were saved only by superhuman efforts. The sorrowing parents in their dread affliction received the sym- pathy of the entire community. They were more than ordinarily attached to their little ones, and the loss of two of these at once was to them a most terrible blow. Those surviving remain at home with their parents and form a remarkably bright and intelligent family group. They are being care- fully trained and well educated and fitted for the station in life which they will occupy as the offspring of citizens held in universal respect. Mr. Hamilton has been quite prominent in mat- ters concerning the best interests of his community, serving as School Trustee and Road Commissioner several years, and has represented Union Township in the County Board of Supervisors two terms. In his district he has ofliciaU d as Director for a long period. As the years advance he finds he is losing his active interer-t in politics. lie forsook the He- 894 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. publican party several years ago, and since then has given his support to the Greenback element. Although Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton are not identified with any religious organization, they realize the important influences of Christianity upon a com- munity, and give their support to that element as well as to all others tending to the welfare of the people. JOSEPH S. THOMAS. This gentleman comes of a family celebrated for the longevity and stature attained by its members. The ages of some of the ancestors have averaged one hundred and three years, and several of them were veritable giants. Great longevity and immense stature indicate a race of men of nearly physical perfection. The ancestors of Mr. Thomas were men and women who were leaders in their day and generation, and attained to prominence in whatever field in the vineyard of life they elected to work. Mr. Thomas, who is a farmer and stock-raiser and owns over 200 acres of land, lying in Eppard's Point, Avoca and Owego Townships, is a native of Madison County, Ohio, where he was born on the 14th of August, 1831. He is the sou of Rev. Jo- seph and Sarah Ann (Price) Thomas, the former of whom, the son of Griffith and Mary (Williams) Thomas, was born in Grayson County, Va., and claims the relationship of first cousin of Jefferson Davis. Mary Williams was the daughter of Col. John Williams, of Revolutionary War celebrity, and a man who lived to be one hundred and nine years, nine months and seventeen days old, and re- tained his reason until the last moment. He was six feet two inches in height, and weighed 225 pounds. During his life he was a leader among men, always standing at the front of any enterprise in which he might be engaged, He was born of Welsh descent, and died in Madison County, Ohio. He was the father of a large family of children, the ages of whom averaged one hundred and three years at their death. They were members of the Quaker Society, and the father of our subject was reared in that faith, but afterward became a mem- ber of the Christian Church. To the parents of Mr. Thomas were born twelve children, whose record is as follows: James W. is married, has a family of eight children, and is engaged in farming at Cherry Vale, Kan. ; Joseph S., the subject of this sketch; Cicero F. is married, has a small family, and is a successful farmer in Indi- ana, worth about $25,000 ; Yensi was the wife of Warren Chamberlain, and died, leaving five chil- dren; Griffith was killed by guerrillas in Kentucky while serving in the Union army, and left a wife and one child ; Ann M. is the wife of John A. Thomas, a dealer in farm implements and hardware in Jasper County, Ind.; Sarah C. is the wife of Harvey Hillis. who died in Indiana; Mary was burned to death at the age of fourteen; John P. was born in Indiana, is married and has two chil- dren: Charles was in an Indiana cavalry regiment during the war for four years; soon after his return from the war he was married, and his death was caused by an accident with a threshing-machine. Lydia J. is the wife of Milo Gilkerson, of Kanka- kee, and has three children; Emma was the wife of Austin Cotton, whose death was caused by ex- I posure. Mr. Thomas' father died in 1873 in Livingston County, on what is now known as the Ively Pills- bury farm. He was a minister in the Christian Church forty-nine years, beginning when he was twenty years of age. He had lived in various States, moving from Ohio to Indiana in 1851, and thence to Illinois in 1863, having buried his wife in Indiana in 1862; their remains arc buried side by- side. Mr. Thomas was married, on the 4th of July, 1 865, to Martha M. Houder, who was born Sept. 1 G, 1 833, in Montgomery County, Ohio, and is the daughter of Jacob and Barbara (Kertz) IIou- der, who were the parents of ten children, four of whom are living: Ephraim, in Eppard's Point Township; David, in Pontiac; Nancy, in Ohio, and Mrs. Thomas. Mrs. Thomas had four brothers in the late war, two of whom were killed in battle and one died in prison ; Ephraim alone returned. To Mr. and Mrs. Thomas five children have been born: Jennie Almeda, May 20, 1866: I'lysses S.. Nov. 19, 1867; Mollie A., Nov. 18, 1870; Cicero L., Oct. 17, 1873, and Manette, April 25, 187C. Their eldest son was in the Chatsworth disaster, but fort- f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 895 unately came out unharmed. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas are members of the Christian Church, in which he holds the position of Clerk. They are both respected members of society, and the family enjoys the esteem of all their neighbors. We are pleased to present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Thomas' residence and its sur- roundings. jILLIAM NORMAN, an esteemed and re- spected resident of Saunemin Township, is a native of Cambridgeshire, England, where he was born on the 2d of February, 1816. He is the son of James and Mar}- A. Norman, both of whom were also natives of England. Mr. Norman was married in England on the 30th of December, 1840, the lady whom he chose for a wife being Miss Mary A. Sharp, who was born on the 1st of May, 1820. She is a daughter of Jere- miah and Sarah Sharp, both of whom were natives of England. Mr. and Mrs. Norman have had born to them twelve children, of whom eight survive George W., Sarah E., Mary J., Thomas P., Robert J., Rachel N., John J. and Henry G. George W. was born Nov. 19, 1845, and now resides in Colorado; Sarah E. was born Oct. 4, 1847, and is the wife of Charles E. Smith, of Saunemin Township; Mary J. was born Nov. 12, 1850, and is the wife of A. J. Gimlon,of Dwight Township: Thomas P. was born Nov. 29, 1853, and resides in Saunemin Township; Robert J. was born June 28, 1856, and resides in Dakota; Rachel N. was born Oct. 16, 1858, and is the wife of A. J. Evans, of Saunemin; John J. was born March 15. 1861 , and lives in Saunemin, and Henry G., born Dec. 30, 1863. The names of the deceased were Jarnes L., Jeremiah J. and Caroline A.; one died in infancy unnamed. In 1852, with his wife and three children, Mr. Norman immigrated to America, taking passage at Liverpool, and after a voyage of ten weeks landed in New Orleans. From that city he came direct to Marshall Count}-, 111., where he engaged for manj- years in manufacturing brick and cultivating a farm. In the spring of 1878 he came to Livingston C'ount\ - , and settled on section 29. Saunemin Town- ship, on the 80-acre farm upon which he now re- sides. When he arrived in Marshall County he not only had no cash but was indebted in the sum of $11. He immediately went to work, and in a short time liquidated this indebtedness and began to gather a nucleus for his after prosperity. Mrs. Nor- man js a member of the Christian Church, and they are both respected members of society. Mr. Nor- man is a Republican in politics, and has been fre- quently solicited to discharge the duties of various township offices, but has invariably declined. He is modest and unassuming in his nature, and has never had any taste whatever for office-getting. He and his wife are now in their declining }'ears, and have provided themselves so that their remain- ing days may be spent in comparative ease and comfort. Thomas P. Norman, a farmer of Saunemin Township, is a son of William and Mary A. Nor- man, and was born and reared in Marshall County, where he received a fair common-school education, and has always resided ; he lias always been engaged in farming and manufacturing brick. On the 2d of January, 1876, he was married to Miss Abbie Scott, who was born on the 7th of March, 1850, in Grundy County, 111., and is the daughter of Sam- uel and Mary A. Scott, natives of Pennsylvania and Indiana respectively. Two children have been the result of this marriage, namely: Laura I., who was born Sept. 23, 1882, and Geneva, who was born July 22, 1879, and died Sept. 23, 1883. Thomas Norman owns eighty acres of good land, and in the cultivation of it has been quite successful. He is a Republican in politics, and supports his party with enthusiasm upon all occasions where he can assist in attaining success. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church and are regular in their attendance and liberal in support. >OHN PRITCHARD, now a resident of Sau- nemin Township, is n native of Wales, in which country he resided until twenty -eight years of age. He was born on the 7th of October, 1832, and is the son of David and Guine Pritchard, the former a native of Wales, but of I 896 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Scotch ancestry, as was also the mother. To the parents were born six children, named : Margaret, William, Eleanor, David, John and Thomas. The Pritchard family are all long-lived people, the father having reached eighty-five years and the mother ninety years. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native country, where he was given but a meager educa- tion in the schools of that day. In 1860 he con- cluded to transfer his place of residence from the country of his birth to the United States, and taking passage on the steamship '-City of Washington," at Liverpool, he landed at Castle Garden, N. Y., after a stormy voyage of two weeks across the ocean. From New York he proceeded directly to Delaware County, Ohio, and there remained for seven year-. being employed as a farm hand and performing such other kinds of work as he was able to secure. Thence he came to Illinois, where he remained a resident of LaSalle County for a short time and then came to Livingston County. His stay in this county was but temporary, and in 1868 he moved to the State of Missouri. On the 3d of October, 1872, while living in Mis- souri, Mr. Pritchard was married to Mary M. Mil- ler, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born on the 21st of November, 1851. To them were born seven children, whose record is as follows: John B. was born Sept. 23, 1873; Margaret E., Jan. 9, 1876; David J., April 12, 1878; William C., Feb. 11, 1880; Franklin T., Feb. 26, 1882; Mary J., Oct. 17, 1884, and Lavinia M., Sept. 25, 1886. Shortly after marriage, Mr. Pritchard came to Liv- ingston County and settled on the farm on which he now resides, on the Vermilion River. His tirst purchase of land consisted of eighty acres, to which he subsequently added until he now has a farm of 160 acres, which is a model in all its appointments and equipments. When he became possessed of this land there had practically never been an}- im- provements made upon it, nor any cultivation at- tempted. Oil the 13th of October, 18XC, Mrs. Pritchard died after a short illness. She as a woman who had endeared herself by her many good qualities of head and heart, to all who knew her, and her loss, both to the family and the community, is sincerely mourned. Mr. Pritchard is a member of the Bap- tist Church, in which lie has served in the capacity of Deacon, and is also Superintendent of the Sun- day-school. He is a Republican in politics, although he does not take an active part in political matters. He has never been an office-seeker, but on the con- trary has declined political perferment when ten- dered by his friends. OIIN STUDLEY, the subject of this sketch, is engaged in farming on section 13, Round Grove Township, where he is the possessor of 240 acres of land eligibly located, and very productive. Mr. Studley's parents were Ben- jamin and Mary (Titt) Studley, who were natives of England, where they spent their entire lives. They were the parents of seven children, of whom our subject was the sixth. John Studley was born in England on the 9th of December, 1X44, and was reared on a farm till about nine years of age when he came to Canada where he lived about two years. At the end of that time he came to Illinois, and engaged in farm work in Kendall County until 1871, when he came to Liv- ingston County and settled in Round Grove Town- ship, where he purchased a farm of eighty acres on section 13. During his residence on this farm he has made many improvements, including the erec- tion of a fine set of buildings. He has added, by subsequent purchases, to this farm until it consists of 240 acres, and in addition to this he owns Kill acres in Kankakee County, 111., making him the owner of a total of 400 acres of Illinois lands, a possession of which any man may well be proud. In Kankakee County, ..111., on the 7th of March, 1872, Mr. Studley was married to Luc}' Patchett, daughter of Paddison and Martha (Duddles) Patchett, who are residents of that county. They have a family of seven children living, of whom Mra. Studley is the eldest. She was born in En- gland, Feb. 13, 1852, and was about six years old when she accompanied her parents to America. Mr. and Mrs. Studley are the parents of seven chil- dren, whose names are as follows: Martha M.. (.eorge V\ '., Laura L., Alice E., 1'liu-be A., Beit ha t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 899 L. and John II. Mr. Studley was formerly a member of the Republii-an party, but of late years has earnestly co-operated with the Prohibition par tj' in its efforts to destroy the great curse of the nation, the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors. He has always manifested a lively interest in educational matters, and for a considerable time was enabled to put into practice his theories re- garding the conduct of schools, while serving in the capacity of School Director. Our subject and his excellent wife are members of the Wesleyan Methodist Church and take a lively interest in the affairs of that organization. They give hearty and substantial encourage- ment to all movements which have for their aim the dissemination of religious, moral and temper- ance truths The family enjoy the esteem and re- spect of all the people of the cominuuity. As representative of the buildings of this section of country we present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Studley's homestead. JOHN WYLLIE, who was a farmer and stock- raiser on section 11, Union Township, was born near Kilmarnock, Scotland, on the llth of December, 1811, and died on the illth of December. 1873, at the present residence of his widow. He was third in a family of five children born to William and Jane Wyllie, who were also natives of Scotland, where they spent their entire lives. The subject of this sketcli was reared to farm life and educated in the common schools. At the age of twenty -two he and a Brother embarked for Amer- ica to find a home in the New World, and landing at New York he remained a short time, and then came to the West. lie first settled at Galena, where he engaged in work at the lead mines, remaining for several years, and then came to Peru, LaSalle County, win-re he formed a partnership in the gen- eral merchandise business, which hi- followed for several }'eai-s with indifferent success, lie then sold out and bought a farm of eighty acres, which he set about improving. His partner in business robbed him and tied to Canada, leaving him to bear the burden of the debt, and during the next few years his progress was slow and laborious. In 1848 Mr. Wyllie joined a company of specu- lators to seek their fortunes in the gold fields of California. Crossing the plains with ox-teams, they spent more than three mouths in reaching the gold mines near Sacramento, where he engaged in min- ing and prospecting, and was reasonably prosper- ous. After remaining two years lie concluded to return, but the mountains being infested with high- waymen, which made the trip overland very dan- gerous, lie came by water, crossing the Isthmus, touching at Cuba, and then around the coast to New York, and across the country to his home in LaSalle, III. Upon his arrival he bought 160 acres more land, and began to push his farming interests with renewed vigor, and prosperity began to smile upon him. In 1860 he began to invest in wild land in Livingston County, and bought and sold several times on speculation, but soon saw the indications of progress, and began to select the finest tracks he could secure for his own future use. Soon after his return from California he made a visit to his old home in Scotland. On the 27th of January, 1857, Mr. Wyllie was married to Margaret Hamilton, who was born in Scotland on the 1st of January, 1837, and was the fifth in a family of eleven children born to William and Jane (Morrison) Hamilton, whose history ap- pears in connection with the biography of their son James in this Ai.m M. Mr. and Mrs. Wyllie remained in LaSalle County until 1866, and then came to Livingston County, and settled on the faun the widow now occupies. He sold his farm in LaSalle County, and improved his estate in Livingston County until he owned 1,140 acres of as fine land as lies in the county. The palatial residence and commodious barns are indicative of his thrift, as well as of the progress made in the style of architect- ure in this section of country. On an adjoining page is shown :i view of Mr. Wyllie's handsome homestead. All the land he purchased he at once put under cultivation, and built upon it, thus gain- ing all the ad vantages of progress as well as develop- ment. In 1873 he made another visit to his old home in Scotland, and returned to die in a short time afterward. He had been a strong and hearty I , , 900 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. man all his life, but somewhat subject to attacks of pleurisy, one of which at last caused his death. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, in which he served as Trustee, and was an active man in politics, giving his life-long support to the Repub- lican party. He frequently held the various town- ship offices, such as Director, Trustee, Commissioner, etc. Mr. Wyllie was the father of six children, five of whom are living William, John, James, Jane and David. Mary died at the age of three years and eight months; James married Jessie McCloud, and lives on section 1, Union Township; Jane married Peter Fotheriugham, and lives in Union Township, while the others reside at home with their mother, who is educating them to the best of her ability. She is an active member of the Presbyterian Church, and is an energetic lady, devoting her time to her family and the admirable farm on which she lives. In 1886 she returned to her old home in Scotland on a visit, and remained three months among the scenery of the mountains. During his life Mr. Wyllie was specially noted for his thrift and enterprise, and good judgment in all business transactions, and his accumulations are sufficient to make his family comfortable during their days. Mrs. Wyllie is highly esteemed by all who have the honor of her acquaintance, and while giving her time and atten- tion to the care of her family, she gives with a will- ing hand and ready purse to all deserving people whose circumstances make it necessary to depend upon the charities of the world. RS. MARTHA R. FOX, widow of the late Abraham Fox, of Round Grove Township, was born in County T_yrone, Ireland, Aug. 14, 1845. She came to America with her parents, Joseph and Margaret (Arnold) McCune, when a young girl, and is now one of the most highly respected ladies of her community. She oc- cupies a good farm on section 20. The parents of Mrs. Fox were also of Irish birth and ancestry, and upon reaching America settled in Guernsey County, Ohio, but not long afterward removed to Belmont County, whence two years later they migrated to the West. Upon reaching Illinois they located in Christian County, and three years later removed to Pike Township, thiscountj-, where they .remained until becoming members of the household of their daughter, Mrs. Fox. Here the father died on the 23d of August, 1885, when about eighty-one years of age. The mother is still living and is also well stricken in years, being eighty- five years old April 21. Their household included three children only, all of whom lived to maturity. Mary A. became the wife of Thaddeus Orr, and died in Christian County some years since; Martha R. ; Joseph A. during the late war enlisted in Company F, 30th Ohio Infantry, and was killed in the battle of South Mountain, Md. He was a bright and promising young man, and among the first of those who responded to the call for volun- teer troops. Mrs. Fox came to this county with her parents in March, 1866, and remained under the home roof until her marriage. She had been well edu- cated and was engaged as a teacher some years. Her union with Abraham Fox took place at the home of her parents in Pike Township, Nov. 15, 1866. Mr. Fox was born in Dublin, Ireland, and immigrated to the United States when nineteen years of age. He first located in New Jersey, whence he came to Peoria, this State, and from there to this county, locating in Pike Township during its early settlement. After the outbreak of the late Rebellion he enlisted, in the fall of 1861, in Company I, 47th Illinois Infantry, and'served as a Union soldier three years. Although escaping wounds and capture, the privations and hardships which he endured undermined his health, and he never regained his former strength and vitality. His marriage took place after the close of the war, and the young people commenced life together in Pike Township, where they remained until the spring of 1883, Mr. Fox being mostly engaged in farming. At the date mentioned he removed with his family to Round Grove Township, where his death took place on the 6th of August following. lie is remembered as a good man of kindly im- pulses, and- he lived the life of a quiet and unob- trusive citizen, devoted to his family and oblig- ing to his friends. Mr. and Mrs. Fox became the parents of five t. *r LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 901 children, namely: George, Joseph R., Margaret, Mary A. and Martha L. They are of great as- sistance to their mother in the management of the homestead, and are being educated in a manner be- coming their station in life. Mr. Fox was a mem- ber in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and to this Mrs. Fox also belongs, together with her three daughters. ORENZO B. DOM IN Y. No well-regulated town of any pretentions can get along very iL^. well without a banking institution, for sev- eral reasons, among which are, a place of safe de- posit for the surplus sums of money which, in the regular course of business, must accumulate in a community ; facilities for issuing bills of exchange on other points for the accommodation of business men, and above all, to loan money in times of com- mercial emergency with which business men may bridge over little chasms or enlarge their transac- tions commensurate with the demands upon them. Confidence and capital are the two great requisites demanded of a bank, and the firm of Beach & Dom- iny, of Fairlmry, has an abundance of each. The subject of this sketch is the junior member of this firm of bankers. He was born in Madison County, Ohio, in 1844, and is the son of Ezra and Hester A. (Beach) Dominy, who were natives of Ohio. The father was a farmer by occupation, and died on the 3d of July, 1846, while the mother followed him a few days after. The subject of this sketch was their only child. Mr. Dominy was married to MissPlutbe A. Curl, in December, 1865. She was born in Greene County, Pa., in 1844, and is the daughter of James and Lavinia Curl. Her father is dead, but the mother is still living. Mr. Dominy came to Illi- nois in 1855, locating in Indian Grove Township; his education was received in the common schools and he followed the occupation of a farmer until he was twenty -six years of age. In 1870 he began his business career with Mr. Beach as :i hardware mer- chant, which he continued for three and one-half years, when lie disposed of his interests, and in 1 874 entered the banking firm of Bartlett, Beach & Dominy, which continued for four years under that firm name, when Mr. Bartlett's health failed and he sold his interest to Beach & Dominy, who became the owners of the bank. At the time this sketch is written the firm is erecting an elegant banking house on the corner of Main and Third streets, in Fairbnry. Mr. Dominy is the owner of 1,200 acres of most excellent land in Livingston County, and his residence is credited with being one of the fin- est buildings in Fairbnry. Mr. and Mrs. Dominy are the parents of four children : Jennie and Jessie, twins; Lizzie Fern, and one who is now deceased. Mr. Dominy is the Su- pervisor for Indian Grove Township, and was elected by the people regardless of political questions. He has acted for ten years as a member of the City Council, and for three terms has been President of the Board. He is a very ardent Republican and makes his influence felt for that party in every political campaign. He is a shrewd and energetic business man, possessing a proper degree of con- servatism to make him a safe and reliable banker. His success in life is largely due to his individual efforts, and he is a fair illustration of what a man can accomplish through industry, prudence and economy. ?REDERIC FALTER, a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section 13, Broughton Township, is the son of Lewis, Sr., and Gertrude (Lukam) Falter, and was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, March 2fi, 1841. When he was about four years old his parents emigrated to Amer- ica, locating in Franklin County, Ohio, where our subject received a common-school education, and served an apprenticeship of three years at the black- smith's trade. Mr. Falter had barely reached his majority when the Civil War broke out. and he responded promptly to the call of duty in the service of his adopted country. In 1862 he enlisted in the 18th Ohio Infantry, and upon reaching the front he was de- tailed to do blacksmithing. After serving in the army about eighteen months he was discharged on account of sickness. Soon after his return he fol- 902 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. - lowed the tide of immigration westward, coming to Illinois and locating near Joliet, where he worked for various farmers about four years and then removed to Ford County, where he cultivated his father's land. Our subject was married in Ford County, Oct. 13, 1868, to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Daniel and Anna (Carbcr) Breneisa, of that county. For about Ihroe years after his marriage Mr. Falter farmed on rented ground in Ford County, he and his frugal wife, in the meantime, saving their earnings for the purchase of a home. In 1871 he was enabled to buy the farm on which he now lives, consisting of 160 acres, which he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, and upon which he has erected good buildings, and has everything needful for the mod- ern agriculturist. In politics he is not a strict party men, but always tries to vote for the best candidate when no important principles are at stake. His first Presidential vote was cast for the lamented Lincoln. In religion he is a member of the German Lutheran Church. Mr. and Mrs. Falter have five children, as follows: Anna Margaret, who was born Nov. 19, I860; Charles Lewis, Jan. 7, 1874; Daniel Luther, Nov. 29, 1879; Margaret May, July. 7, 1883, and Charles William, Nov. 15, 1886. Our subject is the fourth in a family of eight children, as follows : Mary, Lewis, John, Frederic, George, Amelia, Caroline and Catherine. Mary died at the age of thirteen, in Ohio; Lewis was born in Germany, April 4, 1837, married Margaret Ameh, lives in Ford County, 111., and has five children; John was killed at the battle of Murfrecsboro; George married Mary Heil, lives in Knnkakee County, 111., and has seven children ; Amelia married Matthew Fadling, and lives in Ford County ; Caro- line married John Heller, lives in Iroquois County, 111., and has four children; Catherine first married Adam \Vainbeck, by whom she had three children, and after his death became the wife of Charles Schnltz, who resides in Ford County, and has three children by her second marriage. The father of our subject was born in Germany, Aug. '24, 1810, and died in Inxjuois County, 111., Aug. '27, 1 N8C>. II is mother was horn in Germany, Nov. "JO, l.sl'.i. and i> still living, making her home with her daughter Caroline. .Mrs. Falter is one in a family of four children, of whom the record is as follows: Reuben was born Dec. 6, 1849, married Sarah McLean, lives in Ford County, and has three children; Catherine and Elizabeth, twins, were born Oct. 28, 1851, in Lancaster County, Pa.; Fannie was born Dec. 14, 1853, married John Buxton, lives in Gardner, III., and has no children. The parents of Mrs. Falter were born in Pennsyl- vania, and the mother was of Scotch ancestry. The father was born May 1 8, 1 827, and the mother March 14, 1832; their marriage occurred March 0, 1849, and both are still living in Cabery, 111. The paternal grandfather, Conrad Breneisa, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., Feb. 27, 179IIOM AS FALLIS. This aged and highly re- spected citizen of Livingston County car- ried on farming in Dwight Township for a long period of years, and in 1884 retired from act- ive labor, and took up his residence in the town, where he is now pleasantly located and in the en- joyment of a competency. He is the scion of an old Virginian family of English descent, and was born March 23, 1812, in Uniontown, Fayette Co., Pa. The paternal grandfather of our subject, George Fallis by name, was a member of the Society of Friends, and immigrated to this country at a pe- riod antedating the Revolutionary War, about 1750. He was accompanied by his two brothers, and from them sprang the entire family in America. The mother of our subject was the descendant of a fam- ily who, during the persecution of the Quaker sect in England, immigrated to this country with Will- iam I'enn, to enjoy freedom of thought and the right to wor.-hip th of March, 1 884. Mr. and Mrs. Beatty have had but one child, who was named Mortimer F. and died in infancy. Mrs. Beatty is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and takes great interest in church affairs. Mr. Beatty is a Republican in politics, in which part}' he is an active and leading man. As a citizen he is highly esteemed, and he and his wife enjoy the respect and esteem of the people of the surrounding country. f oor, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I/ ON. IIKNKY J. FRANTZ, one of the most prominent .'ind popular men of Kppard'8 Point, lias for many years been closety (gjt identified with its most important interests. He possesses :ill the elements of a good citizen, briny broad-minded, intelligent and liberal, and is rated in all respects as one of its most valued and representative men. His career has been more than ordinarily successful, and all who know him agree that it is hut the just reward of an upright and honorable course, in which he has sought to deal justly by his fellowmen, and to be of use in his community. Our subject was born near Salem, Roanoke Co., Ya., Feb. 7, 1834, and is the son of Jacob and Kliza (Petty) Frantz, also natives of the Old Do- minion. His father, born in 1802, was the son of Michael Frantz, whose father was of German birth and parentage, and emigrated to the United States in early manhood. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Abner Petty by name, was a native of Virginia, where his daughter. Eliza, was reared, and in 1824 became the wife of Jacob Frantz. The hitter spent their entire lives in their native State. Jacob Franz, although the possessor of a good farm, was a tanner by trade, and pursued this calling in connection with agriculture. He died at his home in Roanoke County, in 180!), at the age of sixty- seven years. The mother had died of typhoid fever in 1848, when our subject was fourteen year> old. She was married when fifteen years of age, and was of unusually robust and health}* frame, falling a victim, as is the case with many similarly constituted, at the first attack of disease. The children of Jacob and Eliza Franz are re- corded as follows: John, the eldest, is married, and engaged in the grain and lumber busine>- at Cisco, 111.; Thornton occupies a farm adjoining the old homestead in Roanoke County, Ya. : Mary is the wife of H. N. Burks, a farmer of Wood ford County, this State; Henry, of our sketch, was the fourth child: Lucy is the wife of Henry Shafaver, a prosperous farmer of Roanoke County. Ya. : Nancy married Christian Ninninger, who is carrying on farming and fruit-growing in Roanoke County, Ya. : Mai shall is married, and lives in his native county in Virginia: Fanny is the; wife of (ieorge Knskholder, and with him crossed the Missi->ippi into Allen County, Kan., where they live upon a farm: Emery is married and continues a resident of Roanoke County, Ya. ; Charles is also married, and farming near the old homestead: Mattie is unmarried, and lives with her brother on the home farm. Henry J. Frantz spent his boyhood and youth at the homestead in Roanoke County, Ya., being edu- cated mostly in subscription schools. After reach- ing his majority, and when starting out in life for himself, he sought the Prairie State for a location, taking up his residence first in Wood ford County. He there engaged in farming until 1879, and in the spring of that year located at Ocoya, in Kppard's Point Township, where he established the busi- ness in which he has since successfully engaged. He has been quite prominent in the affairs of Wood- ford County, and in the fall of 1867 was elected Treasurer, which position he held for a period of six years. He discharged the duties of this office with so much credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents that in 1874 he was elected a mem- ber of the Illinois Legislature, serving thereafter two years in the House and four years in the Sen- ate. During this time, among the many other im- portant measures, he introduced the Funding bill, which became a law, and the provisions of which have been carried out in a manner most satisfactory to the people at large. At the same time he was a member of several important committees, most of the time serving as chairman, and was connected with the matter of roads and bridges, agriculture and charitable institutions. The very fact that he had not in any measure been an office-seeker com- mended him to the people of his section as one most thoroughly qualified to represent their interests. Mr. Frantz secured land in this county in 1878, before taking up his residence here. He first pur- chased the elevator at Ocoya, and subsequently 400 acres on sections 17 and 18. He afterward sold a half interest in the elevator to Messrs. Haines, (.union A- Co., and added 250 acres to his landed interests. This he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, and has put up a fine residence with an ample and substantial barn, and the various other out-buildings required to complete the mod- ern country home. The elevator has a capacity + * ,,, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 909 of 30,000 bushels, and has become one of the in- dispensable institutions of that section. The family of Mr. Frantz includes his estimable wife and eight children at home, namely: William D., Montie, Lulu V., Minnie S., Mamie, Frank C., Walter P. and Orville G. Henry K., a resident of Wellington, Kan., completed his studies in Wes- leyan College, at Bloomington. and is now con- nected with the Wellington National Bank. Mrs. Frantz was in her girlhood Miss Maria, daughter of Christian and Elizabeth (Houts) Gish, natives of Virginia. Thej' came to Illinois in 1 852, locating in Woodford County. Maria was bofn Oct. 28, 1838, and became the wife of our subject Dec. 20, 1858. The parental household included six children, three now living. Kufus Gish is a minister of the Ger- man Baptist Church, and a resident of Woodford County: Elizabeth is the wife of John McCauley, of that county. The deceased were named respect- ively, John, Hester, Eliza and Susan. Ji OHN MONAHAN, whose portrait is given in connection with this sketch, owns 480 acres of land in Charlotte Township, located ' on section 21. Here he is engaged in farm- iiii!' and stock-raising on quite an extensive scale. He was born in County Meath, Ireland, May 1, 1838, and was the sixth in a family of eight children born to John and Bridget (Glacken) Monahan, who were natives of the town of Glackentown, Ireland, which was named after the original family of Glacken. The paternal grandparents were Michael and Mary (Hoden) Monahan, and the maternal grandparents were Eugene and Catherine (Cuddan) Glacken, all natives of Ireland. The father of our subject was a farmer in Ireland and remained in that country until his death, which occurred in 1849. His excellent wife survived him and died at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Mr. Monahan remained in Ireland until he was nearly seventeen years of age, and received his ed- ucation in the national schools which are similar in their features to the Normal Schools in this coun- try. He then resolved to try his fortunes in the New World, and in the month of March, 1855, sailed from Liverpool on board the sailing-vessel " Duck Conqueror," and after a rough voyage of seven weeks and three days, he landed at Castle Garden, N. Y. He first located in Onondaga County, N. Y., where he remained for about two years, engaged at farm labor in the summer at flO per month, and attended school in the winter. At the age of nineteen, he with seven companions, went on a prospecting tour for the purpose of find- ing future homes, and stopped first at Dubuque, where they passed a short time, and then spent about six months in prospecting through various portions of Iowa. Not finding a location which exactly suited him, Mr. Monahan went to Mor- ris, Grundy Co., 111., and remained there for two years engaged in weighing coal at the mines in summer, and teaching school in the winter. When he left Grundy County he came to Livingston County and settled on section 22, Charlotte Town- ship, on the 24th of June, 1858. His brother, Pat Monahan, was a partner with him in this purchase of land, as well as in stocking the farm, and they remained in partnership until the month of Octo- ber, 1863. On the 17th of October, 1863, Mr. Monahan was married to Mary, daughter of James and Mary (I)onn) Glinnen, and was the fifth child in a fam- ily of eight born to her parents, who were natives of County Westmeath, Ireland. Mrs. Monahan was born March 1 1 , 1843, in the State of Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Glinnen returned to Ireland when the wife of our subject was only seventeen daj's old, for the purpose of paying a visit to that country, and also of bringing over a brother. After mar- riage, Mr. and Mrs. Monahan located on the farm on which they now reside, erecting in 1864 a two- story frame house, which cost the sum of $1,600. In March, 1865, this building was totally destroyed by a cyclone which swept over that section of country, and in the same year he built the south wing of the house he has since completed and now occupies. Mr. Monahan's original purchase of land in 1863 was 160 acres of wild prairie land. He has from time to time made further purchases until he now owns 480 acres of fine, arable land, all under a high state of cultivation, and well im- proved ; 400 acres of this farm is enclosed by fences in 40-acre fields. His buildings, which include t 010 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. residence, barns anrl stables, are all first-class. In his stock operations Mr. Monahan's preference seems to be for Norman horses and Holstein cattle, of which he raises a large number of the very finest grades produced. Mr. and Mrs. Monahan have had nine children, who were named as follows: Julia Ann, Maria Jane, Thomas Francis, Mathew Paul, Helena Bruno, John Joseph, John Dennis, Edward Alphonso and Katie Agnes. John Joseph died Aug. 17, 1874, at the age of eleven months and seven days. Mr. and Mrs. Monahan are. educating these children to the best advantage possible, affording them all the facil- ities that are within their power. The family are adherents of the Catholic faith, and are devoted members of the church. Mr. Monahan is not an active man in politics, but votes with the Democratic party. He has held the office of Township Supervisor for two terms, has served as Assessor for two years, and has been School Director of the district in which he resides twenty-one years. The district is very largely in- debted to him for the high standard of excellence the schools have attained. He was instrumental in organizing the present township of Charlotte. Practically, Mr. Monahan is a s.elf-made man, hav- ing accumulated all that he possesses by his own in- dustry and good management in connection with the support afforded him by his prudent and eco- nomical wife. In 1872 Mr. Monahan made a trip to the old home in Ireland to see his mother and many friends, remaining about three months and visiting many portions of Europe. i AMES P. HADLEY is a man whose name could not be omitted in writing the personal history of Sunbury Township and Livingston County, for he has been connected with most of the events which go to make up their his- tory. For years he has been engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 33, Sunbury Township. ~4*- He was born in Toinpkins County, N. Y., March 30, 1806, nnd \\tis the third child in a family of nine children, six boys and three girls, born to Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Patton) Hadley, natives of Vermont and New York respectively. The paternal grand- parents were Ehenezcr and Elsie (Adams) Hadley. The former was a Revolutionary soldier, and one of the stanch old Whigs of his time. Elsie Adams, his wife, was a cousin of John Qtiincy Adams. The maternal grand pa rents were James and Elsie Patton, who were residents of New York at the time of the " cold plague," and they and one son were found dead in the same house, having died from the disease. The father of our subject was a farmer and came to Illinois in 1848, where he died on the 8th of January, 1849, in the city of Aurora. He enlisted in the AVar of 1812, but on account of ill-health never served. Our subject was reared upon a farm and obtained his education in the common schools of his neighborhood. He was living between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes during the War of 1812, and distinct!}' remembers hearing the booming of cannon at the time. He remained in New York until 1819, and then accompanied his parents to Clermont County, Ohio, thirty miles east of Cincinnati, where he remained on the farm until 1831. December 25, 1831, Mr. Hadley was married to Miss Reinina Hill, who was born in New York, March 18, 1809, and was the daughter of James and Fannie (Tiffany) Hill, of that State. They lived there on a farm until 1848, and then came to Illinois to make their home. They settled in what is now known as Sunbury Township, and purchased 160 acres of land of which ten were cleared. At that time wolves were plentiful, and often chased the dogs to the dooryard. Not long after coining, in 1852, he buried his excellent wife, after having become the mother of a family of ten children, whose names were Mary, Amanda, Paulina, James, Sarah, William, John, Eugene and Eliza A. and Eliza J., twins, who died in Ohio. Maty, Paulina, James, William and John are living, but none of them reside in the State of Illinois. After the deatli of his wife. Mr. Hadley remained single for nine years, and carried on his farm with the assist- ance of his children, the daughters looking after the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 911 household duties in a most becoming manner. January 1, 1861, Mr. Hadley married Phoebe A. (Tripp) Hilton, who was the widow of Richard Hil- ton. She was born in Schoharie County, N. Y., Oct. 1 8, 1 830, and was the fourth in a family of ten children born to Ephraim and Sarah (Mason) Tripp, natives of New York. I lor grandfathers were Ben- jamin Tripp and Joseph Mason, both of whom were of English birth. The father of Mrs. Hadley was a soldier in the late war and served from the beginning to the close. Three of his sons were also in the service, one of whom, William, was wounded, and the others returned uninjured. Immediately after this marriage just above mentioned, Mr. Hadley settled upon the farm upon which he has resided ever since. He was one of the organizers of the township and assisted in appraising the school lands, which was dene in 1853, the lands ranging from $5 to $8 per acre in value. These are now worth at least five times that much. He also assisted in organizing the districts for road and school purposes. At that time the settlements were very sparse and the county was full of wild game and animals, includ- ing deer, turkey and bear. The second marriage resulted in the birth of seven children, all of whom are living Richard, Helen, Norman, Amanda, Irv- ing, Roxana and Oriri. Richard married Maiy McDougall, and lives on a farm in Esmen Township: Helen married Franklin Ileckman, and lives in Kan- sas. The others are at home and engaged in carry- ing on the affairs of the farm. Mr. Hadley votes the Republican ticket, but has never been active in politics, nor has he held office. There being no church organization within a rea- sonable distance of them, Mr. and Mrs. Hadley have never connected themselves with any congregation. M r. Hadley is one of the oldest citizens of Livingston County, and his name is familiar to neai ly all its peo- ple. Among his neighbors he is familiarly known as " Uncle Jimmy," and with his immediate friends that name has become a household word. Having lived an upright life, he now enjoys the esteem, confidence and respect of all who know him, and it is with great pleasure that we include his portrait among those given in this ALBUM of many of the leading and most honorable and highly esteemed men of the county. 4* ;HOM AS H. AARON is one of the good citi- zens of Fayette Township, and is extensively engaged in farming and stock-raising. He is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born May 10, 1826. He is the son of George and Margaret (Roofner) Aaron, who were natives of the same State. George Aaron, the father, followed the oc- cupation of farming in Pennsylvania, in which he was extensively engaged during his entire life. In addition to farming he was also a stock-raiser on a large scale. He took quite an active part in the political affairs of his day, in which he co-operated with the Democratic party. His death occurred on the 28th of October, 1878, leaving ten children, as follows: James, Thomas H., John, George, Mar- garet, Sylvester, Lucinda, Joseph, Saybilia W. and Francis. The latter was married, and died in Will County, 111., in 1871, leaving two children. Thomas H. Aaron began life for himself when about twenty-two years of age, and first learned the trade of a blacksmith in Pennsylvania, under the instructions of George Beer. He served as an ap- prentice for about eighteen months, after which he purchased the business of Mr. Beer, and continued it for two years. He then purchased a piece of timber land which he cleared and farmed for four- teen years. Finding a purchaser for this land he sold it and removed to Henry County, 111., in the year 1867, where he remained for three years .en- gaged in farming. He then sold his- Henry County farm and came to Livingston County, purchasing 160 acres on section 4, Fayette Township, where he has since resided. This farm has been placed under an excellent state of cultivation and made very productive. The improvements in the way of bnildings and fences are very complete, and alto- gether the farm is as well conditioned as any in the township. Mr. Aaron raises from twenty-five to forty head of graded cattle per year, for which he finds a ready market. August 26, 1849, Mr. Aaron was married to Miss Mary Lilly, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born Oct. 14, 1830. She is the daughter of Luke and Rachel Lilly, natives of England and Pennsyl- vania respectively, and now both dead. There were two children, the other being named Jane Eliza. Mr. and Mrs. Aaron have eight children, t 012 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. r named as follows : Vincent, Agnes, Margaret Jane, Elizabeth, Philomena, George, Helena and Alice. Philomena married George Eddy, a native of La- Salle County, 111., and a son of Stephen and Mary Eddy, who followed the vocation of a fanner. Elizabeth married Peter Hanaghan, who is located at Ottawa, and is a painter. Vincent married Mary Winslow, and is engaged at merchandising at Strawn. Mr. Aaron's two oldest daughters are members of the Order of the Holy Cross. Our subject is a stanch Democrat, and can always be de- pended upon in movements for the furtherance of the interests and success of that party. He has held the offices of School Director, School Trustee, Road Commissioner, Assessor and Township Supervisor. In all respects, politically and otherwise, he is a representative citizen of Fayette Township, and en- joys the confidence of all who know him. Mr. Aaron and family are all members of the Roman Catholic Church, and attend divine worship at Strawn. S7SAAC P. McDOWELL, President of the First National Bank of Fairbury, and one of the ||), leading men of Livingston County, was born on the 17th of August, 1824, in Scioto County, Ohio, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Price) McDowell, the former a native of Woodford County, Ky., and the latter of Chillicothe, Ohio. The father was born on the 1st of January, 1792, and died on the 16th of January, 1843, in the State of Indiana, he having moved to Montgomerj- County in that State in 1828. He was a farmer by occupation, and for many years filled the office of Justice of the Peace, and other township offices. He and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he was a Steward, and his dwelling was a place of worship for some years before church buildings had been established in that section of country. The mother was born on the 30th of October. 1798, and died on the 10th of October. 1880, in Fairbury, 111. There were nine children : Jackson died at the age of twenty-two; Sarah A.. Isaac P., Oliver P., Nelson S., Mary E., James M., John V. and William H. H. The latter was born in March, 1840. during the Harrison campaign, which ac- counts doubtless for his name. I>:ific P. McDowell was married, June 10, 1855, to Miss Jane Russell, born in Piekaway County. Ohio, in 1834. She is the daughter of William and Elizabeth (McArthur) Russell. Her father came from Virginia in early times, and settled in Ohio, where the capital of the State, Columbus, now stands. Mr. McDowell came to Illinois in 1850, and located four miles north of Fairbury, where he remained three years and then went to Pontiac, in which place he built the first business house of any consequence, which was occupied by the firm of Ladd, McDowell & McGregor, which they filled with goods to the amount of $20,000. Theirs were the first goods shipped on the Chicago & Alton Railroad to Pontiac, after it was finished through in June, 1854. Mr. McDowell remained in the firm two years, when he disposed of bis in- terest and returned to his farm, where he remained until the spring of 1 864, when he came to Fair- bury and joined his brother, Nelson S. McDowell, in the dry-goods business, continuing in this busi- ness for four years, and in the spring of 1872 es- tablished the First National Bank of Fairbury, with a capital of $50,000, of which bank he has continu- ously held the Presidency. Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have had six children, five of whom are living: Lillian died in infancy; Thomas S. O., Elmer E., John V., Eva and Lura. Thomas S. O. McDowell was elected Cashier of the First National Bank when in his nineteenth year, being the youngest National Bank Cashier in the United States; he has occupied that position ten years. Elmer E. was Assistant Cashier of this bank for three years, and on the 1st of May, 1886, became a Director and Cashier of the First Na- tional Bank at Fairbury, Neb., the county seat of Jefferson County, in which bank the McDowell family have an interest, his brother, John V., taking his place in the Illinois bank. Thomas S. O. mar- ried in 1882, Miss Rose Cook, born in Richmond, Ind., in 1 862, and has one child, Rose Lenore, now twenty months old. Thomas S. O. has been City Treasurer for a number of years, also one of the Aldermen for several years, and is now City Clerk. Mr>. McDowell is the daughter of an old-time resi- 33 m in 5 ro z o n o Z o in o I S m z o H Z PI \J\ m o S o o H t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 915 dent and representative family of Richmond, Ind., and a woman of refinement and education. Isaac P. McDowell and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has l>een a Steward for many years. At the age of six- teen he engaged in teaching, and continued for thir- teen years, his brothers and sisters all going to school to him. He is an ardent Republican, and in 1867-68 purchased the Fairbnry Journal to keep it from falling into the hands of the Democrats, and when the right man came along he sold it, to be published as a Republican paper in the future. I AMES H. FRY, the owner of 251 acres of land on section 3, Long Point Township, of d which 195 are under an excellent state of \) cultivation, is engaged in farming and also in stock-raising. He is a native of Illinois, being born in Warsaw, Dec. 19, 1849, and is the son of Solomon and Sarah (House) Fry, natives of Penn- sylvania and Connecticut respectively. The grand- father was Jacob Fry; the grandmother, Sarah Fry, was the daughter of George House, a native of En- gland. Solomon Fry, the father, now resides in Carthage, Mo., and is a brickmason by trade. He was a soldier in the late war, being a member of the 78th Illinois Infantry, in which he served three years. To Solomon and Sarah Fry were born four children J. H., Harriett, Mary and William. Mary was born on the 27th of September, 1853, and now resides in Nebraska; she is the wife of Samuel Cox, who is a farmer, and they have a family of seven children. William was born on the 13th of May, 1856, and now resides in Streator; he married Georgia Buckley, and they have three children. Harriet was born on the 3d of November, 1861, and died on the 19th of January, 1863. After the death of the mother of our subject the father mar- ried Ellen Polite, of Ohio, on the 30th of April, 1857. By this union there were three children: Richard, born March 15, 1)S58, died in infancy; Sarah Isabella, born March 19, 1860, married John Rankin, a farmer and stock-raiser, and lives in Missouri : she is the mother of three children, one of whom is deceased. Alva, born April 16. 1862, died when one week old. The mother died at the birth of this child. Afterward Solomon Fry mar- ried Nancy Polite, a sister of his second wife, and to them were born Orpha B., March 29, 1866; Charlotte, Nov. 15, 1868; Olive, born March 4, 1872, died Dec. 22, 1875; Martin B., born Oct. 19, 1875; Charlie and Carl. The subject of our sketch remained at home un- til the breaking out of the war, at which time his father entered the service and he went out to earn his own living. Mr. Fry was married, on the 23d of January, 1873, to Sarah Elizabeth Buckley, who was born on the 16th of May, 1852, in New Jersey. She is the daughter of Joel T. and Melinda (Wil- son) Buckley, who were natives of New Jersey, and were the parents of the follo'wing-natned children : Abner W., born May 6, 1845, was a member of Company F, 104th Illinois Infantry, in which he served for nearly three years; he was taken pris- oner at Hartsville, Ala., and died from overheat and typhoid fever, Jan. 27, 1863. Mary J., born Jan. 14, 1848, married James Paul, and is a physi- cian by profession, having been graduated at the Rush Medical College of Chicago; Margaret, born March 3, 1850, was educated in the schools at Galesburg, and has been engaged in school teach- ing; Sarah Elizabeth is the wife of our subject; George, born in 1854, died in 1855; Georgie was born March 7, 1856, and is now the wife of Will- iam Fry ; Elsie B., born Nov. 5, 1 858, is the wife of Fred Fnrguson, who is the Superintendent of the Streator Water- Works; Jessie, born June 29, 1860, is now attending Rush Medical College; Hattie, born May 14, 1863, is teaching school at Streator; Wendell Stouder is an adopted son in this family, who was born on the 4th of May, 1871, and adopted in 1872. He is living at home and attending the High School. To Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Fry have been born three children: Renelda T., Nov. 12, 1873; Ora L., Dec. 6, 1875, and Adessa V., Sept. 11, 1877. Mr. Fry's farm is one of the finest in Long Point Township, and of the 251 acres of which it consists, 195 are under cultivation. The farm is enclosed by sub- stantial board fences, and the residence and barns are commodious and convenient. A view of the homestead is to be seen on an adjoining page. Mr. i 916 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Fry is largely engaged in buying and selling, in addition to the raising of stock. He is considered one of the wide-nwake business men of Long Point Township, and as such enjoys the confidence of the people. Ho is a member of the Republican party, which he gives a liberal support at all times. His excellent wife is connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which she evinces a lively interest. Both as citizens and neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Fry enjoy the respect and esteem of the en- tire community. f NTON GSCHWENDTNER. Few stop to iff*// 111 t, u i n k o f the dangers which beset, and the hardships which have to be encountered by the people who were born in foreign coun- tries, and emigrated to the United States before the transportation lines were provided with the im- mense and commodious ships which ply between the two continents to-day. In crossing the ocean from the home of his youth to the land where he was to dwell in his after life, the subject of this sketch was out of sight of land sixty-three days, and the dreari- ness, as well as the danger, of over two months on the ocean, can be imagined. But he was willing to endure all these privations that he might obtain a home for himself in this country. The subject of this sketch is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser on section 17, Owego Township. and is a native of Bavaria, (iermany. He was born on the 1st of July, 1833, and remained in his na- tive country until he was twenty-five years of age, and secured a good education in his native language. In 18,")8 he took passage for America in a sailing- vessel at Bremen, and after a rough voyage of sixty-three days, landed at the city of Baltimore, and vei'3' soon afterward journeyed to the West, where he spent most of the time up to 18C5 in La- Salle County. In that year he located in Living- ston County, and settled on section 9 of Owego Township, where he lived until 1885, in which year he removed to liis present farm, which consists of 303 acres of good land on section 17. When he landed in the United Slates he had about $75 in money, but by closely husbanding that amount un- til he procured employment, he managed to escape without ever being bankrupt. His accumulations have been slow but sure. In 1859 Mr. G. was married to Magdalena Brulck, who was also a native of Germany, and they have had eight children: Josephine, wife of Frederick Wright, of Chicago; George. Joseph, Frank, Anton, Lndwig, Emma and Lena. Mr. and Mrs. Gschwendtner are members of the Catholic Church, but in his sentiments he is liberally inclined to both church and State. For the past twelve years he has served as School Director, and is at present serving as one of the School Trustees of Owego Township, and in these capacities has had an opportunity, which he has improved, of demon- strating how genuine a friend he is to educational interests, for he has liberally devoted his time and his money to that cause. In I860 he gratified a long entertained desire to revisit Germany, and spent several months in Europe, during which. time he visited England, France, and nearly all of the more important Gorman States, returning in the spring of 1870. well satisfied that he had received full value for the money expended on the trip. In making his tour through that portion of Europe visited, he traveled deliberately, and visited all the points of interest to the intelligent tourist. He sus- tains very pleasant relations with the people by whom he is surrounded, and on account of his lib- erality and fairness in all matters is highly es- teemed. It is with pleasure we present on an accompany- ing page a view of the handsome home of Mr. Gschwendtner. JEREMIAH CLAY, who enjoys a fine reputn. tion for enterprise and popularity, is a farmer and stock-raiser on section < s . Odell Town- ship. He was born in Mifflin County. Pa., on the 10th of January, 1840, and was tln> eldest cliiM in a family of twelve born to Christopher and Rebecca (Lyter) Clay, who were also natives of Pennsylvania, where thc^y were engaged in farming. The parents are both dead, the mother dying on the 10th of September, l81,and the father on the t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 917 i- 21st of September, 1883, in Madison Township, Branch Co., Mich., where they settled in 1850. The father was a stanch Republican and during his whole life was active in politics. They were both members of the German Reformed Church, and were earnest Christian people during their entire lives. Their first church connections were as mem- bers of the Lutheran denomination. Mr. Clay was reared to farm life and educated in the common schools. At an early age he worked away from home but made his home with his par- ents until twenty-four years of age, when he went to learn the trade of a carpenter, giving special at- tention to the details of house and barn building, and remained at this occupation three years. On the 10th of June, 1869, he was married to Miss Sarah A. Harris, who was born in Burr Oak Town- ship, St. Joseph Co.. Mich., on the 3d of Mav, 1850, and was the second child in a family of five born to Harvey and Sarah (Stark) Harris, who were natives of New York, but early settlers of Michigan, locating there several years prior to 1840, at a time when the State was almost uninhabited by whites, and was a wilderness of forests. Mr. and Mrs. Clay first settled on a rented farm in St. Joseph County, where they remained one 3 r ear, and then removed with Mrs. Clay's parents to Liv- ingston County, III., where they arrived on the 18th of March, 1 870. Her parents bought the farm Mr. and Mrs. Clay now reside upon, consisting of eighty acres, and they all joined in cultivating it for the first two years. Mr. Clay tlren moved a short distance west and remained one year, and then north, where he remained on rented farms for two years. He then returned to his present residence' and upon the death of Mr. Harris purchaser! the farm from the widow, upon which he has since re- sided, lie has materially added to the capacity of the house, and during the past year has erected a very commodious barn. He has improved the land and is engaged in stock-raising, his products includ- ing Durham cattle, Norman and Golddust horses and Poland hogs. Mr. and Mrs. Clay became ttie parents of three children, namely : Frank, who was born on the 16th of May, 1871; Flora Belle, who was born on the 30th of May, 1875, and died on the 2th of July, 1 876 ; and George, who was born on the 31st of Au- gust, 1879. In January, 1887, they adopted Addie Belle (Parker) Clay, born on the 9th of August, 1 878, in Branch County, Mich., whose mother's maiden name was Helen Shaw. Mr. Clay has served as Com- missioner of Highways and Road Overseer. In poli- tics he is a member of the Republican party, and takes quite an active interest, being a member of the County Central Committee and nearly always a dele- gate to the nominating conventions. He is a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., in which he occupies an exalted position, having risen to the highest ranks in the lodge at Pontiac; he is also a member of Odell Lodge No. 464; and a member of the Masonic Lodge at Odell as well as of the Independent Order of Mutual Aid, and from these bodies frequently goes as a delegate to the Grand Lodges. He is a very ardent secret society man, and to whatever order he belongs he contributes liberally of his time and means. A. HECKELMAN, the manager of the lum- ber and building material business for The J. T. Bullard's Lumber Company at Cullom, resides on section 23, Sullivan Township, and is a young man of good business qualities, full of energy and enterprise, and performs .with thor- oughness whatever he may undertake. He was born in Sullivan Township on the 29th of October, 1862, and is the only child of his parents, John and Susan (Harshbarger) Hcckelman. His father is a native of Germany, and possesses all the sterling traits of that nationality. His mother was born in Virginia. The paternal grandparents were George and Eve Catherine Heckelman, and the maternal grandparents were Joseph and Anna Harsbarger. The father of our subject was a cooper by trade, which he learned when in the old country, and came to the United States at about the age of twenty-three. After arriving in this country he followed his trade, first in the city of Joliet and afterward in Wilmington. He first began farming in Grundy County, and in 1857 purchased eighty acres of wild prairie land in Livingston County, and moved upon this farm in 1858. Here he began in earnest the work of im- I t 918 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. provement, and in the course of a few years had made a most excellent farm. Afterward he added eighty acres near Cullom, which he improved and upon which he erected a good house and barn. He continued farming with considerable success until his death, which occurred on the 28th of Novem- ber, 1875. The mother of our subject survived her husband, and lives on the farm near Cullom. Mr. Heckelman was reared to farm life, and in his early days learned the details in all its depart- ments. His education was obtained in the district schools, and since he has grown to man's estate he has been a constant reader. He engaged in the lumber business for J. T. Bullard in January, 1885, and has conducted it successfully ever since. He is peculiarly adapted to this business, and mani- fests considerable enthusiasm in it. Mr. Heckelman was married in Augusta County, Va., on the 13th of May, 1886, to Nellie Lee Baker, who was born on the 13th of July, 1864, in that State. She is the second child in a family of three born to Isaac and Elizabeth (Crawn) Baker, both of whom are natives of Virginia. Almost im- mediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Heckel- man came to Illinois and settled where they now reside. Mrs. Heckelman is a member of the Ger- man Reformed Church, and takes an active interest in the affairs of the congregation to which she be- longs. Mr. and Mrs. Heckelman have gathered around them a large circle of friends, who manifest upon every occasion the love and esteem they bear them. J~jOHN SMITH, one of the leading and pro- gressive Germans of this part of Livingston I County, engaged in farming and stock- rais- ' ing on section 32, Long Point Township, was born in Bavaria, Germany, on the 21st of Jan- uary, 1848. He is the son of John P. and Marga- ret (Graump) Schmidt, who were natives of '2() acres of land, which is in a good state of cultivation, and con- tains first-class improvements, which have been made at an expense of $2,000. He now owns Miioid," RESIDENCE OF LARS LEWIS, SEC. 7. BROUGHTONTOWNSHIP. FARM RESIDENCE orJoHN SMITH ,SEC. 32. LONG POINT TOWNSH LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 921 a full-blooded Norman horse, which was imported at a considerable expense. In his farming and stock-raising operations, the latter including hogs and cattle as well as Worses, he has been successful, and in both lines of business sets his standard of excellence high. He is one of the progressive Ger- man citizens of Long Point Township, and talks both his native and his adopted language fluently. He has endeared himself to the people of the sur- rounding country, among whom he numbers many warm and steadfast friends. On an adjoining page of this volume will be found a view of Mr. Smith's residence. ARS LEWIS, a representative farmer and stock-raiser, residing on section 7, Brough- ton Township, is a native of Norway, where he was born Sept. 22, 1835. He is the son of O. K. and Ann M. Lewis, also natives of Norway, the former of whom is deceased. In 1841 he immi- grated with his parents to America, landing at New York, and going direct to Wisconsin, where the family resided four years, and then came to La- Salle County, 111., where our subject was reared to manhood. His parents had nine children, of whom three survive, namely : O. H., Jacob S. and Lars. The subject of this sketch received but a limited education, which he gained in the common schools of the county, and has been a life-long farmer. On the 5th of March, 1857, lie was united in mar- riage with Miss Ann Olson, a native of Norway, where she was born June 14, 1835. She is the daughter of Austin and Carrie Olson, and immi- grated to America with her parents in 1842, first locating in Wisconsin, where they remained two years, and where her father died. The widow and her children then removed to LaSalle County, 111., where the mother died Feb. 5, 1855. To Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have been born ten chil- dren, as follows; Jesse E. was born Jan. 6, 1858; Benjamin C., April 5, 1859; Charles A., Oct. 27, 18G2; Carrie M., Aug. 11, 1864; Andrew S., Sept. 3, 1800; Mary A.. March 11, 1809; Alyda L., April 1C, 1871; Emma E., Oct. 21, 1873; William A., Oct. 12, 1870, and Zeuus J., June 22, 1880. In 1875 Mr. Lewis with his family, came to Liv- ingston County and settled on his present farm, which consists of 320 acres of good land, which has been brought to a fine state of cultivation, and is one of the best farms in Broughton Township. It is well supplied with modern farm buildings, of which a view is shown elsewhere in this ALBUM. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are members of the Latter- Day Saints Church, while in politics Mr. Lewis is independent, having, however, prohibition tenden- cies. Although in no sense a politician, he keeps himself well informed on current events of the day, and the high regard and esteem in which he is held in the community where he lives, are evidenced by the fact that he has been called upon several times to fill local offices. He has served as Road Com- missioner several years, and has also filled the office of School Director. He is an active promoter of all social and political movements which have for their object the improvement of society. THOMAS LIGG ITT, a pioneer of Nevada Township, came to this section of country when only a small area had been turned by the plowshare, .and, with a few adventurous spirits scattered here and there, set about the establishment of a home in the wilderness. He had little to en- courage him at the start, being comparatively with- out means and obliged to operate under the disad- vantages of crude implements, a distant market, and all the other difficulties of life in a new country. In looking upon his snug homestead to-day, it would seem that he might lie entirely satisfied with the result of his labors. He has a quarter section of finely cultivated land, with neat and substantial buildings, fruit and shade trees, modern farm machinery and a choice assortment of live stock. Aside from this he has also invested a snug sum of money in property across the Father of Waters in the State of Nebraska, where he owns 240 acres in Valley County, managed by his son Thomas. Our subject was born in Washington County, Pa., July 23, 1824, and is the scion of a family widely and favorably known throughout that region. His paternal great-grandfather, Abraham 922 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Liggitt, is believed to have been a native of Mary- land and born not far from the roar of the Atlantic. He located in Washington County, Pa., at an early period in its history and opened up a farm in the wilderness, where he spent the last years of his life. His grandson, Joshua, the father of our subject, was also probably a native of Maryland, whence he removed when a lad witli his parents to Pennsyl- vania, He there married Miss Rebecca Dempster, and they became the parents of six children, and spent the remainder of their lives in Washington County, where the father died in 1835; the mother survived until about 1845. Our subject pursued his studies in the district school of his native township, and early in life be- came familiar with the various employments of the farm. After the death of his parents he worked by the month until twenty-one, when he removed to Ohio, taking with him his sister and brother; he afterward made a journey to New Orleans. His father several years previously had purchased a tract of land in Belmont County, Ohio, and thither the family removed in 1845, where Thomas re- mained until 1853. He had in the meantime be- come possessor of a snug sum of money, and this he invested in the patent right to a corn-planter, one of the first inventions of the kind in the United States, He selected Illinois as his field of opera- tions but as is too often the result of the sanguine hopes of youth, the venture proved a failure; the people did not appreciate the advantage sought to be bestowed upon them, and he returned to Ohio. In the meantime he had not by any means lost sight of the picture which the rich prairie lands of Illinois had presented to his vision, and in 1854 he located on a farm which he rented near Bloom- ington. He operated upon this two years, and in the spring of 185G came to this county, and in- vested his surplus capital in the laud which consti- tutes his present farm. It then bore a wide con- trast to its present condition, being a wide stretch of unbroken prairie, over which the foot of man had scarscly traveled. He rented an improved tract adjacent to this for two years, and in the meantime employed his spare hours in breaking prairie on hU own purchase. In 1 858 lie put up a il welling into which he removed his family, and the farm has since that time remained in his possession. The marriage of Thomas Liggitt and Miss Mar- garet A. Thompson took place at the home of the bride in Ohio, Dec. 22, 1853. Mrs. Liggitt was born in Ohio, April 1 1, 1835, and is the daughter of Robert and Leathy Thompson. The ten children born of this union were named respectively : Klsie, Thomas, Robert, Lillian, Martha, Frederick, Charles, Richard, Flemming and Mertie. Lillian is the wife of John L. Hall, of Fernwood, 111.; Charles died Jan. 14, 1884, when fifteen years of age, and Martha. April 22, 1875, at the age of eleven years. Mr. Liggitt is connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church and Mrs. L. with the Presbyterian. Our subject is Democratic in politics and has served as School Director and Trustee in his district, and as Trustee and Steward in his church. He is of that kindly, genial and hospitable disposition which has won for him friends wherever he has made his home, and in the township where he has lived so long and acquitted himself so creditably, no man is held in higher esteem. ETKR SOMERS, of Forest Township, is successfully operating on 400 acres of land, pleasantly located on section 32. He has passed his threescore and ten years, has seen much of life, and made the most of his opportuni- ties for observing men and things. He is a fine rep- resentative of the Celtic element which has assisted so materially in the development of this county, to which he came when a young man. in the spring of 18C7. He is widely and favorably known, and held in the highest respect, not only for the reso- lute industry which he has displayed as a tiller of the soil, but for his excellent personal traits and straightforward manner of doing business. His property, which is very valuable, is the result of his own labors and good judgment. Our subject was born in County \Vcstmeath. Ireland. June 23, 1815, and is the son of Peter and Alarcella (Moore) Somers. The father was a far- mer of modest means, and dying before the birth of our subject, left his widow with a small property. They became the parents of three children t. it LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 923 Michael. Ann and Peter. Michael died in Ireland when a youth of nineteen years, at the home of his grandparents, where he had lived most of the time after the death of his father. After immigrating te America Ann became the wife of John Keating, to whom she was married in New York State, where they lived three or four years, and then removed to Pennsylvania, where the death of Mr. K. took place about 1849 :. Mrs. Keating remains a widow, and is the mother of seven children. Mrs. Somers was a second time married, to John O'Condell, and spent her last years in Pennsylvania. Young Peter in early childhood was taken to the home of his grandparents, who were living upon a farm in his native county, and attended school quite regularly during his younger days. He started out early in life for himself, first working upon a farm for the munificent salary of $15 per year. He struggled along in that manner nearly four years, dissatisfied with his condition, but scarcely knowing how to better it with his limited means and comparatively little knowledge of the world. Finally, however, he came to a point which demanded a radical change, and one fine morning, making his way to Liverpool he stepped on board a ship hound for America. After a tedious voyage of eight weeks he found himself in New York City, where he staid only two nights and tjien proceeded to Philadelphia. He there secured employment for a few months, and then migrated to Cambria Coun- ty, Pa., where he remained three years engaged in farming. He lived economically and saved what he could of his earnings, and in 1867 started for the West MS being ;i field more suitable to his ca- pacities and desires. Coming to Forest Township, this county, he purchased 320 acres of wild, uncul- tivated land, and rented a tract adjacent until lie could effect sufficient improvements to give his time to his own property. A year later he took possession of the latter, and subsequently added to it eighty acres, so that he is now the possessor of 400 acres, comprising some of the finest fanning laud in the county. Of late years he has largely devoted his attention to the raising of grain, and keeps a fine assortment of live stock, making a specialty of Poland-China swine, lie has good buildings and the most approved machinery, and is in possession of one of the most desirable home- steads in Forest Township. Mr. Somers in early manhood was married to Miss Mary Ann McAteer, the wedding taking place in Cambria County, Pa., in the spring of 1842. Of this union there were born seven children Cather- ine, Michael, Hugh John, Peter, Marcclla, Mary and Ann. The eldest daughter, Catherine, died when eight years of age; Michael is married, and farming in Forest Township; Hugh John died in 1852, when three years of age; Peter is an agricult- urist of Forest Township; Marcella died when about seven years of age, in 1862; Mary is the wife of Jo- seph Mangan, a farmer of Forest Township; Ann died in 1862, within a few days of the death of Marcella. The mother of these children died at her home in Pennsylvania, Aug. 7, 1859. Mr. Somers was married to his present wife. Miss Elizabeth Kearns, a few years later. This lady was born in Cambria Count}', Pa., Nov. 9. 1820, and is the daughter of John and Margaret (Skally) Kearns, natives of Maryland and Pennsylvania respectively, and occupied in farming pursuits. The parental family included ten children, namely: Elizabeth, Philip, Catherine. William, Francis, Anastasia, Michael. Cecelia, Abraham and Isaac; the latter two are twins. The parents both died in 1848. Of this marriage of our subject were born two children: William A., now married and farming not far from liis father's homestead, and Francis Patrick, who re- mains at home. Mr. Somers, politically, is an uncom- promising Democrat, and a loyal adherent, relig- iously, to the Catholic faith of his forefathers. His wife and family are also members of the Catholic Church. He has long been among the leading men of his township, holding its various offices and identified with its most woithy enterprises. In connection with this sketch we present on another page a view of Mr. Somers' residence. D. COUBLL, an enterprising fanner of D wight Township, located on section 3o, is a man who is awarded great credit for the success he has attained in life under disadvantageous circumstances. He comes from an old American family famous for its industry and i 924 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. energy. His father, Henry O. Courll, was born on a farm near Charleston, S. C. He learned farming in early life, and followed that occupation until he retired from active work. When quite a young man he moved to Wabash County, Ind., where he engaged at work on a farm. While living in that county he married Diana Drollinger, of Wabash Count}', and they became the parents of the follow- ing children: M. D., our subject; Anna M., Marthy M., Emma J. and Henry John. In 1853 the father with his family moved to Marshall County, Iowa where he farmed until 1 862, and then returned to Indiana. In 1868 he moved to Illinois and settled on a farm in Bureau County. In 1876 he moved to Dwight, where he has since resided. In politi- cal opinions he has been a life-long Democrat, but has never aspired to office seeking or holding. He is now sixty-nine years of age, and has always been an industrious and hard-working man. M. D. Courll, our subject, was born in Fulton County, Ind., on the 26th of September, 1848. He obtained a common-school education during his youth, and learned the details of farming. At ten years of age he began work, driving team, and when but fifteen years of age began to follow threshing, at which business he worked every fall for fifteen years. He remained with his father until twenty-five years of age, during which time he as- sisted in conducting his father's farm, and keeping up such other work as there was to do. On the 4th of March, 1874, Mr. Courll was mar- ried to Miss Eliza E. Munch, daughter of X. and Mary Ann (Pflager) Munch, who were natives of France. Mr. Munch came with his father to Joliet, when he was but fifteen years of age, and was one of the first settlers of that place. He was a soldier in the Mexican War in 1846-47. The father bought a farm near Joliet. upon which the family lived for many years. Mr. Munch still resides there at the age of sixty-four .years. When a young man he assisted in the construction of the Illinois Canal. In religion he is a devout member of the Catholic Church, and is a citizen universally esteemed and respected. After marriage, Mr. Courll and his ynung bride began farming in Will County, and there remained engaged in that occu- pation for three years. In February, 1870, Mr. Courll removed his family to Livingston County, and located on the farm in Dwight Township where they still reside. Mr. and Mrs. Courll are the par- ents of five children, named Edwin, Ement G., Ferdinand, William and Pearl; of these, Ement G. died in infancy. Mr. Condi's political connections have always been with the Democratic party, al- though he does not assume an active place in polit- ical matters. He is an upright and industrious man, a peaceable and law-abiding citizen, and has attained his position in the business world through his own exertions. sHOMAS CAVANAGH is a man who has found prosperity in Livingston County, after many trials and tribulations elsewhere. He is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 25, in Rook's Creek Township, and is the son of Patrick and Ho- nora (Hannifin) Cavanaugh. He was born in St. Louis, Mo., on the 8th of July, 1853, and was the eldest of eight children, one of whom died in in- fancy. The father of our subject was born on the 25th of December, 1826, in the county of Kerry, Ireland, and came to this country in 1845, just be- fore the great famine. He worked on a steamer on the Mississippi River from St. Louis to St. Paul, and from St. Louis to New Orleans. He was mar- ried in 1852 to Miss Hannifin, with whom he had been acquainted in Ireland. At this time he was working in a quarry in St. Louis, but about a year after his marriage he quit work there and became a sub-boss on a railroad contract just north of La- Salle, where he remained about one year, and then bought a squatter's right of eighty acres of land, on which he remained about two years, when another man came and claimed it. Upon surrendering this claim, he bought eighty acres of a school section, which he owned until he came to Livingston County. About the time he lost his squatter's claim, a span of horses for which lie had been offered $400 was stolen from him, and while he was looking for his hor.-es. thirteen of his cattle became swamped, and several of them were lost, while the same year he lost several hundred dollars' worth of potatoes. In 1G7 he came to Livingston County, where he was LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 92") compelled to rent a farm on account of his misfort- unes in LaSalle County. Through careful manage- ment and prudent economy, he has been enabled to purchase a comfortable home, where he now lives. Thomas Cavanagh was married, on the 23d of February, 1879, to Miss Elizabeth J. O'Brien, by whom he has four children, as follows: Patrick W. born March 23, 1880; Mary, Aug. 9, 1882; Eliza E., Nov. 30, 1884, and Timothy, May 23, 1887. Mr. Cavanagh's grandfather, Daniel Cavanagh, was born in Ireland about 1766, and came to this country about 1840, where he lived to the good old age of ninety-eight, dying in the year 1864. At the age of ninety-four, he took great pride in walk- ing to the polls, a distance of two miles, and voting for Stephen A. Douglas. He was twice married, and the father of the subject of this sketch was the youngest of thirteen children, all of whom came to this country, except the eldest, Jeremiah, who in- herited the old homestead in Ireland. Our subject had two uncles in the war of the Rebellion, one the brother of his father, and the other the brother of his mother. The former never was heard of after the war, and it is supposed he died in Libby Prison ; the latter lives near Olathe, Kan. Mr. Cavanagh received a fair common-school education, which he has supplemented by an exten- sive course of reading, and is a man of more than ordinary information. He was twice elected Col- lector of Waldo Township, and has held the offices of School Director and Clerk of the School Board. He comes from Democratic antecedents, but is very independent in the exercise of his own political rights. horn in Allegheny County, Pa., Aug. 7, 1851, and reared to farm pursuits, in the meantime acquiring a common-school education. His father, William Orr, Sr., was a native of Pennsylvania, where he spent his entire life, and his remains were laid to ' rest not far from the place of his birth. The mother was also horn in the Keystone State and still resides there near Pittsburgh. Mr. Orr left his native county when a lad six years of age and came to DeKalb County, this State, to live with his uncle, James Orr, who died in Round Grove Township in June, 1886. The latter had removed here from DeKalb, in 1865. William J., in 1882, formed the present partnership with an uncle, Gorge Orr, and they have now built up a good business and handle most of the grain in the vicinity of Wilson. The fact that Mr. Orr, al- though Republican in politics, still holds the po- sition of Deputy Postmaster, speaks well for his standing in the community. He has been connected with the office since its establishment, and in all re- spects is considered a valuable member of the com- munity. yiLLIAM J. ORR, Deputy Postmaster of Wilson, and one of the rising young busi- WW ness men of Round Grove Township, is perhaps best known as junior member of the firm of George Orr & Co., grain buyers, who have been established in their profitable business since the spring of 1882. He has been a resident of this township for over twenty years and is on the sunny side of forty. Our subject, the only child of his parents, was YMAN D. KNOX, one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Broughton Township, residing on section 28, is a native of Ken- dall County, 111., where he was born July 17, 1840. He is a son of Lyman S. and Lena (Stockslager) Knox. His father was a native of Vermont, and his mother of the State of New York. His paternal ancestors were of English origin, and the maternal ancestors are supposed to have been Germans. His paternal grandfather, Lyman Knox, was a sol- dier in the War of 1812. His parents emigrated from Vermont to Kendall County, 111., about 1835, settling near Blackberry Creek, not far from the town of Bristol, where the father reared his family, being one of the earliest pioneers of Kendall County, and where he remained until his death, which occurred July 17, 1887, his wife having died many years previous. June 15, 1872. Dur- ing his life he filled several of the minor offices in his township, and was widely and favorably known as an honest man and a good citizen, possessing the sturdy qualities which were so essential to success 926 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in the life of a pioneer. He was the father of five children, of whom three survive, namely : Lyman D. ; Julia E., wife of I. K. Young, of Kendall County, 111., nnd Mary L., wife of E. Holbrook, re- siding in the same county. Our subject was reared to manhood in his native county, his only education being gained in the common schools, supplemented by the practical ex- periences of life and the knowledge gained from general reading. He has from his early youth been constantly engaged in agricultural pursuits. On the oth of February, 1868, he was united in marriage to Esther E. Brown, who was born Feb. 9, 184-2, in Erie County, Pa., and is a daughter of Stephen W. and Adeline (Sloan) Brown. Her parents were both natives of Pennsylvania, the father being of English and the mother of Irish de- scent. Her parents were among the early settlers of Kendall County, 111., having come hereabout 1845. Both are now deceased, the father dying in Octo- ber, 1 876, and the mother Sept. 28, 1 886. They had nine children, of whom eight are living: George \V. resides in Texas; Nathan W. and Sloan W. live in Iowa; Jacob F., in Broughton Township, this county; Eliza M., wife of William Ferris, of Ken- dall County, 111. : Polly M., wife of L. F. Smith, re- sides in the same county; Sarah I., wife of Charles Orr, of Sandwich, 111. To Mr. and Mrs. Knox have been born five chil- dren, as follows: Willis S., Feb. 21, 1869; Net- tie M., Jan. 10, 1871 ; Florence E., June 30, 1873; Frank, April 10, 1875; Clara E., Oct. 26, 1877. In the spring (if 1868 our subject brought his young wife to Livingston County, and settled on his present farm, where lie has made his home ever since. He first purchased a tract consisting of 160 acres of raw prairie land, which he has brought to a fine state of cultivation. He has added forty acres to it, making '200 acres of fertile and valuable land which is well supplied with live stock and commo- dious farm buildings. Mr. Knox lias been em- phatically the architect of his own fortune, having beirun with nothing but liis own hands, and made all that he has by industry, economy and hard labor. His handsome roidence, surrounded by beautiful ornamental trees, is one of the most taste- ful and tine appearing of any in that vicinity. Mr. and Mrs. Knox are both members of the Congregational Church at Emington, to the sup- port of which Mr. Knox has been a cheerful and liberal contributor. He has served as Township Collector for two years, and is now filling the office of School Trustee, having served elliciently in that capacity for several years. He also filled the office of Road Commissioner for a considerable time. He is an intelligent and public-spirited citizen, and interests himself in every movement for the eleva- tion of societ}' and the upbuilding of the commu- nity in which he Mves. Mr. Knox is one of the leading agriculturists of Livingston County, and his present valuable possessions and pleasant sur- roundings are substantial evidences of the success which he has attained. In politics he is an out- spoken Republican. ARTI1N SEABERT has lived twenty-one years of his life in Livingston County, and during that time has kept pace with the prog- ress of the county and the township in which he resides. He is now located on section 18, Round Grove Township, where he is engaged in tilling the soil, on a farm of 155 acres, and has met with grati- fying success. In 1867 he removed from LaSalle County to Livingston, where he has continued to reside, with the exception of about three years. Mr. Seabert was born in Germany, on the 9th of October, 1844. He accompanied his parents when they emigrated to America, when he was about five year.- of age. After living a few months in New York Slate, his parents migrated to the West, local- ing in LaSalle Count}', 111., where our subject lived until he became a citizen of Livingston County. With the patriotism that is inborn with the German people, he felt it his duty to assist his adopted Gov- ernment in the suppression of the Rebellion inau- gurated in 1861. He, therefore, enlisted on the 15th of August of thai year, in Company H, llth Illinois Infantry, and immediately went to the front. At the memorable battle of Ft. Donelson. he was wounded in the left side and right hand by a minie ball, which disabled him from active service for six mouths. After he recovered sufficiently to re- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 927 join his regiment, he participated in several engage- ments and numerous skirmishes, in which he acted ,-i gallant part. He was on many of the long and tedi- ous marches which his regiment made, and during the time he was in the service, suffered all the pri- vations and the hardships incident to 'army life, during the earlier stages of the war. After his dis- charge from the army he returned to LaSalle County, and remained there until the fall of 18fi7, when he came to Livingston County and purchased eighty acres of land on section 29, Round Grove Town- ship. Afterward he sold this land, and in 1881 bought loo acres on section 18, where he now re- sides. Upon this farm he has made many and val- uable improvements, and has brought it under an excellent state of cultivation. On the loth of December, 1867, Mr. Seabert was married in Livingston County, to Susan E. Morris, who was born in Canada, May 14, 1845, and is a daughter of James and Charlotte Morris, of whom a sketch appears elsewhere in this ALBUM. The re- sult of this marriage has been five children, whose names are. Charlotte, James E., Eslie J., Lydia and Elmer. These children are all at home with their parents, who are giving them every advantage in their power to obtain a good education, in order that they may become good and useful citizens. When he grew to the age of maturity, Mr. Sea- bert cast his political lot with the Republican party, of which he has since continued to be a member. He has held the offices of Road Commissioner and School Director, and in the latter position has ma- terially improved the schools of his district. He is an enthusiastic member of Post No. 126, G. A. R.. at D wight, 111. He and his wife are active mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and take much interest in the affairs of the congregation to which they belong. Mr. Seabert is an unostenta- tious and valuable citizen. ^ILLIAM FLANIG AN, a veteran of the late Civil War. and one of the most highly es- teemed Irish-American citizens of this coun- ty, is one of the solid property owners of Sunbury Township, having 240 acres of valuable land on section 13. He is noted for his straightforward methods and integrity, and for the manner in which he has contributed toward the embellishment of thfe northern part of Livingston Comity, by erecting within its precincts one of the finest homesteads among the many for which it has become so gener- ally noted, and a view of which is presented in this connection. He commenced in life with modest moans, but nature bountifully supplied him with those most valuable resources which can be given to a man. viz: industry and perseverance. He 'has never been afraid of hard work, and always made it a point to live within his income, and his present position socially and financially is but the natural result of a career commenced and followed under such circumstances. Our subject, the son of Edward and Margaret (McGee) Flanigan, is a native of the same locality as his parents, County Queens, in the southern part of Ireland, and was born in 1838. While he was still an infant, his parents crossed the Atlantic, de- termined to avail themselves of the inducements held out by the New World to the enterprising emigrant. They remained residents of Brooklyn, N. Y., until 1845, then started for Illinois, via the Hudson River, the Erie Canal and the Lakes to Chicago, and thence by canal to Ottawa in LaSalle | County. Edward Flanigan rented a tract of land | near the site of the present city, and subsequently I removed to a point near the presentsite of Streator. j In the latter locality he rented a large farm, upon which he operated until the close of his earthly labors. He was stricken down in his prime, his death occurring about 1 859. After the death of her husband, Mrs. Flanigan, who was a lady of more than ordinary business capacity, purchased a farm, the cultivation of which she superintended many years, and which she now owns. It is located four miles west of Streator. and since 1882 has been conducted by a tenant, REDERICK CARLTON, one 'of the first r(gj'. English residents of Livingston County, ~~ came to Central Illinois when a young man, without other means than his strong hands and res- olute heart, lie had not long before made an ocean voyage in the hopes of bettering his condition in life, having been born in Kent County, England, Jan. 18, 1814. He had been trained to habits of industry and economy by his parents, and was fairly well fitted for the further struggle of life. Our subject is the son of Edward and Judith (Breble) Carlton, who were also of English birth and parentage, and spent their entire lives on their native soil. The parental family included sixteen children, who are recorded as follows: William, liv- ing in England; Ann was married and became the mother of fourteen children ; she died in June, 1882. Louisa is married and a resident of the city of London; she has no children. Henry died in De- cember, 1886, in England, leaving a wife and six children; Charles, Elizabeth and Joseph are also deceased; Benjamin is farming in Long Point Township, this county, and Josiah died unmarried many years ago; Miriam is living in England, and has a husband and several children : Sarah, John and Edward are deceased; Jane is living with her second husband in the city of London. The young- est son, also named Edward, came to America and is farming in Long Point Township. In Kent, England, Dec. 20, 1840, Mr. Carlton was united in marriage with Miss Sarah Winser, whose parents were also natives of England. Mrs. Carlton died Oct. 16, 1879. Our subject and his wife became the parents of eight children, as fol- lows: Charles was born April 17, 1842, and died August 14 following; Caroline was born July 21, *--* t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 933 . > T 1844, and died Sept. 20, 1845; Frances was bom April 28, 1847, and died on the 3d of May follow- ing; Jennie was born Aug. 22, 1850, and died Aug. 20, 1852; Betsey was born Sept. 20, 1852, and died November 6 following; Charlotte Eva was born March 3, 1855, and is living with her parents; Al- fred was born Nov. 13, 1859, and died January 13 following; Frederick was born Oct. 30, 1862, and died Aug. 10, 1863. Mr. and Mrs. Carlton being greatly afflicted in Jthe loss of so many of their little ones, adopted a boy, Alfred York, who was born Nov. 6, I860. He was also taken from them, Aug. 10, 1868. Entering 160 acres of land in 1842, Mr. Carlton at once began its cultivation and improvement, and in due time found himself upon a solid footing and on the road to a competency. He is now the owner of eighty acres, having sold 100 of his original farm ; this has been thoroughly drained with tile, enclosed with good fences and supplied with excel- lent farm buildings. Notwithstanding the labor it luis required to bring the homestead to its pres- ent condition, he has always been willing to devote time and means to the encouragement of those en- terprises calculated for the good of the people around him. He has contributed hundreds of dol- lars in various directions to worthy enterprises, his generosity being one of the distinguishing traits of his character. He is known as a kind man in his family and one of the most obliging and pleasant of neighbors. On another page of this ALBUM is shown a view of Mr. Carlton's residence with its surroundings. !RA COOK, one of the prominent citizens of Livingston County, who have established them- selves in the esteem and confidence of their neighbors, is the subject of this sketch, who is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 16, Amity Town- ship, lie was born in Ohio, April 1, 1829, and is the son of Eli and Mary (Crary) Cook, and the third child in a family of nine, five of whom are yet living. Mr. Cook was married to Miss Harietta Ann, daughter of Michael and Jane (Taylor) DeVelbis, natives of Ohio and Maryland respectively. She was the third in a large family of children who were born in the following order: Kate, James, Taylor, Harietta, Eliza, Mary, Andrew, Alfred and Albert. Kate married Jonathan Hawk, who died on the 21st of March, 1881, leaving a wife and three children; she now resides in Loveland, Ohio. James T. died in childhood; Eliza married Lewis Summerrell, who died in 1872, and she now lives in Minneapolis, caring for her three children ; Mary died at the age of fourteen ; and Andrew, when twenty -one ; Alfred, who is now a resident of Cincinnati, married Susan Crosson, and Albert died in childhood. The parents of Ira Cook had a large family of children, as follows: William was born near New- port, Ky., June 25, 1821, and was married to Sarah Cobb, who died in 1850; he died in October, 1867. Eli was born Nov. 25, 1825, and was married to Almeda Davis; he died in 1885, leaving four chil- dren William F., Charles F., George F. and Frank; the widow lives in Cupola, Col., with Frank, the youngest child. Ira is the subject of this sketch ; Wesley was born in 1832, and lives in Cornell; Emily was born April 12, 1834, and was married to Henry Kane of Mainville, Warren County; she died in October, 1868, leaving two children. John, born on the 7th of September, 1836, married Relia Beaver, of Hamilton, Ohio, and with their famiry of four children lives in Nebraska; Amanda was born in 1840, and died in December, 1841 ; Adeline was born in 1842, and married Henry Kane of Main- ville; Joseph, now a resident of Philadelphia, was born in 1847, in Cincinnati, and was married to Emma Tufts, of Mainville, who has borne him two children, a boy and girl ; he served for a time in the southern division of the pension department, but stepped down and out with the incoming of Cleveland's administration. Willis Edward was born on the 28th of July, 1853. and was married to Kate Antrim in Iowa; they live in Platte County, Neb., and have five children, named : Archie, Al- fred, Charlie, Elizabeth and Hattie. Ireatta K. was born June 5, 1855, and married Charles E. Gill, of Peoria, 111., and they have three children, named Emery, Earle and Ira. Mary Jane was born Oct. 20, 1857, and was married to Archie Dickeu, Dec. 6, 1879; they have three children, named Harriet, t 934 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Grace and Harry: Alfred N. was horn Feb. '2.1, 186C, and is now, after attending school in Ohio, teaching in Illinois. Mr. Cook's father was horn Nov. 2, 17'.)."). and died in October. 1881, and his mother died on the (Jth of January, 1873; both were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mrs. Cook's mother died in 1844, and her father died in 1855. Ira Cook migrated to LaStille County, 111., from Ohio, in 1854, thence to Livingston Comity in the spring of 1862, and to his present location in March, 1883, where he owns a farm of 141 acres of good land, a large proportion of which is under cultiva- tion, and wherever necessary is drained with tile. His home is convenient to school and church, the former being but a half mile and the latter two and one-half miles away. Mr. Cook devotes his time principally to fanning and stock-raising, although he fills the position of Supervisor of his township, and holds the office of Justice of the Peace, in which he has served for the past six years. Mr. and Mrs. Cook are both members of the Methodist Protestant Church. <>f which he is a Trustee and Secretary of the Quarterly Conference. As illustrative of the progress made in this sec- tion of country, since the days of the old log cabin, we present on another page of this AI.IU >i ;i view of Mr. Cook's residence. ACOB J. FOLTS, the subject of this sketch, has had much to do with the material inter^ csts of various sections of Livingston County, and occupies a prominent position in her commercial interest of to-day. He has also occu- pied a notable position in a judicial sense, hav- ing for many years been the legal arbitrator be- tween the people who have invoked the law in the settlement of their differences and the establish- ment of their rights. He is the Justice of the 1'eaee at the village of Campus, and also senior member of the firm of J. J. Folts AT Son. hardware dealers. Mr. Folts is a native of the State of New York, where he wa> born in Boonville. Oneida County, Dec. 25, 1826. He resided in that place until he was sixteen years of age, during which time he availed himself of the advantages afforded by the village school for obtaining an education. From Boonville he went to the town of Alexander. Jef- ferson Co., N. Y., where he engaged in farming until the fall of 1852, when he came West and lo- cated in Kendall Count}-, 111., where he purchased a farm and continued to live until the winter of 1867, at which time he came to Livingston County and settled in Broughton Township, where he purchased a farm. Hero he resided until the establishment of the village of Campus, of which he was one of the founders and first settlers. The growth of the vil- lage has been largely the result of his untiring en- ! ergy in securing for it both people and business. He erected the store building which he now occu- pies, and has been engaged in the hardware busi- ness since the village was established. In addition to hardware, his firm also deals largely in lumber, furniture and agricultural implements. Besides this establishment in Campus, the firm of J. J. Folts & Son operates a similar store at Emington, in Broughton Township, and is also interested] in the manufacture and sale of furniture at Keddick, Kankakee County. Mr. Folts owns farms aggre- gating 320 acres of land in Livingston County, which are occupied and farmed by intelligent and enterprising tenants, and are quite remunerative. Since the spring of 1880 Mr. Folts has held the office of Justice of the Peace, in which position he has displayed most excellent judgment and un- doubted fairness. His decisions have invariably been based upon the law, and the evidence and ap- peals from them are indeed very rare. He was Supervisor of Broughton Township at the time of ! the erection of the new court-house in Pontiac. In Jefferson County, N. Y., on the 13th of Jan- uary, 1848, Mr. Folts was married to Miss Silvia A. Lewis, who was born in Jefferson County. To them two children have been born ( lari>sa J. and Frank E. Clarissa J. was the wife of Clark W. Beecher. and died in Broughton Township, Living- ston County, on the 5th of August, 18*3; she left three children, whose names are, Arthur J., Frank and Delia. Frank E. married Mis? Emma Moms, and they have >ix children Lela. Lewis. Arthur, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Clara, Vera and a babe unnamed; lie is engaged, in company with his father, in the prosecution of the business at Campus. The Folts homestead in Campus is one of the finest in that section of Livingston County; it is imposing in appearance and comfortable in interior. Its owner is a gentleman who appreciates comforts and conveniences, and in the construction of this house he seems to have made special provision for both. It is a hospitable home, and the neighbors and friends of the surrounding community are made welcome at all times 03- the gejieiwis-liearted host and hostess. Mr. and Mrs. Folts belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church. I fclLLIAM CHAPPLE, the subject of this sketch, has been a resident of Round Grove Township, located on section 1, for ten years, and has within that time made himself and family a most pleasant and comfortable home. During the year 1887 he completed a new residence that is a credit to the township, and one over which Mr. Chappie exhibits pardonable pride. Such far- mers as our subject are the kind who beautify and advance the country in which they live, and not only add to their own comfort, but to the general welfare of the community which surrounds them. We are pleased to present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Chappie's handsome homestead. Mr. Chappie was born in England, Dec. 12, 1830, and is the son of Edward and Fannie Chappie, both of whom died in that country. His early life was spent on the farm in England, and he was after- ward, during a period of about eight years, em- ployed in extensive iron works in Wales, where he obtained a practical knowledge of the manufacture of iron. In June, 180;"). Mr. Chappie immigrated to this country, and coming direct from New York to LaSalle County, 111., he concluded to adopt farming as his occupation. The first year of his residence in LaSalle County he worked upon a farm by the month, and then farmed rented land until July, 1877, when he came to Livingston County, and purchasing eighty acres of land on section 1, upon which he has since resided, lie has brought his farm to an almost perfect state of eul ti vatiun, and made all classes of improvements. On the 10th af April, 1854, Mr. Chappie was married to Miss Elizabeth Cockram, who was born in England on the 17Ui of January, 1828, and is the daughter of John and Betsey (Mooreman) Cockram, who were also natives of England. Mr. and Mrs. Chappie have three children .living, namely: Mary, Thomas W. and Emma E. Mary is the wife of Austin Ellsworth, and they reside in Colorado; Thomas and Emma are at home with their parents. They have buried six children, three of whom died in infancy, unnamed. Those who died after being named were Jane, Rhoda ajid Lucy. Upon coming to this country Mr. Chappie inves- tigated the political status of affairs with the inten- tion of intelligently identifying himself with one or the other of the great political parties, and the re- sult of this investigation was that he allied himself with the Republican party, of which he has since been a zealous member. Me has been in no sense a seeker after political preferment, but has been chosen by his neighbors to discharge the duties of the offices of Road Commissioner and School Di- rector, which he did to the entire satisfaction of the people. Mr. Chappie and bis family have es- tablished themselves in the good wishes of the peo- ple among whom they live. J '"JAMES KWING. This gentleman, located i on section 24, Pontiac Township, has fairly commenced his career as an independent ' farmer, and is acquitting himself with great credit, displaying a thorough understanding of his calling, tilling the soil to good advantage, and con- siderably interesting himself in stock-raising. His property includes ICO acres of finely cultivated land, with a good residence, barn and out-buildings, the accumulation of his own industry, as he began life with modest means and dependent only upon his own resources. Mr. Ewing, like man}' others forming a large pro- portion <>f the substantial residents of Livingston County, is a native of Huntingdon County, 1'a., I 938 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. where he was born Nov. 17, 1852. He is the son of William and Mary Ann (Henry) Ewing, also na- tives of the Keystone State, and of German and Irish ancestry respectively, 'with enough comming- ling of the Scotch-Irish to make up a very worthy and substantial whole. William Ewing was born and reared in Hunting-don County, Pa., and was prominent in the local affairs of his oouuty., holding its various offices as one of the stanchest supporters of the Democratic party. The parental household included nine children, seven now living, namely : James, Mary, Fanny, Carrie, Lizzie, Idol and Hen- rietta. James Ewing was reared to manhood in Hunting- don County, receiving a good English education, and after completing his studies engaged for n time in teaching. He came to the West in 1 875, locat- ing in Pontiac Township, this county, where he has since resided. He was married, in the twenty- fourth year of his age, Feb. 17, 187G, to Miss Nannie McCord, who was born in his own county, Jan. 24, 1 852, and is the daughter of Samuel and Martha (Barr) McCord. They became the parents of five children, namely: Grace, who was born Nov. 4, 1876; Fanny, Aug. 20, 1878; William, Oct. 29, 1879; Carrie, Aug. 27, 1881, and James, March 20, 1883. Mr. E wing's farm is neatly laid out and en- closed with substantial fences, while the stock is well cared for and the machinery is of the best de- scription. Mr. and Mrs. Ewing, with their in- teresting family, form no unimportant portion of the intelligent community where they dwell, ar.d are held in universal respect. We are pleased to present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Ewing's residence, as representative of the buildings of this section of country. JEREMIAH SULLIVAN, a farmer of intel- | ligence and education, and one who while tilling the soil has carefully kept in mind the training of his intellectual capacities, has been a resident of Sunbury Township since the spring of 1870. He is one of the finest representa- tives of the warm-hearted Irish nationality who lime contributed so essentially to the progress and development of the resources of the great West. He was a youth of fifteen years when he first set foot on American soil, and has become thoroughly identified with the interests of his adopted country. Some of our best educated men, our poets and our scholars, besides those who have engaged in the various industries of the United States, are emana- tions of Erin's Green Isle. Our subject is one of the worthiest representatives of a long line of hon- ored ancestry, and the main points of his history, necessarily brief in a work of this kind, we give as follows: Mr. Sullivan was born in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1837, and is the son of Michael Sullivan, a native of the same locality, who was there reared to man- hood, and married a maiden of his own count}'. In 1847, after the birth of his second son, he immi- grated to America with one son, locating in Michigan, where he was employed for a time in the copper mines. He was joined by his wife and their remaining children in 1851, at Milwaukee, and the following year came into LaSalle Count}', this State, and went into the employ of the Rock Island Railroad Company and afterward the Illinois Cen- tral. He remained a rcsidcrt of LaSalle County until his death, which took place in 1857. The mother of our subject was, before her mar- riage, Miss Johanna Harrington, a native of the same county in Ireland as her husband and son. Her father, Thomas Harrington, was also a native of County Kerry, where he spent his entire life en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. Mrs. Johanna Sul- livan is still living, and makes her home with her daughter in the State of Nebraska. Although eighty -live years of age she is quite active and in good health. Mr. Sullivan, our subject, first employed himself on American soil as a fisher on Lake Michigan. He \\as thus occupied one season, but afterward took up farming, working by the month at Watertown. \Vi-., at less than $1 per week. The season follow- ing he repaired to Milwaukee and engaged as lust- ier at the stables of the Fanners' Hotel. He sub- sequently joined his father on the Rock Island Rail- road, and on account, of his intelligence and hon- esty was a'iven a berth in the contractors' depart- ment. Upon the completion of this section of LIVINOSTON COUNTY. 1)39 road he engaged as deck-band on a boat on the Illinois River, one summer, and the winter follow- ing drove a team for the grading of the Illinois Central. He was connected with this road until its completion to Dunleith, its northwestern terminus. The trains here cross the river by a grand iron bridge, which is said to have cost at least $2.000,- 000. He was now for some time employed at whatever he could find to do. and then resumed boating on the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers. This, however, was only an alternative, as he much pre- ferred farming and was employed in the rural dis- tricts whenever he could secure anything to do. Mr. Sullivan had been bred to habits of industry and economy, aud as soon as he had laid by a. suf- ficient sum to gather together the necessary farm implements, he rented a tract of land in LaSalle County, upon which he operated successfully until the spring of 1870. His course was still prosperous, and ho now purchased 160 acres on section 13, Sun- bury Township. He did not, however, have enough to pay the whole purchase money, and as it was unimproved he rented a tract adjacent, upon which he could raise crops at once. He managed in this manner until 1875, when, paying the last dollar and securing his warranty deed, he took possession, and has since remained upon it. He has trans- formed the wilderness into a highly cultivated farm, upon which he has erected good buildings, while he has a choice assortment of live stock. We present on another page of this volume a view of Mr Sulli- van's residence with its surroundings. Although it has required the outlay of considerable money to effect the improvements which the traveler now observes with admiration, it has by no means em- ployed all his 'capital, but lie has invested in addi- tional land on section 1 3, and is now the proprietor of 320 acres, all under a good state of cultivation. The marriage of Jeremiah Sullivan and Miss Ann Manley was celebrated at the home of the bride in Dimmock Township, LaSalle County, in I860. Mrs. S. is of the same nationality as her husband, and was born in County Mayo, in 1S37. She is the daughter of Thomas and Ellen Manley, also of Irish birth and ancestry. Her mother is now deceased ; her father lives in LaSalle. 111. Of her marriage with our subject there have been born seven chil- dren, viz.: Ella, Michael, Annie, Mary, Maggie, Jeremiah and Martin. The eldest is twenty-six years of age, and the youngest fourteen. They comprise an interesting family and their -father is giving them good educational advantages. Mr. Sullivan is quite an extensive reader, and his chil- dren have inherited in a marked degree his own in- telligence and love of learning. Three of them are engaged in teaching. Mr. Sullivan adheres closely to the Catholic faith of his forefathers, and in po- litical matters exercises the privilege of an inde- pendent voter. ;ILLIAM BRUNSKILL has been promi- nently identified with the agricultural in- terests of Esmeu Township since 1 855, and is the owner of a good property on section 14, where he is. engaged in the breeding of fine stock, includ- ing' Norman horses and Durham cattle. His land is O chiefly devoted to the raising of grain and hay. He is quite prominent in local affairs, and has served as Road Commissioner and School Director, but is by no means an office-seeker or active politician, pre- ferring to give his time and attention to his private affair's. He performs his duty, however, annually at the polls, where he uniformly casts an unadulter- ated Democratic ballot. Mr. Brunskill is a native of Westmoreland Coun- ty, England, where he was born Jan. 15, 1826. He is the fifth in a family of eight children included in the household of William and Martha (Todd) Bruns- kill, also of English ancestry. The father of our subject was the son of John and Elizabeth Bruns- kill, whose ancestors occupied the same estate from the reign of King John down to the paternal grand- father of our subject. It then passed into the hands of strangers by the emigration of most of the mem- bers of the family to the United States. Grand- father Brunskill spent his last years in Martinsdale, Westmoreland, and lived to the ripe old age of ninety-five years. He was remarkably strong and active, and during his early manhood a devotee of athletic sports. The maternal grandparents of our subject, David and lillei) (Cameron) Todd, were natives of Scot- 940 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. land, of the Lowlands and Highlands respectively. They spent their entire lives in their native land, Imt one of their sons emigrated to America more than a century ago, settling in Pennsylvania, and their descendants are now scattered throughout that State. An uncle of our subject became famous for his extreme strength and endurance, having inher- ited the muscle and frame of his' father. During Napoleon's time he was caught on the northern coast of England, and with a number of others im- pressed into the naval service. While being con- ducted to the vessel he forced the sides out of the small boat with his feet and shoulders, and all were precipitated into the water. This representative of the Brnnskill family escaped as he deserved, and lived to tell the tele to his grandchildren. The subject of our sketch was reared to farm life, and educated in the common schools. In August, 1848, he enlisted in the Queen's Household Guards, a body of troops which are seldom called into active service, and with which he remained five years, be- ing quartered in and around London and Windsor Castle, the rule being to change barracks once in six months. The Duke of Wellington was their Colonel until the time of his death, and the place which was thus made vacant was subsequently filled by Prince Albert. At the expiration of his term of enlistment our subject continued in London about six months, and then decided to cross the Atlantic. lie embarked Aug. II, 1854. on the sailing-vessel "Patrick Henry," and after a voyage attended by high winds and much danger, including the scourge of cholera, of which eleven of the passengers died, landed finally in New York City. Mr. Brunskill made his way first to New Jersey, where he was employed on a farm in Clin- ton County six months. In the meantime he re- ceived a serious injury while hauling ice, and was laid up several weeks, which enforced idleness ex- hausted his scanty means. He found himself pen- niless on an alien soil, and without friends to whom he could apply for assistance. He, however, man- aged to keep soul ar.d body together, and turning his steps westward, landed in Kendall County, this State, where lie secured employment on a farm. Here he again met with the misfortune of sicUnt. and upon his recovery found himself *2.J in debt. There was no time, however, to spend in bewailing hi* misfortunes, and as soon as able he resumed his lalmrs at fanning, and in tin- fall of 1855 removed to this county. At length Mr. l$urnskill's prospects began to im- prove, and he took unto himself a wife and help- meet in the person of Miss Susan Ross, to whom he was manied on the 1st of April, 1800. To the household tlm* established there came in due time a family of nine children, who are all living, and whom they named respectively, Elizabeth, Robert, George, William, Martha, Ellen, Byron, Annette and Arthur. The eldest daughter became the wife of John Wray, who is farming in Dallas County, Iowa, and has one child, a daughter, Edith Elida. George Brunskill was graduated from the business college at Dixon, and is preparing to enter upon mercantile life. Mrs. Brunskill was the fourth in a family of ten children born to her parents, Moses and Elizabeth (Westbrook) Ross, natives respectively of Vir- ginia and Penns3 r lvania. They located in Ohio dur- ing its early settlement, and were residents of Ross County a number of years. Here their daughter Susan was born, May 19, 1833, and was reared on the home farm, receiving a fair education in the district schools. Mr. Ross in connection with gen- eral agriculture also followed blacksmithing. In 1852, he started overland^with his family and house- hold goods for Illinois, driving his stock, and camp- ing out at night after the fashion of the travelers of those days. They first located at Ottawa, and thence, in 1853, removed to Livingston County, where the parents spent their declining years. Aaron Ross, the brother of Mrs. Brunskill, served as a Union soldier iu the late war with the 12Uth Illinois Infantry, and during the passage of his regi- ment over a bridge in Kentuck\". was injured bv falling through with a number of their horses and accoutrements. He. however, recovered from this after a time and continued until the regiment was mustered out at the close of the war. He met the enemy in many important engagements, but escaped without a wound further than we have mentioned. Subsequently he took up his residence in Kansas. where his death occurred about I s,x;;. Mr. Brunskiil after his marriage, rented a tract of T k LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 943 land in Ksmen Township, which he occupied four years, and then purchased forty acres on section 14. A small portion of this was under cultivation, and upon it stood a small house. This structure con- stituted the dwelling of the family until in 1 869, when he put up the more modern and substantial building which now, with its surroundings, forms a comfortable and handsome home, a view of which may be found in this work. ENRY NORKIS, who is engaged in grain \i buying at Risk. Fayette Township, is a na- tive of Somersetshire, England, where he was born on the 1st of December, 1831. He is the son of Robert and Maiy (Andrews) Nor- ris, who came to the United States in 1843, and located at Racine, Wis., where they have since re- mained, engaged in fanning. The parental family of our subject included eight children, five boys and three girls, who were named : Henry, George, Mary Ann, Thomas, Oliver, Jane, Helen and Willard. In the spring of 1861 Oliver enlisted in the 64th Illinois Infantry, and after serving about six months returned home, and died in the spring of 1862. Willard enlisted in the three months' service, and at the end of that term re- enlisted, and after remaining in the army three months longer returned home and began farming. The other children are all living, two of whom are in Kansas, and the others, excepting our subject, are residents of Texas. Our subject remained at home with his parents until thft age of twenty years, during which time lie assisted in the work upon the farm and attended the district schools of his township. After leaving home he engaged in the lumber business, west of Detroit, in Wayne County, where he remained about two years. After this he went to the Missis- sippi River, where he engaged in building flatboats, and continued this business for four or five years, lie then went to Michigan and resumed the lumber business, in which he was engaged for one year. From Michigan he went to LaSallo County, 111., where- he engaged in farming for five years, and in iiG sold out his property in LaSalle County, and came to Livingston County, where he bought 200 acres of land on section 25, Forest Township. He remained on this farm, doing quite an extensive business in grain and stock raising until 1885, when he put the management of the farm in the hands of his son Oliver, and purchased a few acres of ground on section 3, Fayette Township, where he now re- sides. On this land is a splendid house, good barns and other buildings. Since 1883 Mr. Norris has been buying grain at the village of Risk. On Aug. 15. 1861, our subject was married to Miss Annie Moore, daughter of Samuel and Jane (McGaughy) Moore, who were natives of Pennsyl- vania and came West in 1855, first locating in Ottawa, where they remained until the father died, in 1863, when the mother and children came to Livingston County, and located in Chatsworth Township. Mr. and Mrs. Norris have two children Oliver and David M. Oliver was married on the 10th of February, 1885. to Miss Emma Wallace, a daugh- ter of John Wallace, a farmer and well-known citi- zen of Forest Township; David is unmarried and resides at home with his parents. Mr. Norris' acquaintance throughout this section of {Livingston County is very extensive, and the business in which he is engaged brings him much in contact with the people. They have learned to know him well, and he has firmly established him- self in their confidence by fair and prompt deal- ings. Politically Mr. Norris is a Republican, and gives the men and measures of his part}' a cordial and hearty support. For ten j-ears he held the of- fice of School Director of District No. 7, Forest Township, and during his administration these schools were in admirable condition. Mr. Norris takes great interest in educational mateers, and whenever opportunity presents does what he can to elevate the standard of the public schools. K HART, the subject of the following sketch, is a substantial citizen and general farmer, occupying a comfortable homestead on section 29, Dwight Township. lie is a native of England, being born in Norfolk on the 20th of August. 184:!. His father's name was George Hart, who married Miss Mary Lock, and they became the f A 94 i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. parents of five children, whose names are, James, Walter. Dennis, Mahala and George. Mr. Hart migrated to Kane County, 111., in 1855, where he purchased a farm, and lived until he retired from active work and moved to Pontiac. He died in 1882, at the age of seventy-five years. Our subject was but twelve years of age when he came to this country, and can well remember the events of the six weeks' voyage across the Atlantic, in a sailing-vessel, which he enjoyed very much, although there were several severe storms, during which the passengers were kept under hatches. Arriving safely in New York, the family came direct to Kane County, 111., where they settled in Sugar Grove Township. Young George received a common-school education, and in early life learned farming. On the 18th of August, 1864, at the age of twen- ty-one years, Mr. Hart was married to Miss Balinda Evans, daughter of Francis and Mary (Pyatt) Evans, of Kendall County, 111., who were Ameri- cans b}' birth, but of Welsh descent. Mr. Evans lived to the patriarchal age of ninety-three years. His father participated in the war of the Revolution. Mr. and Mrs. Hart became the parents of seven children: Mary, who died in infancy ; Olive, Frank, Jessie, Horace, Joseph and James ; the latter also died in infancy. The others reside at home with their parents. After their marriage the young couple went to her father's home and managed the affairs of the farm for two years, and then went to LaSalle County, where they lived upon ;i rented farm one year. After spending the same length of time in a similar manner in Grundy County, Mr. Hart came to Livingston County, in 1870, with his family, and rented a farm now occupied by Thomas Glass, and here lived for three years. He then pur- chased a farm in Grundy County, on which he lived for eight 3 r ears, and then returned to this county, and rented a farm of Mr. Iletzel, in Dwight Township, where he now resides. In 1885 he bought a farm of 100 acres of land, of Orrin Gal- lup, which he farmed in connection with the Hetzel place. In 18$G his devoted wife died, and the care of the family fell to Mr. Hart and the oldest daugh- ter. Mr. Hart is a member of the Methodist Church, and his political affiliations are with the Republican party. His first vote was cast for Abraham Lin- coln, at the time he was elected for a second term. Mr. Hart has been Township Clerk and Township Trustee, which positions he held for six year- in Grundy County. He is a careful and successful farmer, and a very reliable man in ail his transac- tions. The entire family are of good moral char- acter, and enjoy the respect and esteem of all who know them. ffiOHN M. FINLEY. A large proportion of the farmers of Pontiac Township, besides the generous cultivation of the soil, are giving much of their attention to the raising of fine stock, in which department oursubject ranks among the leading men, and has been uniformly success- ful. He possesses good business capacities, and has never been afraid of hard work, taking pride in puU ting forth his best efforts at whatever he saw fit to engage in. He began life at the foot of the lad- der, and his present possessions are the result of his own industry. His ancestors were a substantial and reliable race of people, noted for their thrifty hab- its, and believed that each individual should be of some use in the world. This principle, transmitted from one generation to another, has resulted in a race of sturdy men of whom their descendants may well be proud. Mr. Finley was bom in Delaware County, Ohio. Nov. 25, 1831, and is the son of Robert and Eliza- beth (Riley) Finley, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Pennsylvania. The Finleys were of Irish descent, but the. mother was of German blood. John Finley, the paternal grandfather of our subject, served as a soldier in the Revolution- ary War. and afterward settled in Virginia, whence he subsequently removed to Delaware County, Ohio, in the pioneer days. From this branch of the family .-prang the descendants now scattered throughout Pennsylvania and Illinois, and who pos- sess in a marked degree the characteristics of their grandsire. Robert Finley. the father of our sub- ject, was married early in life, and became the head of a family of nine children, seven of whom still t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 945 survive, namely: Joseph 8., John M., David R., Ezra, Mary J.. Isaac and George. The parents, in 1838, left Ohio and located in Kane County, this State, proceeding again to build up a home in the wilderness. Here their children were reared, and at the old homestead in Kane County the parents (pent the remainder of their lives. They were members of the Congregational Church, and trained their offspring in the strict principles of moralit_y which was a distinguishing feature of the family. Our subject received a fair English education and early in life began to lay his plans for the future. When nearly thirty years of age, he led to the altar the maiden of his choice, Miss Frances E. McDugal, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Pontiac Township. Mrs. Finley is the daugh- ter of Robert and Christiana McDugal, of New York, and by her union with our subject became the mother of two children : Marian E., who was born Oct. 29, 1863, and Orella E., May 7, 1865. Mr. and Mrs. F. after their marriage located upon the farm which they now occupy, and which con- sists of 160 acres of land under a good state of cul- tivation. The residence and other buildings are substantial and comfortable. The stock is well cared for, and the premises kept in good shape gen- erally. Mr. Finley, politically, uniformly votes the Re- publican ticket, and has served in his township as Road Commissioner and School Director. Nothing pleases him better than to note the progress and welfare of his adopted county, and he has been the warm supporter of those measures tending to this end. LFRED G. POTTER is a prominent farmer and land-holder of Dwight Township, who has passed a busy life and reaped the success which generally results from perseverance and good management. He is of German and En- glish ancestry, and a tradition of the family is that seven brothers came to this country at an early day, and settled in Plattsburg. William Potter, who was born March 4, 1809, was the father of our sub- ject. He was a shoemaker by trade, and lived in I Blair County, Pa., where he married Miss Susan Ni- ^- kirk. To them were born three children Julia Ann, Alfred D. and John. The father of these children died of typhoid fever when he was but twenty-five years of age. Alfred G. Potter was born in Henderson County, Pa., April 3, 1833. When his father died he was but two years of age, and was left to the care of his mother, who afterward married Daniel Goodman. When Alfred was about twelve years of age, he be- gan work on his stepfather's farm, where he re- mained until he was twenty-one; at that time he had received a very limited education, but has since added to it by reading, observation and ex- perience. In those days it was difficult to obtain an education in the rural districts, and young Potter went to school a month or so for a few winters, which constituted all the advantages he enjoyed; but like many of the American pioneers, having an active mind, he has been able to attend to his busi- ness in an intelligent manner. After quitting the employment of Mr. Goodman, Mr. Potter engaged as a teamster for three years. When twenty-three years of age, June 3,1856, ', Mr. Potter married Miss Mary J. Numer, daughter : of John and Elizabeth (Rupert) Numer, near Ship- : pensburg, Cumberland Co., Pa. Mr. Numer was of high German ancestry, and came to this country when he was but eighteen years of age. Mrs. Nu- mer was of an old Pennsylvania familv, who had settled in the beautiful Cumberland Valley many generations ago. Mrs. Potter was born on the 21st of November, 1 833, on her father's farm near Ship- pensburg. On coming to Illinois, Mr. and Mrs. Potter rented a farm in Grundy County, which was owned by ; David Me Williams, and upon which they remained for nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Potter arc the par- ents of nine children Adie V., William L., Julia F., Leander, Allen W., Rose A., Elsie M.. Bertha .Maud and Nellie E. William L. and Rose A. died in childhood, and Allen W. died when nearly seven- teen years of age; a bright, intelligent youth, cut down before he had entered the portals of manhood. II is death was severely felt by his parents, and he is still fresh in their memories. Adie V. married Daniel Schott, a farmer of Union Hill, Kankakee , Co., 111., and they have one child living, named Al- 946 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. frecl P. ; Julia F. married David Duncan, a farmer uf Round Grove Township, this county; they have throe children, named Leslie, Kthel and Leander. The other members of the family are at home with their parents. At the time of the writing of this sketch, Leander is on a visit to his friends in Penn- sylvania. He is an industrious young man of twen- ty-four years of age, and universally respected. The children were educated at the High School in I) wight. In political matters Mr. Potter is in harmony with the doctrines of the Republican party. He has been School Director, Road Commissioner, and has held other township offices. Both Mr. and Mrs. Potter are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and have both been faithful to their trusts, and by honest labor and patient industry, have succeeded in the contest of life, and have brought up their children to good moral principles and given them a good education. Descended from sterling ances- tors, the children may well be proud of their fore- fathers. When Mr. Potter came as a 'pioneer to this county, the fertile prairie was wild, and covered with high grass. He was obliged to haul his coal from Streator, twenty-two miles distant, across an uninhabited prairie. In crossing the "Slews," as the low places are called, the prairie grass was so high, that when standing on the seat of a common farm wagon, a tall man could not reach the top. The farm on which Mr. Potter now resides, con- sisting of K>() acres, was purchased in 1866, and since that time he has expended his best efforts in improving and cultivating it. A view of the home place is given in this ALBUM. \ ELSON A. BEMIS. who is engaged in farm- ing and stock-raising on section 2, in Ksmen Township, was born in Oxford, Chenango County, N. V., on the 'Jth of September, 1S40. and is the eldest child of Amariah X. and Lucinda (Bachus) Bemi>, sketehe* of whose lives appear in another part of this work. The subject of this sketch passed his younger days in town, and was first put to regular work in a sawmill with \\\> father. where he remained until eighteen years of aye. with the exception of a few years spent in school at Ox- ford Academy. On leaving the mill he went to Canterbury, Windhr.m Co., Conn., where he en- gaged to learn the trade of a molder, at which he served two years. On the 20th of August, 1861, Mr. B. enlisted in Company F, 8th Connecticut Infantry, at Canter- bury, and was mustered in at Hartford, under ('apt. Elijah Y. Smith, Col. Edwin Harlan commanding the regiment. They were sworn into the service on the 23d of September, 1861, and sent to Jamaica, L. I., where they remained in drill camp until No- vember, and then went to Annapolis, Md., to join Burnside's expedition to North Carolina. They went by water to Hatteras Inlet in Pamlico Sound, and passed up to Roanoke Island, where on the 7th and 8th of February, 1802, the battle of Roanoke Island was fought. Thence they went by water to Newborn, where on the 14th of March, the battle of Newborn was fought. They then went by rail to Ft. Macon, which they placed under siege on the 14th of April, and by the 25th of that month had so completely riddled the fort that the garrison surrendered unconditionally. After remaining practically idle for a week, they em barked for Fortress Monroe, where they landed and met Me- CleJIan, who had retreated down the Peninsula. After this they returned to their vessels and went to Yorktowu, but soon reshipped and went up the Pamnnky River, to within thirteen miles of Rich- mond, when- they destroyed the railroad to the north to head off Lee's first raid into Pennsylvania. They then crossed the country to Point Comfort and sailed to Aqua Creek, and thence to Freder- icksburg, where the}' were on picket duty until Au- gust 31, and then marched to Brook's Station, guarding that portion of the country until the mid- dle of September. They then reporter! at Wash- ington City, and went on through to attack Lee by the way of Frederiekstown and Sharp.-burg. They overtook the enemy and had a sharp >kirmish at Frederiekstown, and on the 14th of September fought the battle of South Mountain, driving the enemy for a day and a night. They again en- countered the enemy at Antictani Creek and Sharps- liurg. Here the company had but thirty-six men at the beginning, and when night came on but live LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 947 able-bodied men remained. Gen. Rodman, their brigade commander, and the subject of this sketch received three gunshot wounds, in the right side and in both legs. The wounded lay for forty-eight hours before medical aid or any assistance could reach them. Mr. Bemis was carried to a farm house and remained in field hospital two weeks, when he was taken to the hospital at Baltimore, and two weeks later, on the 28th of September. 1862, was granted a furlough and went home. Four months later Mr. Bemis returned to Wash- ington and reported to the medical director for serv- ice, when he was put into convalescent camp, where he remained sixty-eight days. He then joined his regiment at Portsmouth, which was still under Burnside, but under the immediate com- mand of Gen Butler. From there they went to Suffolk and laid siege to that city, while Longstreet was trying to hem in the Union forces and recap- ture Norfolk. This began April 11, 1863, and the AVest Branch Battery was captured April 19. On the 4th of May the enemy retreated toward Richmond and the siege was raised. The company then returned to Portsmouth and were sent to North Carolina, by way of the Dismal Swamp Canal, when they guarded the railroads in that State for a time. On their return they served on picket duty in Virginia until December, and then the veteran army re-enlistment occurred. Mr. Bemis re-enlisted for three years more, but was rejected on account of his wounds and discharged Jan. 15, 1864. Upon leaving the army our subject returned to his home, where he farmed two years and then came West, in 1^68, locating at Brimfield, Peoria County, where he engaged as a farmer. While thus engaged he made several trips further west, looking for a location, and in the fall of 1869 he came to Livingston County, where with his father, he bought 160 acres of wild land on section 2, Es- men Township. He now has 160 acres more on the same section and devotes his time to farming and stock-raising. On the 16th of February, 1869, Mr. B. married Sarah L. Sheldon, eighth child in a family of nine, born to Benjamin and Lorinda (Thompson) Shel- don, who were respectively natives of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The daughter, Sarah, was born in Guilford, Chenango Co., N. Y., on the 29th of June, 1844, and came to Illinois first with her hus- band. Her father, who was a farmer by occupation, remained in the East; the mother is still living in the State of New York. The paternal grandparents were Benjamin and Anna Sheldon; the maternal grandparents were John and Lydia (Stone) Thomp- son. Of the great-grandparents the Thompsons were of Irish and the Sheldons of English descent. Mr. and Mrs. Bemis are the parents of four chil- dren Virgil S., John I?., Frank L. and Hattie L. Mr. Bemis has served as Town Clerk for twelve 3'ears and School Director ever since his district was organized. While not active in politics he is a warm supporter of the Republican party. Mrs. Bemis is a member of the Congregational Church. We present on another page of this work a view of Mr. Bemis' residence. ~! AMES BROWN is one of the largest stock- raisers and most extensive land-owners of Livingston County, and resides in Nevada Township. He was born in the city of Deer- field, Oneida Co., N. Y., on the 14th of September. 1829. His grandfather, David Brown, was a native of Scotland, and was born in Ayrshire, where he re- sided until about 1802, when, accompanied by his wife and three children, he came to America, and settled in Schuyler Township, Herkimer Co., N. Y., where he was an early settler. He purchased a tract of timber land and cleared a farm in the midst of the wilderness. His settlement was made there very many years before railroads or canals were operated in New York State, and the market for grain and stock was many miles distant. His tastes ran to horticulture, and soon after settling upon the farm he planted a large orchard and sold the apple product at six cents per bushel, and in that way secured the money with which to pay for his farm. He and his wife spent the last years of their lives upon this farm. The father of Mr. Brown was ten years of age when his parents came to America. He was reared to manhood in Herkimer Count}', N. Y., and re- f !I4H LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ; sided there until after his marriage; he then bought a farm in Deerfield Township, Oneida County, and lived there several years. He then moved to Cam- den, where he bought a home and where his death took place. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of our subject, was Sophia Mumford, who was born in Connecticut in 1799. Her father was William Mumford, a native of Connecticut, and an early settler of Deerfield Township, Oneida County. The mother died on the homestead in Deerfield at forty-four years of age. To the parents of our subject were born nine children, and in the order of their birth he was the seventh. His education was begun in a district school, continued in the city schools of Oswego, N. Y., and completed by attending two terms at Whitestown Seminary. After quitting school he engaged in teaching six terms of winter school, and when not so occupied devoted his time to farming. In 1854 he engaged in the butchering business in Oswego, N. Y., and in connection with that dealt in new milch cows, buying the cattle in Canada and Pennsylvania and selling them to the dairymen in Herkimer County. He continued in this business successfully for nearly fifteen years. In 1865 he purchased two farms containing 320 acres, in Phoenix Township, Oswego Co., N. Y.,and engaged in dairy farming for one year. In 18C6 he sold that farm, and accompanied by his father-in-law, came west on a visit of inspection of the country. He purchased 180 acres of land in Nevada Town- ship, Livingston County, in 1867, and soon after came here and located on this land. He immedi- ately commenced stocking his farm with good cat- tle, and in a little while had a considerable herd. From time to time he has added to his real estate until he now has 800 acres of fine land in Nevada and Dwight Townships. He is largely engaged in raising, feeding and shipping stock. For the last few years lie has paid ^particular attention to raising horses, his favorite breed being Norman, of which he constant!}' keeps on hand a large number of fine animals. On the '27th of July, 1863, Mr. Brown was mar- ried to Endora Wood, who was born in Oswego County, N. Y. Her father was Moses Wood, also a native of that county, where he was engaged in farming, and lived all his life. The maiden name of the mother of Mrs. Brown was Pattie Bostrick, a native of Oswego County. To Mr. and Mrs, Brown have been born eight children, four living, whose names are: Eva, Addie. George and Eudora Blanche. Those deceased were James, Mabel, Daniel and one unnamed. Mr. Brown was, in the earlier years of his man- hood, an old-line Whig, and was a radical Aboli- tionist during the slavery agitation in this country, and naturally joined the Republican party under the banner of Fremont and Lincoln, and he is to- day as strong in the Republican faith as ever. But few men have attained the success which has crowned Mr. Brown's efforts, who started under the same disadvantages that he did. His first earnings as a teacher when a young man clothed him, and the money which he made in the work of farming he saved until it accumulated to a sum large enough to constitute a capital upon which to begin business. All his life lie has been careful and prudent, as well as economical in all his affairs. Since his residence in Livingston County he has been considered by his neighbors as an enterpris- ing, solid and thrifty business man, possessing all those manly qualities that are characteristic of the hardy race of men from which he springs. Honor- able in business, pleasant in manner, cautious in action, he has the high regard of all who know him. It affords us pleasure to present a view of Mr. Brown's handsome residence in this ALBUM. ANIEL GALLUP, a highly respected and well-to-do farmer of Dwight Township, was born in Windham County, Conn., May 11, 1822. His family is of Puritan ances- try, and tradition has it that three brothers of this name came from England in 1630 or 1632, and landed in Boston. One of the brothers returned to England and was drowned. John and Isaac, the other two, remained in this country. From John descended this branch of the Gallup family. The historian, John S. C. Abbott, mentions John LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1140 Gallup as the Captain of a vessel in -1635. The following account is copied from Abbott's History of King Phillip : ' A man by the name of John Gallup was in a small vessel of about twenty tons on his passage from Connecticut to Massachusetts Bay. A strong northerly wind drove him near Marieus or Block Island. This island isabout four- teen miles from Point Judith. To his surprise he found near the shore an English vessel, which he immediately recognized as Capt. Oldham's, filled with Indians, and evidently in their possession. Sixteen savages, well armed with their own weap- ons and with guns and swords which they had taken from the English, crowded the boat. Capt. Gallup was a man of iron heart, inspirited by that Puritan chivalry which ever displayed itself in the most amazing deeds of daring without the slightest ap- parent consciousness that there was any thing extra- ordinary in the exploit. His little vessel was con- siderably larger than the boat which the Indians had captured. His crew, however, consisted of only one man and two boys, and yet without the slightest hesitancy, he immediately decided upon a naval fight with the Indians. Loading his muskets and spreading all sail, he bore down upon his foe. The wind was fair and strong, and standing firmly at the helm, while his crew were protected by the bulwarks from the arrows and bullets of the Indi- ans, and were ready with their muskets to shoot anyone who attempted to board, he guided his ves- sel so skillfully as to strike the smaller boat of the foe fairly upon the quarter. The shock was so se- vere that the boat was nearly capsized, and six of the Indians were knocked into the sea and drowned. Capt. Gallup immediately stood off and prepared for a similar broadside. In the meantime he lashed the anchor to the bows of the vessel in such a wav that the flukes would pierce the sides of the boat, and serve as a grappling iron. As there were now only ten Indians to be attacked, they decided to board the boat in case it should be grappled by the fluke of his anchor. " Having made these arrangements, Capt. Gallup again came running down before a brisk gale, and striking the boat, again tore open her sides with his anchor, while at the same moment he poured in a heavy discharge of buckshot upon the terrified sav- ages; most of them, however, had plunged into the hold of the little pinnace, and the shot effected but little execution. A third time he ran down upon the pinnace, and struck her with such force that five men in their turn leaped overboard and were drowned. There were but five savages left, and the intrepid Gallup immediately boarded the enemy. The savages retreated into the small cabin, and with swords they defended themselves. Two were taken captives and bound. Having no place where he could keep these two Indians apart, and fearing that they might get loose, and in co-operation with the three savages who had fortified themselves in the cabin, rise successfully upon him, Capt. Gallup threw one of the Indians overboard, and he was drowned. This was rough usage, but the savages, who had apparently rendered it neeessaiy by their previous acts of robbery and murder, could not complain. The pinnace was stripped of her rigging, and all the goods which remained. The body of Capt. Oldham was found awfully mutilated beneath the sail. The rest of the crew, but two or three in number, had been carried off captives by the sav- ages on shore. Capt. Gallup buried the corpse as reverentlj' as possible in the sea, and then took the pinnace in tow, with the savages barricaded in the cabin. Night came on, dark and stormy; the wind increased to a tempest, and it was necessarj' to cut the pinnace adrift, and she was never heard of more." Capt. John Gallup, son of the above, was killed by the Indians in King Phillip's War of 1675, iu the famous swamp fight, while he was leading his men across the trunk of a tree, the only entrance to the fort. He was one of the six Captains killed in this assault. John Gallup, son of the above, was born in 1675, about the time of his father's death. His son, Isaac Gallup, was the great-grandfather of the subject of our sketch, and he settled in the town of Sterling, Windham Co., Conn. He was a. very large land-holder, and possessed over 10,000 acres. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Ben Adams, the grandfather of our subject, was a far- mer who inherited lands from his father. He mar- ried Miss Margaret Dorrence, of Connecticut, and they were the parents of seven children George, James, Margaret, Elizabeth, John A., Nathaniel 050 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i ;ind Chester. Like liis father, he was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. In religious doctrines he was an Old-School Presbyterian, and was a man temperate in his habits and of upright character. He lived to the patriarchial age of ninety-two years. John Adam, the father of the subject of our sketch, was born on the old homestead, which had been in the family for generations. He was educated in the common schools of that day, and learned the trade of a carpenter. He married Miss Polly Bar- ber, of Rhode Island, and they were the parents of nine children Ben, Adam, Daniel, Orrin, Sabra, Leonard H., Ralph \V.. Miranda and Diana. Mi- randa died at the age of seventeen years. In 1X50 he moved to Illinois and settled on a farm in La- Salle County, near Mendota, where he lived for twenty years, He died at the home of his son Dan- iel, at the age of eighty years. He had been a sol- dier in the War of 1812. Daniel Gallup, the subject of this sketch, received his education in the common schools, and when not so engaged his boyhood was spent in learning the practical features of farming. At the age of twen- ty-three he went to New York and engaged in the market business. When twenty-seven years of age Mr. Gallup married Miss Helen M. Beach.daughter of William and Sallie (Remington) Beach, of Weeds- port, Is'. Y., and to them were born two children, John L. and Nellie L., the latter dying at the age of twenty-four years. Mr. Gallup engaged in the grain business at New York, where he remained for two years. In 18(i4he moved with his family to Dwight, where he lived for five years, and then moved to his present residence on a farm near Dwight, a view of which is given in this volume. Mr. Gallup's political affiliations are with the Re- publican party, and the principles of that party find in him at all times and under all circumstances a fearless advocate. The entire family are members of the Baptist Church, in the affairs of which they take a deep interest. Mr. Gallup is a member of the Masonic fraternity in high standing. John L., the only surviving child, is in connec- tion with his father engaged in farming. He re- ceived his education in the New York City school-., and in the High School at Dwight, in which he titled himself for the profession of teaching, in which calling he has been successfully engaged at various times. The Gallup family is one of the pioneer families of the country, and they have al- ways made their impress in whatever section they may have resided. i- ASHINGTON STAFFORD. This gentle- man fo:- the past thirty-Hve years has been the interested observer of the many and great changes which have taken place in Central Illinois since his first arrival here, in 1852. He was then a young man thirty-two yeai-s of age and had come to the West to build up for himself a perma- nent home. He possessed very little means, and being dependent upon his own resources at once began to exercise those habits of industry and econ- omy to which he had been trained, and which had become his second nature. These were qualities quite common among the early pioneers, and were the only basis upon which they could hope to build successfully in their efforts to secure their own comfort and well-being and that of their children. Our subject is pleasantly located on section 21, Eppard's Point Township.where he owns eighty acres of valuable land which he has brought to a good state of cultivation and provided with substantial buildings. He has carried on general farming. and of late years has made a specialty of stock-rais- ing, in which he has been successful. He has just passed the sixty-seventh year of his age, and with his estimable wife, is still in good health, which is the usual result of correct and temperate lives. Mr. Stafford was born in Hampshire County, Va., Sept. 5, 1820, which was also the birthplace of his parents, Joseph and Elizabeth (Meyer) Stafford. His paternal grandfather, John Stafford, was a na- tive of Belfast, Ireland, whence he was brought to this country as a soldier by the British during the Revolutionary War. He was taken prisoner by the soldiers under Gen. Washington. He afterward married, and located in Hampshire County, Ya., where he reared a family of eight children, all of whom have since passed away. Joseph, the father of our subject, spent his entire life in the Old Do- minion, and served as a soldier in the War of 1X12. 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 953 The parentMl household included eight children Lizzie Jane, Washington, John, Sarah, Susan, Mary, William and James. Lizzie Jane married B. Wiley, and died in her native State, in 1851 ; John died in the army, in 1862, leaving a wife and two children; Sarah is the wife of John Long, and the mother of a large family ; Susan, Mrs. William Brace, is now a widow, her husband having died in September, 1876, in Maryland; Mary, Mrs. William Ridgeley, lives in West Virginia, and has six children; Will- iam is a resident of Richland County, Ohio, and has a family including four daughters and one son ; James is married and lives in West Virginia; he is the father of seven children. Our subject remained under the parental roof until 1844, then migrated to Ohio and engaged in farming about twenty miles from the town of Janesville. Eight years later he came to this count}', settling first a short distance north of Pon- tiac, and in the spring of 1 854 removed to his present place, where he has since resided. During his various removals he has been accompanied by his wife, who is now the mother of eight children. She was formerly Miss Elizabeth Lickliter, and was born in Virginia, Feb. 5, 1823. Their marriage took place in their native county, in 1842. Mrs. Stafford is the daughter of George and Rosa (Cook) Lickliter, natives respectively of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Of her seven brothers and sisters, two of the boys died in the Union arm}', and the names of the survivors are: John, a resident of Nebraska; Mary, the wife of Willis Stafford; Ara- belle, the wife of Elias Heyser; Matilda, Mrs. Lewis Stull, and Martha, Mrs. Nathan Jones, all of whom live in Ohio. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Stafford were named as follows: James, John, Joseph, George, Louisa, Matilda, Lyda and Mazy. James is a prosperous farmer of Wilbarger County, Tex., is married and the father of seven children; John is farming in Iowa, is married and has two children; Joseph went to Arizona in 1881, since which time he has never been heard from; he left a wife and five children in Iowa; one of these children, Onary, is in Living- ston County, another, Lafflin L., is with his grand- father, our subject, and the other children are in Iowa with their mother. George is married, and farming in Eppard's Point Township; Louisa is the wife of George Florer, and has three children; Matilda, Mrs. Charles Fultz, has four children and lives in Kansas; Lyda, Mrs. John Shubkagle, also lives in Kansas; Mazy is at home with her parents. Mr. and Mrs. Stafford are highly respected in the community where they have lived so long, and young and old find their home a pleasant resort. Mrs. Stafford is a member of the Evangelical Church. In politics Mr. Stafford affiliates with the Democratic party. The portrait of Mr. Stafford may be found in this ALBUM, he being one of the representative citizens of this county. >,RONSON SMITH, who was widely and fav- orably known throughout Forest Township as one of its most highly esteemed citizens, and whose portrait is given in connection with this sketch, located upon the land which- com- prises his present homestead in February, 1865. It then bore little resemblance to its present appear- ance, being not far removed from its primitive con- dition, and, looking upon it now, it is hardly neces- sary to say that years of labor and hundreds of dollars have been employed in transforming the almost wild waste into the present valuable farm. Mr. Smith has not only distinguished himself as a thorough and skillful agriculturist, but has been in all respects a capable and useful citizen, generously interesting himself in the welfare of his neighbors, and always willing to contribute of his time and means to that which should build up his township and insure its settlement by an intelligent and enter- prising class of people. In his life labors he has enjoyed the society and encouragement of one of the best of women, who has brightened his home, strengthened his best purposes, and in all respects been his wise counselor and disinterested friend. His children have grown up around him under the best home training, and are fitted to take their stations in life as valued members of the community. Mr. Smith is of excellent New England ancestry, and was born in Washington, Litchtield Co., Conn., March 15, 1826. His forefathers were of English descent, and the first representatives of the family in I f 1 954 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I this country settled at Milford with the New Haven Colony, and with their descendants were mostly en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. The parents of our subject, William and Julia (Stone) Smith, spent the greater part of their lives in Washington, Conn., although the mother was a native of Middlebury, Conn. She lived to be eighty years of age, pass- ing away about 1878. William Smith departed this life some years previous to the decease of his wife, when seventy-seven years old. Their three chil- dren were: Bronson of our sketch; Ell. S., a manu- facturer of silver-plated ware at Birmingham, Conn., and Burke, who resides on the old homestead at Washington. Mr. Smith spent his childhood and youth amid the quiet scenes of farm life, attending the district school and making himself useful around the home when not employed with his studies. Upon reach- ing his majority, he entered a woolen-mill at Win- sted, Conn., where he remained two years, and then made his way to Augusta County, Va. On his way there he witnessed the inauguration of Gen. Zacharv Taylor as President of the United States. He taught school in Augusta County three years, and then engaged in farming, in the meantime mak- ing the acquaintance of Miss Mary E. Coyner, who became his wife in 1851. Mrs. Smith was born in Bridge water, Rockingham Co., Va., April 13, 1834, and is the daughter of Addison H. and Elizabeth (Brown) Coyner, also natives of the Old Dominion. The young people continued in Virginia until September, 1855, then started out with teams for the West. After a journey of seven weeks they arrived in McLean County, this State, and Mr. Smith purchased a tract of land in Dry Grove Township, where he followed farming until Febru- ary, 1865, when he sold out and secured possession of the land which he now occupies. Upon this not a furrow had been turned, but he worked persist- ently year after year, and in due time began to reap the reward of his industry. He has now 180 acres in a fine state of cultivation, and is largely engaged in dairying, keeping eighteen cows and disposing of the milk at Forest, a very convenient point, as his farm adjoins the city limits. He at one time owned 200 acres, but has laid off a portion of this into town lots. Mr. and Mrs. Smith became the parents of twelve children, eleven of whom are living and named as follows: Julia, William A., Lucy May, Fannie Bell, Howard P., Ethel Bronson, Coyner C., Frank E. B., Gertrude L., Mabel L. and Burke. Julia is the wife of Charles Shirrell. a wealthy farmer, owning prop- erty near Morris, 111.; William A. islivingat Forest; Fannie Bell married William Dixon, and is residing in Pleasant Ridge Township; Howard P. is married and resides in Forest. The deceased was a daugh- ter, Mary Ella, who died at the interesting age of fourteen years. Our subject and his wife were two of the' original six who organized the Congregational Church at Forest, the other four members being W. W. Payne, his wife and son, and Jerusha Chapman. Of this Mr. Smith has been a Trustee for twenty-two years. He has supported Republican principles since the organization of the party, and has represented his township in the County Board of Supervisors seven years. He has also officiated as Treasurer and oc- cupied the various other local offices. While a res- ident of Dry Grove Township he was Assessor six terms and also Supervisor one term. Socially, Mr. Smith belongs to the I. O. O. F., with which he has been connected since twenty-one years of age. He has always been a strict advocate of temperance, and has the proud satisfaction of see- ing his sons grow up around him with steady habits, and every prospect of bearing worthily the mantle of their honored father when he shall have departed hence. M/ N. BARR, who is located on section 17, Esmen Township, is one of the most active and progressive farmers and stock-raisers in Livingston County. He comes of Pennsyl- vania parentage, and was born in Lancaster County, July 6, 1833. He was the fourth in a family of eleven children born to Jacob and Susannah (Barr) Barr, who were also natives of Pennsylvania. The father was a fanner by occupation and moved to Ohio in 1836, settling in Clarke County, whore he farmed until his death, which occurred in 1848; his excellent wife died two years earlier. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 955 The maternal grandparents were Jacob and Fannie Bnrr, of whom nothing further is definitely known. Mr. Barr, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the common schools, with the additional advan- tage of the High School in the city. When his parents moved to Ohio he was only three years old, and his father died when he was fifteen years of age, leaving him dependent entirely upon his own resources. At that age he engaged at farm work, and continued it until 1855, although his ambition was to obtain an education and secure for himself a comfortable home. Not liking the op- portunities which were afforded in Ohio he con- cluded to come to the West, and stopped first in Kane County, 111., where he engaged in farm work one season. He then returned to Ohio, and spent the winter, after which he came to Livingston County, landing here on the 3d of April, 1856. At this time he purchased 160 acres of wild land upon which his home is now located, and immediately set about improving it, working energetically until 1862. In the winter of 1858-59 he had taught the district school near his farm. In 1862, on the 7th of August, Mr. Barr enlisted for the war in Company M, 1st Light Artillery, or- ganized by Capt. James B. Miller, who was shortly- after succeeded by George W. Spencer. The com- pany was mustered in at Camp Douglas, and was soon afterward sent to the Army of the Cumber- land, which was then under the command of Gen. Rosecrans. After leaving Illinois the company went first to Louisville, Ky., where it engaged in opposition to Gen. Bragg. The first winter was spent there in watching the maneuvers of Morgan. In the spring the company was attached to the gun- boat fleet, and went by water to Nashville, Term., whence they proceeded to the extreme right of the army, which rested at Franklin. The whole army then moved forward across Lookout Mountain, taking part in the battle of Chickamauga from the 18th to the 20th of September, and thence to Look- out Mountain and Mission Ridge, where they par- ticipated in part of those engagements. Then Sher- man took them to Kuoxville to relieve Gen. Burn- side, and the)' spent the winter at Strawberry Plains and Drawbridge. The)' returned to Charleston in March, and entered the Atlanta campaign on the 2d of Ma}% and went all through this campaign with the Army of the Cumberland. The engagements in which Mr. Barr participated were Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, Peachtree Creek, Atlanta, Buzzard's Roost, and other minor engagements. They were under continuous fire for ninety-six days, when the campaign wound up at Atlanta, about the 1st of October, 1884, and they passed the winter at Chat- tanooga. In the spring of 1865 they went to Cleve- land, Tenn., where they remained until July, when they were sent home to Camp Douglas, and mus- tered out on the 27th of July, 1 865, he having served within nine days of three years without injury, ex- cepting a slight wound received at Chickamauga. When Mr. Barr was discharged from the army he at once returned to his farm and began to pick up the threads of the old life. He farmed and raised stock, living by himself until the days of bachelor- hood were beginning to gain on him. On the 25th of December, 1872, Mr. Barr was married to Mrs. Laura (Chalmers) Barr, who was born in London, England, on the 10th of February, 1852, and was the only child born to her parents, both of whom died and left her an orphan at a very early age. She was adopted at the age of six months by William A. and Sophia Esterbrook, na- tives of this country, wealthy people who were re- siding in England for the benefit of their health at that time, and brought by them when they returned to America, when she was eighteen months old. For the first five years she was with them they re- sided at Chelsea, Vt., after which they moved to Fremont, Dodge Co., Neb., where they remained for five years, and then returned to New York and lived in the city for three years. They then re- turned to the same place in Nebraska, where they remained until the adopted daughter was married in 1869, to Elias A. Barr, a brother of our subject. The netvly married couple settled in Omaha and lived there for nearly two years, where the husband was engaged as telegraph operator at Gilmore. While in the discharge of his duty as an employe of the railroad company he was accidentally killed by the cars on the 5th of November, 1870. Immediately after the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Barr they occupied the farm where they have since resided. They became the parents of four children, 956 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. r two of whom are living, Lutie A. and Lorenzo N.; the other two died in infancy. When Esmen Town- ' ship was first organized Mr. Barr was made Col- lector and served two years. He has been Trustee for three terms, and Constable for several years. He is not particular!} 7 active in political matters, but supports the measures and candidates of the Re- publican party. He and his wife take a prominent part in all the social affairs of the neighborhood, and with the people among whom they live stand deservedly high. Their home is one of the most pleasant in the township, and is well provided with all things necessary to make it comfortable. As indicative of the prosperity enjoyed in this section of the country we present on an adjoining page a view of Mr. Barr's residence with its sur- roundings. RNOLD THORNTON, who after a long life of active business, which included > farming, merchandising and discharging official duties, has retired to private life at Pontiac, where he proposes to spend the remainder of his days in rest and quiet, was born on the 4th of November, 1819, and is the son of Anthony and Ann L. (Barrett) Thornton, who were natives of Virginia. The grandfather was Dr. Henry, and the grandmother, Mrs. (Buckner) Thornton, who were of English ancestry, and were among the early settlers of Virginia. The mother's father was Fran- cis Barrett, a native of Virginia, who was for seven years a soldier in the Revolutionary War. An- thony Thornton, after marriage, was engaged in hotel-keeping for a time, and the last tweiitj'-five years of his life was Sheriff of Green County, Ky. Their family consisted of eight children, only three of whom are now living Arnold, John F. and James T. Anthony Thornton died in 1828 or 1829 in Oldham County, fifteen miles above Louisville, while on the way to visit his father, who resided in Virginia. Arnold Thornton was reared in the village of Greensburg, Green Co., Ky., where he attended school until 1833. With his mother's family, then comprising four sons and two daughters, he came to Illinois and settled on Man vision Creek, Mor- gan County, where they engaged in farming for two years. They then went to Snngamon County, where they bought a farm and remained about eight- een years. The part where they settled was after- ward formed into Menard County. The subject of this sketch then went to Putnam County with his brother, James T., where they engaged in merchan- dising at Magnolia for ten years, when Arnold moved to Henry, Marshall County, where he en- gaged in merchandising and grain-buying and con- ducting a private bank for a short time. In the fall of 1871 Mr. Thornton removed to Pontiac, and for two years engaged in buying grain. Previous to his coming to Livingston County, he had pur- chased 160 acres of land in Pike Township, and about 1872 purchased 170 acres in Eppard's Point Township, and in 1875 moved onto this farm where he resided for four years. In 1879 he was elected Treasurer of Livingston County, and again moved into Pontiac. He held this position until 1883. His previous office-holding was that of Justice of the Peace in Menard and Putnam Counties. At the expiration of his term as Treasurer, ^he pur- chased a stock of hardware, to which he added groceries, and conducted the mercantile business tor three years, when he sold his store and retired from active business life. Mr. Thornton was married to Miss Mary J. Fyffe, March 18, 1856. She is a native of Putnam County, 111., where she was born Nov. 14, 1836, and daughter of Dr. E. P. and Sarah (Robinson) Fyffe, who were natives of Ohio. Dr. Fyffe was born in 1810, and moved to Urbana, Ohio, in 1837. He was a cndet at West Point, studied medicine, and was admitted to practice at Oxford, Ohio, at the age of twenty-one. He took a very prominent part in the late war, serving in a high official posi- tion under Gen. Rosecrans. He was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General, and for a consider- able time was in command at the barracks at Wash- ington City. He was the father of six children, one son and three daughters of whom nre now liv- ing: Joseph, who is a commander at the navy yard at Boston, and was in the expedition sent in search of Dr. Kane, the Arctic explorer; <.Jueen Victoria , presented each officer of this expedition with a sil- t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 959 ver medal. He was in the Mexican War when lie was but fifteen years old. Maximilla, now the wife of F. J. Crawford, a well-known attorney of Chi- cago; Mary J., Mrs. A. Thornton; Sarah, Mrs. M. H. Weaver, of Urbana, Ohio. Gen. E. P. Fyffe's father was William II. Fyffe, a native of Virginia, who removed to Kcntuck}' and then to Champaign Count}', Ohio, where the General was born, at Ur- bana, being the first white child born in that place. Gen. Fyffe died in his native town in 1866, and his wife died at the same place in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton have had a family of ten children, of whom eight are living, namely: Ed- ward M., who married Ella Hudson, and they have three children, named Wilbur, Harry and Edna; the other children are, Joseph, Nell, Sarah F., Max F., James R.. Robert A. and Alice L. Mr. Thorn- ton is an enthusiastic member of the Republican party, is a Mason of long standing, and in all re- spects is one of the solid men of the county, and has been prominent in all her affairs since his resi- dence here. During this time he lias built three good houses in Marshall County. His present dwelling is a handsome one. Mrs. Thornton is a member of the Presbyterian Church. The portrait accompanying this sketch of its well-known subject will be greatly appreciated by Mr. Thornton's many friends. HOMAS SPAFFORD, who is a representa- \ live and reputable farmer and stock-raiser of Saunemin Township, is a native of Lin- colnshire, England, and was born Jan. 28, 1827. He is the son of John and Sarah (Sibsey) Spafford, both natives of England. Of a family of ten chil- dren born to his parents the following survive: Robert, of Saunemin Township; Thomas, our sub- ject; Betsy, wife of David Johnson, who resides near London. Ontario ; Sarah, wife of William Beed- hani, and William, the latter two in England. Our subject was reared to man's estate in his native country, and received a good common-school edu- cation. He has been a constant reader all his life, and is well versed in general business matters and informed upon all public questions. In the fall of 1850, Mr. Spafford emigrated to America, taking passage at Liverpool, and after an ocean voyage of five weeks in the sailing-vessel 'New World," landed in New York City, and pro- ceeded immediately to Buffalo, N. Y. He remained in that city nearly one year, during which time he ran a meat-market stand. He then left New York and went to Fountain County, Ind., where he began farming on rented land. He remained in that county until the spring of 1 806, in which year he came to Livingston County, and settled on section 21, in Saunemin Township, in 1858. The quarter section of land on which he resides he originally entered from the Government in 1853, having been on a prospecting tour in this county during that year. There had not been a furrow turned on this land when he came here, and there were not more than half a dozen settlers in Saunemin Towship. He has seen the land of his township developed from its primitive condition and converted into smiling fields and splendid farms. Mr. Spafford has become an extensive land-owner, and his 900 acres located in Livingston and Kankakee Counties, are evidences of his business accjmplishments. When he first landed in Buffalo, N. Y., he had about $100 in money with which to begin the struggle of life in the New -World. He has succeeded beyond his most sanguine expectations. On the 20th of May, 1853, Mr. Spafford was married in Fountain County, Ind., to Mar}' A. Jor- don, a native of Wales, who was born Oct. 15, 1831. She was the daughter of David Edwards, a Welsh- man by birth. At the time of her marriage to Mr. Spafford she was the widow of John Jordon, of Fountain County, Ind. The union of Mr. and Mrs. Spafford was blest with six children, four of whom are living: Sarah, born July 3, 1854, is the wife of Zadoc Hudgin, of Kankakee, 111.; Betsy, born June 11. I860; Minnie, born Oct. 19, 1863, is the wife of John Watts, of Saunemin Township; Anna was born Aug. 19, 1866. Two sons, both named John, died in infancy. The wife who was his helpmate and companion for more than twenty- eight years, departed this life on the 9th of No- vember, 1881, leaving many friends to mourn her demise. Mr. Spafford is a Republican in politics and has I ^ 960 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. served as Township School Trustee and Assessor for a number of years. For". fifteen years he served as Justice of the Peace, and was first elected as Supervisor of his township in 1868, and wrth the exception of one 3 r ear has officiated in that capacity continuously since. He is now serving his seventh year as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, in which capacity he has proved himself of much value to the county. He takes an active interest in every- thing that will develop the resources of and improve the county. He is a member of the Congregational Church, and contributes to its support and also assists other churches as well. In early life he was an Episcopalian. He is public spirited and liberal minded, and commands the esteem and confidence of all who know him, and now in his declining years is enjo3 r ing the fruits of a life spent in usefulness and well doing. As a man of this lygh character we place in this connection the portrait of Mr. Spafford. eORNELIUSW. STICKNEY, cditofand pro- 1 prietor of the Forest Rambler, was the first male child born in what was then the village of East Bradford, Mass., but is now Groveland. He first opened his eyes to the light March 9, 1850, and is a direct descendant through six generations of Samuel Stickney, who emigrated from England, and located in Massachusetts in the Colonial days. The father of our subject, Leonard W. Stickney, was also born in East Bradford, Mass., in 1821. He learned the trade of shoemaking in early man- hood, and was married to Miss Susan J. Streeter, a native of Portland, Me. Five years after the birth of their son, Cornelius W., they migrated to Illinois and located in Free port, where the father engaged in the shoe business, carry ing on both wholesale and retail trade. ]|_In 1860 he transported his merchan- dise to Denver, Col., and continued the same busi- ness there about four years. Then selling out, he went to Virginia City, thence to Helena. Mont., and purchasing a stock of books and stationery, carried on a very lucrative trade, and accumulated a fine property. He was quite prominent as a citi- zen, and identified with many important enterprises of the young and rapidly growing town. As is often the case, however, misfortune finalh' sought him out, and his stock of goods, together with the building, were one night totally destroyed by fire. All of his assets were employed to pay the 100 cents on the dollar, which he persisted in doing, and set- tled satisfactorily with every creditor. He had been carrying an insurance of $26,000, but the great Chicago fire occurred eight days later, and before he could prove his loss to the companies of that city, in which he held policies, they were broken up and he only received $1,600. Upon the complete settlement of his business a year later, he returned with his family to Illinois, and located near Normal. Soon afterward he was stricken with paralysis, which, however, only disabled him for a short time, and had no effect whatever upon his bright and vigorous mind. Thereafter he kept himself em- ployed some of the time in keeping hotel, and in speculating in a small way. He finally died of apoplexy at Bloomington on the 1st of December, 1874. The father of our subject is remembered as a well-educated and well-bred gentleman, one who was strictly honest and upright in his dealings with his fellowrnen, and who looked with contempt upon a mean action. He was but fifty-three years of age at the time of his death, which was hastened by mental labor. He possessed those genial qualities of heart and mind which drew around him a large circle of friends, by whom his name is held in kindly remembrance. Mrs. Stickney is still living and a resident of Forest, where she carries on a milliner}' business, and is in good health. Of the three chil- dren comprising the parental family. Elias V. died when an interesting young man of twent3*-one years of age; Susie C. resides with her mother. Mr. Stickney was fairly educated in his youth, and when sixteen years old joined his father in Montana, and assisted in carrying on the business there. He had always been fond of hooks, and was an extensive reader, and earl}' in life gave evidence of literary talent. His first editorial experience was a.- a member of the local staff of the Helena Daily Herald, in which he acquitted himself creditably, and evinced his adaptation to newspaper work. In 1871 he returned to Illinois and employed himself K-JB-* LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 9fil at whatever he could find to do to assist the family and himself also. He was connected with the hotel which his father carried on in Bloomington, and there made the acquaintance of Miss Juliet F. Win- sor, who became his wife Oct. 28, 1875. Mrs. Stickney was born near Atlanta, this State, June 9, 1853, and is the daughter of Daniel and Anna R. (Brown) Winsor. They were natives of Rhode Island respectively, and the maternal grand- father of our subject was at one time a custom house officer at Providence, R. I. The young people made their home first in Bloomington, 111., where they continued a year, then removed to Olney, 111., where Mr. S. was employed in the office of the Olney Daily Ledger. The year following he returned to Bloomington and assisted his mother in the manage- ment of the St. Nicholas Hotel, which she conducted several years after her husband's death. Our subject, however, felt at home in no place so much as in a newspaper office. He accordingly, in 1878, purchased the Chenoa Gazette, the publica- tion of which he conducted until the fall of 1883, then coming to this county, established the Forest Rambler, which has now become one of the indis- pensable institutions of the town and vicinity. The Rambler is a six-column, eight-page quarto, Re- publican in politics, and eminently successful. As a news journal little more could be required, and its editorial columns are presided over in a wise and sensible manner. Mr. Stickney expresses his opin- ions fearlessly, and is one of the most loyal adher- ents of the Republican party. He became identified with the Masonic fraternity in 1871, in which he has made considerable advance, being in the Royal Arch degree. Mr. and Mrs. Stickney's family now includes but two little ones, May C. and Lillie &., their only son, Merl, having died at the age of eleven months. 4 \w] AMES LOVELOCK, who owns 200 acres of j land on section 31, Smmemin Township, where he is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, has been a resident of Illinois for twenty-five years. He is a native of llanning- tou, Hampshire, England, where he was born on the 15th of May, 1829. At the age of fifty-nine years he finds himself comfortably situated and surrounded, the possessor of a competency to secure ease and comfort during the balance of his life. The parents of our subject were George and Mary (Palmer) Lovelock, both natives of England. Mr. Lovelock remained in England until he reached the years of manhood, and received but a meager education, the advantages offered in that country in those days being very much limited. In 1 85 1 he emigrated to America, taking passage on the 9th of May, at London, on the sailing-vessel "Vic- toria," which brought him safely across the At- lantic, and he landed at New York on the 10th of June. Immediately upon arriving on our shores he went directly to Michigan, where he secured em- ployment on a farm for about two years, and then went to LaPorte County, Ind., where he remained until 1863, when he came to Livingston County, and has here since continuously resided. On the 18th of June, 1855, Mr. Lovelock vyas married, in Indiana, to Mcna Thomas, who was born in Germany, June 8, 1830, and is the daugh- ter of Lewis and Carrie (Brownberger) Thomas. In 1854 she accompanied her parents when they immigrated to America, and settled in Michigan City, Ind., where they both died. To Mr. and Mrs. Lovelock have been born eleven children, who arc recorded as follows: Amelia was born in 1855; Scott, June 23, 1857; Charles, Dec. 10, 1859; Frank, Aug. 17, 1861; James T., Sept. 14, 1863; Nancy, Sept. 9, 1865; Julia, Aug. 27, 1867; George, April 6, 1869; Albert P., Jan. 12, 1874, and two who are dead. Lorenzo D. and one who died in infancy. Although Mr. Lovelock's first residence in Liv- ingston County was begun under discouraging cir- cumstances lie has, through hard work, economy and good management, succeeded in securing a good farm of 200 acres, which has been for many years under excellent cultivation. He has also erected'a good class of farm buildings and made other suita- able improvements. Mr. Lovelock is a Democrat in politics, but has never allowed his political en- thusiasm to carry him in the direction of office- seeking. For a number of years he has served as School Director, and in that capacity has given sat- 962 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i isfaction to the people. He is a representative citi- zen of the township and county, and he and his family are reputable members of society. As representative of the buildings in this section ; of country we present on another page a view of Mr. Lovelock's residence. HOLAS ZEPH. The name of this gen- III tleman is held iir kindly remembrance by the people of Owego Township as having been one of its most worthy citizens. He was born in the Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, Sept. 6, 1 807, and was the son of John and Monita Zeph, also of German birth and parentage. He was reared to manhood in his native Province, where he re- mained until over forty years of age, and then, in the spring of 1848, set sail for America, landing first in the city of New York, whence he afterward went to Kentucky, where he spent two years, then migrated to Warren County, Ohio. After a resi- dence of three years in the Buckeye State he started for the farther West, locating first in Tazewell County, this State, and coming thence to Living- ston Count}' in 1858. He took up a tract of un- cultivated prairie land on section 18, in Owego Township, and at once commenced its improve- ment and cultivation, establishing a permanent homestead, upon which he remained until his death, which occurred Sept. 22, 1871. Mr. Zeph was married, in his native Province, Dec. 31, 1832, to Miss Franciska Zimmerer, and they became the parents of twelve children, seven now living and located as follows: Mathias is en- gaged as a car inspector at Indianapolis, Ind. ; The- resa is the wife of John Schneider, of Pontiac ; Elizabeth is the widow of F. X. Schneider, of Jay County, Ind.; Gertrude married Theodore Shaffer, and is a resident of Iowa: Emma is the wife of An- ton ZimiiHTi'r, a resident of Nebraska City, Neb.: Eva, Mrs. Frederick Ficnhold, resides in Crawford County, Iowa; Randolph occupies the home farm in Owego Township. Mr. Zeph and his family were in nowise exempt from the difficulties and hardships of pioneer life. The father strugifli'd bravely with the hardships of a new country and a strange land, but in due time received his reward in a home and a competency, together with the highest respect and esteem of his neighbors. The first dwelling was a log cabin of rude construction, which the family occupied un- til enabled to put up a more convenient, and com- modious structure. Each year added something to the appearance and value of the farm, until it was finally enclosed with good fences, and besides the dwelling a good barn and other suitable out-build- ings had been erected. Mr. Zeph was noted for his piety, and sought at every opportunity, by word and deed, to exert a good influence upon those around him, and let fall those little seeds of truth and goodness which should in the course of time bear their fruit. He was decidedly in favor of every enterprise tending to improve and elevate the condition of the people. After becoming a naturalized citizen he identified himself with the Republican part}', and was bitterly opposed to the "peculiar institution" which involved human slavery and the setting aside of those rights which are now becoming recognized by every nation upon the face of the earth. In his demise, not only Owego Township, but Livingston County, lost one of its best citizens, and his family their truest friend and counselor. Mrs. Franciska Zeph, now a lady seventy -nine years of age, still resides on the homestead estab- lished by her husband when they were in the prime of life and watching with interest their children growing up around them. She proved in every re- spect a suitable helpmeet of her husband, and en- joys the respect and esteem of all who know her. Her husband, at his death, left her an estate includ- ing 160 acres of land in Owego Township, the ac- cumulation of a life of toil and self-denial, and which proves a fine illustration of that which may be accomplished by persevering industry. He had commenced in life a poor man, and pursued his straightforward course unaided by other means than his strong hands and resolute will. Randolph Zeph was born in Germany, April 14, 1848, and came to America with his mother and other members of the family and joined his father in 1851. He was reared to farm life, pursued his studies in the district school and became proficient as a teacher, being thus employed several terms RESIDENCE OF RANDOLPH ZEPH, SEC. IO.OWEGO TOWNSHIP. STOCK FARM OFJHON MINARO.SEC 10. LONG POINT TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 965 after completing his studies. He was married on the 4tli of October, 1877, to Miss Alpha, the daughter of David G. and Clara E. Watts, who were residents of McLean County but are now de- ceased. Her father served as a soldier in the late war. and was killed at Kennesaw Mountain. The mother survived until 1884. Of this union there were born two children Walter P., Aug. 31, IST'J, and Olive, Sept. 12, 1883. Mr. Z. and his wife are members of the Baptist Church, and the former has filled various important positions in that society. Upon becoming a voter he identified himself with the Republican party, and has been quite promi- nent in local affairs, serving as Township Clerk, with the exception of one year, continuously since 1878. Like his father before him, he takes a warm interest in the progress of the people around him, supporting and encouraging those enterprises cal- culated to advance the interests of the community morally and educationally. Pleasant Zeph, an elder son, served as a Union soldier during the late war, suffering all the hard- ships and privations incident to army life, and thereby contracted an incurable disease which re- sulted in his death after his return home on fur- lough, his decease occurring March 4, 1862. A view of the old home is given in this ALBUM. 1 OHN MINARD, who is largely engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 10, Long Point Township, was born near Lon- don, Upper Canada. Nov. 20, 1828. He is the son of George and Elizabeth (Dingham) Minard, who were natives of New York and Vermont re- spectively. The father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and during that time the necessities of life cost so much as to be almost beyond the reach of people of ordinary means, his wife paying as high as S3 a pound for tea. On returning from the war he cradled wheat when the ice would fly from the heads of the grain, and the excessive cold weather of that year destroyed the potato crop. To the parents of Mr. Minard were born eleven children, whose names are as follows: Mary, Polly, Solomon, William, David, John, Julia, Wealthy, George, Rosit and Abigail. Mary married Daniel Boogner, and died in 1886; Polly married David Dingman, had eight children, and is deceased ; her husband died in Canada in 1884. Solomon mar- ried Betsy Burr, and is a retired farmer living in Anwan; William died in La Porte Count}', Ind., at the age of eighteen years; David married Miss Susie Hodge, and died in Kansas in 1885; John, the subject of this sketch; Julia married David Dingman, who was the husband of her deceased sister Polly: Wealthy was married to Archie Mc- Fedron; they are both dead, leaving one child liv- ing. George, now a resident of Nebraska, was mar- ried to Miss Dingman, who died leaving six chil- dren; Abigail married John Smyth; they are both deceased, leaving two children. Rosit died in La- Salle County, 111. John Minard, our subject, came to Illinois in 1835, and received his education in the log-cabin school-houses of that day. At that time the com- pensation of a teacher was $3 per scholar for a term, of four months, which was paid by the parents. Mr. Minard's first arrival in Livingston County was on the 17th of September, 1856. February 14, 1849, Mr. Minard was married to Elizabeth Ann (Dingman) Hall, widow of Joel Hall. At the time of her marriage with Mr. Min- ard, she had four children. To Mr. and Mrs. Min- ard were born five children, as follows: Sophrouia, who married Herman Warner, and has a family of five girls and three boys; George, whodied in 1853, at eighteen months old; Ira, who married Ida Bush; they have a family of four children, and re- side in this county. Charlie, who married Alice Tullis ; they have two bo3's and reside in this county. Elizabeth, who married Charlie Walston; they have a family of four children, and reside on a farm in Dawson County, Neb. Mr. Minard, or as he is more familiarly known, " Uncle Tommy," was employed on a canal from Chicago to Michigan in 1836, and was engaged in carrying liquor, which was issued to the men to the amount of sixteen ''jiggers" a day, and when one would become so intoxicated that he could not walk the plank, he was discharged, After this he went to Beloit, and staid there about three years, and returned home in 1842. In 1852 he crossed Jr- 966 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the plains, and returned on the llth of March, 1 854, having been gone two years and nineteen days. On the journey out, the train consisted of twenty-seven wagons, and when they had reached the south fork of the Loup River, they were at- tacked by the Indians. The men composing the expedition soon formed in line of battle, which caused the Indians to retreat. In crossing the mountains, Mr. Minard on August 4 passed over snow which was seventeen feet deep. Upon arriv- ing at Sail Francisco, he conclnded to make the re- turn trip by water, which he did in twenty-one days to New York. Mr. Minard now owns 540 acres of well-im- ! proved land, fifty of which are well timbered. There are four dwelling-houses on the land, which i are occupied by those engaged in cultivating it. There are on this farm 5,000 rods of tile ditch. Mr. Minard also owns forty acres of land in Cal- houn County, Iowa. In the way of stock he raises and deals in some of the finest in the county; one French Norman horse now on his farm weighs 1,800 pounds. He engages largety in raising Short-horn and Polled-Angus cattle of the purest strains, and also hogs and sheep of the best blood. Mr. Minard is a member of the Christian Church, in which he is an active worker, as also was his wife who is now deceased. In politics, he is a Repub- lican of strong Prohibition proclivities. In all re- spects he is a highly influential and respected citi- zen, broad-minded and liberal in his views, and an advocate of all matters relating to the betterment of the people. A view of Mr. Minard's homestead is given in this volume. JOHN W. RUDD. a ns.tive of Peoria, this State, came to Livingston County in 1879, and is now numbered among the leading I farmers and stock-raisers of Forest Town- ship, where he is finely located on section 8. He deals mostly in Short-horn cattle, having some full- bloods and keeping a herd of about forty-five head. His horses are mostly Normans, and the farm where he carries on this department of agriculture is one of the most desirable in Central Illinois. Although not particularly extensive, embracing but 120 arn-, the whole is in a fine state of cultivation and sup- plied with modern and substantial buildings. Our subject was born Nov. 29, 18");"). :uid when a child removed with his parents to Wood ford County, where he was reared and remained until twenty-three years of age. His parents, John and Mary (Haudford) Rudd, were natives of England, and came to the United States about 1847. They at once sought the Prairie State and located in Peoria County, where the father carried on farm- ing several years and then took up his residence in Woodford County, where lie now lives. He also is largely engaged in stock-raising, and is quite prominent in local politics, voting the straight Republican ticket, and earnest!}' supporting the principles of the party with which he identified himself soon after becoming a citizen of the United States. The parental family included four chil- dren: James married Miss Mary Ililsebeck, and is farming in Forest Township; the}' have six children, three boys and three girls. William II. married Miss Hannah Townsend, and they have two chil- dren, a son and daughter; Mary E. is the wife of William Channing, who is farming in Belle Prairie Township. Mr. Rudd remained with his parents until twen- ty-one years old, in the meantime becoming fa- miliar with farm pursuits and acquiring a fail- education. He then, with money given him by his father, purchased forty acres of land in Green Township, Woodford County, which he sold two years later to purchase his present farm. He was married, Nov. 3, 1874, to Miss Mattie Sunilie, of Fulton County, and the daughter of Weddon and Hannah (Bocock) Smilie, who were natives of Pennsylvania, and engaged in fanning there until 1874. Upon coining to Illinois Mr. S. purchased hotel property in Benson, where he still lives, en- gaged as "mine host." The mother died in 1882. Their family included five daughters and three sons, who are now mostly residents of Woodford County. One (laughter resides in Kansas, one in Nebraska, and Mrs. Rudd is the wife of our subject. Tlie children of Mr. :ind .Mrs. Rudd, three boys and two girls, were named respectively: Lilly Dell, t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 967 Hattie May, Jesse LaMoine, John Oscar and Claude Howard, all at home with their parents. Mr. Rudd is Republican in politics, and has served as Director in his school district seven years, and is still holding the office. fif/OHN McGEE is the owner of 400 acres of land in Sunbuiy and Nevada Townships, the most of which is under a splendid state of cultivation. Mr. McGee was born in x~s^ County Armagh, Ireland, on the 17th of August, 1811, and is the son of John McGee, who was born in the town of Corcullentramere, where the grand- father of our subject, also John Mt-Gee, was born and spent his entire life engaged in fanning, The father of our subject was reared upon a farm, and learning the trade of weaver and draper, he divided his time between farming and following his trade, and spent his entire life in his native ,town. The maiden name of his wife was Mary Mulholland, who was born in County Armagh, and there spent her life. They were the parents of nine children, seven of whom grew to maturity, while the subject of our sketch was the only one who came to Amer- ica. He was reared to manhood in his native town, where he was engaged principally in farming until 1841, when he went to Scotland and engaged at work on a railroad. He had been there but a few days when a call from his brother required his re- turn home, where he remained six months, and re- turning to Scotland, he was variously engaged for one year. After a shcrt visit to England he re- turned to his home in Ireland, where he lived one year, and then returning to Scotland, he remained until 1849, when, after visiting England, Ireland and the Isle of Man, he embarked for America in 1850. Mr. McGee landed at Quebec, Canada, and went from there direct to Montreal, and thence to La- chine, where he engaged in railroad work, and re- ceived a compensation of four shillings per day. After a short time, however, he went to Ogdens- burg, N. Y., where he secured work on the railroad til ninety cents per day, and saving $13 of his wages, he returned to Canada and engaged work on a steamer on Lake Ontario at $16 per mouth. Af- ter making three trips he joined an uncle in Os- wego, N. Y., with whom he staid a few months, when he went to Pittsburgh and engaged at rail- road work at eighty-seven and one-half cents per day. After a few weeks he went on a coal boat to Memphis, Tenn, receiving $65 for the trip, and found employment in that city at wheeling coal, for which he received $1.50 per day. After work- ing one and one-half days he contracted with another man at $2, and was in his emplo3 7 for over three years. After this he went to Kentucky, and engaged in mining for a short time at Milford's mine, after which, until 1863, he was engaged in coal mines at various places. In 1863 Mr. McGee bought a house and a half block of ground in the city of LaSalle, and lived there until 1869, when he bought eighty acres of land on section 14, in Sunbury Township, this county, to which his family moved during the year, although Mr. McGee still continued in LaSalle, where he had charge of three shafts. In 1870 he purchased a farm of 160 acres, where he now re- sides, and owns altogether 400 acres of land. He has devoted very little of his own time to farming, for, after quitting active work in the mines, his services as an overseer were constantly sought for by mine owners in times of emergency, and he lias thus been employed at various places. In 1863 Mr. McGee was married to Mrs. Teresa Clancy, who is a native of Kings County, Ire- land, and the daughter of Michael and Teresa (Ea- gan) Kelley, and widow of William Clancy. Her parents were both natives of Kings Count}', where they passed their entire lives. By her first mar- riage Mrs. McGee was the mother of two children, Michael and Charles. Mr. and Mrs. McGee both belong to the Catholic Church, in which they take a leading part. Mr. McGee takes an independent stand in political matters, putting his ballot where it will do the most good, regardless of the political party to which the man for whom he votes belongs. As the reader will observe, he has been an extensive traveler and is a man of varied experience. Wher- ever he has gone he has been a close observer, and acquainted himself with the ways and manners of 968 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the people among whom he lived. He is an ex- tensive reader, and from that cause and personal experience, is a man of very wide information. On another page of this volume may be found a view of Mr. McGee's residence with its surround- ings. J~~]AMES TREDENICK brought with him I from the other side of the Atlantic those sub- stantial and reliable qualities which have ' constituted him one of the most highly re- spected citizens of Sullivan Township, the owner of a good property, and closely identified with its business and agricultural interests. His valuable and highly cultivated farm of 110 acres is pleas- antly located on section 9, and forms one of the most attractive spots in the landscape of that sec- tion. Here, for the last sixteen years, he has la- bored as a successful tiller of the soil, and has in all respects distinguished himself as an honest man and a good citizen. Mr. Tredenick is a native of Devonshire, En- gland, where his birth took place in March, 1831. The household of his parents, Thomas and Susan (James) Tredenick, included ten children, of whom James was the fifth in order of birth. The family is of English ancestry for generations back, and the father of our subject, like those before him, lived iu his native county, engaged in agricultural pur- suits until his death, which occurred in 1861. The faithful wife and devoted mother had passed away some years before. James Tredenick was reared to farm life in his native county, and received a fair education in the common schools. He continued in that locality until twentj'-six years of ngc, when, dissatisfied with his condition and prospects, <>n the 22d of April, 1857, he set sail at Plymouth on the vessel ' Persella, " and af ter a fair voyage of MX weeks, landed in the city of Quebec. Canada. He had ac- quaintance.- at Hamilton, Ontario, among whom lu> spent two weeks pleasantly, and then came into the I'nited States, migrating west into ( irundy County. 111. Here he secured employment as a farm la- borer, and after four years thus employed, cm- barked in agriculture on his own account in the same county. Before leaving his native land our subject was united in marriage with a maiden of Devonshire, Miss Jane Stadden, who was born in Cornwall in 1837, and became his wife in the spring of 18fj6. She cheerfully followed her husband in his various wanderings, and proved to him at all times a faith- ful friend and counselor. He was deprived of the companionship of this excellent woman, her death taking place in Mona Township, Ford County, Dee. 16, 1879. Of this union there were born four chil- dren, namely: John James, who is married and living in Iowa; Mary, now Mrs. Kewly, of Ford County, and residing with her husband on the farm of her father, consisting of 160 acres; Charles Henry and Willie, at home. Our subject, previous to the death of his wife, had purchased 160 acres of raw prairie in Mona Township, Ford County, of which he had taken possession with his family in 1870, and whence he removed to his present pur- chase in 1873. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Dec. 12, 1883, was formerly Mrs. Susan (Ridd) Kingdom, widow of W. H. Kingdon and the eldest child of George and Susannah (Thorn) Ridd, natives of Devonshire, England, where their daughter Susan was also born. She remained there with her parents until reaching womanhood and was married to Mr. Kingdon, after which they came to Illinois and located on a farm in Sullivan Township, which Mr. Kingdon had purchased in company with his brother. He afterward sold his interest in this property, and in 1872 purchased ninety-one acres of improved land, where he began building up a homestead. He was cut down in his prime, his death occurring July 16, 1882, in Cow- ley County, Kan., whither he had gone hoping to benefit his health. Mr. Kingdon was a native of Devonshire, England, and was born in 1838. Dur- ing the late war he enlisted as a I'niou soldier in Company M, llth Illinois Cavalry, serving three years, and receiving his honorable discharge on the !>th of June, l6."i. lie acquitted himself credit- ably, both as a soldier and cit.i/rn, and while in the army was one of the aide; of Gen. Grant. Before, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 96, 184 ( J,at the age of thirty- nine years, having spent a busy and exemplary Christian life. The boyhood of our subject was spent on the farm, and after receiving a common-school educa- tion, he left home when fourteen years of age to t t ' 970 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. seek his fortune. He was remarkably self-reliant, and proceeded alone to the city of Lowell, Mass., where lie engaged in farming, and remained until the spring of 1862. He was then a youth of nine- teen years, lie returned home about the time of the outbreak of the late Civil War, and gaining the re- luctant consent of his father, he enlisted in Com- pany A. isth Maine Infantry. He was mustered into the service at Bangor, Aug. 21, 1862, and three days later left with his regiment for Washing- ton, where he joined the forces in defense of the city. .Ian. 1. 1803, his regiment was re-orgauized, and was afterward known as the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery, and garrisoned Ft. Simmer, Md., until the 15th of May, 1864. In the meantime young Parsons had been pro- moted Corporal, and his regiment was assigned for active duty at the front, and was a part of the 1st Brigade, 3d Division, 2d Army Corps. Its first im- portant engagement was at Spottsylvania, Va., and the day following received a baptism of fire at the Bloody Angle, losing in killed and wounded, 476 men. They repulsed the rebels, however, and a congratulatory letter was issued by Gen. Meade, praising the regiment for its bravery. It was now engaged in a series of battles, in nearly all of which young Parsons was present, and June 18 found them before Petersburg, where occurred one of the most disastrous undertakings of the war. It is thus described by an eye witness, Gen. Robert McAllis- ter, in "The Charge of the First Heavy Artillery." He says: "In all of my arm}' experience no scene of carnage and suffering is so impressed on my mind as that fatal charge made by this regiment on the 18th of June, 1864 On the morning of this day we moved forward on the enemy's works, and car- ried the first line with little difficulty, as the enemy was retreating to the stronger line in the rear. Ar- riving in front of the latter we found it manned by a strong force of artillery and infantry, and after a little delay I was ordered to advance on the enemy's works. Upon going forward the rebels poured upon the brigade a terrific storm of shot, shell and musketry, and my men fell like forest leaves under a hailstorm. Seeing the utter impos- sibility of advancing farther we dropped down, planted our standard along the line and kept up the fire. I sent a messenger to division headquarters and asked for instructions. The orders were to retire from the position. In doing this I lost heav- ily. Upon reporting to Gen. Mott for orders I was instructed to place my brigade on the reserve for action. I asked, 'Where is my old brigade?' Gen. Mott replied, 'Just going in where you came out.' I exclaimed, 'God help them !' He asked, 'Why ?' I answered, 'They cannot advance on those works; they cannot live; the enfilade fire will cut them down.' As I said this an aide from headquarters rode up and said to the General, 'Order the ad- vance at once,' and it was done. "The brigade moved off, your fine regiment handsomely in the front. You went gallantly not to meet success, that was impossible. In a few min- utes, out of your regiment, which had advanced 900 strong, 632 were laid low on the battle-field, there being left but 268 men out of the number who went into the fight, 115 being killed outright. Darkness soon overspread the field, but the vigilance of the enemy prevented the removal of the wounded. All that night we could distinctly hear their groans and cries for help, but no succor could be given them on account of the incessant fire. My brigade worked the whole night long to push our works for- ward so that we might rescue them. "That terrible night at last broke into another, day, when the battle continued with renewed vigor. The sun poured down on the dying and wounded, and amid the rattling of musketry and roaring of cannon, we heard our comrades crj'ing 'Water! Water!' No language can be too strong in its praise of this gallant regiment in that noble and heroic charge, when about three- fourths of your number fell, fighting for their country." It is claimed by well-informed men that this regi- ment lost in that fearful onset more men in killed and wounded than any other regiment in any charge during the entire Civil War. On July 30, 1 864, occurred the famous mine explosion at Peters- burg. Col. Daniel Chaplin, commanding the regi- ment, was wounded August 17. and expired in Phil- adelphia three days later. His dying message was, "Tell the boys to obey orders and never flinch." The regiment was under constant fire at Ft. Hell, the hottest place on the lines, for forty da3's, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 971 \v,-is present at the surrender of Lee's army at Ap- pomattox. While at Ft. Hell Corporal Parsons was promoted Sergeant, and for a time acted as Or- derly Sergeant. According to Col. C. W. Tilden the State of Maine is said to have furnished more troops for the war than any other State in proportion to its pop- ulation. The 1st Maine Cavalry was in more battles than any other cavalry regiment, and no flag be- longing to a Maine regiment was captured by the enemy during the war. The record shows that this regiment lost more men in battle, in killed and wounded, than any other regiment during the war. but the proud distinction was purchased by the life- blood of hundreds of Maine's bravest men in the flower of their youth. The historian stands appalled at the loss of life in two engagements alone, those at Spottsylvania and before Petersburg, which numbered alone more than a full regiment, 1,108 brave soldiers. In the face of facts like these all fair- minded soldiers will readily admit the 1st Heav}- Artillery of Maine as among the bravest and most gallant regiments in the war. Sergt. Parsons was with his regiment at the fall of Petersburg and the surrender of Lee at Appomat- tox Court House, and returned with it to the State of Maine, where he was mustered out at Bangor, June 6, 1865. He received his honorable dis- charge, and in August following sought the West for his future field of operations. He located at once at Dwight, this county, and first engaged in teaming, afterward embarking in the coal and ice trade, and later included building material. Finally he added agricultural implements, and then drifted into general hardware. He has sold out his coal and ice business and gives his entire attention to the large and well-selected stock of articles included in general hardware, stoves and machinery, embrac- ing also firearms, cutlery and sporting goods. His courteous manner and correct methods of doing business have secured for him a large patronage among the best people of Livingston County. Our subject, in 1874, organized a company of militia at Dwight, of which he was elected Cap- tain, and which was designated by his comrades as Parsons' Guards. In 1876 he received a commis- sion in the State Militia as Lieutenant Colonel, commanding the 10th Battalion, Illinois National Guards. The battalion was composed of companies from Pontiac, Wenona, Fairbury, Odell, Joliet, Marseilles, Streator, Bloomington and Dwight. Col. Parsons resigned his commission a few years since, but still retains an interest in military tactics. Our subject has been quite prominent in the affairs of Dwight and vicinity, representing the township in the County Board of Supervisors, and serving as Village Trustee and Treasurer. Socially he be- longs to Livingston Lodge No. 371, A. F. & A. M., at Dwight; Odell Royal Arch Chapter, Fairbury Commandery, K. T., and is Commander of Dwight Post No. 626, G. A. R, The marriage of Col. J. B. Parsons and Miss Sarah Isabel Haskell was celebrated at the home of the bride's parents, Dr. L. P. and Sarah E. Haskell, in Chicago, Dec. 28, 1880, Rev. B. F. Leavitt, pastor of Lincoln Park Congregational Church, officiating. Of this union there has been born one child, a daughter, Florence H., Nov. 17, 1885. The pleas- ant family residence is located on Mazon avenue. The Colonel and his wife are active members of the Congregational Church, of which our subject has been a Trustee. Politically he is a Republican, and is esteemed by all as the genial companion and kind-hearted neighbor, who is always ready to aid in worthy enterprises and assist the unfortunate. Whether in military or civil life, he has performed his part well, and his success is the result of his own unaided efforts. C. ROGERS, who has been a citizen of Illinois since 1857, and a resi- dent of Livingston County since the year 1870, where he is engaged in farming and stock-breeding on section 25, Pleasant Ridge Township, was born in Harwich, Mass., on the 4th of December, 1826. He is the son of Mayo and Mercy (Clark) Rogers, who were natives of Massachusetts. The father was born in 1788, and died July 2, 1872. The father was a seafaring man, and was engaged in the fishery business around Cape Cod, nearly all his life. The mother was born in 1792, and died in February, 1873; they I 972 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. were lioth members <.f the Congregational Church, and the last years of their lives were spent in devo- tion to the church. To them wore born .-even chil- dren, who.-e names are as follows: Andrew. Sallie, Mayo, /ipporah, Moses. Mercy and Sidney. March 12, 18.11. Mr. Rogers was married to Miss Mercy R. Nicker-on, who was born on the 22d of September. 18:i2, in South Harwich, Mass. She is the daughter of Abner and Alvira (Nickerson) Nick- cixin. Tlioy were natives of the same State, and the father was born on the 21st of January, 1806, and died on the 26th of September, 1860. The mother was born on the 7th of December, 1810, and diod on the 1 8th of May, 1 878. They were married on the 26th of January, 1830. They were both members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for many years he served in the capacity of Steward. To them were born five children Albert, Mercy, Abner S., Jonathan O. and Artemus H. Albert, the oldest, was drowned at sea, and the others are still living. The father was a sailor until he was twenty-six years of age and later in life a merchant. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers have had eight children, three of whom are living Sidnej' C., Jr., Albert \\ . and Mary. There are five deceased Sidney C., Mercy E., Flora, Arthur H. and Elvira N. Mr. Rogers came to Illinois in the spring of 1857 and located in LaSalle County, where he resided for thirteen years, during which time he engaged at car- pentering for six years and funning for seven years. lie then located in this county and has followed farming since that time. He is the owner of 160 acres of land, twenty-five of which were broken when he became the possessor of it. In the im- provement and cultivation of the farm Mr. Rogers li:i> accomplished veiy much. From the time he was thirteen years of age until he was twenty, Mr. Rogers was engaged in fishing and coasting on the sea coast. At the latter age he abandoned the water and learned the trade of a carpenter. When a boy he received a faircommon- school education, to which he materially added by an attendance of four terms at an academy. Earlier in life he engaged in school teaching and altogether taught seven winter terms. Mrs. Rogers received a good education in the common schools. Mr. and Mrs. Roger- are members of the Congre- gational Church and he has served the congregation in the capacity of a Deacon. In politics Mr. Rogers' Republicanism dates back to the organization of the party in 18,56. He has been a faithful and con- sistent adherent of that party ever since, but at present has strong Prohibition proclvities. He has hold several offices of trust, including that of Town- ship Collector for one year and School Trustee for nine years. He and his family stand well in the estimation of the people of Pleasant Ridge Town- ship, and are active and popular participants in all society matters. HARLES A. McGREGOR. Among the busi- ness men of Pontiac no one is more worthy of representation in this ALBUM than he whose name appears above. Charles A. McGregor, as the name indicates, is of good old Scotch stock. He was born in Clermont County, Ohio, March 14, 1844, and is the son of John H. and Alary J. (Bux- ton) McGregor, natives of South Carolina and Ohio respectively. The McGregors came originally from Scotland, settling in South Carolina many years ago. To John H. and wii'e were born six children, four sons and two daughters: Elizabeth Laws, deceased; Emma J., of Pontiac; Charles A.; Alonzo H., of Stanberry, Mo., where he is engaged as train dispatcher; Harry B., of Lovington, 111., druggist, and Alexander H., who died in infancy. In the year 1850 the McGregors moved from Ohio to Ottawa, 111., where the elder McGregor en- gaged in the practice of law, in which profes- sion he was eminently successful. Prior to his com- ing to Illinois he was an associate editor of the Louisville Courier-Journal. From Ottawa they came to Pontiac in 1852. For five years Mr. Mc- Gregor continued in practice, taking a leading position among attorneys in this part of the State. He is well remembered by old settlers as being a man of sterling qualities and fine abilities. He died in 1856. His widow still lives in the old homestead in Pontiac. Charles A. McGregor, after securing a fair com- mon-school education, spent two years in Carlisle, Pa., Dickinson College. This was in 1861-62, \ .WOODRUFF, PONTIAC. GRAIN OFFI CE A NO EL VA TOR . RESIDENCE OF]. H.TAGGART, LONG POINT, LIVINGSTON Co LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 975 when the war was raging fiercely. This decided Mr. McGregor in entering the army, which he did by en- listing in the 39th Illinois Infantry. 'He was made a member of the regimental band, and subsequently that of the brigade. His service was with the Annies of the Potomac and James. After the war Mr. McGregor engaged his services to J. P. Turner, of Pontiac, in general merchandising. In 1867 he opened a book and notion store in Pontiac, and in 1868, in company with Dr. Caldwell, engaged in the drug business, which he has since successfully prosecuted. In 1869-70 our subject was Postmaster of Pon- tiac, of which city he has been Alderman. Of the Township he has been Treasurer two or three terms. Nov. 23, 1871, Mr. McGregor was united in mar- riage to Eunice J. Johnson, daughter of Morris and Minerva E. (Ellis) Johnson. Mrs. McGregor was a native of Virginia, having been born at Johnson's Cross Roads, that State, Oct. 1 8, 1 848. The record of their family is as follows: Bernice E., born May 29, 1875; Ellis J., Sept. 12, 1878; Lewis C., Jan. 19,1883; Mary E. died in infancy; Janette died June5, 1886, at the age of two years. Mrs. Mc- Gregor died Dec. 7, 1886, mourned by a large cir- cle of friends. Socially, Mr. McGregor is a member of the A. F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. He is connected with the Presbyterian Church, and his wife was a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and active in the cause. H. TAGGART, a large dealer in grain, lum- ber and live stock at Long Point, has been a resident there 'six years, and in every re- spect has proved himself a valued factor in the community. By the exercise of his own sound common sense, coupled with industry and energy, he has acquired a fine property, including the build- ings employed for the transaction of his business, and thirty-one lots within the town limits, besides his handsome residence situated on Fourth street. He has taken a just pride in dealing honestly and uprightly, and enjoys in a marked degree the con- fidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens. Although deprived of a thorough education himself, there is nowhere a stronger advocate for the establishment of schools, and the giving of those advantages to the young which are their inalienable rights, and which are so conducive to their success as worthy and reliable citizens. Mr. Taggart was born in Behnont County, Ohio, which was also the birthplace of his father, John Taggart. His mother was formerly Miss Nancy Roberts, a native of Canada, who when four years of age, came to the State of Ohio with her parents, who were also natives of Canada. The paternal grandfather of our subject was James Taggart, and the family is of Pennsylvania!! ancestry. The chil- dren of John and Nancy (Roberts) Taggart, seven in number, were named respectively, John, Will- iam, Margaret, Mary, Grace, Sarah and Jane. Of these, John and Margaret are living in Belmont County, Ohio, where John is carrying on farming and stock-raising. Our subject came to Illinois in December, 1863, landing in Lacon, Marshall County, on the 28th of the month. In 1862 he was married to Miss Jose-' phine L., daughter of Isaac and Telitha (Strong) Murdaugh, who were natives of Pennsylvania, but subsequently removed to Ohio, where they are now living. The paternal grandmother of Mrs. T. died on the 8th of September, 1887, at the advanced age of ninety-three years. Our subject was a resi- dent of Lacon five years, and thence removed to a point two miles west of Wenona, He subsequently took up his residence in Putnam County, where he farmed for eleven years, and thence coming to Liv- ingston in 1881, located at Long Point, where he established his present trade, and is contributing his full quota toward the business interests of the town. To Mr. and Mrs. Taggart there have been born four children, all living, namely: Luella, Maude, Harry and Frederick. Harry is attending the Nor- mal School at Dixon, and Maude has attended three terms at Eureka. Their father takes an active in- terest in their education, determined that they shall enjoy those privileges of which he himself was to so great an extent deprived. As representative of the buildings of this section of country, there is shown elsewhere in this work a view of Mr. Taggart' s homestead. 97 6 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ON. CEORGE A. WOODRUFF, one of the prominent men in political and business af- fairs of Livingston County, is a native of __ Watcrtown, Litehfield Co., Conn., where he was born on the 3d of November, 1 839. He is the son of Hon. George P. and Belinda M. (Warren) Woodruff, both of whom were natives of Water- town, where also they began the journey of life to- gether. George P. Woodruff remained in Watertown dur- ing his life, and was engaged in manufacturing. His father, Eleazer, died Aug. 30, 1873, at the age of eighty-one, and his mother, Hannah (Prindle) Woodruff, died March 8, 1 855. She was the daugh- ter of Samuel Prindle, who was a native of Con- necticut, and engaged in farming. Samuel's father, John Prindle, was born in 1729, and died in 1799; he held the rank of Captain in the Revolutionary War. The parents of Belinda M. Warren were Alanson and Sarah M. (Hickox) Warren, natives of Connecticut, and of English ancestry; the father was engaged in manufacturing and merchandising. George P. Woodruff was a representative of Water- town in the State Legislature for two years, and held various county and township offices. He was one of the wealth}- men of that part of the country in that day, and died in 1857, his wife following him to the silent land in 1880. They had a family of two sons, George A., and Charles T., who retired from business at Watertown, Conn., and died Aug. 17, 1887. George A. Woodruff received his early training in a store, and obtained an academical education at Watertown, Conn. After some time devoted to manufacturing enterprises, he engaged in general farming for a few years, and then for six years kept the Warren House, a summer resort at Watertown. It was built by the Woodruff and Warren families, and would accommodate 200 guests. He came to Illinois in 1880, settling in Pontiac, and in 1881 purchased the farm of 164 acres adjoining the citv limits of Pontiac. where he now resides. His home- stead, of which a view is shown elsewhere in this ALBUM, is one of the most elegant in the county. On the 14th of June, 1860, our subject was mar- ried to Miss Emily A. Humiston, a native of Thomaston, Conn., and a daughter of Benuet and Emily (Warner) Humiston, who were natives of Plymouth, Conn., where Mr. H. was largely en- gaged in farming and stock-raising. Bennet's father, Jesse, was a native of Thomaston, Litehfield Co., Conn., and was a farmer by occupation. Emily Warner's parents were Aaron and Mary (Camp) Warner, who were farmers and of English descent. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet Humiston were named as follows: Bennet, Morris, Emily A. and Caleb. In 1852 Bennet came with Mr. Camp to this county, and settled in Esmen. He subse- quently married Mr. Camp's daughter, Harriet, and died on the 14th of November, 1883. Morris and Caleb are living in Thomaston, Conn. Bennet Humiston, Sr., died about ten years ago, while Mrs. Humiston is still living, in her eighty -third year. Mr. and Mrs. Woodruff have only two children, Martha E. and George P., both single. Mr. W. is an active Republican, and was a member of the Con- necticut Legislature, which assembled in New Haven in 1873, and was also a delegate to the Hart- ford Convention of 1874. He and his wife are members of the Episcopal Church, as are also their two children. IEWIS POST. The neat homestead belong- (() ing to this gentleman is pleasantly located ^i on section 19, in Saunemin Township, and fs noticeable for its substantial buildings, good fences and farm stock and general air of thrift. The farm comprises 154 acres of land, the accumulation of an industrious and enterprising man, and one who has ever been ready to illustrate the results of honest labor, and follow the strictest rules of uprightness and propriety. He is one of the most reputable German citizens of the township, to which he came in the spring of 1883, and from the humblest be- ginning in life has become the possessor of a com- fortable property. Livingston County is indebted to the enterpris- ing natives of the Fatherland, who have largely assisted in the cultivation of her soil, and the de- velopment of her resources. Our subject occupies a good position among this class. He was born in Ochtelbar, Germany, June 25, 1836, and is the t 1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. son of John and Mary (Walschcn) Post, who were also natives of Germany, where the father died, and the mother still lives there. The father was prin- cipally engaged in farming, and was noted as a quiet and law-abiding citizen, who fulfilled his duties in life in a worthy manner. Mr. Post received a good education in his native tongue, and soon after his twenty-eighth birthday \v:is married to Miss Stien Rev us, and the following year, 1865, they set out for America. They em- barked from the port of Bremen on a sailing-vessel, and after a tedious ocean voyage of six weeks, landed in New York City, and thence came directly to Livingston County. Mr. Post first employed himself as a farm laborer, which he followed with true German persistence for some time, meanwhile saving what he could of his earnings, and by the aid of his excellent wife was enabled to live eco- nomically, and thus acquired a sum sufficient to purchase the land which he now occupies. Of this they took possession in the spring of 1883, and en- tered with courage upon the work before them. To Mr. and Mrs. Post there were born seven chil- dren, of whom but five are living, namely : John, Annie, Mary, Denie and Albert. Lena and an in- fant unnamed are deceased. Mr. Post -is a member of the German Lutheran Church, and in political matters votes independently. .-jl'LEXANDER EASTON is a farmer by call- (Q8/LII! ing, but is at present engaged in the livery business as a member of the firm of Easton & Westervelt, of Fairbury. He comes of genuine old Scotch parentage, both his father and mother having been born in ''Bonnie Scotland." The parents were Robert and Mary (Spcnce) Easton. the former of whom was born in 1812, and the lat- ter in 1815. Robert Easton was a miner by trade and followed the same occupation after coming to the United States. Upon his arrival in this country he took up his residence in Maryland ami after an active and busy life of some years in that State, he moved to Pennsylvania, where he lived and labored at his trade, respected for his uprightness and honorable dealings with his fellowmen, until his death in 1881. He was a consistent Christian, and held fellowship with the Methodist Episcopal Church. His good wife survived him, and is living in Fairbury. The union of Robert Easton and Mary Spence was blessed by the birth of ten children, six of whom are with their father in "that home not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." The children were named as follows : Robert, Sarah, Margaret, Sarah (2d), Margaret (2d), Adam, Alexander, Ellen, Agues and Archibald. Those living are Alexander, Ellen, Agnes and Robert. The subject of this sketch was born near Lona- coning, Alleghany Co., Md., Sept. 2, 1844, and lived with his parents in that State until their removal to Allegheny County, Pa., when he accompanied them there. There he continued to reside until rebel shot and shell were thundered against Sumter, and President Lincoln called for brave hearts and strong arms to defend our country's flag. Although but ' seventeen years old, young Easton resolved to give his life, if necessary, for the preservation of the 1 Union. Accordingly in 1861 he enlisted in Com- pany D, 14th Pennsylvania Cavalry, as a private, and was mustered into the service at Pittsburgh. He participated in the second and third battles of Winchester, the battles of Rocky Gap, Va., Fisher's Hill, Gettysburg, Martinsburg, Bunker Hill, Cedar Creek, Cross Keys, Lewisburg, Va., and many minor engagements. He also participated in the Salem raid, which was one of the most destructive of the war. In 1 863, after the battle of Winchester, Private Easton was promoted Corporal, and a year later was promoted Orderly, and served on Gen. Ave- ! rill's staff. Mr. Easton received two wounds at the battle of Cedar Creek, one of which was in the ' hand, and the other on the leg, between the knee and ankle. lie was also taken prisoner during that i engagement, and for five months suffered all the horrors of rebel prisons. He was first confined in that most foul of Southern dens, Libby, of Rich- mond, and later sent to Salisbury, N. C., where he remained until the spring. Mr. Easton, after receiv- ing his honorable discharge from the army, went to Virginia, where his parents were then living, and remained about three years, during the time being t t !>78 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. variously engaged, and in 18C9 he came to this county. In 1.S8:J ,. He soon afterward set his face westward and was appointed assistant pastor at Chatsworth, where he remained until he was assigned to his present charge. The church at Fair bury was formerly under the charge of Rev. John A. Fanning, who presided over the various churches of Livingston, Ford and Iroquois Counties from 1806 to 1880. and who it- remembered as having been a man of more than ordinary talent and executive ability. He is now in Bureau County. lie was succeeded by Rev. P. Lyons, who was subsequently assigned to Campus. AMUEL M. GREENBAUM. Among the citizens of Livingston County now resident are many who have witnessed a marvelous change from its wild primitive condition of unsubdued prairie to its present high state of cul- tivation. Among them is the subject of this sketch, although yet a young man. Mr. Greenbanm has ridden over the unobstructed prairies, with his com- pass on his saddle-horn for a guide, gathering up cattle which roamed at will. Mr. Greenbanm was born in Frankfort-on-the- Maiu, Germany, Sept. 18, 1842. His parents were Moses and Sarah (Neumann) Greenbanm, The father was a drover, and with his family, save the subject of this sketch, who came in 1 .">('>, came to this county in 1801, locating in Pontiae. His death took place in Chicago, in June, two years thereafter. There were in all six children in the family, one of whom, Jacob, died during infancy in German}'. The others are J. M., engaged in the cattle business in Chicago; Henry, a banker at Pontiae; Jeanctte, wife of Isaac Freeman, of Chi- cago; Rebecca, wifeof Louis Levy, alsoof Chicago, and Samuel M., our subject. In 1K;" ( Samuel M. (rcenhaum came to this country, landing at Baltimore; thence to Chicago, thence to Lexington, and t" Pontiae in 1857, where he remained until the breaking out of the Rebellion, when, full of patriotism and love of his adopted country, he enlisted in Company C, 39th Illinois Infantry, Sept. 14, 1*61, and was mustered I z I o ui UJ a: cc 3 m ( t a: Z O I o tr 3 I O LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 981 in October 12 of the same year at Benton Barracks, Mo. Thence his regiment was sent to Baltimore, where its members served under old Jimmy Shields. In 1862 they participated in McClellan's memor- able peninsular campaign. Following the route of this regiment, we find it doing patrol duty along the B. & O. R. R. The regiment divided Compan- ies A. B, C and F at Alpine Station, Va,, Com- pany K, at Sir John's Run, Company G at Great Cacapon, and Companies I), K and I at Bath, Va. Jan. 2, 1862, Stonewall Jackson attacked the forces at Bath, were held in check until Jan. 4, when they were forced to cross the Potomac (wading it.) Jan. 1 1, 1862, they marched to Cumberland, Md., forty miles; January 17 were ordered to New Creek, guarding railroads; March 23 participated in the battle of Winchester, and pursued the enemy to Strasburg. To them was given the responsible task of holding the White House and Columbian bridges spanning the Shenandoah River. In May they were sent to reinforce Gen. Banks, and in June to Mc- Clellan's army. We find them at Harrison's Land- ing June 8, and Malvern Hill July 3, participating in skirmishes at Black Water, Zenii and Franklin, then sailing with the Foster expedition against Charleston, reaching Hilton Head February 1 ; on Aprils witnessing the bombardment of Ft. Sumter, and engaged in the siege and capture of Morris Isl- and July 11. TO them belongs the honor of being the first regiment to enter Ft. Wagner. In January, 1864, the 39th Illinois re-enlisted as veterans, and in the summer following engaged in Butler's Bermuda Hundreds campaign. At Drnry's Bluff, May 16, they sustained a loss of 15 killed, 72 wounded, 52 missing; at Wire Bottom Church, May 20, 23 killed, 130 wounded, and 13 missing; at Deep Run, Au- gust 16, 26 killed. 77 wounded, 8 missing. The 24th Army Corps, to which the 39th was attached, broke camp on the north side of James River and went to Hatches' Run, on the extreme of the Army of the Potomac, broke the rebel lines there, and the following day stormed the works, or rather the key to Petersburg, and took the same. The 39th Illinois was in the advance in this bloody work. It was in the advance upon Richmond at Chapin's Farm, and at Darbytown. where they sustained a loss of 15 killed, 57 wounded and employing himself upon the farm. After the death of his father, he remained with his mother until twenty-five years of age, and was then married, Sept. 2, 1884, to Miss Sarah E. Cotrell, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in Avoca Township. Mrs. Perrine was born in Avoca Township, this county, Sept. 3, 1862, and is the daughter of An- drew and Adeline Cotrell, natives of Ohio, of whom the latter is deceased; the father is now a resident of Avoca Township. Mr. Perrine's property in- cludes eight}' acres of good land with fair improve- ments, and under the enterprising hand of its pres- ent proprietor, will doubtless develop into one of the most desirable 'homesteads in the township. Mr. and Mrs. Perrine number their friends by the score, and are pleasant and genial both to friends and strangers. I GE W. BOYER, a gentleman of good education and more than ordinary intelli- gonco, has been a resident of Livingston County since 1867, and is located on a good farm on section 20, Dwight Township. This farm is em- bellished with first-class improvements, and in all respects indicates the supervision of a proprietor skilled in his calling, and one who has taken advan- tage of the most approved methods of modern ag- riculture. We take pleasure in presenting on an- other page a view of Mr. Boyer's homestead. Mr. Boyer is an extensive reader and devotes his leis- ure moments to the perusal of subjects treated by the best authors, and has kept himself well informed upon current events, as well as the history of times gone by. Mr. Boyer comes from an old American family of English ancestry on his fathei - 's side, and on the maternal side from the Rupp family, who came from Germany shortly after the landing of William Penn, and settled in Cumberland County, Pa. John Boyer, the grandfather of the subject of our sketch, was born in this country, and was a farmer in Lancaster Count}', Pa., where George Boyer, his son, and the father of our subject, was born in the year i tfOO. He was a farmer also in that county, and married Lydia Rnpp, the daughter of Jacob Rupp, both of the same county, who lived near Reading. To them were born six children Jacob, John, George W., William, Samuel and Sarah. The father, whose death occurred in Pennsylvania, at the age of sixty-eight years, was a devout member of the Lutheran Church, and in politics was a Re- publican. George W. Boyer, our subject, was born in Lan- caster County, Pa., on the 20th of February, 1827, and received a common-school education while a boy, to which he has very materially added by con- stant reading and observation since manhood. He was reared to farm life, and at the age of sixteen years accompanied the family of his father to Blair Count}', Pa., where for several years he engaged in farming. At the age of twenty-two years, on the 24th of May, 1849, Mr. Boyer was married to Miss Mary Ann, daughter of Henry and Catherine (Cherry) Turnbaugh, who were of German ancestry, and who lived near Altoona, Blair "Co., Pa. To Mr. and Mrs. Boyer have been born seven children, viz. : Henry, Annetta, Samuel H., Sarah, Climenia E., Alfred A. and George W. : the last-named died when a lad of twelve years. Henry married Miss Nellie Morris; Annetta, James B. Austin; Samuel H., Jennie Lower, and Sarah C., Dwight P. Mills, all of Dwight. After the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Boyer they remained on his father's farm for the first year, and he engaged in different occupations, finally, how- ever, settling down to farming. In 1865 Mr. Rover enlisted in Company E, 104th Pennsylvania Infantry, and during his term of service was in the battle of Petersburg, and on guard duty at Norfolk, Va. He received an honorable discharge at Phila- delphia at the close of the war, and returned to Blair County, Pa., where he remained until 1867, when he came to Livingston County, and purchased the farm on which he resides on section 20. In political matters Mr. Boyer has always acted with the Republican party, and has held the offices of School Director and Road Commissioner, be- sides several other township offices. Mr. and Mrs. Boyer both belong to the Lutheran Church, and warmly espouse the doctrines of that denomination. f 084 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. They have, by their own efforts, not only reared a large family, but have accumulated considerable property and placed themselves in comfortable cir- cuinstances. Mi'. Boyer is n person of excellent character, and the same compliment can be paid truth fully to every member of the family. ARIEL A. MULFORD, widely and favor- ably known throughout Round Grove Township, came with his J'oung wife to this county thirty years ago, and estab- lishing himself among the other adventurous spirits of that day, proceeded to build up the homestead and the fortune that he now enjoys. He was equipped with all the elements essential to the suc- cess of the early settler, being stout of heart and strong of muscle, and has made for himself a good record among people who have watched his career with kindly interest, and before whom he has ac- quitted himself as an honest man and a good citi- zen. Our subject is the second child of John M. and Jane (Alsdorf) Mulford, natives of Ulster County. N. V.. where they spent their lives and where their remains now lie at rest. lie also was born in Ulster County, Aug. 28,182"), and with his six brothers and one sister, spent the early years of his life in his native county. As soon as old enough he com- menced attending the district school in winter, while in summer he assisted in the various employments connected with farm life. He remained a member of his father's household until twenty-four years of age :ind then immigrated to Pennsylvania, where he remained three years, after which he came to DuPage County, this State, in 1852. There he en- gaged in fanning four years and in June, 18f>7, came to this county and purchased a quarter section of land on section 13, Round Grove Township, which is comprised in his promt homestead. There were no improvements upon the land, not even a shelter for his family, and making it his first busi- ness to provide a place for them, he put up aboard -h:mty, in the building of which he was occupied ju>t about twelve hours. Mr. Mulford experienced all the vicissitudes to which the early settlers were subjected. Where the peaceful herds now graze, the deer and the wolf roamed unmolested by man. Instead of the domes- tic fowl was the prairie chicken almost as tame, while the venomous rattlesnake might be found coiled on the door-sill. They frequently witnessed the grand sight of a prairie on fire so vividly de- scribed by Cooper, and also the more beautiful mirage that deludes the traveler on the plains. It is hardly necesary to say that the shanty long ago gave place to a more modern and substantial resi- dence, and in due time there grew up around it all the other necessary and convenient farm buildings. On an adjoining page is shown a view of Mr. Mul- ford's residence and its surroundings. The land is enclosed with good fences, and the live stock is in keeping with all the other appurtenances of the place. Beginning life for himself with nothing except $10 which he had borrowed, Mr. Mulford is now one of the largest land-owners in Central Illinois, having 880 acres in Livingston and Knnkakee Counties and 330 acres in Missouri. This, with the exception of $5,000 inherited a short time ago, has been accumulated by his own industry, but the economy which he practiced and the hard labor to which he was subjected year after year did not tend to warp his disposition or make him selfish. On the contrary he bears the reputation of being a large- hearted and liberal man, and has always encouraged b}' his substantial aid those enterprises calculated for the general good of the people and the devel- opment of his township. One of the most important events in the life of our subject was his marriage with Mi>s Sarah S. llerrick, which was celebrated at the home of the bride in I) u Page County, Nov. 20, U->.">."i. Mr>. Mulford was born in that county, Aug. 6, 1834, and resided there with her parents, Ira and Mabel E. (Gallusha) Herrick, until her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Herrick were natives of Vermont, whence they removed to the West after their marriage. Their household included two sons and six daugh- ters, of whom Sarah S. was the fifth in order of birth and the first of their children born in Illinois. Thej" were among the early settlers of Unl'age County, and there spent the remainder of their f f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 987 ' f lives, the mother passing away Jan. 28, 1873, and the father Aug. 30. 1878. To our subject and his wife there were born six children, of whom there are only three living, namely: Fred II., who was born Dec. 5, 1803, and is a resident of this township; Oscar .]., who was born Sept. 11, 1870, and Mabel S. J., Feb. 1, 1876. Kllen, Frank and Johnnie died in infancy. Mr. Mulford has been identified with the Republican party since its organization, and still upholds the principles which he then most cheerfully endorsed. He has held the various offices of bis township, f .rving as Highway Commissioner and Township Trustee, and has often been called upon as a leader in the matters which naturally come up in a grow- ing community and are of interest to all good citi- zens. He has lived through the period of hard work and anxiety and now, in a home surrounded by all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life, has abundant reason to feel that his labors have not been in vain. BRAM LOWER. The name of this gen- tleman has for the last twenty-five years been prominent among the liberal-minded and public-spirited citizens of Broughton Township, of which he was one of the pioneer set- tlers, and is now among the oldest living residents. He has all his life been engaged in farming pursuits, and for several years past has given much of his at- tention to stock-raising. His property consists of 160 acres located on section 10, where he has a comfortable farm residence and all the out-build- ings necessary for carrying on successfully the la- bors of a modern agriculturist. The State of Pennsylvania has contributed largely to the development of Central Illinois, sending in their youth and strength many of her most enter- prising sons to subdue the primitive soil and open up a rich section of country, which has now become familiarly known, not only to the great Northwest, but all over the Union. Our subject was born in Blair County, Pa., Oct. 10, 1835, and is the son of David and Susan (Rhodes) Lower, the former now deceased and the latter a resident of Lanark, 111. His ancestors, on both sides, were of German de- scent, and the parents were natives of Pennsylva- nia. Their household consisted of a large family of children, of whom the following survive: Levi, of Washington County, Kan.; Samuel, of Dwight, 111.; A bra in, our subject; Catherine, the wife of Samuel McCoy, of Carroll Count}-; Annie, Mrs. John Chestnut, of Adair County, Iowa, and Han- nah, the wife of George Weed, of Carroll County, 111. The members of the Lower family for gener- ations have been noted for their longevity, and the father of our subject had reached his fourscore years at the time of his death, which took place at his home in Lanark April 7, 1880; the mother is now in the seventy-ninth year of her age. The maternal grandfather of our subject, Samuel Rhodes, was at least one hundred years old at the time of his death. A brain Lower remained a resident of his native county until reaching manhood, and enjoyed only the advantages of a limited education. He was trained in his youth to habits of industry, becom- ing thoroughly acquainted with the manner of con- ducting farm labor, and was thus well fitted for his chosen calling in life. In 1 858, upon leaving the home roof, he came to Carroll County, this State, where he remained until the spring of 1860, and then took possession of his present farm, which he purchased from his father, who had accompanied him to the West. This land was then but slightly removed from its primitive condition, young Abram turning the first furrow upon it. There were no buildings of an}' kind, but the prospect which opened up before him, presenting, without question, very much hard labor and small returns for years, did not in the least dismay him. He saw about him other men laboring under the same disadvan- tages, and resolved to be fully equal to the emer- gency. In the course of time he began to realize the reward of his labors, and was enabled to slowly effect the improvements of which he had dreamed for years. The farm is now one of the most at- tractive spots in Livingston County. The land has been brought to a high state of cultivation, and the buildings, neat and substantial in their character, will bear fair comparison with those of the enter- prising farmers adjacent. We present on an ad- Jr. 988 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. \ joining page a view of Mr. Lower's homestead. This property Mr. Lower has accumulated through his own industry and perseverance, he having had very little assistance in the beginning, and is essen- tially a self-made man. His experiences have proved a most salutary lesson, developing in him the best qualities that a man can possess. Mr. Lower, soon after passing his twenty-fifth year, and about the time of purchasing his land, was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Miller, the wedding taking place in Dixon, Lee County, Oct. 16, 1860. They commenced their housekeep- ing in a small board cabin on the new farm, and the wife has labored equally with her husband in build- ing up a homestead which is a credit to them, and a comfortable abiding-place for their children. The latter, twelve in number, are recorded as follows: Maggie is the wife of Walter Morrison, of Jackson County, Mo. ; Augusta, Mrs. Percy Glover, lives in Custer County, Neb.; Albert, Leroy, Frank, Marietta, Lillie, Grace and Gertrude are at home with their parents; Kenneth died when one year, one month and eleven days old ; Arthur, when one year, four months and three days, and Mabel, at the age of two years and eleven days. Mr. Lower identified himself with the Demo- cratic party in 1 856, and since that time has usually adhered closely to its principles, although claiming the rights of a free American citizen, and voting independently when he has chosen so to do, his ob- ject being to support the man best qualified for office. He has been quite prominent in the affairs of his township, serving ten years in succession as Highway Commissioner, and still holds the office. He officiated as School Director several terms, and was Collector two years. He has uniformly been the encourager of the enterprises calculated to pro- mote the welfare of the people, and to this end has contributed in a cheerful and liberal spirit accord- ing to his meap.s. Mrs. Lower was born in Franklin County, Pa., Aug. 7. 1K42. and is the daughter of George and Margaret (Davis) .Miller, natives respectively of Germany and Pennsylvania. The father died in Carroll County, June 20, 1878; the mother survives, and makes her home mostly in Carroll County, this State. They were the parents of thirteen chil- dren, of whom the following survive: Mary, the \vifeofCharles E. Cross, of Stephenson County: Catherine, the wife of our subject; S. E., of Che- noa; Albert, who is living in Muscatine, In\va; Emma, Mrs. Philip Gelwicks, of Butler County. Neb.; Luther, of Carroll County, III; Scott and Upton, of Nebraska; Gertrude, the wife of Edward Sullivan, of Rochelle, 111. : Lincoln and Maggie, of Carroll County. | LRICM EGGENBERGER, who is pleasantly located on section 30, Union Township, is looked upon as one of its most worthy citi- zens and enterprising farmers. He came from a far land to establish his permanent home, having been born in Switzerland, April 7, 183!t. His na- tive country, as we all know, has for centuries fur- nished a theme for the poet and the historian, and is a point to which the American traveler in Europe looks forward with the greatest of pleasure. The people of Switzerland speak various languages in different parts of the Republic, the native tongue of our subject being German. Mr. Eggenberger is the fifth child of John and Afra (Strieker) Eggenberger, who were natives of the same country, and the parents of nine children. John Eggenberger followed farming on his native soil during his early manhood, and until after the death of the wife and mother. Then, in 186;"). ac- companied by his family, he crossed the Atlantic, and coming directly westward, located in Union Township, this county, where he took up his old employment as an agriculturist and still resides. He is now, however, retired from active labor, and makes his home with his son John, on section 34. Our subject established domestic ties of his own liy his marriage with Miss Annie Luceger, a native of his own country, where she was born May 12, 1846. The family of her parents, Ulrich and Anna Luceger. consi.-lcd of two children only. Mr. Eg- geulieryer and his wife remained one year with the lather of the latter, and in the fall of 1865 em- liarked on a sailing-vessel from Liverpool, England, for America, where alter a voyage of fourteen days, they landed in New York City. A few days later f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 989 t , they started for the West, and made their first halt in Peoria. 111., but not finding a desirable location, they came to this county, where our subject, pro- viding a shelter for his family in Odell Township, engaged as a farm laborer, at which he continued for three years following. In the meantime he lived eco- nomically, and saved what lie could of his earnings, so that in 1874 he was enabled to secure an 80-acre tract of improved land. Upon this there were some buildings, and after establishing his family com- fortably, he entered in earnest upon the improve- ment and cultivation of his purchase. This laud now constitutes his present homestead, but so great is the change which he has effected upon it that it would scarcely be recognized. His career, how- ever, has not been without adversity and affliction, for on the 16th of November, 1875, the year follow- ing his purchase of this land, and when he was in the midst of his plans for a future home, the wife and mother was called from earth. He was thus left bereaved with two little children Ulrich and John. These are now promising .young men. and continue at home with their father. Mrs. Annie Eggen- berger.had been carefully reared in the doctrines of the Reformed Church, in her daily life furnishing a bright example of piety and truth, and adhered closely to the religious faith of her parents. Our subject, on the 18th -of September, 1876, was a seeond time united in marriage, with Mrs. Katie Eggenberger, who was also born in Switzerland, in 1842. Her parents, Andrew and Agatha Eggen- berger, were also of Swiss birth and parentage, and spent their entire lives in their native land. Their family included nine children, Katie being the sixth in order of birth. By her first marriage Mrs. E. had become the mother of two children, John and Andrew, both of whom make their home with our subject. Mr. E. has distinguished himself as a skill- ful and thorough farmer, and has been rewarded for his industiy and frugality. He has wisely invested his surplus capital in additional land, and is now the owner of 230 acres which he has brought to a high state of cultivation, and which is amply stocked with graded animals, including Norman horses, Short-horn cattle, Cotswold sheep and Poland-China swine. His dwelling and farm buildings compare favorably with those of the enterprising farmers around him, among whom he is held in universal respect. Upon becoming a naturalized citizen, our sub- ject identified himself with the Republican party, al- though taking no active interest in politics. He lias served as Road Commissioner two years, and gives his support to those enterprises calculated for the general good of the community. Both our subject and his wife are devoted members of the Reformed Church, and are numbered among its most cheer- ful supporters. As representative of the buildings in this section of country, we present on another page a view of Mr. Eggenberger's homestead. S G. RILEY. No man in the stock growing sections of Central Illinois perhaps has been more fortunate in this department of farming than the subject of this sketch. He came to Forest Township in 1864, and located on section 5, where he now has a beautiful farm of 520 acres, stocked with fine grades of cattle and horses, and has also been very successful witli Poland-China swine. He first purchased a quarter section at $25 per acre, to which he added gradualty as time pro- gressed and his means accumulated. His enter- prise and ambition seem almost unlimited, and he is credited with having done his full share toward advancing the agricultural interests of Livingston County. Mr. Riley, like many of the earlier settlers of the county, is an emanation of Erin's Green Isle, where he was born Nov. 5, 1820. His parents, Charles and Ann (Gordon) Riley, were also of Irish birth and parentage, and their household included ten children, six sons and four daughters, of whom one is deceased. The parents spent their entire lives on their native soil, but their children all emigrated to America. Our subject was reared on the small farm which his father cultivated, and in the mean- time gave very much thought to the future. He saw little in his native Ireland to aid in developing the natural enterprise of his character, and deter- mined to seek his fortunes on another continent. i 990 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Accordingly in the spring of 1847, after passing his twenty-third year, he set sail from Liverpool, and after a somewhat tedious voyage arrived safely in New York Harbor. He remained in the Empire State a few years thereafter occupied in farming pursuits, then going to Indiana took up his resi- dence in Tippecanoe County, and remained there seven years. While a resident of New York he was married, in the spring of 1855, to Miss Jane McGovern,a native of Ireland. The young couple began life together in a modest dwelling in Indiana, where they remained until the removal to Forest Township. Of this union there were born six chil- dren, only one living, a daughter, Letitia, who is now the wife of Jefferson Trumbo, a prosperous farmer of LaSalle County, residing near Ottawa. Four of the five children deceased were buried in- side of four months. Mr. Riley keeps a herd of about 140 Short-horn cattle, and thirty to thirty-six head of full-blooded Norman horses, five of which were imported di- rectly from France. He is without question one of the leading stockmen of the county and exhibits some of the finest animals within its borders. One of his most valuable horses weighs 2,000 pounds, and another 2,100 pounds. The latter, "Gen. For- rest," valued at &1,850, and a beautiful dapple- gray, sixteen and one-half hands high, with white mane and tail, was imported in 1883 by Degen Bros., of Ottawa. ''Marquis," numbered 1635, a bright bay, seven years old, seventeen hands high, and weighing 2,000 pounds, was imported in 1 882, by Virgin . upon whom they have conferred the name of Jo- seph. Mr. Sellmyer owns 138 acres of land lying in Owcgo Township, and to the improvement and cul- tivation of this farm he devotes his entire atten- tion, and has already made considerable improve- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 991 incut of a substantial nature. In politics. Mr. Sellmyer is Democratic, and votes and works with that party without the hope or expectation of re- ward in the nature of office. He and his wife are consistent members of the Catholic Church, and de- vote of their time and means liberally to its susten- ance. Mr. Sellmyer is _yet a young man. but has already well established himself in the confidence of his fellow-citizens. ' BRAHAM FUNK. After a long and active life the subject of this sketch is now a re- tired farmer residing in the city of Odell. He was born in Augusta County, Va., near Staunton, on the 23d of October, 181 9, and was the eldest in a family of nine children born to Chris- tian and Susanna (Roadifer) Funk, who were na- tives of Rockingham County, Va., where they were born, reared and married. The paternal grandparents of our subject were Henry and Susanna (Fry) Funk, natives of Penn- sylvania. The great-grandfather on this side vvas also named Henry, the original spelling of his sur- name being Funck, which form of orthography pre- vailed down to the present generation. He was one of five brothers wlio came to America from Switzerland just before the Revolutionary War, and it is believed that the entire descent was from these five brothers. Two of them were soldiers in the war of the Revolution, after which they scat- tered, and from them sprung the branch to which the subject of this sketch belongs. The one from whom he descends was a Mennonite preacher, and the inclinations are all in that direction. The ma- ternal grandparents, William and Catherine (Sho- walter) Roadifer, were natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent, the name being originally spelled Rodehafer, but Americanized to its present orthograplry. Catherine Showalter's father came from Switzerland about the time the Funks emi- grated, and lived on the Susquehanna River during the Revolutionary War. The father of Abraham Funk was a farmer by occupation, although a blacksmith by trade, and followed the latter in his younger days. In 1820 he moved to Fail-field County, Ohio, and in 1849 to LiiSalle County, 111., where he spent his declining 3'ears engaged in farming. He died on the 29th of August, 1850, and his widow survived him until Jan. 28, 1887. The subject of this sketch was reared to farm life, and also learned the trade of a carpenter. He was fairly educated in the common schools of those days, and at the age of twenty- years, while his parents were residing in Fail-field County, Ohio, he left home to do for himself. For three years following he followed his trade and then engaged in farming, which has been his occupation ever since. April 29, 1841, Mr. F. married Miss Margaret Hutchinson, who was born in Fail-field County. Ohio, on the 10th of May, 1822, and was the youngest in a family of eleven children born to James and Margaret (Logan) Hutchinson, natives of Huntingdon County, Pa. James Hutchinson was a soldier in the War of 1812, and one of the very earliest settlers of Ohio. In 1850 Mr. Funk and his wife left Ohio, and coming to LaSalle County, 111., bought a farm near Streator, upon which they lived until 1866, when he sold out and bought a farm six miles east of Odell, where he re- mained for fifteen years. In 1883 he bought a home in the city, and retired from active life. Mr. and Mrs. Funk are the parents of ten children, six boys and four girls, whose record is as follows: James H. was born Feb. 15, 1842; Nancy was born April 3, 1843, and died Aug. 29, 1852; David A. was born March 28, 1'846; Christian, Dec. 29, 1848; Mary E., March 2, 1851 ; William Albert, Feb. '25, 1854; Rhoda A., Oct. 26, 1856; Warren L., Oct. -15,1858, Sarah Alice, Jan. 18, 1862, and Arthur A., Nov. 28, 1864. Nine of them are living, and all married but Warren and Arthur, who are in Minnesota engaged in professional life. Mr. Funk has always been a prominent man in the community in which he lives. In LaSalle County he served as Road Commissioner, Assessor, Justice of the Peace, School Director and Trustee. Since residing in this county he has kept out of ollice as much as possible. He has not been an act- ive man in politics, but his votes have been cast for the Whig and Republican tickets for forty- seven years. His first vote was cast for Gen. Will- f r her rare virtues and amiability. Her daughter Mary possesses the lov- able traits of her mother, and like her, became a teacher, in which profession she was engaged six years before her marriage. Our subject, politically, is a Republican of the first water, and although not connected with any church organization, is one of the stanchest friends of morality and education. Mrs. Rogers is a Meth- odist, and an active member of the church at Fair- bury, 111. , OSEPH PROESEL. Of the natives of the German Empire the Bavarians stand as an industrious, frugal and intelligent people. Their country is situated favorably for the production of hardy men and women, such as only mountainous countries can produce. The climate of Ha varia, notwithstanding the mountainous typog- raphy of the country, is temperate and exceed- ingly salubrious, and has a tendency to produce robustness. The people of the country districts are agriculturists and cattle raisers, and are very thor- ough in the cultivation of the soil. Public instruc- tion is somewhat more limited in Bavaria than in some of the other German States, but upon the whole the people are intelligent and fairly well edu- cated. The subject of this sketch, who is a farmer on sec- tion 30 of Pontiac Township, is a native of Bavaria, where he was born on the loth of June, 1K27, and is the son of George and Magdalene Vroesel, both of German nativit}-. He received all the advan- tages of a common-school education possible in his native land, and in his eighteenth year accompanied his parents "lien they emigrated to America. Pas- sage was taken at Bremen on a sailing-vessel, and alter a tempestuous voyage of sixt3'-two days they landed in New York City. Thence they secured pa age on a boat up the Hudson River to Albany, and from there took an Krie Canal boat to Buffalo, requiring two weeks to make the trip from New York to that place. From the latter city they took pa->age by way of the Great Lakes to Chicago, which they reached in ten days, and settled in Niles Township. C'ook County, where the father died in August. 1884; the mother still resides in Cook County, 111. The 'subject of this sketch remained in C'ook County until 1864, in which year he came to Liv- ingston County, where he located in Owego Town- ship, and remained there until the fall of 1869, when he removed to his present farm on section 30, Pontiac Township. He was married, on the 1st of May, 1849, to Miss Margaret Alles. a native of Germany, and at that time a resident of C'ook County. Her parents were Wendell and Margaret (Wagner) Alles, both natives of Germany, who emigrated to America about the year 1834, and a few years later settled in Cook County. With their family of seven children they landed in New York and remained two years in that city, where the father was employed at his trade of blacksmithing. In 1836 the3 r started for Chicago, going by the Hudson River and the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and thence by the Lakes in a vessel to Chicago, where they arrived in four weeks. Mr. Alles with his family settled seventeen miles north of the city on what was then known as Gross Point, but at a later day was named New Drear, and was the first Ger- man settler in that part of Cook County. He built the first log Catholic Church, and is buried with hi- wife on the grounds where the Church stood. He was an industrious, enterprising man, and ac- cumulated a good property. To Mr. and Mrs. Proesel have been born five chil- dren, recorded as follows: .George J. lives at Gales- burg, 111.; Mary is the wife of Henry Graber, of Pontiac: Catherine is the wife of E. F. Schultz, of Pontiac; .lolm W. lives in Champaign, and William J. at home. Mr. Proesel owns 153 acres of good land, which is under a high state of cultivation. In political matters he is very Independent and has not lately affiliated with either of the old party organ- izations. He has held several responsible official positions, including three terms or nine years as 1 f! t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 997 School Director in Pontiac Township, and Assessor one term and School Director one term in Owego Township. He is a devoted member of the Roman Catholic Church, while lie and his wife occupy an enviable position in society by which they are sur- rounded. A view of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Proesel is shown elsewhere in this work. ON. CHRISTOPHER C. STRAWN, of the firm of Strawn & Patton, attorneys-at-law, Pontiac, is one of the notable men of Illi- nois. His legal experience embraces a pe- riod of nearly twenty-five years, during which time he has, been the conservator of important interests and has had an opportunity of developing his nat- ural talent in the field to which he seems remarka- bly adapted. He is a man of general culture, and has a fine and discriminating taste in literature, and this, together with his marked legal talent, places him in the front rank, not only of his profession, but in the refined social circles, where he is a gen- eral favorite. He presents a finely developed man- hood, being in the prime of life and of fine per- sonal appearance. In political circles, although un- restrained by party lines and nearly gaining the appellation of an Independent, his leanings are strongly toward Republican principles. Mr. Stravvu is a native of LaSalle County, this State, and was born in Ottawa, Aug. 22, 1841. The Strawn family for nearly a century has been noted throughout the West, where its members have been largely engaged as farmers and stock-breeders, and have possessed robust health, fine constitutions and great integrity in their business transactions. The parents of Christopher C., Eli and Eleanor ( Broad - dus) Strawn, were natives respectively of Ohio and Virginia. His paternal grandparents, Jeremiah and Hannah (Boucher) Strawn. were natives of Penn- sylvania, as was also the great-grandfather, Isaiah, who was of Scotch ancestry. Almost without ex- ception the members of the family were agricult- urists and stock-raisers for several generations. The mother of our subject was the daughter of Lunsford Broaddus, who for many years conducted a tobacco plantation in Virginia, which was worked by slaves. He was a man of much philanthrophy, and being convinced that the "peculiar institution" was radically wrong, liberated his slaves and re- moved to the free North, taking up his location in Lacon, Marshall County, this State. Here he car- ried on general farming extensively, and spent the remainder of his life, his death taking place in 1865. Jeremiah Strawn removed from his native State to Illinois in 1830, settling in Putnam County, and engaged largely in farming. During the Black Hawk War he officiated as Quartermaster, and about 1857 removed to Ottawa, where he lived retired from active labor until his death in 1883. He had three brothers who also settled in Illinois. These were, Jacob, who went to Morgan County; John, who settled in Marshall County, and Joel, in LaSalle County. All were extensive stockmen and far- mers, and all reared large families and became prominent in the counties where they lived. Eli, the father of our subject, settled in Ottawa when comparatively young in years, and like the other men of his family, also engaged in farming and stock-raising until resting from his earthly la- bors, his death taking place in 1 887. The wife and mother had preceded her husband to the silent land about thirty-six years before, her death taking place in 1861. Of their six children, Louisa died in in- fancy ; Christopher C., our subject, was next in or- der of birth; Franklin settled on the other side of the Mississippi, and is one of the prominent stock- men of Kansas; Martha, Mrs. Barry, is residing in Chicago; Nancy, Mrs. Thompson, is the wife of a prominent business man of Lacon, Marshall County: Henry is engaged extensively as a horse dealer in Kansas, and Douglas, who died when a youth. Eli Strawn, like his brothel's, secured wealth and prom- inence, and held the various local offices, represent- ing his township in the Board of Supervisors, and was frequently called to positions of trust and re- sponsibility. He was Republican in politics, and with his estimable wife, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Christopher C. Strawn spent his boyhood upon his father's farm, near the city of Ottawa, pursuing his studies in the common schools until a youth of eighteen years. He then entered the Northwestern University at Evanston. In 1860 he left this in- f t r stitutiou to attend the Law School, at Albany, N. Y., but in February following was called home on account of the serious illness of his mother, and which illness resulted in her death. After the du- ties attendant upon this sad interval, he commenced reading law in the office of Wallace & Dickey, where he continued until the outbreak of the Re- bellion. In April, under the first call for troops, he enlisted in the three-months service, from La- Salle County, in Company I, llth Illinois Infantry, with which he served his time, and then, anxious to pursue his chosen profession, returned home and resumed his studies in the office of Arrington & Dent, of Chicago. Young Strawn was admitted to the bar in Janu- ary, 1863, not long after reaching his majority. He entered upon the practice of his profession in Chi- cago, continued there until 1864, and the year fol- lowing practiced in Ottawa, He then removed to Omaha. Neb., and was there also a year. In 1867 he located in Pontiac, and soon afterward was ap- pointed by Gov. Palmer to the office of State's At- torney for the old Twentieth Judicial Circuit, to fill a vacancy. The duties of this office he dis- charged with great energy and ability. He has since that time been steadily rising in the profes- sion, and now ranks among the foremost lawyers of Illinois. Of late years he has won much credit and a fine income in the management of large real es- tate interests in the Circuit Court of LaSalle County and in the Supreme Court of the State. In the pur- suance of difficult and intricate litigation he has been successful where the majority would have failed, on account of his peculiar faculty for ferret- ing out every fact and circumstance attending each transaction which would benefit his side of the case. It is this persistence, together with his general knowledge of common law and his remarkable mem- ory, thsit have given him such signal success. The extent of his business transactions necessitated the opening by Mr. Strawn of an office in the city of Chicago, and in connection with his partner. Mr. G. W. Patton, a very promising and rapidly rising lawyer of Pontiac, he attends to a constantly in- creasing amount of professional business at both cities. At rare intervals Mr. Strawn has turned aside for a till in politics, but has seldom worked 998 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. well in party harness, being too independent to please the machine politicians. In 1878 Mr. S. was a candidate for Congress on the Greenback ticket, against Col. Greenbury L. Fort (Republican) and Thomas M. Shaw (Democrat). The Republican majority in this district heretofore had been about 3,500. Mr. Strawn made a very strong canvass, having reduced the Republican ma- joritj' to a minority in this district. Col. Fort, however, received a plurality of the votes cast, and was therefore elected. This ripple upon the cur- rent of his life had comparatively little effect upon Mr. Strawn, and he pursued the even tenor of his way with his law practice, successfully and thor- oughly as before. He has been City Attorney of Pontiac many times, and was attorney for the Board of Supervisors for a period of fourteen years. The firm lists now the law business of the Chicago & Alton, the Illinois Central and the Atchison, To- peka & Santa Fe Railroad Companies. The lady who for the last twenty-five years has presided with grace and dignity over the home of our subject, and to whom he was married in Chi- cago in 1863, was formerly Miss Clara F., daughter of Maj. John B. Bourvain, late of that city. He served in the army of the First Napoleon as one of his bodyguard, and was with him during the re- treat from Moscow and in the last fatal battle, that of Waterloo. To Mr. and Mrs. Strawn there have been born four children, of whom only two are liv- ing Louis F. and Roscoe B. Hon. C. C. Strawn stands high in the legal pro- fession of Illinois, but better than all, he is regarded as an honest man, conscientious in his labors, and as a citizen, a man generally interested in the wel- fare of his community, and it is with pleasure that we present his portrait in this volume. OHN HARRIS. Livingston County con. tains among her citizens quite a number who were born in England, and chose to avail themselves of the opportunities this country affords for becoming ample land-holders. Of these we give with pleasure a biographical sketch of Mr. Harris, who is a representative fanner and stock- f i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 999, 1 raisi-r of Sauneinin Township. Our subject was born in Devonshire, England, in the spring of 1849, and is the son of William and Mary Harris, both natives of England. In the spring of 1851 William and Mary Harris emigrated to America, and immediately coming to Illinois, settled in LaSalle County. There they re- mained five years,* and then came to Livingston County where they settled in Owego Township, and established for themselves a comfortable home, where they resided for several years. They then removed to Saunemin Township, where they pur- chased and lived on the farm now owned by Joshua Chesebro, and subsequently the father moved to Normal, 111., where he now resides. The parents had a family of eight children, of whom six are now living William T., Thomas Y., John, Mary, James and Wesley. The mother of these children died in February, 1869, and the father was married a second time, to Miss Mary Miller, who bore him one child, whom they named Nettie. Our subject having come to Illinois when but two or three years of age, has virtually been a resi- dent of this State since lie was old enough to re- member. While a bo}' he attended the common schools of this county, at which he received a very fair education. He early began to learn the de- tails of farm work, and has followed the occupation of a farmer all his life. On the 8th of January, 1870, Mr. Harris was married to Miss Mary Boyd, a native of Pennsylvania, who was born in Decem- ber, 1851. She is the daughter of Benjamin and Annie Boyd, who are both natives of Ireland, and now reside in Buffalo County, Neb. They have nine children living Benjamin, Mary, Alexander, Elizabeth, James, William, Thomas, Anna and John. Sadie is deceased, having died Aug. 9, 1887, aged nineteen years and six months. Six children have been the result of the marriage of Mr. Harris and Miss Boyd, and their names and dates of birth are as follows: John W. was born Dec. 18. 1870; Ben- jamin B., Dec. 21, 1872; Harry M., April 17, 1875; Annie J., Jan. 27, 1878; Arthur L., April 3, 1881, and Clarence L., Aug. 13. 1887. Mr. Harris' farm consists of eighty acres of land which is very productive and easy of cultivation. He has constructed a good class of improvements and been successful in all his undertakings. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has officiated as Steward and Trustee. Politically Mr. Harris is a Republican, regularly voting the ticket, and approves of the platforms adopted by that party. He has served the people of his school district to their satisfaction as a Director of Schools. He and his wife are both highly esteemed members of society, and en- joy the respect of a large circle of friends and ac- quaintances. ?ILLIAM REED, an ex-soldier of the Union army, and now one of the most prosperous farmers of Pleasant Ridge Township, lo- cated on the land which he now occupies soon after the close of the late war. He has a farm of 157 acres under a fine state of cultivation, and supplied with good buildings, while in addition to general agriculture, he has given considerable attention to the breeding of fine stock. He bears the reputation of being a useful and reliable' citizen, straightfor- ward and enterprising, and has contributed his full share toward the building up of the township, em- bellishing it with one of the finest homesteads in the landscape. Some of the finest people in the Mississippi Valley emigrated from the State of Ohio. Of this State our subject is a native, and born in Madi- son Township, Fail-field Count}', May 12, 1829. He is the son of Noah and Elizabeth (Stahl) Reed, who were born in Delaware, the father in 1 803, and the mother a few years later. Noah Reed ini- grated to Ohio during the early settlement of Fair- field County, where he opened up a farm and was en- gaged in tilling the soil until called from his earthly labors, his death taking place in 1857. The mother had crossed over the river several years before, while a young woman. She was a lady greatly be- loved by her family and friends, and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their children were named respectively : Samuel, Maria, Silas, Catherine, Josiah, John, Nehemiah, William, Eliza and Keziah. William Reed came to Illinois in the spring of ' loon LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1855, when a young man twenty-six years of age, and purchased forty acres of land in Pleasant Ridge Township, this county. He followed farming until after the outbreak of the late war, and although just beginning operations, which, if interrupted, would entail upon him great inconvenience and probable loss, he could not stifle the voice of conscience and duty, and offered himself to the Union service, enlisting in Company E, 129th Illinois Infantry. He was mustered in at Pontiac, Aug. 28, 1862, and served for three years, participating in all the prin- cipal battles of the southwest, and many of those in the southeast. They were first detailed to the latter section of country, where the regiment met the enemy at Resaca, Ga. They afterward went into camp at Nashville, and in October they were sent in pursuit of Bragg's retreating army. After the engagements at Burnt Hickory and Buzzard's Roost, the company of which Mr. Reed was a member was detailed as a part of the guard for the Chatta- nooga Railroad. Although suffering the ordinary trials and hardships of army life, Mr. Reed fortu- nately escaped serious illness, wounds and capture, and at the close of the war received his honorable discharge in the city of Washington, D. C., on the 8th of June, 1865. Mr. Reed, upon entering the army, had not only left his property, but a wife and family, he having been married, Feb. 10, 1852, to Miss Catherine Veatch. Mrs. Reed, like her husband, was born in Ohio, in 1837, and of their union were born six children, namely: Amos W., Melissa; John, who died in infancy; Sarah, Robert W. and Inis Ida. The wife and mother departed this life at her home, Feb. 22, 1866. She was a lady of great personal worth, and a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Reed was again married, Aug. 4, 1867, to Mrs. Mary L. Moorhead, who be- came the mother of three children: Albert ,1., who was born May 2, 1868; Minnie C., May 12. 1871, and George W., Aug. 15, 1873. This lady died on the 10th of February, 1876, aged thirty-two years and thirteen days. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married Oct. 14, 1876, was formerly Miss Dora A. Ortman, a lady of German ancestry, who was born in Germany, in February, 185G. Her parents, Jo- seph ami Dora (Hartman) Ortinan, emigrated to America in 1802. locating in Rook's Creek Town- ship, where the father engager! in farming, but only lived two years after crossing the Atlantic: the mother is living near C'hatsworth. By this mar- riage Mr. Reed became the father of three children : Joseph G., who was born Feb. 10, 1879; Maude. Feb. 28, 1881, and Laura E., Jan. 24, 1887. "'' L- 3 e of St. Pat- rick's Church, Chatsworth, was born in Hol- land, Oct. 27, 1834, and was educated for the priesthood at the University of Lou vain in Belgium, one of the most noted institutions of learning in the world, and was in a class of !I75 students. He was ordained as a priest in July, 1868, at Malines, Belgium, and three months after graduating emigrated to the United States, where he was first stationed at the cathedral at Louisville, Ivy., subsequently becoming pastor of St. Joseph's German Church, Louisville. In 1874 the subject of this sketch took charge of St. Louis' Church at Henderson, Ky., and from there he came to Bishop Spaulding's diocese, in Illinois, when in March, 1881, he was appointed to the charge at Chatsworth and also officiated through his assistant at Piper City, Forest and Cullom. The church at Chatsworth was built in 18G4, and was dedicated on the 17th of March, 1865, to St. Pat- rick, by Rev. Thomas Roy, President of St. Vistenr's College, Kankakee. The church is a frame building costing about 14.000, and was erected under the pastor, Rev. John A. Fanning, of Fairbury. It was made an independent mission July 22, 1867, when Rev. Roy was succeeded by Rev. L. Moyihan. In 188-') Father 1 lagan built St. Patrick's Acad- emy at C'hatsworth, at which six sisters are em- ployed in teaching. The building cost over $10,000, and the average attendance is ninety students. Under Father Hagan's administration all the prop- erty connected with the church has been materially improved. He has reserved grounds adjoining the academy on which to erect a brick church building. the construction of which will soon be begun. When he came to Chatsworth the church was badly tl 1 f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1008 in debt, but by advancing $5,000 himself the debt was liquidated and the academy and parsonage were built, and now Father Hagau offers $5,000 toward the erection of a new brick church. The church at Chatsworth receives as much service as any in the larger cities, there being on each Sunday Mass trt'ice, two sermons, vespers, benediction and special instruction. Under his immediate charge and whose spiritual welfare he guards, there are 150 families at Chatsworth, 75 at Piper City, 95 at Cullom and 15 at Forest. Father Hagan is much beloved by all the mem- bers of his various congregations, over whom he wields a most beneficent influence. He is a man of broad and progressive ideas, and his life is wrapt up in the prosperity and progress of his church. A view of St. Patrick's Church, Academy and the Pastor's residence, is presented in this work. B. GRAY, one of the prominent men in political and church matters and public affairs of Livingston County, is a fanner, stock raiser and dealer on section 18, Rook's Creek Township. He is the son of Walter and Kliza (Calvert) Gray, and was born on the 3d of October, 1834, in Genesee County, N. Y. He was married, on the 19th of November, 1 857, to Martha A. Boy n ton, who was born in Gaines, Orleans Co., N. Y., on the 16th of June, 1835, and is the daughter of John and Mary R. (Baker) Boynton. Mr. Gray came to Rook's Creek Township on the 22d of March, 1858, and first purchased a half sec- tion of land to which he afterward added another half section, on a portion of which Graymont, which was named in his honor, now stands: he also owns an interest in a stock ranch in Montana. Mr. Gray and his wife were in the railroad wreck at Chats- worth, on the 10th of August, 1887, the details of which shocked the world, but with the exception of a great nervous shock to Mrs. Gray, neither re- ceived serious injury. Mr. Gray's father was a native of Scotland, where he was born in November. 177!), and came to this country with his parents, George and Agnus Cray. when about two and one-half years old. They located in Livingston County, N. Y., where the father followed the occupation of a farmer. The grandfather had six sons and three daughters, who were named as follows: William, John, Andrew, Walter, Michael, George, Margaret, Ann and Bet- sey. William married, and dying, left three sons and four daughters; John married, and died leav- ing a son and daughter; Andrew married, and at his death left two sons Abraham and George ; Walter was the father of the subject of this sketch ; Michael married and is deceased, leaving four sons and two daughters; George was born in 1810, mar- ried Jane Charlton, a native of New York, and they now live in Lyndoch, Norfolk Co., Ontario, Canada, where they have seven children Thomas, Adam, George, Agnes, Ellen, Jennie and Margaret. Mar- garet married Daniel Christie, and dying left two children George and Margaret; Ann married Adam Charlton, to whom she bore a famity of four sons and four daughters John, Ellen, George, Annie, Thomas, Margaret, William and Agnes; she is now deceased. Betsey married Lewis Tnttle, and at her death left six children Henry, Agnes, Mar- garet, Charlotte, Elizabeth and George. The parental family of our subject included eight children, who were named as follows: William, Louisa, Margaret. George B., Robert, Margaret (2d), Agnes and Euphemia. William was born Nov. 22, 1827, and was married three times, his first wife be- ing Delia Fuller, who became the mother of two children Clarence and Scott. The second wife. Hannah Clark, had also two children, William and Clara, and the third wife, Mary Sinclair, had two children, Clara and John; William now lives in Orleans County, N. Y., and is the proprietor of a foundry and machine shop. Louisa, Mrs. Owen D. Phelps, has no children, and lives in Orleans County, N. Y. ; Margaret died in infancy; George B., the subject of this sketch, has one daughter, Nellie A. Gray, who was born on the 9th of September, 1862, married Clark E. Legg, and now lives in Pontiac; Robert married Hattie E. Coleman, has two chil- dren, Walter and Libbie, and lives in Orleans Coun- ty, N. Y. ; Margaret married John Mallett, has one child. Watson ('., and lives in Orleans County, N. Y.; Agnes married Rowley Gay, and died June 4, 1004 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1 856, leaving no children ; Euphemia married Lewis Swift, has five children, and lives in Orleans County. N. Y. While living in New York, Mr. Gray obtained a common-school education, working nine months in the year on the farm, and attending school three months during the winter, providing he could be spared from work on the farm. Before coining to Illinois, he engaged in a limited way in buying and shipping stock, and in that manner succeeded in ac- cumulating about $1,500, which -enabled him to make a fair start in life for himself. Mr. Gray is a believer in the doctrines- advocated by the Repub- lican party, and at different times has been re- warded by that party with various offices, including one tenn as Commissioner of Highways, two terms as Supervisor, and two terms in the State Legisla- ture. In 1876 he was nominated as the Republican candidate in the Eighteenth Senatorial District, and was elected by an overwhelming majority. Hav- ing served his constituents so faithfully and intelli- gently, he was re-elected in 1878 by a majority, which attested the appreciation the people had for his work in the Senate. He was the author of the Senate Bill, 583, known as the Cockle Burr Bill, which became a law, and has been of incalculable benefit to the entire population of the .State. He was also the author of several other important bills, which became laws. He was Chairman of Commit tee on Public Buildings and Grounds, and was also a member of other committees. Mr. Gray was reared in the Presbyterian faith of the good old Scotch belief, of which he is a living representa- tive. Mrs. Gray's maternal grandparents were Ira Baker and Polly Burbank, the former born in Con- necticut, and the latter in Williamstown, Mass., about 1775. Her father, John Boynton, was born on the 8th of October, 17!)7, in Vermont, and was at first a farmer, but afterward engaged in the mer- cantile business. Her mother was born on the 20th of September, 17 ( J7, at Williamstown, Mass.. and is still living at her daughter's house, at the Gray homestead in Livingston Count}'; she is in her ninety-first year. When a child, Mrs. Gray's mother moved with her parents to Vermont, and afterward to New York, where she was married in 1828 to John Boynton, and they resided there until 1858, when they removed to Illinois, where they made their home with Mrs. Gray, and the old gentleman died in 1860. Mrs. Boynton's brothers. Ezra. Dan- iel and Elisha Baker, served in the War of 1812. Daniel was taken prisoner near Kingston by the British, kept nearly a year, and was starved nearly to death, but was finally exchanged; Ezra was in the battle of Plattsburg, and commanded a gun manned by eight men, the first shot from which cut down the British colors, and killed Commodore Downing. He was on Commodore McDonald's vessel, and relates that when entering the battle the Commodore knelt, and with uncovered head prayed for success, which, as all the world knows, was granted them. Mrs. Boynton's sisters, all of whom are dead, were recorded as follows: Elvira married Elihu Thomas, and had five children ; Mary mar- ried John Boynton, and had three children; Maria married Elizer Goodrich, and had six children; Emily and Loraine died when about reaching wo- manhood: Marcia married Lorenzo Thayer, and left four or five children; Sarah died unmarried, and Asenith married Levi Hale, and left four or five children. Mrs. Gray's paternal grandfather, John Boynton, Sr., was born in Vermont, and marrying Mary Smedley, in Cornwell, became the father of nine sons and two daughters, as follows: Daniel married, and left two or more children ; William married Hannah Gunn, and left eight children; David mar- ried, and left six children; Henry married Abigail Barton, left seven children, two of whom fought on the Confederate side in the war of the Rebellion, one losing his life; Jeremiah married Mary Loavitt, and left six children, two of whom were in the I'nion army: Olive married Simeon Clark, and left three children; Joel married Fannie Rockwell, and left three children; Smedley died at the age of twenty-two years; John, who was the father of Mrs. Gray ; Poll}' married Albert Rogers : Zerah mar- ried Parmelia Buss, and left five children: Wallace J. married Genett Stephenson; H. K. married Sarah Petrie: Parmelia died in 1*70; Daniel married Mary Burkhart, they have three children; Arethusa wa> born in 1845, and lived in Livingston County. John H. Boynton, Mrs. Gray's brother, was born +-*-*+ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1005 on the loth of June, 1830, married Mrs. Naomi Childs, and they have two children, George A. and Myra A., and reside in Jackson, Mich.; Julia L., her sister, was born on the 7th of May, 1 832, and died on the 16th of January, 1858. f SHOMAS E.SHAW, a pioneer of 1857, set- tled with his parents in Avoca Township a short time before attaining his majority. His early life had been spent in Tippecanoe County, Ind., where he was born Dec. 29, 1837. He is the son of Aaron and Sarah Shaw, natives of New Jersey, the former born Oct. 12, 1800, and the latter March 3, 1799. After the birth of five children, they came to the West, where their house- hold was enlarged until they had a family of eight children. Of these, there are now surviving, Ra- chel, the wife of John Bennett: Priscilla, the widow of James H. Burdick, who died in the Union serv- ice during the late war; James W., of Champaign County, 111. ; Elsie, the wife of Daniel McClain, of Streator, 111., and Thomas E. The parents of our subject were among the ear- liest settlers of Tippecanoe County, and were resi- dents of Fairfield, in that county, for a period of over twenty years. The father was engaged in farming during his entire life, and both parents spent their last years in Avoca Township, this county, the mother passing away on the 23d of May, 1870, and the father Jan. 21, 1887. They were members of the Society of Friends, and car- ried out in their lives and characters the peculiar and excellent doctrines of that unobtrusive sect. Mr. Shaw was widely and favorably known through- out this section, and was noted for his sterling in- tegrity, being above a mean or dishonest action. Our subject spent his childhood and youth under the parental roof, receiving a limited education, but being carefully trained to habits of industry and principles of honor. When the late Civil Wat- called for the enlistment of volunteers, our subject cheerfully responded, and Aug. 8, 1802, became a member of Company E, 129th Illinois Infantry, in which he was promoted Corporal, and with which lie continued until the close of the struggle. His regiment was assigned to the Army of the Cumber- land, and he participated in many of its important battles, being in the engagements at Resaca, New Hope Church, Peachtree Creek, and the siege of Atlanta. He joined Sherman's march to the sea, and fought at Bentonville, besides meeting the enemy in various minor engagements and skir- mishes. He endured with patience the hardships and privations of life in the army., and fortunately escaped sickness, wounds and imprisonment. After the surrender of Johnson's army, he received his honorable discharge, and was mustered out on the 8th of June, 1865, at Washington, D. C. The pri- vate soldiers comprised a vast proportion of those who made great sacrifices and whose sufferings will never be fully known. Those who have returned i to private life, and now pursue the even tenor of their way as quiet and law-abiding citizens, are de- serving of equal honor with those who perhaps suffered more, and whose remains repose in un- marked graves. Mr. Shaw after returning from the army, re- sumed the agricultural pursuits to which he had been accustomed from boyhood, mainly in Avoca Township. He returned, however, to Tippecanoe County, Ind., for a wife and helpmeet, this lady being Miss Ruth Cresse, to whom he was married Nov. 28, 1869. Mrs. Shaw was a native of the same county as her husband, and after becoming the mother of six children, departed this life at her home in Avoca Township, Feb. 11, 1887. She had suffered much from a lingering illness, which she bore with womanly fortitude and patience, and is held in tender remembrance by her affectionate family and scores of friends, as one who fulfilled her duties faithfully in life, and in whose death they sustained a great loss. Of their family there are now living. Fanny, Sarah, Mary and Aaron. Jay died when ten months old, and Bert at the age of three years. The farm property of Mr. Shaw comprises 124 acres of good land, which has been brought to its present excellent state of cultivation principally by i his own hand. He has neat and substantial build- ings. ;i good assortment of farm stock, and all the machinery required by the progressive agricultur- 1006 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1st. He is a citizen generally interested in the wel- fare of his community, votes the straight Repub- lican ticket, and for several years has served as School Director, besides being Township Trustee two terms. He is identified with the G. A. R., be- inga member of Fairbury Post No. 75, at Fairbury. OBERT KAIN, a rising young farmer of Broughton Township, well-known and pop- il ular among its people, owns 1 20 acres of i> good land on section 33. He is enterpris- ing and industrious, and has already a good start in life, the result of his own perseverance and in- dustry. He was born in Count}- Antrim, Ireland, in August, 1852, and is the son of Archibald and Martha (Eaton) Kain, who were also of Irish birth and parentage. The parental household included five children, all of whom, with one exception, are residents of the United States, namely: Rebecca, the wife of John Scott, of Jasper County, Ind. : Catherine, Mrs. James McAffery, of Barton County, Kan. ; James, also of that county, and Robert. Arch- ibald remains a resident of Ireland. The mother died at her home in Round Grove in January, 1874, while the father is still living, and a res- ident of this county. Our subject remained with his parents in Ireland until a youth of seventeen years, and seeing little prospect of the advancement which he desired, so- cially and financially, decided upon seeking his fort- une upon this side of the Atlantic. He accord- ingly repaired to Liverpool, and taking passage on the steamer " Manhattan," bound for New York City, arrived after a pleasant voyage of fourteen days. The reputation of the State of Illinois had years before extended to Ireland, many of whose sons had here found ample reward for their labors. Young Kain accordingly proceeded directly west- ward, and secured employment as a farm laborer near Joliet, where he remained two years. In 1 87 1 he migrated to this county and rented a tract of land near the town of Cornell, which he operated about three years, and thence removed to the vi- cinity of Odell, where he spent about the same length of time, and then came to Broughton Town- ship, of which he has since been a resident. He operated for a few years as a renter, and in 1875 purchased the land which he has now brought to a good state of cultivation, and which he has trans- formed ink) a comfortable homestead. Mr. Kain had parted with his parents with many regrets, and after a year's sojourn in this country, sent them and a sister the means wherewith to make the journey. They took up their location in Will County, where they lived several years, and thence came to Livingston, where the death of the mother occurred a few years later. Mr. Kain deserves great credit for the manner in which he performed his filial duties and the sacrifices which he made for the comfort of those connected with him by the closest ties of nature. He received a fair educa- tion in his native country, and being naturally bright and observing, is a gentleman of more than ordinary intelligence. He keeps himself well posted on matters of general interest, and in his farming operations avails himself of the most approved methods and common-sense machinery. For the last seven years, in connection with the ordinary operations of the farm, he has dealt largely in horses, buying and shipping to the Eastern markets. His transactions have been carried on with excel- lent judgment, and yield annually a handsome profit. The marriage of Robert Kain and Miss Martha Young was celebrated in Cornell, this county, on the 21st of September, 1871. Mrs. Kain was born in County Antrim, Ireland, Aug. 24, 1848, and is I the daughter of James and Jane (Jamieson) Young, | both now deceased. Mrs. K. emigrated to the United States in 1 87(1, and lias proved, both by natural capacities and disposition, a suitable com- panion of her husband, being a lady greatly re- spected for her man}- estimable qualities. Both are members in good standing of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Kain, politically, is a solid Repub- lican. The seven children who have been added to the household circle were born as follows: James Y., June 13. 1873; Robert, April 18, 1874; Jennie, Nov. 3, 1876; Mary, Nov. 3, 1878; Archibald, Oct. 18, 1881; Martha, Sept. 1, 1883, and Annie, f t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1009 Oct. 2, 1887. Mr. Kaiu has served as School Di- rector, and is always willing to lend a helping hand in every project tending to the general welfare of his adopted township. OHN ODELL, one of the wealth}' farmers and prominent citizens of Indian Grove Township, whose farm is located on section 7, is a native of the city of New York, where he was born on the 20th of November, 1831, and is the son of Peter and Elizabeth (Kilgoiir) Odell, natives respectively of New York and Virginia. The father died in 18GG, and the mother in 1862; the latter was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The father was a farmer and shoemaker by occupation, and in 1889 removed to Chautau- qua, N. Y., where he purchased land and remained until his death. They were the parents of ten chil- dren, who bore the following names : James H., Elizabeth, Harriet; John, the subject of this sketch; Peter, Mary J., Sarah, Maria, George and Was. ington. John Odell was married to Laura A. Rice, in New York, in 1857, the Rev. William Husted, of the Baptist Church, officiating. This lady was born in Chautauqua County, N. Y., on the 15th of Au- gust, 1 833, and is the daughter of Irvin and Dia- dama (Bishop) Rice. Her father was born in the same county, in 1804, and died on the 26th of June, I860; the mother died on the 16th of Sep- tember, 1847, at the age of forty-six years. They were members of the Baptist Church. After the death of the mother the father married his second wife, Miss Jane Crawford, and they connected themselves with the Seceders' Church. He was a shoemaker by trade, but at various periods of his life was engaged in the occupation of a farmer. He was the father of ten children, all of whom were born to the first wife. Of this family Moses mar- ried Esther Bliss: Eliza E., uow Mrs. Perrine; Hor- ace married Fannie Nicholan; Sarah B. married Nimrod Perrine; Lucy M. married Aquilla Alben; Joshua married Polly Montgomery ; Laura A. mar- ried John Odell ; Esther A. married James A. Smith. Mr. Odell became a citizen of the Slate of Illi- nois in the fall of 1865, when he located in Indian Grove Township, and became the possessor of 160 acres of excellent land, which is under an advanced state of cultivation, and is worth $75 per acre. Some years ago he planted a magnificent grove of forest trees and a good orchard, and the latter has yielded bounteous crops of choice fruit. His dwelling is a model farm house, and his barns and out-buildings are constructed with an eye to the economical storing of grain and the comfort of stock. He is an enthusiast in the matter of raising Short-horn cattle, and produces some of the finest herds of cattle in Livingston County. In illustrating man}' of the farm homesteads of Livingston County, which is done in this volume, none present a more pleasing aspect than that of Mr. Odell, which is given in connection with this sketch. Comfort, even luxury, is evidenced on every hand. Some fine specimens from his stable of horses are also given as well as from his splendid herd of choice cattle. In Mr. Odell are finely illustrated the advantages of a persevering and courageous nature. He be- gan life without a dollar, and through his own ef- forts has secured a comfortable home and a compe- tency which will stand him well in his old age, and make him independent. He is a true Democrat in every sense of the word, and shows his loyalty to his party by serving it upon any and all occasions. In bis domestic circle Mr. Odell is happily sit- uated. He and his wife are the parents of four in- teresting children, their names being Ella E., who married Jacob Pate; Mary E., Elmer H. and Nora L. The entire family are popular in the neighbor- hood in which they reside, and Air. Odell is known throughout the county as a gentleman of fine impulses and integrity of character. ^INFIELD S. RUSTON, a prominent young \f\J// f al ' nler f Saunemin Township, owns 160 Ww acres of good land on section 17. He is a native of Indiana, where he was born in Vanderburgh Count}', Dec. 1, 1846. His parents, Richard and Mary (Westvvood) Ruston, were of English birth and parentage, and immigrated to this country in f 1010 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. their early youth, probably fifty years ago. The parents of each were among the early pioneers of Indiana, where Mr. and Mrs. Ruston remained until 1865. The parents of our subject removed from Indi- ana to Marshal! County, this State, in the year above mentioned, and in 1866 took up their abode in Saunemin Township, where the father carried on farming, to which he had been accustomed all his life. The wife and mother died six years after this removal, and not long afterward the father disposed of his property, and now makes his home with his son, Winfield S. The parental household included ten children, of whom seven survive, and are re- corded as follows: James is in Dakota; George in Nebraska Township, this county ; Sarah is the wife of C. P. Guyes, of Evansville, Ind. ; Mary, Mrs. G. W. Langford, is a resident of Eylar; Anna is the wife of George Moles, of Saunemin Township; Isabella married George Paulmer, and they are resi- dents of California; Winfield S. is the youngest of the family living. Richard Ruston has been quite prominent in public affairs, serving as Road Super- visor and otherwise lending his aid to the enter- prises calculated to build up the township and de- velop its resources. The land upon which he had first located had received but little cultivation, but by the exercise of industry and perseverance he succeeded in transforming it into a valuable farm. He is now in the eightieth year of his age. and may comfort himself with the reflection that his course has been such as to gain him the esteem of all who know him. Our subject came to this county with his father in 1 866, and was then a young man twenty 3'ears of age. He had been fairly educated in the dis- trict schools, and was naturally bright, industrious and enterprising. Like his father before him he took kindly to the employments of farm life, and at this age was well fitted to begin business for him- self. He had already begun to lay his plans for the future, and his highest ambition was to secure for himself a comfortable home, and become a respected and useful member of soeiet} 7 . On the 9th of Janu- ary, 1869, he took one of the most important steps toward the accomplishment of his hopes, being united in marriage with Miss Emma Moulds. Mrs. Ruston was born in England, and crossed the At- lantic with her parents at an early ag<>. They lo- cated in Marshall County, 111., and it was there that our subject made the acquaintance of his future wife. Of this union there have been born four children, of whom but two survive, namely, Mary J., the wife of Samuel W. Headley, and Clara B., who remains at home with her parents. Since the purchase of his present homestead Mr. Ruston has effected good improvements, and the land is remarkably fertile, having been assisted i<> this condition by 1,300 rods of tiling, which has fitted it for the production of the choicest crops of Central Illinois. The homestead is pleasantly lo- cated, and together with its surroundings forms an extremely pleasant spot for the eye to linger upon. Mr. Ruston is usually entirely employed in looking after his farming interests, and has steadily declined becoming an office-holder. He keeps himself we!] posted, however, upon political matters, and gives his support to the Greenback party, lie believes in the establishment of religious and educational institutions, and no man gives more readily accord- ing to his means to encourage the enterprises in- augurated for the good of society and the elevation of the people. He has not seen fit to connect him- self with any religious organization, but Mrs. Rus- ton is an active member of the Christian Church. J~~l AMES H. NICHOLS is a man of varied ex- periences in many parts of the country, and different lines of business, and it would be ' difficult to name any occupation in which he could not make himself useful. He is now giving his attention to farming, and is meeting- witli that remarkable success which he deserves. The space required to record the detailed events of his life is cheerfully given. He was born May 31, 1*36, in Columbia County. N. Y.. and is the son of George and Polly P. (Knickerbocker) Nichols. He lived at home until lie was ten years of age. at which time his mother died and his father became blind. In the spring of 1818 Mr. Nichols began work for a man named Holdernmn. at Holdcrman's Grove, Kendall Co., 111., receiving a coinpen- .*. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Hr 1011 t . sation of $5 per month, while the highest wages paid to men at that time was but $8 per month. After herding cattle for one year he worked at odd jobs for two years for his board and clothing, and then through the influence of some stage drivers he secured the position of post boy for carrying the mail from Ottawa to Oswego, Peoria and Bloom- ington, by the way of Pontiae and Indian Grove, and continued in that work three years. Mean- while he was also employed as a driver on the canal, and as teamster on the railroad. He after- ward engaged in farm labor by the month, until 1855, and in 1856 he went to Nebraska by stage, where he engaged in mail carrying, rafting logs on the Missouri River, and transferring between Coun- cil Bluffs and Omaha for a man named Douglas Hare. In the fall of 1856 he returned to LaSalle Count}', and during the following winter he had a severe attack of lung fever, which greatly pros- ' trated him. In the spring of 1857 he went to Galesburg, and attended school three terms, at the close of which he secured a certificate and taught school in the winter, doing various kinds of work in the summer. In the summer of 1858 he attended Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College in Chicago^ and in the fall of that year he went to Iowa and en- gaged in stage driving for the winter between Des Moines and Iowa City. In the following spring he went to the southern part of the State, where he worked for the Burlington & Missouri Railroad, and in the fall of 1859 he went .to Memphis, Tenn., and worked upon the railroad between that city and Huntsville, Ala. In 1860 he went to Little Rock, Ark., for the purpose of driving a stage to Califor- nia, but was taken sick and had to return to Mem- phis, where he engaged in bus driving for Patterson Bros. In 1860, on account of the threatening political outlook, he returned to Illinois, where he taught school until in the spring of 1861. April 21, 1861, Mr. Nichols responded to the first call for troops, and enlisted in the United States service for three months, being assigned to Com- pany I, llth Illinois Infantry, under Capt. W. L. Gibson, a soldier of the Mexican War. The com- pany was mustered in at Springfield, and made its first regimental camp at Villa Ridge in Pulaski County ; it was mustered out at Bird's Point. Mo., on the 9th of August, 1861. During this term of service Mr. Nichols' health had become impaired, which prevented his re-enlistment at that time, and in 1862 he engaged in corn buying for Olmstead & Co., of Ottawa. In 1863 he followed boating on the Illinois & Michigan Canal, when in April, 1864, he entered the Quartermaster's employ at St. Louis, and was sent to Chattanooga, Tenn., where he was discharged. At Nashville, Tenn., he had a similar experience, and returning to Illinois, he en- gaged in work upon the canal until 1865, teaching during the winter months until 1875. In January of that year he removed to McDowell, Livingston County, and on the 21st of May following he oc- cupied the house in which he now lives, having built it while residing at McDowell. George Nichols, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Dutcliess County, N. Y.. on the 18th of March, 1813. He was the son of David Nichols, who was born in 1760, and died in 1844, in Columbia County, N. Y. He had been married four times, and his family included seventeen chil- dren. Early in his youth George Nichols left Columbia Cmml}', and went to Slocum Hollow, Pa., where he lived for three years, and then to the old homestead in Columbia Count}'. In the settle- ment of their father's estate he and his brother ex- changed some angry words which caused their sep- aration, and he never heard from any of them after he came to Illinois. The journey to this State from Hudson, N. Y., was made by water to Chicago, and overland to LaSalle County. On the 27th of April, 1846, his wife died and he was soon afterward mar- ried to Hannah Marsh, a widow. This marriage was very disastrous, for it caused dissensions in the family, which resulted in litigation to such an ex- tent that his property was sold at Sheriff's sale. He died on the 3d of January, 1856, and was buried by the side of his first wife, at Dan way, LaSalle Con ntj 1 . The first wife of George Nichols was Polly Knickerbocker, daughter of Benjamin and Lettie Knickerbocker, the former born in Dutcliess County, N. Y., of Dutch ancestry. While engaged in a scuffle he was killed at the age of forty-eight years, while his wife died in Afton, Wis., at the age of eighty-eight. They were the parents of eight chil- f l 1012 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i dren Milton, Nelson, Jonas, James, Cornelia, Polly, Caroline and Helen. Caroline was the wife <>f .Marquis Piester, of Ottawa, and mother of twelve children. Helen was the wife of James Kilmer, who lives in Afton, Wis. Polly, the mother of our sub- ject, died on the 27th of April, 1846, of lung fever. She was the mother of two children, the other being Joseph T.. who was born on the 27th of April, 1840, and was six years old when his mother died. He drifted around the world until fourteen years of age, when he went to live with A. D. Butterfield, one of the pioneers of LaSalle County, who now lives near Marseilles, 111., at the age of eighty -seven years, and is a hale old gentlemen. Joseph T. lived with him until of age, and in May, 1861, enlisted in Company K, 39th Illinois Infantry, which regi- ment was known as the Yates Phalanx, and served until January, 1864, when he re-enlisted for three years more, or during the war. He was in every engagement in which the regiment took part, and received a wound on the 2d of April, 1865, in the battle of Petersburg, in which the 39th Regiment was selected to storm the fort, which it did with tin- loss of three-fourths of the men in killed and wounded. After the battle he was taken to Fortress Monroe, where he died of gangrene on the 20th of May, 1865, and was buried in the Government cemetery at that place. James H. Nichols was married on the 15th of August, 1865, to Miss Emeline Howland, who was born in Wayne County, N. Y., in 1841, and was the daughter of Joseph T. and Lydia (Harder) Howland. The parents came to Ottawa in October, 1844, where they lived until 1855, when they moved to Grand Rapids, in the same county, now Fall River, and remained a short time, when they finally went to Marseilles, where they now reside. They had four children: Gilbert is married, has three children, and is a machinist living in Mar- seilles; Kmeline, the wife of the subject of this sketch: (Jcorge who is married, has one child, and lives on section 14, Eppard's Point Township, and Thorn Milburn. who also is married, lias three chil- dren, and lives on the old homestead in Fall River Township. LaSalle County. To Mi', and Mrs. Nichols there have been born three children, all of whom are at home Lydia A., Poll}' P. and Lena. Mr. Nichols is a Republican in politics, the principles of which party he earn- estly advocates. He isa member of Joseph Wood- ruff Post No. 281, G. A. R., at Marseilles, in which he takes a lively interest, though on account of the distance at which he lives he is necessarily irregular in his attendance. KE J. KEPPLINGER is one of the important factors in the business com- munity of Dwight. where he is carrying on a lucrative trade in hardware, and enjoys the pat- ronage of the best people of that locality. He is essentially a self-made man, having arisen from a humble position in life to a good standing socially and financially. He began at the foot of the ladder without means or influence, and his present posses- sions are the result solely of his own industry and resolution. The Kepplinger family is of German origin, and the father of our subject was born on the other side of the water, in 1818. He emigrated from the Fatherland in 1852, and coming directly to the West, located first in Racine, AVis., where, not being quite satisfied with his operations he staid but a month, and then started for Illinois with a yoke of oxen and a wagon, accompanied by his wife and four children. He had purchased, while in Chicago, a soldier's claim for $15D, and with this took up a quarter section of land in Grundy County, three miles from Dwight, this county, upon which he settled and still resides. There were (hen no houses upon the present site of Dwight, and the country around was a vast wilderness covered with high grass, over which deer and other wild game roamed unrestrained. The family were first made comfort- able in a rude shanty, and Mr. K.. when ready to build, hauled his lumber from Morris, eighteen miles distant, with an ox-team. He frequently made the journey to that point by night so as to be early enough to cross the river on the ferry in the morning ahead of the crowd that had always gathered there anxious to make the passage. In common with the other pioneers of that sec- tion he endured unnumbered hardships and priva- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1013 , 1 ' 1 lions, but lived to see the country settled with an intelligent and industrious people, and the prairie slowly but surely transformed Into grain-producing fields and comfortable homesteads. He and his estimable wife are both living and have arrived at an advanced age. The father is a stanch Demo- crat, politically, and both parents are devoted members of the Lutheran Church. The maiden name of the mother was Eva Kruge, a native of Germany and of German descent, and was born in 1814. The subject of this biography is one of a family of four children, and was born in Germany in 1844. He was a lad eight years of age when his parents emigrated to the United States, and going into a thinly settled country as they did, young George enjoyed but limited school advantages, though he was fond of reading and in this way picked up quite a fair education. He learned the carpenter's trade early in life, at which he worked as a journeyman four years, and in 1876 lookup his residence at Dwight, where witli a limited cap- ital he started a small machine-shop. He was a natural mechanic and manufactured his own tools, among them a good lathe, which with other pieces similarly obtained, he still has in his possession. He labored under great difficulties, but his persist- ent and resolute spirit at length gained the victory, and in due time he was compelled to enlarge his facilities in order to meet his increasing palronagc. He learned the business of a machinist without aid or instruction, and after erecting a shop for his iron work, put up next a structure within which to carry on his wood work, and afterward added a foundry. He was thus occupied until 1882, when he invested his surplus capital in a stock of general hardware, and now has one of the best appointed establishments of the kind in this county, carrying in addition a choice assortment of buggies, wagons and agricultural implements. The lady who has presided over the household of our subject for the last twenty years became his wife on the 6th of October, 1867, and in her girl- hood was Miss Kntie Klughard, of Grundy County. Of this union 'there is one child only, a daughter. Lizzie, born Aug. 27. 1869. The famity residence is a neat and substantial structure and pleasantly located. Mr. Kepplinger and his wife are members of the Lutheran Church, and enjoy the friendship and confidence of a host of friends. I. HOWELL. A snug farm of 120 acres, pleasantly located on section 20, in Long Point Township, attracts the admira- fj tion of the passer-by on account of its finely cultivated fields, its neat and substantial buildings and its handsome array of fine stock, in which latter department of agriculture J. I. Howell. the pro- prietor, has been especially successful. As a pub- lic-spirited man he has filled the positions of Con- stable three years and School Director several terms. He has uniformly manifested his interest in those enterprises calculated to build up the com- munity, by putting his shoulder to the wheel of the car of progre and giving substantial aid and en- couragement to all good works and purposes. The earliest recollections of our subject are of his home anrong the hills of Coshocton County, Ohio, where his birth took place Dec. 25, 1841, and where he played as a boy. His parents, Will- iam and Catherine (Spicer) Howell, were natives respectively of Virginia and Ohio. The former was the son of John and Elizabeth (Bonham) How- ell, natives of Virginia, and was born in 1S06. He came to Illinois Oct. 26, 1856, landing in Marshall County, where he continued a year and four mouths and then came to this county, locating on section 20 in Long Point Township, on the 8th of March. 1858. He commenced operations on a tract of un- cultivated land, which in due time he converted into a good farm, and later successfully carried on stock-raising. He was married three times, the first to Miss Elizabeth Kinzie, the second to Mis.-. Catherine Spicer, and the third to Mrs. Jane Whaley, who survives him and resides on the home farm. Catherine, the mother of our subject, died April 25, 1880, aged sixty-twoycars, nine months and nine days. The father departed this life Sept. 11, 1887, having, at the time of his death, reached the ad- vanced age of eighty years, eight months and eleven days. The children of William and Elizabeth Howell f. 1014 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. arc recorded as follows: Ulysses was born Sept. 3, 1828, and died May 29, 1882; Isaac C. was born M;iy 1, 1831, and died Feb. 9, 1880; John W. was born Aug. 7, 183G. Of his union with Catherine Spicer were born Jonas I., our subject, and Cather- ine, who was born in April, 1846, and is now Mrs. Harper. Most of the children are residents of this State. Our subject was a youth of seventeen years when he came with his father's family to this county, and he remained with them and assisted in the cultiva- tion of the soil and keeping up the homestead until his marriage, which took place Nov. 16, 1864. His bride, Miss Jane E. Elliott, was born in Cale- donia, Putnam Co., 111., and is the only child of Lynde and Jane (Dykes) Elliott, the former a na- tive of Norfolk, Vn., and the latter of Manchester, England. Mr. and Mrs. Howell are the parents of one child only, a daughter, Wilmina, who came into the household on the 31st of July, 1878, and is now a promising little girl of nine years. Both the fam- ilies of our subject and his wife are largely repre- sented in this county and vicinity, and are uni- formly people of good standing and means, the men honest and good citizens and the women care- ful wives and mothers. The other children of John and Elizabeth How- ell, the paternal grandparents of our subject, are recorded as follows: Gilmore, a resident of Law- rence County, this State, is married and has four children living; John, a resident of Coshocton County, Ohio, has a wife and eight children; Betsy, the wife of Arthur McBride, is the mother of eight children, and a resident of this State ; Eliza, Mrs. Harvey Doney, is a resident of Greene County, Ind., and the mother of eight children; Rebecca was married and is now deceased. ON. JAMES H. FUNK, ex-Prosecuting At- torney of Livingston County, and a promi- nent farmer of Union Township, was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, on the 15th of February, 1842. and i? the eldest in a family of nine children born to Abraham and Margaret (Hutchinson) Funk, natives of Virginia and Ohio respectively, of whom a sketch appears in this ALBUM. Our subject was reared to farm life and self-edu- cated, never having gone to school more than seven- teen days in any one year. His youth and early manhood were spent in hard farm labor, while his evenings were devoted to his books until 1862, when he began to teach school in the winter and farm in the summer, pushing his studies systematic- ally all the time. In 1862 lie risked the purchase of eighty acres of land, which he prepared to im- prove, and on the loth of August of that year he was married to Elizabeth J. Gibson, third child in a family of five born to Charles and Nancy (Shaw) Gibson, who were natives of Ireland, and afterward emigrated to America. Immediately after marriage they settled on their little farm in LaSalle County, where they lived together until July 3, 1865, when his excellent wife passed away, leaving him one child, a daughter, Lucinda Idella, who is now the wife of J. P. Gammon, a stock-dealer at Sundance, Wyo. Mrs. Funk was a member of the Congrega- tional Church, and a woman of sunny disposi- tion, and strong will power, connected with untiring energy. She was the joy of the household, and the social pride of society. Her death left her sorrow- ing husband without counsel or support, .and he soon afterward sold his farm and went to New York State. On the 7th of November, 1866, Mr. Funk was married the second time, his choice being Emily J. Gardner, the third child in a family of six born to Benjamin and Lean (Brownell) Gardner, who were natives of Vermont. She was born at Silver Creek, N. Y., on the 27th of May, 1 839. Her father was a fanner and lumber dealer, and was the son of Eleazcr and Thankful (Chamberlain) Gardner, na- tives of Connecticut. He was a soldier in the War of 1812. On the mother's side the Brownells were of the family noted in the history of the late war on account of one of them at Alexandria, Va., killing Jackson, the murderer of Col. Ellsworth, of the Chicago Zouaves. Mr. Gardner was prominent as a Whig, and later as a Republican. For the first year after his marriage Mr. Funk remained in the State of New York, and then LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1015 1 returned west, locating in Livingston County, where he bought 120 acres of wild land. Here he put up a small house for the shelter of his family, and with the blue sky the only covering for his horse, he began life for the second time as a farmer, engaging in school teaching during the winter. Mrs. Funk also engaged at teaching to aid in mak- ing their start. During this time he devoted all his spare moments to the study of the law, intending ultimately to fit himself for that profession. He pursued these studies with his usual energy and perseverance, and on the 20th of May, 1871, he was admitted to the bar at an examination held in Ottawa, and then returned to his farm and pre- pared to close his business and enter actively into the profession. On the 26th of December, 1871, he moved to Odell and formed a partnership with A. P. Wright, for the practice of law. This firm continued until 1873, and then Mr. Wright with- drew, and later on left Odell and located in the city of Streator. Mr. Funk continued the business in Odell, and in November, 1872, he was the successful candidate on the Republican ticket for tlie position of Prosecuting Attorney. Leaving his family at Odell he began the duties of the office, which he discharged for four years, and during the term he tried the Kearn's murder case, the Barrett and Shannon murder case, where he opposed the celebrated criminal lawyer, William O'Brien, and the celebrated Charlie Ross case that sprung up in Livingston County. This ease brought him in contact with the Pinkerton force, and between them they drove the case to the wall. Mr. Funk then defended successfully the parties who were prosecuted for damages by the party accused of the abductions. These cases, with many others, won him the esteem of the bar, and the approval of the people of the county. During his practice he drew the first indictment under the dram shop act of 1872. and tried the first case un- der that law in the State, and also drew the first bill of assignment under the Insolvent Debtors' Act of Illinois. During his term as Prosecuting Attorney he became the terror of all evil doers. In January, 1883, he found his health failing rapidly, and at once moved to his farm in Union Township. Dur- ing his term of office he purchased laud and was at this time the possessor of 320 acres. He now owns 630 acres of land with fine improvements, and well stocked. He has a number of fine imported Nor- man horses, and is breeding the finest of young Norman stock, with which he is supplying the sur- rounding country. His cattle are thoroughbred Short-horns, and no finer are found in this section of Livingston County, Mr. and Mrs. Funk are active members of society, and as they justly deserve, are looked upon as being identified with all that is progressive in the com- munity, and only with that which is good and pure. They became the parents of three children, two of whom are living. Cynthia A., who was born on the 1st of October, 1867; Helen, who was born on the 4th of February, 1872, and died on the 7th of November, 1878, and Edna E., who was born on tlie 27th of March, 1878. Helen was accidentally burned by the explosion of a kerosene lamp, from which her death resulted ; Cynthia is a book-keeper in St. Paul, Minn; Edna, the joy of the household, is with her parents at home. At the present time Mr. Funk is devoting his entire time to farming and stock-raising, and though not actively engaged in the political arena, is by no means retired from the field. His voice is frequently heard in the cause of Christianity, temperance and moral reform. In the illustration department of this ALBUM is shown a view of the residence of the Hon. James H. Funk. *? AMES B. AUSTIN, who occupies the posi- tion of Marshal of the town of Dwight, is of English and Welsh descent. The Austins were among the early settlers and pioneers of the State of Rhode Island, and James Austin, the great-grandfather of our subject, served on board a privateer during the Revolutionary War. The maternal great-grandfather, Samuel Mitchell, served all through the Revolutionary War, first as a soldier and then as a privateersman. During the war the seafaring people of the East- ern States fitted out a great many private vessels to harrass the British shipping. They were of the greatest service to the cause of the struggling col- onies, as their vessels constituted nearly their entire t : 101 fi LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i naval force. Samuel Mitchell served on a vessel under C:i|>t. George Waite Babcock, and assisted in the ca])ture uf .111 English man-of-war, taking her as a prize to Newport, It. I. Samuel Austin, the grandfather of our subject, was born at North Kingston. K. I., and there was reared to farming, which occupation he followed in after life. He married Miss Mary, daughter of Samuel Mitchell of North Kingston, and to them were born eleven children Ruth, Emily G.. Julia A., Maria P., Isaac, James S., Margaret, Sarah, Harriet N., Hannah E. and Samuel \V., all of whom grew to maturity, and are still living, except Ruth and Harriet N'. Mr. Austin owned a farm upon which he lived during his entire life. In religions matters he was aClose- Communion or "Hard Shell" Baptist, and politically he was an old-line Whig. He was an industrious hard-working man, and brought up his family to habits of industry, instilling into them good moral principles. Although stern in his teachings, he possessed a mild disposition, and was a kind father. He was a man of strong constitution, and lived to the good old age of eighty-four years. lames S. Austin, the father of our subject, was born on Ins father's farm in Rhode Island, Nov. 30, 1813. He passed his early life on his father's farm, and besides learning farming, he received a good common-school education. In 1839 he married Miss Lucy, daughter of Silas and Sarah (Card) Allen, of North Kingston, R. I., and to them were born eleven children, named as follows: Sarah. Isaac, Lucy, Ella, Henry F., Annie, Stephen A., Susan H., James B.. Susan H. (2d) and Maggie. Mr. Austin lived on a farm on Mt. Hope, in Rhode Island, ihe famous seat of King Phillip, the re- nowned Indian chieftain and warrior, who became celebrated in song and story. Here Mr. Austin lived five years, and then moved to the northern part of Prudence Island, in Narragansett Bay, whence in 1855 he came to Illinois, where he purchased a farm on which he lived, and made good improve- ments. He sold this property and moved to Uwight Township, whore he farmed until 1878, when he sold out nud went to Rush County, Kan., where he took up a homestead, of which he still has posses- sion. He returned to Livingston County in 1883, since which time he has been living in Dwight, where he is Tax Collector. In political opinion> Mr. Austin is a Republican, and besides the office he now holds, has been Supervisor and Road Com- missioner. James B. Austin, our subject, was born on Pru- dence Island, in Narragansett Ba.y, on the 5th of May, 1854, and was brought by his parents to Illi- nois when but one year old. He received a com- mon-school education at Dwight, and followed farm- ing until 1 882. In 1 879, on the 18th of March, Mr. Austin was married to Miss Nettie, daughter of George W. and Marj' (Tnrnbangh) Boyer, and they became the parents of four children : George S. ; Albert, who died in infancy; Effle M. and Blanche. The young couple went to live on a farm near Dwight, -where they remained five years, and then removed with their family to Dwight, where, in i company with H. F. Boyer, our subject went into the horse-breeding business. They have four im- ported stallions, English draft and Norman, which were purchased at a cost of from $1,500 to $2,000. In 1887 Mr. Austin was elected to the office of Marshal of Dwight, which position he still holds, and is discharging its duties with credit to himself and satisfaction to the people. In politics he is M Republican, and takes an active, interest in the affairs of his party. EVASSEUR MASON is a prominent young farmer and stock-raiser on section 12, Pon- ^ tiac Township, whose birthplace was Pres- ton County, W. Y:i.. a county which borders on Pennsylvania, and has a diversified surface, con- sisting of a mountain region, fertile vallej's and ex- tensive forests, and the products of which are corn. hay, oats, and cattle. The people are similar in their habits and customs to those of Pennsylvania, and upon their migration to the West readily assimi- lated with the people there. Preston County is largely inhabited by an industrious, frugal and in- telligent class of people, and when the State of Virginia seceded from the Union and engaged with the other Southern States inaugurating the war of the Rebellion, the people of that x section, now con- stituting the State of West Virginia, were largely loyal to the Union. The family to which the sub- 7 RESIDENCE OF L. MASON .SEC.12. PONTI ACTOWNSHIP. .;.. .-,. >.**.> RESIDENCE OF ELI W. PEARSON , SEC.2G. ESMEN TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. \ ject of this sketch belonged resided there during the greater time the war was in progress, and nec- essarily suffered the consequences of the incursions of both armies. Mr. Mason was born on the 2d of Ma}', 1848, and is the son of William D. and Mary R. Mason, who were both Virginians by birth. In the year 1 864, which was a year before the close of the war, his parents removed from Virginia and settled in Adams County, Ohio, where they remained until 1872, when they concluded to go further West, and came to Livingston County, settling on the farm now occupied by the subject of this _sketch, on section 12, Pontiac Township. The family of his parents consisted of six children, three of whom are living: Albert S. ; Elizabeth L., the wife of T. E. G randy, and Levasseur. The father, William D. Mason, who died in 1884, was considered one of the representative and progressive farmers of Pon- tiac Township. He was purely a self-made man, as whatever he accomplished in life was through his own unaided efforts. He was a Democrat in politics, and always consistently acted with that party. He also took a lively interest in the moral and educational welfare of the people of his town- ship. His widow, who is a woman of many excel- lent qualities, survives him, and resides in the city of Pontiac. The subject of this sketch remained with his par- ents until he arrived at the age of maturity, and for a number of years was employed in his father's store in Winchester, Ohio, where he was a general merchant. In this capacity he learned many of the rudiments of business which have served him well in after life. He wa, fortunately situated so that he secured a good common-school education. In April, 1873, he was married to Maggie S. DeBruin, of Adams County, Ohio. She is a daughter of Rev. J. H. DeBruin, of that county, who is a minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. To Mr. and Mrs. Mason have been born four children : Willie on the 12th of June, 1875; Ella on. the 7th of March, 1879; Frank on the 14th of July, 1881, and Edna on the 2<>th of June, 1884. In 1882 Mr. Mason removed to Nebraska, and in Pierce County was engaged in mercantile busi- ness, which included the sale of farm machinery and hardware. In 1886 he returned to his present farm, which consists of 266 acres in Pontiac Town- ship. This farm is composed of excellent land and has always been very productive. Under Mr. Mason's manipulations its physical condition will be much improved. It is with pleasure we present a view of Mr. Mason's residence, together with its environments, on an accompanying page. Like his father Mr. Mason is a Democrat in politics, but is in no sense an offensive partisan. He has already established himself in the esteem of his neighbors, and will no doubt find his residence in Pontiac Township both profitable and pleasant. LI W. PEARSON, farmer and Supervisor of Esmen Township, also a dealer in cattle and hogs, was born in Miami County, Ohio, on the llth of August, 1836, the third in a family of five children born to Aaron and Rachel (Moore) Pearson, who were natives of Virginia and Ohio re- spectively. His paternal grandparents were na- tives of England, and early emigrants to America. There were two brothers at that time, and the name they then bore was Preiser, which was afterward merged into Pearson. They were originally Quak- ers. The maternal grandparents were natives of Germany, and were very early emigrants to Amer- ica. The father of Mr. Pearson was born and reared in Ohio, where he resided all his life. The greater portion of his life was devoted to agricult- ural pursuits, but in his later years he was engaged in the milling business. The subject of this sketch was educated in the common schools, and his advantages were very limited, having been left an orphan at the age of six years, and growing to manhood amidst stran- gers, having been put out for a permanent home. He lived with a family named Swallow, in Mont- gomery County, Ohio, until fourteen years of age, and then began to look out for himself. He first worked for a Dnnkard named Blickerstaff, with whom he remained four years. After this he chose a guardian, one H. N. Kerr, instead of his uncle, and remained with him until nineteen years of age, when he rented land and began farming for him- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. t self, which lie engaged in for one season, and then followed his guardian, H. N. Kerr, West, the latter having gone on in the spring. He arrived at Bloomington, 111., on the 26th of October, 1 />:>. and thence went to Cuba, in Odell Township, Liv- ingston County, where Mr. Kerr then lived. In this township he farmed one year, and then bought eight}- acres of wild land, which he improved. While there he concluded to settle in life, and re- turned to Miami County, Ohio, for the purpose of marrying. On the 28th of October, 1 858, Mr. Pearson was married to Rachel Sheafer, the third child in a fam- ily of ten, of whom the parents were Eckert and Rachel (Smith) Sheafer, natives of Pennsylvania. They were of German descent, their parents being natives of Germany, and early emigrants to Amer- ica. After marriage Mr. Pearson settled upon his farm of eight}' acres in Livingston County, where he had made improvements adapted to his wants. But his enterprise soon made it necessary for him to have more land, and in 1866 he sold this farm and moved to Esmen Township, where he first bought 160 acres of wild land on section 26, to which he added eighty acres, making for the home place 340 acres. This land he has placed under a high state of cultivation, and made splendid im- provements in the way of houses and barns. His orchard and shrubbery are unsurpassed in the town- ship. A view of the premises is shown in this con- nection. He located upon this farm in 1866, and has lived there continuously ever since. During this time there have been born to him six children, who are all living: Rachel, Sept. 10, 18.59; Abra- ham Lincoln, March 4, 1861 ; Arthur N., March 22, 1863; Sarah Emma, Feb. 11, I860; Anna M., Aug. 22, 1868; Ida O., Feb. 2, 1875. Lincoln married Savannah Umpheuour, and now lives in Washing- ton County, Col., where he is engaged in farming; Arthur is there also, and both have taken up land claims; Emma married Royal E. Knapp, who lives on a farm two miles north of the homestead ; the other children reside at home with their parents. Anna is just entering upon the profession of school teaching. Mr. Pearson taught the third term of school in his own dwelling. He served as School Director in his district until his removal to Esmen Township. He then helped to organize District No. 7, and served as Director until 1870, when he resigned and accepted the position of School Treasurer, which he has held ever since. He was largely in- strumental in securing the construction of the pres- ent commodious school building. He is now serv- ing his tenth year as Supervisor of Esmen Town- ship, having been elected in 1878 on the Independ- ent ticket, which he voted at that time. He has always been independent in politics, and is quite active in township affairs. Mr. and Mrs. Pearson are both enthusiastic and active in their support of all educational progress, and none wield a stronger influence for good than 1 they. ELON G. RAGAN, one of the honored pio- neers of Broughton Township, came to this section of country during its first settlement, and may be properly numbered among the self- made men. who not only have built up a comfort- able home for themselves, but have assisted in the development and progress of the township. He has been an interested witness of the remarkable changes which have occurred during the last thirty 3'ears in this section of the Prairie State, and while laboring for himself and family, has also kept in mind the welfare of those around him, and the in- fluence which each member of a community ex- erts in determining the general result. Bronghton Township is fortunate in being settled up by intel- ligent people, among whom the subject of our sketch has borne no unimportant part. Mr. Ragan was born in Lewis County, N. Y., Jan. 22, 1832, and is the son of Charles and Mary (Reeves) Ragan, also natives of the Empire State. The first representative of the Ragau family who settled in New York State became a resident of Dutchess County, whence some of his descendants subsequently removed, and located in Lewis County. Among these was the father of our subject, who served, when a young man, in the War of 1812, and was subsequently engaged in farming pursuits. In 1844, when Elon G. was a lad twelve years of age, Charles Ragan with his motherless family, mi- I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1021 I grated to Ohio, and located in Portage County, where they resided several years, and where the death of the father took place about 1853; his wife, Mary, had died in New York State about 1H41. Charles Ragan was a second time married, and his family included a large number of children, of whom Ralph now lives in Ohio; Emily is the wife of U'ells llurlbut, of Ohio, and Catherine' married Robert Close, of Broughton Township, this count} 1 . Mr. Ragan remained in the Buckeye State until reaching his majority, and coining to Illinois in the spring of 1853, spent the first twelve years of his residence in this State in Grundy County, whence he removed to Livingston County in the spring of 1865. He first located in I) wight Township, and engaged in farming until the spring of 1871, when he took possession of his present home in Brough- ton Township. Here he has fifty-nine acres of land on section 31, which comprises the homestead, and he owns ninety-six acres in Sullivan Township. He has labored industriously all his life, and may reasonably look with satisfaction upon the results of his self-sacrifice and economy. The family resi- dence is a comfortable and substantial structure. Hanked by a good barn and other necessary out- buildings, and there is about the premises an air of c(jm fort which is pleasant to contemplate. Mr. Ragan arrived in Illinois with a capital of $3 in his pocket, and his present possessions indicate how well he has spent his time, and how judicious have been his investments. The lady who has for the last thirty years pre- sided over the domestic affairs of our subject, and been his best friend and close counselor, was in her girlhood Miss Maria West, and became his wife on the 6th of March, 1855. Mrs. Ragan was born in Snsqnehanna County, Pa., and came to this county with her husband, her early life having been spent with her parents in Pennsylvania. They became the parents of two children: Henry, now a resident of this township, and Efh'e, the wife of Orrin Hale, of Sannemin Township. Upon first coming to this farm, Mr. liagan was obliged to go fourteen miles, to mill, which was also the nearest trading point. There were then no railroads or stage lines, transportation being effected with horse and ox teams. Mr. Ragan, however, bore in mind the fact that he 1 was as well off as his neighbors, and had only one thought in his mind, that of pressing onward until the lapse of time and the advance of civilization should bring about a better state of things. He believed that his pa- tience would be rewarded, and he was not disap- pointed. He and his estimable lady are passing their declining years surrounded by the comforts of life, and the kindly care of many friends. Mr. Ragan when a young man identified him- self with the Republican party, to which he still adheres with the tenacity of his first convictions. E. HEPPERLY. This gentleman commenced farming in Pike Township in the spring of 1876, taking possession of the land which he now occupies, and which comprises 120 acres. This he has brought to a fine state of cultivation, pro- vided it with- neat and substantial fencing, and drained the low portions with tile, so that he has a farm which produces abundantly the various crops of the Prairie State. The dwelling is a shapely and convenient structure, and the barn and out-build- ings meet all the requirements for the storing of grain and the shelter of stock. Mr. Hepperly is no unimportant factor in the af- fairs of his township, although comparatively a young man, while his industry and straightforward business methods long ago secured him the esteem and confidence of his neighbors, and there is ever}' indication that his future career will be one of steady progress and prosperity. He is one of the most valued members of the Republican party in this section. Our subject, a native of Tazewell County, was born Aug. 8, 1853, and is the second child of Will- iam P. and Margaret (O'Brien) Hepperly, the former a native of Gettysburg, Pa., and the latter of In- diana. They were married inGroveland Township, Tazewell County, and their union was blessed by the birth of six children, namely: John A., Orin E., Charles A., George H., Sarah E. and Mary E., all living, and the three eldest sons married. William P. Hepperly and his excellent wife are highly re- spected residents of Pike Township, and members f in-22 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Hepperly was a little lad five years of age when his parents removed from Tazewell to Wood- ford County, where he was educated in the com- mon schools, and remained until selecting his future home in this county. This was land which his father had purchased several years before, and upon it our subject carried on farming three years before his marriage. This important event was celebrated at the home of the bride in Wood ford County, Feb. 17, 1881, the lady of his choice being Miss Tarcy D. Foster. Mrs. H. was born in Wood ford County, Jan. 1, 1862. and is the daughter of Michael and Eliza (Myers) Foster, natives of Germany and Ohio respectively, and now residents of Tazewell County. The young people commenced house- keeping in a modest dwelling, and two years after- ward Mr. Hepperly increased his acreage by the purchase of a 40-acre tract adjoining the first. He now has 1 20 acres, the cultivation of which yields him a handsome income, and is enabled to provide himself and family with all the comforts of life. J" AMES M. WYLIE, whose portrait is pre- sented in connection with this brief sketch of his life, located in Saunemin Township in the spring of 1 870, and took possession of his present farm of 160 acres on section 5. He has since given much of his attention to stock-raising, although carrying on his general farming operations with enterprise and success. The residence and out-buildings bear fair comparison with those of his neighbors, and his land has been rendered re- markably fertile by being underlaid with 500 rods of tiling. He has pursued the even tenor of his way as an industrious and enterprising farmer, at the same time possessing those qualities which have rendered him a desirable member of the commu- nity. Mr. Wylie was born in Warren County, Ohio, Oct. 15, 1830, at the homestead of his parents, Da- vid and Frances (Ridinger) Wylie, who were also natives of the Buckeye State. His paternal grand- father, James Wylie, is believed to have been of English birth and parentage; he was a gentleman of good education and followed the profession of a teacher in his own countiy until, through the so- licitations of Benjamin Franklin, he crossed the At- lantic, and pursued his calling thereafter in Ohio. The maternal grandfather of our subject, An- drew Ridinger. served as a soldier- in the Revolu- tionary War, on account of which ho was afterward a pensioner. He finally took up his abode in Warren County, Ohio, during the early settlement of that State, and there spent his last years. There also he reared his family, and his daughter, Frances, the mother of our subject, was married. James M. Wylie is the only surviving child of his parents, with whom he removed when about seven years of age to Indiana, and they settled near Craw- fordsville. where the death of the mother took place. The father survived several years, and died in Liv- ingston County, 111., in 1865. James M., when about thirteen years of age, began learning the blacksmith's trade, which he followed eight or nine years. In 1850, when twenty years of age, he started on an overland trip to California, crossing the plains with a team in company with three other men. Their journey occupied 103 days after cross- ing the Missouri River. Young Wylie continued in California for a period of twenty years, engaging in mining, farming and stock-raising. He returned to Illinois in 1H70, and at once settled upon his present farm. Mr. Wylie, upon his return from California, was married to Miss Leah Jones, a native of Fountain County, Ind., and the daughter of Isaiah and Leah (Slaughter) Jones. The event occurred on the 1st of December, 1870. The parents of his wife were natives of New York, and are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Wylie at once settled down upon the farm, and in due time became the parents of seven children, namely: Addie B, Frederick, Jessie M., James B., Maude E., Claude C. and Mary E. The eldest is fifteen years of age, and the youngest three years. Mr. Wylie has always voted the Republican ticket ; he takes a genuine interest in the welfare of the people around him, and has served as School Di- rector in his district for some years. He is a man 4 ? LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 102;) of fair education, mostly acquired through his own efforts, and keeps himself well posted upon matters of general interest. He commenced in life without means, and his property is the result of his own in- dustry and perseverance. J70HN F. MYERS, a prominent and wealthy farmer of Indian Grove Township, owns a j flue property on section 29, comprising 233 ' acres of valuable land, a fine residence with ample and substantial out-buildings and all the ap- pliances of a first-class modern homestead. His land is largely devoted to the raising of grain and hay, and of late years he has given his attention principally to the breeding of fine stock, making a specialty of standard trotting horses, mostly of the Hambletonian and Mambrino stock. Mr. Myers came to Illinois with his parents in 1835, when scarcely a year old, his birth having taken place Dec. 13, 1834, in Christian County, Ky. We give the main points of an interesting family history as follows: The great-grandfather of our subject is remembered as having long been a resident of Lancaster County, Pa., where he was married three times, and reared a large family of children, comprising eighteen sons and one daugh- ter. These mostly grew to mature years, and it is supposed were scattered throughout Pennsylvania and the States adjoining. Henry, the grandfather of our subject, after reaching manhood was united in marriage with Miss Catharine Negley, a native of Pennsylvania, and a lady of a high order of in- tellect, who in her palmiest days could cany well her side of the question in regard to Scriptural matters with any of the divines of that period. She was endowed with a vigorous constitution, and her personal appearance attracted much admiration. She was of commanding height, with broad fore- head, dark curling hair, fair complexion and blue eyes. She lived to a ripe old age. After marriage Henry Myers and his wife mi- grated to Kentucky, which was then considered the far West. They located in the midst of the wilder- ness, in Mercer County, while savages still roamed the forest, together with wild animals. After re- maining in Mercer County a few years they secured possession of a tract of laud in Christian County, which they cultivated, and Grandfather Myers also carried on a wagon-shop. Their family consisted of five sons and four daughters, all of whom, with one exception, have passed away. The sole sur- vivor, Mrs. Cassandra Allen, is still a resident of Christian Count}'. Their son, John G., the father of our subject, was born in Christian County in 1799, and during his youth worked in the wagon- shop of his father, obtaining a good knowledge of blacksmithing and working some at coopering. He was not blessed with a robust constitution, however, and early in life was threatened with lung disease. He was accordingly compelled to abandon manual labor for a number of years. In the meantime, having a talent for music and a fine voice for sing- ing, he studied this art and taught singing-school, becoming very popular among the people of his lo- cality. In personal appearance John G. Myers inherited in a large degree the beauty of his mother. He was also a lover of literature, and his ballads and poems, many of which are still preserved b} T his friends, indicate him to have been of rare genius. He was particularly given to the writing of patriotic songs. Socially, he was genial and companionable, and a man who never betrayed his friends. In his family he is remembered as kind and indulgent, and as a citizen, acquitted himself creditably. John G. Myers, when about twenty-five years of age, was married to the mother of our subject, Miss Mary Lindley, a lady of English and Irish descent, and who was one year his junior. She was of high moral character and possessed a keen business mind. The late ex-President of the Southern Confederacy was her first cousin, but Mrs. Myers was strongly Union. She proved in all respects the helpmate of her husband, holding up his hands during the time when they were struggling with the difficulties and hardships of pioneer life, and assisting, by her judgment and council, in keeping the domestic ship of finance afloat. She was in the habit of impart- ing serious family advice to her children, which they never forgot in after years, and remembered her name only to praise her, associating with her everything that was good. Mrs. Myers was of ' 102f, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. T Cll -r medium size, with black hair, fair complexion and blue eyes, neat hands aiid feet, and considered hand- some in her day. She departed this life at her home in McLean County, in September. 1857. The parents remained in Christian County some years after their marriage, and then came West and settled in Blooming Grove, McLean County, where they purchased the land now occupied as the County Poor Farm, and were the first to redeem it from its original condition. While residents of Kentnck}' there were born to them, Catharine, now Mrs. Rust, of Jackson County, Mo.; Jacob W., of Colfax, III. ; William H., of Lawndale Township. McLean County; Elizabeth, Mrs. Greenwood, who died in Missouri: Sarah J., Mrs. Welch, of Bloom- ing Grove Township, and John F., of our sketch. After becoming residents of McLean County, 111., there were added to the family circle, George W. ; David D., who died when twenty-three years of age, and a daughter, now Mrs. M. A. Bills, who, with the first-mentioned brother, is a resident of Bloomirgton. The father of our subject, after becoming a resi- dent of McLean County, carried on a wagon-shop while his boys operated the farm. By frugality and industry they managed to obtain over 1,0(1(1 acres of land, which was afterward divided among the children. After the death of his wife and the marriage of nearly all his children, John G. Myers sold his farm and removed to Bloomington, where he married a widow lady, Mrs. White, who still survives him and is a resident of the latter city. The father of our subject departed this life about lsi;s, aged sixty-nine years and some months. He left behind him a record of which his descendants may well be proud. lie was honest and upright in all his transactions, kind and benevolent to those in distress, and presented both at home and abroad an example worthy of imitation. ( )ur subject remained under the parental roof until reaching manhood, and nine days after his twenty-third birthday was united in marriage with Miss Sarah ('. Birdsell. Dec. 22, 18.'.7. Mrs. Myers was born in McLean County, 111., April 2(1, 1842 and is the daughter of William W. and Lovina (Pas-water.-) Birdsell. She is possessed of fine tal- ent which is exhibited in numerous paintings and drawings gracing her home and which were her own handiwork. Of this union there were born five children: Birdsell F. married Miss Gladys Wiggins, and is a resident of this county; Cora B. is the wife of Marcus D. L. Spence, of Belle Prairie Township: Kstella E. died in April, 1882, aged seventeen years: George L. died in 1870, when eighteen months old ; John R. died in early childhood. Mr. Myers has been prominently connected with local affairs for the past twelve years, holding the variou.- township offices and serving as Justice of the Peace and Highway Commissioner. Socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity and has ad- vanced to the third degree. Religiously, with his estimable lady, he is connected with the Christian Church, of which he is Clerk and one of its most cheerful supporters. He has inherited in a large degree the musical and poetical talents of his father, and has given to the public some extremely fine poems. The lesidence is a shapely, modern struct- ure, and indicates on all sides the refined and culti- vated tastes of its proprietor. The portrait of Mr. Myers, which is given on an accompanying page, will be appreciated by his many friends, and forms a graceful adjunct to this Ai.itr.M. We also take pleasure in presenting the following poem, entitled "A Patriotic Ode," which was written by him: Ye sons of Columbia, the fairest of earth, Ye heirs of the land that gave Liberty birth; Your vigils of freedom, O never resign, Let watch fires of Liberty constantly shine. Oh! kindle your bosoms with patriot fires. And cherish the deeds of our patriot sires. Think ever how bravely they fought for our good, Our freedom and liberty bought with their blood. CHORUS. Then rise, and shout, hail to the patriotic band : Our glorious banner and free happy land. Sing anthems of praise to our Washington's name. Thrice hail to the hero of untarnished fame! Yes. Washington, Father! thy praise we will sing. From proud, thankful hearts oft thy glory will ring; Thy name by all nations respected will be. While tyrants will tremble 'neath liberty's tree; i And. forefathers, bright in our memories ve dwell. I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1027 ir And thoughts of thy valor our bosoms doth swell; The legacy left us we'll ever retain, Though tyrants and traitors should rally again. CHORUS. O heaven blest country! I) free, happy land! The loyal, the faithful, they by thec will stand; The patriot's theme and the alien's home, A haven of safety for all who will come; Thy ships are now sailing in every port. Thy flag is respected by every court; The laurels that crown thy brave sons ever green, And thou among nations a recognized queen. C'HOKt'S. Oh ! glorious banner that heavens adorn, Forever thou'lt float on the breeze of the morn ; Thy triumph be glorious, thy destiny long, The pride of our Nation, the theme of her song. When the voice of thy eagle is heard in the sky, Invaders and rebels in terror will fly, For she soars high and proudly with white, blue and red, Since the palmetto flag with her serpent is dead. CIIOKUS. Yes, bright, bonny banner that waves in the air, No foe whatsoever thy beauty shall mar, For our motto shall be till our last vital breath, Our flag, our country, and victory or death. We will drive all thy foes from freedom's bright land. And ever Columbia a nation will stand : Whilst thou, bonny flag, shalt continue to wave O'er a land that is free, and her sons ever brave. J-~]OHN CHALMERS LEWIS, the only rcpre- j sentative of the jewelry business in Dwight, j has good reason to be proud of his birth and ' parentage, being a descendant of German and Scotch ancestry, two of the best nationalities on the face of the earth. His paternal grandfather crossed the Atlantic at an early day and located in New York State, where he carried on farming and reared a fine family of sons and daughters. Among these was Sebastian, the father of our subject, who was born at the old homestead in the Empire State, and became familiar with the various departments of agriculture. Not far from the home of Sebastian Lewis was reared the lady whom he subsequently married, viz., Miss Maria Chalmers, whose ancestry distin- guished themselves both in the field of literature and that of theology. Of this union there were born eight children, viz.: Sarah, Mary F., William, Annie 8., John C., Sebastian G., Joseph W. and Henrietta F. Sebastian Lewis was an industrious, hard-working man, of temperate habits, robust health and strictly religious principles, being prom- inently identified with the Presbyterian Church. In addition to the cultivation of the soil he became a heavy dealer in live stock, and shipped large quan- tities of beef to Albany, Elmira and other im- portant cities. He gave careful attention to the training and education of his children, and set before them in his daily life an example worthy of their imitation. His last twenty years were clouded by a great affliction in the loss of his eyesight, which was occasioned by a severe cold, from the effects of which he was for a long time a sufferer. He spent thousands in the vain attempt to recover his sight, but flnally abandoning hope, he bore his misfortune with unexampled patience, and resigned himself to the will of Providence. He departed this life at his home in Prattsburg, Steuben Co., N. Y., at the age of seventy-five years, deeply mourned by his family, and regretted by a host of friends. The mother is still living and in her seventy-fifth year. John C. Lewis was born at the homestead of his parents, May 2, 1842, and spent his boyhood and youth amid the peaceful scenes of country life. He pursued his studies at the district schools and completed them in the academy. When about nineteen years of age he left home to learn the jew- eler's trade, at which he afterward worked as a journeyman in the States of Ohio and Indiana. In 1862, soon after his twentieth birthday, and while a resident of New York State, he was united in mar- riage witli Miss Pamelia J., daughter of William and Maria (Berge) Chamberlain, of Syracuse, N. Y., and born Sept. 28, 1840. The young couple began life together in a modest dwelling in New York, but their anticipations of a quiet home life were rudely broken in upon by the call for young men to volunteer in defense of the Union. Mi 1 , Lewis watched the struggle for a time, and f 1028 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. then felt that it was his dutj r to assist his country, and accordingly, in 1864, enlisted as a private in Company C, 188th New York Infantry. He marched with his comrades to the front, and met the rebels at Danville and Weldon, where in the brief engagement which ensued, his company lost, in killed alone, over fifty men. In the meantime the young wife remained at home for a time, tor- tured with anxiety and apprehension, and then resolved upon a bold and desperate step to effect the return of her husband to his family. After a hurried preparation she set out for Washington, and at length obtained an interview with President Lincoln, who gave to her a patient hearing and finally granted her request. This is probably the only case of the kind on record, and illustrates the devotion and heroism of a timid woman in her hour of need. Mrs. Lewis returned home in triumph, and it is hardly necessary to state that in no hearts is the name of the martyred President held more sacred than those of our subject and his devoted- wife. Mr. Lewis, after his return, took up his residence in Seymour, Ind., where he engaged in business, and built up a fine trade, but owing to poor health he removed to Dwight and opened his present estab- lishment. He carries a choice and well-selected stock of all the articles in his line, and has met with unqualified success, enjoying the patronage of the best people of Dwight and vicinity. He and his estimable lady are members in good standing of the Congregational Church, and their pleasant home is the frequent resort of the cultivated people of the city. Mr. Lewis, politically, is a strong Republican, and socially belongs to the G. A. R., the I. O. O. F., and the Masonic fraternity. William Chamberlain, the father of Mrs. Lewis, was a non-commissioned officer in a New York Regiment during the late war. The only living child of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, Maria A., who was born July 2, 1866, became the wife of Richard F. Dougherty, Assistant Train Dispatcher on the C. & A. R. R. They make their home in Bloomington, 111., and are the parents of two children. Lewis F. and Grace E. Sarah Lewis, a sister of our sub- ji-rt. was the wife of Dr. P. K. Stoddard, an emi- nent surgeon of Prattsburg, Steuben Co., N. Y.; she is now deceased. Another sister, Mary Frances, married Dr. J. R. Selover, also a member of the medical profession in Steuben County, where he enjoys a large and lucrative practice. Sarah E. Lewis died Oct. 17, 1880. JHAMES W. MARKS. There is something comforting and gratifying to a man who is I able to spend his life among the scenes and / witli the people of his childhood. There is a peculiar interest about one who was born a pion- eer, and grew up with the country. The life of such an one, and the events of his neighborhood, become so interwoven, that the history of one is al- most the narrative of the other. The subject of this sketch, who is a farmer and stock-raiser on sec- tion 30, Pontiac Township, was born in Livingston County, that important event in his life occurring on the 2d of August, 1857. He is the son of John D. and Sarah A. Marks, of Rook's Creek Township, who are both natives of Ohio, and were pioneer settlers of that township. The children born to these good people were eight in number, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest. Their names are as follows: Archibald A.; Nancy, de- ceased; George; Lucetta, wife of A. P. Pemberton; Estella, deceased; LillieT., wife of I. E. Thompson, of Republic County, Kan.; John A. and James \V. The mother is an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, taking great interest in the cause of her Master. The father is a member of the Repub- lican party, and has been honored with an election to several township offices. He is a public-spirited man, and takes great interest in all matters which have for their object the benefit of the community in which he lives. They are both widely known and respected throughout the neighborhood. The paternal ancestors are of Scotch Idescent. Mr. Marks had the advantage of the superior school system inaugurated in Illinois during the past quarter of a century, and received a most ex- cellent common-school education. On the 10th of January, 1883, he was married to Lillia Ilouder, daughter of Henry K. and Mary J. Homier, both of whom are deceased. Her father, accompanied LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1031 ' : by two brothers, came from Ohio at an early date, and located in Rook's Creek Township, where he remained until the breaking out of the late Civil War, soon after which he entered the army, and was killed at the battle of Dallas Woods, Ga., May 28, 1864. His wife subsequently married, and moved to Woodbury County, Iowa, where she died in February, 1875. To Mr. and Mrs. Marks have been born two children: Wilford, July 24, 1884, and Edith L, Dec. 31, 1886. Mr. Marks settled on his present farm, which consists of 289 acres, in 1884, which he cultivates with great success. The soil is fertile, and the sys- tem of underdrainage he has inaugurated has en- hanced its productive qualities very materially. Mr. Marks is a Republican, and makes it a point to support the men selected by that party for office. He has served in an official capacity as School Director three years, and discharged the duties of that office with ability. He is a progressive man, and his ad- vanced ideas he puts into practice in his daily life. Mrs. Marks is an active member of the Baptist Church, and both are influential members of society. A view of the home place is given in this volume. ENRY T. McLANE, agent at Dwight, 111., Mfor J. I. Case, manufacturer of threshers and engines, is numbered among the repre- sentative business men of Livingston Coun- ty, and although young in years, has already es- tablished himself on a firm basis. Like many of the residents of this section he is the son of a gentle- man who was born and reared in the Keystone State, his father, Simon McLane, having been born in Dauphin County, Pa., in 1819. The McLane family is of Scotch-Irish origin, with a goodly intermixture of the German. The paternal grandfather of our subject was born in Scotland, and immigrated to this country early in life, locating in Fennsyl.vania. He there reared a family, among his sons being Simon, who was born and reared on the homestead which his father had occupied many years, and married Miss Rachel Long, of Venango County. They became the parents of nine children, namely : Mary J., Henry T., Samuel, Sarah M., John M., Levia, Amanda, Daniel and David, the last two twins. The father of our subject, although a weaver by trade, was fond, of country life, and became quite an extensive farmer and land-holder. He had been early trained to Christian principles, and for many years labored as a minister of the Evangelical Church. In 1855 he parted with the old farm in Venango County, and coming to this State purchased a tract of land in Kane County, where he resided nine years. After a time oil was discovered on the farm which he had owned in Pennsylvania, and the prop- erty became very valuable. He finally sold the property in Kane County and purchased a quarter section in Kankakee County, where a part of his family now reside. Simon McLane departed this life in 1882, aged sixty-four years, and is remem- bered by a large number of the people of Dwight, where he became well known through his pious ministrations. In this field lay his best efforts, and he built up a good record as a self-sacrificing and conscientious minister of the Gospel. The mother is still living on the homestead. Henry T. McLane was born in Venango County, Pa., May 3, 1852, and passed his childhood and youth among the quiet scenes of country life. When twenty-two years of age he left home and repaired to Janesville, Wis., where he spent four months and learned telegraphy. Circumstances, however, induced him to return to his native State, and he spent the five years thereafter on the home ' farm. His next remove was to Gardner, 111., where I he was employed as telegraph operator one year, and thence removed to Lemont, 111., where he was similarly occupied. His first experience in his pres- ent business was in 1882. when he became agent for Mr. Eator, of Dwight, with whom he continued until 1883. Then, crossing the Mississippi he en- tered 160 acres of land in Edmunds County, Dak., to which he has now a clear title, and which will in time repay him well for the capital invested. We next find him in Norfolk, Neb., where his affections were captured by Miss Edith Westervelt, who be- came his wife March 18, 1884. This lady is the daughter of Ira G. and Amelia (Grinnell) Wester- velt, who are now residents of Norfolk, Neb. Mr. McLaue returned to Illinois in 1884, and re- I: t 1082 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. suming his relations with Mr. Eaton, continued with him for two years, and then established in business for himself. He possesses the energy and per- severance necessary to success, and by his obliging manner has found many friends, both in social and business circles. He is Republican, politically, and with his amiable and accomplished lady belongs to the Methodist Church. Mr. McLane is also iden- tified with the I. O. O. F. Like most of mankind he has met with his reverses. In 1881 he invested largely in the sheep business, in Kansas, but on ac- count of disease in his stock the venture proved a total failure, and he lost the earnings of several years. The first shock over, however, he buckled on his armor anew, and is rapidly getting on his feet again. He was elected Constable in 1885, to serve a term of four years, and is discharging the duties of his office with credit to himself and satis- faction to the community. jENJAMIN A. BUCK, one of the prominent business men of Dwight, who is engaged in the hardware business, was born near Balti- more, Md., on the 12th of November, 1844. He springs from a long line of honorable ancestry, who were among the pioneers of Maryland, emi- grating from Holland in the seventeenth century. In those days the settlers selected the best land they could obtain, which remained in possession of their family for generations, the title passing from father to son without interruption. The ancestors of our subject possessed these characteristics, and the old homestead remained in the family from early pro- vincial times up to this generation, when it recently has been disposed of. The family were originally Episcopalians, but early in the history of their resi- dence in this country, probably about the time of Wesley's visit, they embraced Methodism. The tradition of the family is that three brothers caiiie from Holland, and the first information on this (joint is furnished by the old family Bible which bears date of 1721!. and whose pages are brown with time, and soiled by the hands of several generations. In a plain, firm band in thi.- ! ..... k appears the name of John Buck, whose birth is re- corded as having occurred in the year 1693. He was the great-great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, and he was noted in his day as a large landed proprietor; he lived to be seventy- seven years of age. Very little is known of Ben- jamin Buck, the son of John, who was horn in Maryland. John Buck, the grandfather of our sub- ject, was born in 1767, and died in 184SI at the age of eighty-two years. He was a ver3" prosperous man in his business affairs, accumulating a large landed estate, which was divided among three sons and one daughter, and was sufflcientto render them independent for life. Benjamin M. Buck, the father of our subject, was born in 1794, and died in 1877. He lived and died on the old homestead, passing his life until the com- mencement of the great Civil War much in the same manner as his fathers before him, surrounded by his family and servants, and prosperous in his undertakings. In 1826 he married Miss Sarah H. Hobby, and the result of this union was six chil- dren: Catherine, John S., W. II., Arabella, Benja- min A. and Sarah, of whom all are living except Catherine and William. When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Buck lost a considerable portion of his property, which was never recovered. In politi- cal opinions he WM> :i Whig until the beginning of the war, after which he affiliated with the Demo- cratic party. In religious matters he was a devout Methodist. The subject of this sketch remained on the farm with his father, who had been disabled by an acci- dent, until he was twenty-five years of age. He availed himself of all the advantages of the com- mon schools, and then obtained a course in the High Schools at Baltimore. In 1870 he came to the West with his brother-in-law, H. M. Kennedy, who owned a large tract of land in McLean Count}', and remained with him four years. He clerked in a general store at Danvers for a time, and then in the same town engaged in business for himself for two years. In l7(i Mr. Buck was married to Miss Libby A. Kstes, daughter of William and Amanda (Good- rich) Kstes, of Dwight. 111., and to them have been born two children M. Kstes and Agnes. Soon after marriage Mr. Buck moved to Dwight, and in LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1033 1882 engaged in the hardware bnsiness in that place, in which he has continued to the present, and has been very successful. He is not only one of the prominent citizens of Dwight, but one of its most reputable business men, displaying great en- ergy and enterprise in the conduct of his affairs. He heartily participates in all plans projected for the improvement and advancement of the county, and tu ;ill causes is a liberal contributor. He and his wife are attendants upon the Congregational Church, of which she is an active member. 5. W. MATHLS, a well-known citizen of Read- ing Township, is engaged in general mer- chandising, and also in the publication of the Weekly Advocate, at Ancona, III. He was born on the 28th of March, 1851, in the township in which he resides, and is the son of Caleb and Sof- lena (Black) Mathis, natives of Ohio and Illinois respectively. The father was born Oct. 24, 1X22, and was the son of Caleb Mathis, a native of New Jersey, who died March 2(J, 1775, at the age of eighty-four years. The latter was the son of John Mathis, a native of New Jersey. The mother was born in Schuyler County, 111., March 12, 1827, and was the daughter of James P. and Mary (Paddit) Black, natives of Kentucky. The parents of our subject were married on the llth of July, 1847, and had the following-named children: Darius, George \V., James P., Elbert N., Eugene, Soflena K.. William <;. and Holland he- land. Darius was burn Dec. 16, 184!, and died Sept. 11, 1850: James P. was born Dec. 2, 1852, married Annie Coe, and resides at Rutland, where he is engaged in the stock and grain business ; they have had four children, two of whom are dead. Elbert N. was born Oct. 5, 1856, married Miss Blanche Howard, and is a practicing physician at Leavenworth, Kan.; Eugene was born June 2, 1858, and is a practicing physician in Kansis City, Mo.; he married Autie Spears, who died leaving one child. SohYna E. was born .March x. 1SC1. was educated at Eureka College, and is now a teacher of music, and resides with her parents; William (!. was born Nov. 5. 1X63, mid is a photographer in Ancona: Holland L. was born Sept. 19, 1867, and resides at home. Our subject was educated in the common schools of Livingston Count}', and afterward became a stu- dent of Eureka College, where he completed his education. He occupied his time by working on the farm until seventeen years of age, and at the age of nineteen he was employed in a store in Long Point, and afterward "in Ancona. Upon reaching his majority he began work for himself, and on the 24th of October. 1872, he was married to Miss Sarah Coe, of Reading Township. She was born in Greene County, Pa., Nov. 2, 1850, and is the daughter of Silas and Ruth (Church) Coe. Her parents had the following-named children : Johanna, who was born March 26, 1839; John, June 12, 1842; Joseph, Dec. 25, 1847; Sarah, Nov. 2, 1850; Cephas, Nov. 14, 1853; Annie L., Feb. 28, 1856, and Robert G., Feb. 4, 1859. To Mr. and Mrs. Mathis seven children have been born, five of whom are now living, as follows: May Belle, born March 12, 1875; Lena Ettie, Aug. 19, .1876; Carl E., Jan. 14, 1879; George R., Jan. 11, 1883, and Freddie J., Jan. 29, 1886; the other two died in infancy unnamed. Mr. Mathis, as a merchant and newspaper pub- lisher, occupies a prominent position in the affairs of Reading Township. He is a very enterprising and industrious man, neat and methodical in the performance of his work, and has earned an envia- ble reputation for integrity and reliability. In po- litical matters he acts independently, and the tone of the paper which he publishes harmonizes with his political position. He and his wife are prom- inent and consistent members of the Christian Church, in which they manifest a deep interest. FREDERICK A. LAKIN, a retired farmer and a resident of Dwight, is a descendant of excellent Scotch ancestry and the son of Joseph Lakin, who was born in the Highlands of Scotland, and emigrated to America prior to the Revolutionary War. He settled in Groton, Mass., and there pursued for a time his trade of a shoe- I \ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. maker, subsequently embarking in the butchering business. He married a Massachusetts lady, Miss Huldah Simons, of Groton, and this union resulted in the birth of eight children Polly, Joshua, Joseph, Jonathan, Jerusha, and three who died young. After a residence of some years in the Bay State, Joseph Lakin migrated to Maine and located on a farm in the outskirts of the town of Sebago. There his first wife died, and he was subsequently married to Miss Dorcas, daughter of William Gammon, and they became the parents of the following children: Joseph, Louisa, Loamia, Sybil A., Parker, Eunice, George, Huldah, Frederick and Lydia. Of these but three are now living, namely : George, Fred- erick and Loamia. The father was one of the earli- est pioneers of Cumberland County, where he spent the remainder of his days occupied in farm pursuits. He was a man of iron constitution, living to the advanced age of eighty-seven years, and was gentle and kind, never turning from his door anyone who applied to him in time of trouble. He accumulated a flue property and was thus enabled to gratify his instincts of benevolence in assisting the poor and aiding the enterprises calculated for the good of the people. He was sixty years of age at the time of his second marriage, and presented the interesting spectacle of a patriarch with a blooming family around him. Frederick A. Lakin, our subject, was born at his father's homestead in Cumberland County, Me., May 30, 1824, and passed his boyhood after the manner of the sons of pioneers. There were few school facilities and his early education was exceed- ingly limited, but as he was a bright and intelligent boy, and had a natural love for reading, he acquired an extensive fund of information and was generally in advance of the youths of that period. He was but seven years of age at the time of his father's death, and his mother was left with only a third of the property, the children of the first wife claiming the remainder under the old Maine law. Young Lakin \\hcn but fifteen years old assumed charge of the farm of fifty-six acres, upon which but one payment had been made, and taking care of his mother, paid off the mortgage and built up a good home. Here he remained until twenty-eight years of age, and then established domestic ties of his own by his marriage with Miss Emeline H. Burnham, of Harri- son, Me. Two years later they removed from Sebago to Harrison, where they resided for a period of thirteen years, and in 1864, gathering together their personal effects, they disposed of their real estate interests and set out for the prairies of Illi- nois. Our subject upon reaching this State located for a year in Rutland Township, LaSalle County, whence he removed, in 1866, to Livingston, and. purchased a farm on section 35, in Dwight Town- ship. Here he cultivated the soil successfully, built up a fine homestead, accumulated a compe- tency, and retired from active labor in 1887. His career is a line illustration of the self-made man who struggled against difficulties and adversity in his youth and can now look back over the long road which he has traveled with a feeling that his life ; has in nowise been a failure. He bears the reputa- i tion of being an honest and upright man of steady ' habits and moral character. Politically lie is a. : stanch Republican, and has officiated as School Di- , rector and Road Commissioner for a number of ! years. Mr. and Mrs. Lakin were not blessed with children of their own, but while in Maine they adopted a little boy two and one- half years old, whom the}' named Edward II., and reared him as their own son giving him an excellent education. He has now a wife and two children, and -is farming on a tract of land belonging to our subject though intended for himself. Mr. and Mrs. L. are active members of the Baptist Church in Dwight and considered val- ued additions to the social circles of a town noted for the refinement and education of its people. THOMAS MILLS. For nearly forty years the subject of this sketch has resided on the farm where he now lives, on section 1, Long Point Township, and during this time he has thoroughly identified himself with all the enter- prises which have resulted in the development and improvement of that part of Livingston County. Mr. Mills was born in Clinton County, Ohio, on the - .+. I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1035 1 23d of March, 1816, the son of Daniel and Mary (Bennett) Mills, natives of Virginia and Ohio respectively. The father was reared to manhood in Kentucky, and went from that State to Ohio, where he met and became acquainted with Mary Bennett, whom he married in 1815. Thomas Mills, the subject of this sketch, remained in Ohio until past thirty years of age, and came to Illinois in October, 1850. Mr. Mills was married to Eliza C. Wier, of Fayette County, Ohio, on the 19th of October. 1837. She was a daughter of James and Mary (Varner) Wier, and of her union with our subject there were born the following-named children: Daniel Clark, Mary Louisa, William H., Ann Eliza, James N., Jeanette Elizabeth, Margaret Ellen and Melsena. Daniel C. was born Sept. 5, 1 838, and died Oct. 0, 1 839 ; Mary L. was born April 28, 1 840, mar- ried Aaron Zeilman Feb. 26, 1860, and they have had seven children; William H. was born Jan. 27. 1842, and married Miss Zilpha I. Isenhour Dec. 25, 1867; they have three children, and live in Kansas. Ann E. was born Jan. 9, 1844, and married Daniel Flick, a physician; they have two children and live in Custer City. James N. was born Nov. 6, 1846, and died in November, 1860; Jeanette E. was born Aprils, 1848, married James Bradley, a farmer and stock-raiser in Dakota, and they have had three children, two of whom are living; Margaret E. was born Aug. 3, 1850, married Mason Kinzie, and died at Long Point at the age of thirty years, four months and one day; she was the mother of two children, one of whom is living. Melsena was born Feb. 17, 1855, married G. W. Bradley, by whom she had one child, and died at the age of twenty- two years, eleven months and twenty-four days; her husband and child had died previously. On the 6th of March, 1870, Mr. Mills' first wife died, and on the 4th of March, 1872, he was mar- ried to Mrs. Phoebe, widow of Charles McCarthy. She is the daughter of James E. and Rachel (Castor) Van Winkle, natives of Allen County, Ind., the former of whom died in September, 1866, and the latter April C, 1881, at Ransom, 111. Mr. and Mrs. Van Winkle were the parents of seven children, two of whom died in infancy. The names of the living are as follows: H. Amanda, James Ed- ward, William Henry, Peter T. and Phoebe. IT. Amanda was born Sept. 26, 1844. and in 1865 married David Kelley ; they had two children, one of whom is living. James E. was born in 1846, and marrying Jennie Elliot, they became the parents of four children, two of whom are living; William H. was born in 1849, married Mary Growdie, and they live in Ottawa, 111. ; Peter T. was born Jan. 31, 1 847, and married Miss Margie Fry, who died Aug. 13, 1887, leaving a family of four children, one of whom has since died ; Phoebe, the wife of the sub- ject of our sketch, was born Jan. 8, 1850. To Thomas and Phoebe Mills have been bom four children, as follows: Louis Edward, Jan. 24, 1874; Elma May, July 10. 1876: Franklin Coral, Feb. 26, 1878, and Thomas Boyd, Nov. 8, 1881. By her former husband Mrs. Mills has one son, William H. McCarthy, who was born April 13, 1868. Mr. Mills is the owner of 160 "acres of land, 120 of which is under a high state of cultivation, the remainder being reserved for timber and pasture land. This farip is well watered and the improve- ments are of a first-class character. Here Mr. Mills settled when he came from Ohio in 1850, and has continuously resided since. Politically he is a Republican, having grown up in that faith. He was formerly a member of the Whig party, but when the Republican party wa's organized he united with it and has never deserted its ranks. He and his wife are members of the Protestant Methodist Church, and they both take an active part in the affairs of the congregation to which they belong. As representative of the buildings in this section of country we present on another page of this ALBUM a view of Mr. Mills' homestead. f LFRED BROWN, for the last ten years has been located in Union Township just out- |i) side the town limits of Emington, and lives on his wife's farm on section 4. which property was given her by her father. As an ex- perienced farmer Alfred Brown takes his rightful place among the intelligent men around him. and is LIVINGSTON COUNTY. pursuing the even tenor of his way, attending chiefly to his own concerns and lending a helping hand to whatever enterprise demands the encouragement of the conscientious citizen. lie takes an active in- terest in the maintenance of schools, and although not strictly a party man, usually votes for the sup- port of Republican principles. He is particularly interested in the success of the temperance move- ment, and his sympathies are closely allied to the Prohibitionists. Our subject, like so many of the solid men of Livingston County, is a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born, in Franklin County, Jan. 22, 1852. His parents, George and Mary (Kneff) Brown, were also natives of the Keystone State and of German descent. The father followed farming in Pennsylvania in a modest way, and our subject continued under the parental roof until a young man twenty-two years old. Upon coming to this State, in 1874, he engaged as a farm laborer in La- Salle County, and a few years later, on the 30th of July, 1878, was married to Miss Ellen Louise Edge- comb, who was born and reared in that county. Her parents, William and Eunice (Spaulding) Edge- comb, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and New York, the father of English descent, and the mother, it is supposed, of German. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Brown removed to their present homestead, where they be- came the parents of four children, namely': Mary Viola, who was born March 22, 187!; Mattie May, May 11, 1881 ; Zella Josephine, Dec. 24, 1882, and Wilhelmina Eunice, Oct. 21, 1884. Mrs. Brown was born March 13, 1857, in LaSalle County, this State, to which her parents had removed about 1851. Her father was born in 1833, and her mother, Oct. 10, 1836. They were married March it, 1854, and the mother departed this life at her home in LaSalle County, Sept. 2/5, 1861. Mr. Edgecomb, after the death of his first wife, was married again, and is the father of seven sons and three daughters. Mrs. Knox, one of the daughters, is written of elsewhere in this ALBOI; Emily Eliz- abeth is the wife of William Smith, of Odell, and the boys are mostly residents of LaSalle County. Mr. and Mrs. Brown are members in good stand- ing of the Congregational Church at Emington, and MIT carefully training' their children to observe I lie principles of sobriety and morality, which will constitute, them worthy members of society, well fitted to bear the mantle of their honored parents. ON. LEWIS E. PAYSON. It has been truly said that the history of a country is contained in the lives of its citizens. Most emphatically can this saying be applied to Livingston County, and her distinguished citizen, Hon. L. E. Payson, of Pontiac. now Member of Congress for the Ninth District of Illinois. Judge Payson is a native of Rhode Island, and was born in Providence, Sept. 17, 1841, and is the eldest child of Hanson and Maria (Briggs) Pay- son, natives of the same State. All the children of Hanson and Maria Payson, five in number, are now living but one. Those living besides our subject are: Hanson L., now living in Milwaukee, and en- gaged in the mercantile business; Charles, a promi- nent attorney of Iroquois County, and Alma, now Mrs. S. Simmons, also of Iroquois County. The paternal grandfather of Hanson Payson was a na- tive of Massachusetts, where he engaged in the manufacture of paper, and was a much respected citizen. The father of the subject of our biogra- phy was a contractor and builder. In 1852 he moved with his family to Illinois, settling in Henry County, where he engaged in farming. He has now retired from active labor, and is living in Iroquois County. Young Payson attended the schools of Providence up to the time his parents emigrated to the West. From this time until he was nineteen years of age he assisted his father in farm work. He was then placed at Lombard University, Knox County. 111., to complete his school education. Subsequent to his college life he had the degree of LL. D. con- ferred upon him. After leaving the university he repaired to Ottawa, 111., and entered as a student in the law office of Bushnell, Avery & Gray, study- ing there until September, 18(52, when he was ad- mitted to the bar. He remained with the above- named firm until 1865, when he came to Pontiac and opened a law office. He was quite successful \ LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1037 iii his law practice, and soon took front rank with the members of his profession. He was elected to the office of City Attorney in 1807, which position he held for three consecutive years. At the end of that time he was elected to the office of County Judge and served four 3~ears. In 1880 Judge Pay- son was elected to his first term in Congress, as a Republican Representative from the Ninth District, to which place he has been continuously re-elected. Prior to this time he was on the Board of Education for several years; was local attorney for the Chi- cago & Alton Railroad Co. for fifteen years, and for the Illinois Central for ten years. He not only distinguished himself as an able lawyer and advo- cate, but was successful financial!}', accumulating a large property. In 1 876 the Judge completed his present beauti- ful residence, which contains all the modern con- veniences and luxuries. The grounds, which are extensive, are elegantly laid out and adorned with choice flowers and shrubs and tall shade trees. There is a gradual slope from the dwelling back- ward, terminating at the waters of the Vermilion, which gracefully winds around, shaded by trees, whose branches extend over its banks. From the time of Mr. Payson's first entrance into Congress he has been active, laborious and watchful, ever looking to the good of the country and his constituents. This course has placed him among the foremost legislators of Congress, and given him an influential position. During his long term there he has been on many important commit- tees, among which were the Judiciary, Public and Private Lands, and Coinage. He was appointed by President Arthur on the Assay Commission, serv- ing two years. Here, as at all times, looking to the general welfare of the people, he was opposed to the suspension of the silver coinage. Among the more important bills introduced by Judge Payson, and bills championed by him, were those having for their object the reclaiming to the public domain what is known as lapsed land grants, which were conditionally granted to railroad corporations, and the Alien Land Bill. By his able efforts, and those of his co-workers, the prodigal land policy pursued j ^ by former legislators has been set aside or annulled, disappointing the voracious appetites of land-shark i railroad corporations, thereby saving millions of acres of land to the Government. Some fourteen bills were passed and became laws for reclaiming to the Government lands which had been granted to railroad corporations, and which had been forfeited by them for non-compliance with the conditions of said grants. Judge Pa 3 r son took the ground that the railroad corporations not having carried out the provisions of the laws granting these lands. Congress had the power to restore them to the public domain; that the grant was not a mere present but was a premium, offered to secure certain work done of public im- portance. Others held that Congress had not the power to restore these lands. These measures were pas>ed in the Forty-eighth Congress. From the Texas Pacific there were restored to the Government between 18,000,000 and 19,000,000 acres; from the Atlantic & Pacific about 23,000,000. There were other minor bills passed restoring about 12,000,000. These lands were mostly in Cali- fornia, New Mexico and the Indian Territory. The result of the revocation of the indemnity land reservation was the restoration to the Government for settlement of some 30,000,000 acres. In this, Judge Payson was the pioneer. By his own special efforts about 55,000,000 acres of granted lands have been restored to the control of the Govern- ment. Another bill in which the subject of this sketch was the-principal mover was one providing for the unlawful enclosure of the public domain, the Alien Land Bill, which he introduced, and had passed by the last Congress, providing that no foreigner shall acquire or hold any real estate wherein the United States has jurisdiction. The passage of this bill will be of great benefit to the people of the United States. Judge Payson is also preparing a bill which he proposes to introduce to the next Congress, regu- lating emigration to the United States. This bill provides that no foreigner, unless coming on a pleasure tour, shall be permitted to land here, with- out producing a certificate from the United States Consul stationed at the port, or in the country from which he comes, stating that he was a law-abiding citizen, and had been self-sustaining up to the time I T 1038 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of liis departure. This will be one of the most, if not the most, important bill that has been presented to Congress for many years, and should be sup- ported by all who have the true interests of America at heart. Should the Judge secure the passage of this bill he will add greatly to his well-earned fame as a legislator, statesman and patriot. In the Senatorial election for a successor to the lamented Logan, Judge Payson secured nineteen votes, and was next to the successful candidate, Hon. C. B. Farwell. On none could the mantle of this distinguished soldier and statesman have better fallen than on the subject of this biography, and really he is the man for the public to look to, to take the place of this departed statesman. The Judge has been frequently and favorably mentioned as the Republican candidate for Governor of Illinois, but he would much prefer to remain in Congress and finish the legislation he has in view. Unquestionably he can hold his place in Congress as long as he desires. He enjo3'8 the confidence and the affection of his constituency, and this may be applied, not only to the Republican, but the Democratic paity. He is supported by the people of the district, irrespective of party, and he has so ably and faithfully represented their interests that they want no other. Judge Payson is now in the prime of manhood, and it might be said is now especially fitted by study and long experience for a career of great use- fulness to the nation. The time in which he is not engaged in public affairs he spends chiefly with his family at his beautiful home, which is surrounded with elegance and culture. Like most prominent and intellectual men the Judge has the faculty of remembering in a remarkable degree, the features and names of persons whom he meets. He rarely forgets a name or face. There is hardly a man in his district whose name he cannot give the instant of greeting. Judge Payson has a splendid physique, standing five feet ten and one-half inches high, and weigh- ing about 200 pounds. His chest is deep, and j shoulders broad, carrying a large and well-bal- anced head. His features are full and open, with an ample forehead, beneath which are light blue, or gray eyes, glowing with honest brightness. His complexion is somewhat florid, with hair cast in blonde, now slightly sprinkled with gray. His voice is clear and rich in private conversation, in which he excels, and magnetic and commanding in the forum or on the stump. As an orator he has but few equals in the country. Added to this a dignified bearing, a polished and cordial manner, and a pretty fair pen portrait may be had of the popular and distinguished Representative of the Ninth Congressional District of Illinois. HOMAS LAWLESS. The home of which this gentleman took possession in the spring of 1875 is one of the most desirable in Round Grove Township. It lies on section 22, and comprises 160 acres of valuable land under a good state of cultivation. Upon this Mr. Lawless has effected good improvements, having a neat and sub- stantial dwelling, a good barn and all the other buildings required by the first-class agriculturist. He has labored industriously and persistently, and besides being regarded as one of the most skillful farmers of the northeastern part of Livingston County, is held in equal esteem as a neighbor and citizen. The early home of our subject was on the other side of the Atlantic, in County Wexford, Ireland, where he was born in 1828, and from which he emigrated when a young man in the spring of 1852. He landed at New York and thence proceeded southwest to the State of Mississippi, where he was employed for a time on the levee. Thence he mi- grated to LaSalle County, this State, and in the spring of 1853 entered the employ of the Illinois Central Railroad Company, with which he remained two years. The two years following he was vari- ously engaged in LaSalle County, and then going into Bureau County occupied himself at farming until the spring of 1868, when he became a resident of this county and operated on rented land in Ne- vada Township for a period of seven years. He had lived economically, and finally invested his hard-earned capital in the Land which he now occu- pies. This was partially improved but the build- ings were very unsuitable for his purpose. He 1 $$. -ft: 4 I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1041 put up his present residence in 1S7.">, and has from time to time added those embellishments to the farm which have made it a point of attraction in that section of country. While a resident of LaSalle County Mr. Lawless was married, in January, 1854, to Miss Margaret Lynch, a native of his own country, and born in County Waterford about 1830. This union re- sulted in the birth of eight children, most of whom are at home with their parents. Their eldest son, Thomas M.. married Miss Ellen Swanton, and is carrying on farming for himself near his father's homestead ; Annie, the eldest daughter, is unmar- ried; Mary is the wife of Edward Johnson, who is engaged as a stonemason at Reddick, 111.; Katie, Mrs. Frank Laidig, resides in Decatur County, Kan. The younger ones are Maggie, Edward V., Hannah and Nora, and arc still engaged in their studies at school. Mr. and Mrs. Lawless, were reared in the faitli of the Catholic Church, to which they still adhere with loyal devotion. Our subject upon coining to this section of country was at once recognized as a val- uable accession to the community, and has always taken a lively interest in those enterprises inaugu- rated for the general well-being of the people. He has served as .School Director and also as Town- ship Assessor, lie votes the straight Democratic ticket, and keeps himself well posted upon matters of general interest. ATRICK F. McDONALD is a farmer and stock-raiser on section 21, Esmen Town- ship, where he has a half section of highly improved and well cultivated land. His residence, as well as the site on which it stands, is one among the finest in Livingston County, and his barns and other buildings thoroughly correspond. A view of the homestead embellishes this volume. He was born in Harrison, now Taylor County, W. \'a.. on the 12th of May, 12.", and is the second child of six born to Benjamin and Nancy A. (Flem- ing) McDonald, both natives of Virginia, which State was also the natal place of his paternal grand- parents, James and Mary McDonald. The niatcr- ual grandparents were James and Elizabeth (Welch) Fleming, also natives of Virginia, and farmers by occupation. The father of our subject was a farmer and lived and died in Virginia, where he was born. He was a patriotic citizen and always regretted that he was too young to engage in the War of 1812. Patrick F. McDonald was reared a farmer boy and obtained his education in the common schools which were located near his home. When he had leisure from his home work he was accustomed to working on the neighboring farms, but did not face the vicissitudes of life independently until twenty- three years of age. On the 1.3th of April, 1848. he married Elizabeth Hustead, the oldest child of Moses and Mary (Goodwin) Hustead, of Virginia, where their daughter Elizabeth was born on the 16th of February, 1827. Her father was a farmer by occupation and a cooper by trade. The family lived on a farm until the father's death, and the widow still resides there. Our subject and his wife began the battle of life on a Virginia farm, where they remained sixteen .years. They experienced some of the horrors of the Civil War but he was not in active service. After the close of the war he sold his farm in Vir- ginia and came to Illinois and Livingston County, purchasing ICO acres on section 21, Esmen Town- ship, on which a. little house had been erected, which he occupied for about nine years. He then bought the adjoining quarter section of land, and erected the commodious residence which he now occupies. He has been engaged in farming and stock-raising ever since he came to Illinois, and takes great pride in the improvements on his farm as well as in his stock. His cattle are graded Dur- hams, his horses are Norman and Cleveland bays, his hogs Poland-China, and his sheep Cotswold and Southdown. The crops he produces are largely corn and small grain. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have become the parents of seven children, six living Thaddens S., Clau- dius ('., Ai Gordon, Loretta, Ella May and Nevada. Sabra H. is deceased. Thaddens married Ella Bradley, and is a farmer in Round Grove Town- ship, where he deals in stock and conducts a grain commission business in the village of Campus; 1 ' f t , 1(142 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Claudius married Martini Corbin, and lives in Strcator, but is not in active business at present; Gordon married Anna Whalen, and lives at home with his parents: Loretta is the wife of Walter B. Cornell, and lives at Gre.it Bend, Kan.; Ella mar- ried Charles C'ook, and lives in Pontiac, where her husband has been engaged in the meat business. Mr. McDonald has served as School Director and Trustee many terms, and has assessed the township five times. He is not active in politics, and votes entirely independent of political party. He was formerly an old-line Whig. He is one among the most enterprising citizens of Esmen Township, and is favorably known throughout Livingston County. Mrs. McDonald is an active member of the Baptist Church. i-HOMAS L. H. HOLMAN. Central Illinois was settled by a most excellent class of peo- ple, as its present position indicates. They came from all parts of the East ant? South, and formed the happy combination most needed for the development of the soil and the other natural re- sources of this section. Particularly has Ohio con- tributed to the honors of her sister State, and parted from many of her good men who were anxious to try an experiment on prairie land. Among these was the subject of this history, who more than thirty-one years ago bid adieu to the Buckeye State to seek his fortunes farther West. Mr. Holman is now one of the most prominent farmers and stock-raisers of Sannemin Township, where he owns 205 acres of highly cultivated land with a beautiful residence, surrounded with natural and ornamental trees, and in the rear the barns and other buildings required by the intelligent and pro- gressive farmer. His stock is of first-class descrip- tion and the farm machinery of the most improved pattern. This home he has built up by his own unaided efforts, and may be pardoned if he views it with honest pride. Not alone lias he accumulated a competency, but ha> also secured the warmest regard of his neighbors as a valued factor in their midst and one who lias stimulated them to emulate his example. A view of the residence, with its surroundings, is presented on an accompanying page. When the parents of our subject were gladdened by the birth of this son, on the 10th of October, 1834, thej 1 resolved to bestow upon him a name which perhaps would be the means of inciting him to worthy endeavor and ambitions, when he should conic to years of responsibility. He was therefore given the name of Thomas L. Hainer, in honor of that great Ohio Statesman who distinguished him- self during the decade from 183.5 to 184.">. The boy was reared to manhood in his native county, and remained under the parental roof until reach- ing his majority. His father, Frank Holman, was a native of New Jersey, and the mother, Mrs. Cassie (Leonard) Holman, was born in Brown County. Ohio. Her paternal uncle, John Leonard, figured as one of the early patriots and served in the War of 1812. The family is of German and French ancestry, but of American birth for several genera- tions, steady, reliable and industrious people, who had nothing to do with police courts or lawyers, but pursued the even tenor of their way, mostly engaged in agriculture. Our subject was the fourth son of his parents, and in common with his brothers, attended the district school mostly during the winter seasons, and in summer made himself useful on the farm. After reaching his twenty-eighth year he was united in marriage, Feb. 2or- tunities. This land when it came into his posses- sion bore little resemblance to its present condition, as there stood upon it only a .small worthless build- ingand it w;is practically in its primitive condition, having been but slightly cultivated. Our subject and his wife have not been blessed with children, but their home is often brightened by the presence of friends and neighbors, who find it one of the most attractive resorts in the neighborhood in which to spend a social hour. Mr. Holman has represented Saunemin Township in the Count}' Board of Supervisors, and served as Road Commissioner for a period of fourteen years; the latter position he occupies at the present time. He has kept his eye upon the schools in his vicinity and has served as Director in his district, seeming to increase his popularity each year, as in the spring of 1 887 he received ever}- vote cast in the district for Director. Mr. Holman is a Democrat in politics but has been a strong advocate of the Greenback party. ^ILLIAM EDWARD MORRIS, one of the prominent and best-known fanners of Dwight Township, comes of an old family of English farmers, springing from near Manches- ter, Lancashire, England. The grandfather of our subject, James Morris, lived on a large farm be- longing to Lord Derby, over thirty-five years, and became the father of a family of six children, named as follows: John, Mary, Thomas, Ann, Will- iam and Alice. James Morris was a typical English farmer of the better class, and was a man of much force of char- acter and intelligence, but with no education, not being able either to read or write, and said that when he was a boy the only attempt made to teach him to write was with the finger in the sand. lie lived the quiet, easy-going life of his class, and was a miser and breeder of fine cattle and horses. The crops then raised on English farms were principally wheat, potatoes and dairy products. He accumu- lated a handsome property, and at his death be- queathed $0,000 to each of his children. lie has always been held in the greatest respect by his de- scendants. William Morris, his son, and the father of our subject, was born on his father's farm, where he remained until he immigrated to this country. lie married and had one son, William Edward, of whom we write. The wife died soon after mar- riage, and Mr. Morris, emigrating to America, worked on a farm near Philadelphia for Daniel Wolmer, where he was again married, and by this wife had ten children. He finally cnrne to Grnndy County, 111., where he rented land, and afterward purchased a farm of 200 acres in Dwight Township, this county, where he resided until his death, which occurred Oct. 6, 1878. William E. Morris, our subject, was born in En- gland on the farm where his grandfather lived for many years. His mother died before he was old enough to take cognizance of persons or events, and his father coining to America, young William grew up under the care of his grandfather, and learned farming in the thorough manner of the En- glish. He received but little education when young r as England at that day did little for the edu- cation of the masses, but he has added to what he then obtained by reading, observation and experi- ence. Young William passed his early life amid the rural scenes of his native country, and at the age of twenty, in March, 18fi6, came to this coun- try with his father, who had returned to England on a visit. Upon his arrival he went to work upon his father's farm, where he continued until he was twenty-three years of age. On the 7th of January, 1869, Mr. .Morris was married to Miss Jemima Keck, of Kane County, 111., where she was born on the 28th of July, 1 840. She is the daughter of Adam and Catherine Ann (Coleman) Keck, of New York State, who settled in the valley of the Mohawk many generations ago. Her ancestors were a sturdy and thrifty class of people, who transmitted those characteristics to their descendants. The household of Mr. and Mrs. Mor- ris has been blessed with three children Catherine I)., Rosa May and C'alvin P. The first year after marriage Mr. Morris rented a farm in his present neighborhood, and in the fol- lowing year bought a tract of ninety acres near Kill LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I) wight, upon which he resided seven years, and then purchased hi* present homestead, consisting <>f 120 acres near this town. In his farming opera- tions he has adopted the most approved modern methods, and employed the best agricultural im- plements and machinery. Mr. Morris early at- tached himself to the Republican party, and has con- sistently worked and voted with that political or- ganization. Both himself and wife are members of the Methodist Church. It is the determination of Mr. and Mrs. Morris to afford every possible facil- ity to their children in procuring a good education, and at the time this sketch is written they are all making splendid progress in their studies at the ' Dwight High School. The parents are thoroughly j wrapt up in their affection for their children, and will leave no effort unexerted to place them in their proper position in life. As representative of the buildings in this section of countrj', we have pleasure in presenting on an- other page of this ALBUM a view of Mr. Morris' residence and its surroundings. T OSEPII PIPER, a well-known farmer am, I stock-raiser, whose farm is located on sec- tion 23, Rook's Creek Township, is an adopted citizen of this country, having been born in England on the 1st of February, 1848, and brought to the United States by his parents when about eleven months old. Mr. Piper is the son of Richard and Hannah ( Vaz- son) Piper, who upon coming to this country lo- cated on Fox River, Kendall County, where they remained until the subject of this sketch was about thirteen'years of age. They then came to Living- ston County, and rented land in Nevada Town- ship, which they cultivated about four years, and then purchased a farm. At the end of two years they disposed of this property, and bought land in Rook's Creek Township, upon which they located. Mr. Piper remained with his father, assisting in tin- work on the farm until he wa twenty-one vears of age, when he entered into partnership with him and continued about five yea.'"-. On the 7th of January. 1*72. Mi 1 . Piper was married to Miss Elizabeth In- gram. The partnership arrangement with his father existed during the first two years of his married life, and in the spring of 187H he moved to his present home, which originally formed apart of his father's farm. Mr. and Mrs. Piper have had born to them six children: Charles, Sept. 15, 1872; Nellie, Jan. 3, 1875; Albert, Dec. 23, 1876; Chester, July 28, 1880; Olive. Feb. 20, 1885; and Ingant Norah, Aug. 20, 1887. Mr. Piper was the eldest of a family of five children, the others being Mary, John, George and Harriet. Mary married Aaron A. Pem- berton, and lives in Rook's Creek Township, where they have three children; John married Emma Mc- Maiuis, has three children, and lives in the State of Nebraska; Harriet married George G. Breese, and lives in Pontiac Township. Mr. Piper's father is about sixty-six years of age, having been born in England on the 28th of January, 1822. The grandfather's name was John, who remained in England and lived to be about eighty-five years of age. The father of Mrs. Piper was John Ingram, who was born in Virginia, and moved to Illinois when she was about four years old; he died at about thirty-five years of age. Mr. Piper's education was received in the common schools. He has been Supervisor one year, Town- ship Collector four years, and School Director for several years. He cast his first Presidential vote for U. S. Grant on his second election, and has voted the Republican ticket constantly since. HILIP SHRIMPTON, who is a farmer and one of the pioneers of Dwight Township, was born in 1842, and the family of which he is a member is of English origin. Joseph Shrimpton, his father, was born in Buckingham- shire, England, where he was a needle-maker by trade. While yet a resident of that country he married Mary Hampton, and they were the parents of three children Heber, Sarah and Philip. While their children were yet young the parents of our subject immigrated to this country, settling in Livingston County, where they engaged in farm- ing; but not being satisfied with the outlook for t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1047 - . Illinois at that time and yearning for the scenes of their nativity, they returned to England in 1856. The next ,year, however, yielding to the persuasions of the sons, who felt convinced that Illinois was to be a great State and would furnish a pleasant and profitable place of residence, the father returned with his family in 1857. In 1860 he moved from Livingston County to Grundy County, where he remained until 1865, when he again came to this county and purchased a quarter section of land, a portion of which is yet owned by the sons. The father was a devoted member of the Baptist Church, ' and in politics was a faithful adherent of the ' Republican party. Through industry and economy and that good management for which the English people are noted, he succeeded in accumulating con- siderable property. When his parents first came to the United States Mr. Shrimpton was but thirteen years of age, and yet before leaving England he had become skilled in the making of needles and particularly in making crochet needles, which was the speical branch of the work in which his father engaged. The business of making sewing needles before the introduction of machinery and before large factories had been established, had been followed by father and son in this family for generations. It is said that the father of our subject could take a hair from his head, make an eye in it and thread it. In this par- ticular vocation the Shrimpton family became much noted in that part of England in which the}' lived. In 1873 Mr. Shrimpton was married to Mary A., daughter of H. R. and Mary (McGraw) Hamilton, of Blackstone, Livingston Co., 111., and this union has been blessed with two children Adelbert and Grace Pearl. The children are both living, and in good qualities and intelligence are counterparts of the.ir parents. For several years before the death of Mr. Shrimpton's father they managed the farm of the latter jointly, and in these efforts were suc- cessful. Mr. Shrimpton owned forty acres of land at the time of his father's death, and inherited forty acres of the estate, which gives him a farm that is ample for all his necessities and just large enough to keep in good condition constantly. He acts with the Democratic party in political matters, but has never sought political preferment of any kind. He is modest and unassuming in his demeanor, both in politics and business affairs, but belongs to that class of undemonstrative men who can always be relied upon when emergencies arrive. He arid his wife enjoy the respect and esteem of the people of all the surrounding country. We present with pleasure a view of Mr. Shrimp- ton's homestead on another page of this work. sv /WILLIAM BROUGHTON, who was widely known in Livingston County, and in honor of whom the township of Broughton was named, was born in Monroe County, N. Y., Dec. 20, 1823, and departed this life at his home in Broughton Township, Sept. 2!), 1884. Me was one of the earliest pioneers of Central Illinois, to which he came from the State of Ohio, where he had lived several years after leaving the place of his birth. His residence in this county dated from the 1st of May, 1852. Mr. Broughton was distinguished as an active and enterprising member of the community, strong in his ideas of right and fearless in the expresssion of his sentiments. He became an extensive land- holder, owning 1,026 acres, the most of which he brought to a good state of cultivation. He fol- lowed the life of a sailor on the Lakes for a time in his early manhood, but after settling down upon terra firma succeeded remarkably well in his fann- ing operations and carried with him all through life the elements of mind and character which made him admired by a large circle of friends and ac- quaintances, and valued as a representative man of a highly intelligent community. Mr. Broughton spent his 'childhood and youth in his native State, and after going to Ohio located in Medina County, where he was married on the 6th of December, 1849, to Miss S. E. Smart, a lady of excellent family and American parentage. She passed away at her home in this county, Oct. 26, 1868. Of this union there were born three chil- dren : Alvira, now Mrs. .1. Lewis; Arvilla, deceased, and Elmer, who is unmarried and largely identified with the fanning and stock-raising interests of Broughton Township. William Broughton was (lie first man who repiv- f i [f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. GUIS FRANCIS LicDUC. It often happens that genius seeks for itself some quiet spot where it can commune with nature and take pleasure in reviewing the glories of the past. The subject of this biography, a French gentleman of fine education and much intellect, has sought a spot in Central Illinois where he gives scope to his in- clinations, and where for the last eight years espec- ially he has been living comparatively retired from active labor, and enjoy ing in a large measure the pleasures of rural life, while engaging in the liter- ary work of which he has always been fond and to which he is admirably adapted. His pen is now chiefly employed in writing a scries of sketches, en- titled ''Incidents during the Siege and Occupation of Rome 113- the French Army in 1*49," which are being published in the Chenoa Gazette, and read by :i large number of people with pleasure and profit. Our subject, who comes from an old and prom- .-ented his township in the County Board of Super- visors, which office he held for a number of years, and was also Assessor for a long period. He took an active interest in politics, and in early life iden- tified himself with the Republican party, of which he remained a firm adherent until the day of his death. His first purchase of land was a tract of raw prairie, over which a plowshare had never passed, and for some years there was scarcely the cabin of another settler in sight. He labored early and late to cultivate the soil and establish the homestead, and was richly rewarded for his industry and per- severance. In his death the county lost one of its most honored men and the community one of its most valued members. Elmer Broughton was born Nov. 12, 1858, and has inherited largely the talents and energy of his father, while he bids fair to perpetuate the charac- teristics for which the family have been noted for generations. He has managed with excellent judg- ment the property which has fallen to him, and, al- ! though not laboring with the difficulties attendant upon the efforts of his father before him, is a man who would probably be equal to any ordinary j emergency which might arise. inent family, was born in Huningue, Alsace, then a possession of France, in 1821. His father, F. H. LeDuc, was born in Liel, Grand Duchy of Baden, Germany, in 1780, became a French citizen in 1808, and married in 1 !.">. lie was enrolled as master bootmaker of the (ith Regiment of Artillery, and was in the Russian campaign, lie was sta- tioned with the depot company of the regiment at the fortress of Huningue, which in June, 1815, was surrounded by .'!0,000 Austrians under the com- mand of the Austrian Archduke John, only fifty cannoniers of the line being in the fortress at the time. They organized, nevertheless, for the de- fense, into a company of 100, by filling up with citizen volunteers, of which company LeDuc was second in command, and with some women volun- teers, who took charge of the guard posts, they succeeded in repelling for over two months every charge or assault of the enemy. Day after day the Austrians were repulsed, and could not get a foot- hold anywhere within range of the fortress guns, and the place was surrendered only after Paris had capitulated to the English, Prussian and Russian armies. He died in 1853. Magdalen Bashong, the mother of Louis, was born in Maseveaux, De- partment Hant Rhin, France, in 1788, and died in 1826. Our subject, after leaving school, had followed mercantile business until a youth of eighteen, when he volunteered in the French army, and two weeks later was promoted a non-commissioned ollicer. He was soon afterward called to more important sta- tions, and when nineteen years old was appointed private secretarj' to the Duke of Reggio. Here the Duke of Orleans, the eldest son of Louis Philippe, and Crown Prince of France, took notice of him, and appointed him private secretaiy to his wife, the Crown Princess. While en route to Paris he met a courier with the news that an accident had befallen the Prince, whose team took fright, and who, in leaping from his carriage, had broken his neck. The courier insisted that Louis should re- turn to his regiment, but Louis answered. "I am summoned to the Royal court and to the court I shall go." lie accordingly rode on, and in due time pieseiitcd himself to the Princess. Thence he was referred to the King who received him cordially. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1049 but the secretaryship seemed to have been aban- doned, and the young man returned to his regiment with the promise of the first vacant place at court. This, however, was never realized, but the promo- tion of young LeDuc in the army was so rapid that before twenty years of age he was First Lieu- tenant of Artillery and Secretary of the Minister of War. In 1849, when the war in Italy broke out, our subject, who was master of the Italian language, was called to important positions, decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honor for bravery, and was eventually sent with a flag of truce to the tri- umvirate of Rome. After being conducted into the Senate Chamber the Minister of War asked Louis, "What would you do if we should continue the defense?" The young man answered, "Signor, such a proceeding would be wanton bloodshed; we will take the city of Rome, and we shall have everyone of you here shot within twenty-four hours." Next day the French army entered the holy city without a shot being fired. Upon the breaking out of the French Revolution and the deposition of King Louis Philippe, young LeDuc lost two powerful friends and protectors, but held his office in Rome five years, during which time he often came into contract with Pope Pius the Ninth and his famous Secretary of State, Antonelli. When ill Pius received him in his bedroom several times, and subsequently recommended him for promotion to the French commander. He served as secretary and aide-de-camp to Marshal Bugeaud at Algiers, but owing to the constant change of atmosphere, which had its effects upon his health, he returned to Europe, whence, in December, 1851, he sailed to America. After his arrival he remained in New York City one year, and then coming to Illinois he located upon his present farm, three and one-half miles northwest of Clienoa. and has since been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, lie has done much for the improvement of his township, and effected the emigration of many excellent French families to this country. Mr. LeDuc is a finely educated gentleman, read- ing, writing and speaking several languages fluently. Although wealthy he is not ostentatious, but en- joys life in his own quiet way, devoted to his books and the society of his chosen friends. While a resi- dent of Salem County, N. Y., he was united in marriage, June 13, 1853, with Miss Eve B. Neidig, who is a native of the Kingdom of Saxony, where she was born April 25. 1834. When about ten years of age she came to the United States with her parents, Nicholas and Eve (Lavender) Neidig. Our subject and his wife became the parents of nine children, of whom the record is as follows: Rosina was born in York State, and died there when six months old; Jane is the wife of William Layman, near Pontiac; William married Miss Mary John- son, and is superintendent of a large farm near Denver, Col.; Lizzie, Mrs. Charles Nicholas, is a resident of Clienoa; Emma married Christian Ver- cler, of this count}'; Julia is teaching school at Council Bluffs, Iowa: Alexander and Alice are at home with their parents; Edna died in infancy. Mr. LeDuc, in 1856, planted four or five acres of young forest trees, and has now a beautiful grove near his residence. His farm includes a quarter of section 33, and in all respects bears comparison with the modern homesteads around it. Since be- coming an American citizen he has kept himself well posted upon national affairs, and uniformly casts his vote with the Republican party. CONRAD, who is located on section" 1 3, Long Point Township, where he is suc- cessfully engaged in stock-raising and con- ducting a farm of 120 acres, is considered one of the model farmers of the township, and the title is well won. He is a native of Prussia, Germany, and was born on the 16th of August, 1830, and is the son of Albert and Mary (Ferry) Conrad. They were devout members of the Catholic Church, in the faith of which they lived and died. The father died in 1874, and the mother in 1877. They were the parents of the following-named children: Mary was born in 1818, was married to Joseph Parsons, has three children, and lives in Germany: Marcus was born in 1X21, and married Mary Schmidt; Rosa was born in 1824, was married, became the mother of une child, and died in 1875; her husband died in 1872, Frank, the subject of this sketch, was the LIVINGSTON COUNTY. youngest of the family, and came to this country in 1855. On the 19th of March, 18f a lake vessel. He came to Living- ston County, previous to the organization of Brough- ton Township and entered at once into the plans of the settlers for the building up of this section of country. Mr. Broughton was at once recognized as a use- ful and public-spirited citizen and first represented Broughton Township in the County Board of Super- visors, which office he held many years, besides that of Assessor. He at first purchased a small tract of land and was very successful in his under- takings, finally becoming possessor of about 1,000 acres. From the time of coming to Broughton Township, he was closely identified with its inter- ests, and it seemed to be his chief" ambition to en- encourage the establishment of those enterprises which would insure its prosperity, and bring to it an intelligent and progressive class of people. He lived many years enjoying the confidence and es- teem of his fellow-citizens, and passed to Ifis final rest Sept. 29, 1884. In 1887 Mrs. Broughton left the farm in the hands of Frank Rogers, and took up her abode in a comfortable residence at Campus, where she is enjoying life surrounded by all of its comforts and many of its luxuries. Mr. and Mrs. Broughton became the parents of two children M. DeeEtte. who was born June 1, 1881, and William B., Jan. 1), 1885. ENRY FRANCIS, a citizen of Odell, h.-iv- |] ing retired from active farm life, was born in Lewis, Essex Co., N. Y., on the 1st of September, 1823, and is the third child of ;i family of eight born to Alvin and B.etsy (Soper) Francis, who were natives of the State of New York. The paternal grandparents were Samuel and Dorcas Francis, who were also New Yorkers, and the former of whom was a soldier in the Rev- olutionary War. The father of Mr. Francis was reared to farm life and served for a short time in the War of 1812. He moved to Erie County, Pa., in 18/52, and engaged in farming. During his life he was an old-line Republican, but not active in politics. He was accidentally killed by a fall from a scaffold in his barn in Erie County, Pa. The widow survived him nineteen years. Our subject spent his early days on a farm, and his only educational facilities were afforded by the common schools. At the age of eighteen he en- tered a chair-making establishment as an appren- tice to that trade, where he remained for about three years, and became a proficient cabinet-maker. He then opened a shop at Girard, Erie Co., Pa., where he continued nine or ten years. In 1844 he was married to Mary J. Pope, the daughter of Ichabod and Almira (Badger) Pope, of Cattarau- gus, N. Y. Mrs. Francis was born in New York, but her parents were early settlers of Pennsylvania, and were engaged in farming. Mr. Francis and his wife remained in Girard until 1855, and then went to Sac County, Wis., where they farmed one year. They then moved to LaSalle County, III., where he operated, a rented farm for nine years, and from there went to Braceville, Grundy Co., 111., where he bought 160 acres of land, on which he lived for eighteen years following, engaged in farming and stock-raising. In March, 1865, Mrs. Francis died. She had be- come the mother of eight children, all of whom are living Mary E., Julia, Amice E., Florence A'., Perry D., Franklin W., May E. and Nelson G. Arrace married Lake L. Francis, a farmer, and they live in Nebraska; Julia married David Layman, and is now a widow living near home; Florence married Lucius Coleman,and they live in Gardner; Perry married Emily Smith, and lives in Lane Count}', Kan., where he is engaged in farming; .May married William II. Ward, and lives near Odell; Mar)' is at home with her father; Franklin married Miss Mary A. Clark, and resides in Coal City, Grundy County; besides canning on a cloth- ing business, he is a land and insurance agent and Justice of the Peace. Nelson is farming near home. In 1882 Mr. Francis sold his property in Grundy Count)' and moved to Livingston County, where he bought 240 acres of improved land on section 14, Odell Township, and eighty acres in Union Township. He also purchased seven acres in the suburbs of Odell, on which >tands a fine residence i occupied by himself and daughter, and a view of f 10.-, | LIVINGSTON COUNTY. which is to lie seen in this volume. He is now re- tired from active business. In Grundy County he served as Assessor, Collector, Road Commissioner and School Commissioner: in this county he has taken no active part in politics, but votes with the Republican party. BRAHAM BRU BAKER, United States Express Agent at Dwight, is a descendant of one of the oldest Pennsylvania families, who came originally from Holland, and located in Lancaster County soon after the landing of William Penn. The paternal grandfather of our subject, also Abraham Brubaker, was born in that county, where he spent his entire life, and passed his last years on the homestead which he had inherited from his father. He married and became the father of six children, namely: Jacob, Benjamin, Susan, Mariah, Nancy and Betsey. The Brubaker family were members of the Men- nonite Church, which derived its name from S3'inons Men no, who was born in 1496, in Friesland, a Province of the Netherlands on the northeast side of the Zuyder Zee. Menno was a Roman Catholic priest, a man of studious habits and great learning. He left the Mother Church and devoted himself to the study of theology. He was also distinguished for his writings, and published a book in 1539 which attracted much attention. The followers of his teachings are sometimes called the latter school of Anabaptists. Upon the invitation of William Penn in 1083, many Englishmen crossed the Atlantic and founded a settlement at German town, near Philadelphia. In 1735 there were about, 500 families of Mennonites in Lancaster County alone. Altogether they now number about 200.000, of whom 175,00(1 are in the United States and Canada. They have three edu- cational institutions in this country, one in Hoi- stead, Kan., one in Wadsworth, Ohio, and one in Klkliart. Ind.. where they have also a publishing hoii>e. They also have a missionary in the Indian Nation. No better citi/ens are to be found in any community than the devoted adherents of this religion. For fidelity to promises and obligations, coupled with continuous industry and strict honesty, these quiet and unobtrusive characters are valued alike for their worth as citizens and business men. Abraham Brubaker, the elder, possessed in a marked degree the simple manners and high moral princi- ples peculiar to the sect, and rounded up a long and useful life at the age of eighty-six years. Jacob Brubaker, the father of our subject, was born on the homestead of his father, in Lancaster County, Pa., in 1800. Here he spent his entire life, and the property still remains in the hands of the family. He married Miss Lydia, daughter of Ben- jamin Whitmore, of Lancaster County, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Fabin, David, Jacob, Anna, Margaret and Abraham. In 1838, Jacob Brubaker purchased a farm in Hunting- don County, Pa., where he lived until removing to the West, ?n 1848. He first took up his abode in Ogle County, this State, where he carried on farm- ing, and distinguished himself as'an industrious and hard-working man of the highest moral character and the most devout Christian principles. He lived, like his father before him, to the advanced age of eighty-six years, passing away in the winter of 1886. Our subject was born on the old homestead in Lancaster County, Pa., Jan. 25, 1828. He was a bright and ambitious boy and made the most of his advantages at the common schools. He was fond of his books, which he by no means laid aside on the completion of his school days, but by a continuous course of reading and study in after life, kept him- self well posted upon current events and was more than ordinarily well informed. He lived with his parents after their removal to Huntingdon County, and came with them to Ogle County, 111., in isjs. becoming familiar with farm employment! and re- maining under the parental roof until his marriage. lie chose for his bride Miss Lydia. daughter of John Goodman, of Huntingdon County, Pa., and they were married in that county Sept. 9, 1851. The two children born of this union are Frank and Jeanette, residents of Dwight, 111. After his mar- riage. Mr. Brul inker carried on farming in Ogle County until 1(!5, when coming to Dwight. he a.-snmed his present position, which he has held for a period of twenty-two years, lie is Republican in t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. =4- 1055 t , politics, and a member in good standing of the Con- gregational Church. His "son Frank is an Express Messenger of the Chicago & Alton Railroad. Our subject, socially, belongs to the I. O. O. F., and has held various town offices. His career has been such as to reflect honor upon his ancestry, which he traces back in a direct line to a source fully as dis- tinguished as that of the French Huguenots. Mrs. Lydia Brubaker continued the affectionate and faithful companion of her husband for a period of thirty-five years, and departed this life at her home in Dwight, in November, 1886. She is re- membered as a lady possessing all the Christian virtues, and was in all respects the suitable com- panion of her husband. Her death was mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances who had learned to respect her for those qualities which constituted her a model wife and mother, a kind neighbor and a faithful friend. tt 'flfjAMES H. BEEKS, of Pike Township, in the southwestern part of this county, owns and occupies a quarter of section 17, upon which he has made all the improvements which the traveler now observes with an admiring eye, and where is presented one of the handsomest home- steads in this part of the count}'. The residence is especially fine, and the main barn, with the other out-buildings, is full}' in keeping with the means and enterprise of the proprietor. Among the prin- cipal features of attraction in connection with his home, is a beautiful grove surrounding the dwell- ing, and a fine orchard in the rear. The grounds are neatly laid out, and well kept, and the live stock and farm machinery are of the best descrip- tion. Mr. Beeks was one of the early settlers of Pike Township, coining here when his neighbors were few and far between, and operating first upon the uncultivated soil. Like man} 1 of the pioneers of Livingston County, he passed his boyhood days in Pennsylvania, having been born at West Alexan- der. Washington County, Sept. 18. 1.H2N. He is the son of Jacob Mini Margaret (Henry) Beeks, na- tives of Maryland and Ireland respectively. The father died in Washington County, Pa., and the mother in Marshall County. 111. The winters of his boyhood were spent mostly in school, while his summers were occupied with the labors of the farm. He remained a member of his father's household until twenty-three years of age, and was then united in marriage with one of his childhood associates, Miss Elizabeth Crow, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride in West Alexander, March 18, 1852. Mrs. P. is a native of the same town as her husband, and was born in 1825. Her parents were Philip and Maria (McKennon) Crow, who were also natives of the Keystone State. Her father in 1858, emigrated westward to Marshall County, 111., where he purchased eighty acres of wild land, and farmed until 1859. The household circle was then broken in upon by the dread de- stroyer, and the mother taken away. Mr. Beeks subsequently sold out and removed to a point near the city of Bloomington, taking up a small tract of land and carrying on agriculture, in a moderate way, for two years following. He was a second time married, Feb. 16, 1865, to Miss Jane, daugh- ter of John and Jane (McCarroll) Hastings. Soon afterward he removed to his present home. Of the first marriage of our subject there were born five children : The eldest daughter, Maria P., is the wife of George Womeldorff, a farmer of Pike Township, located near the Beeks homestead; Fra- zell, the eldest son, married Miss Ella Kirkpatriek, and is now a resident of Cow ley County, Kan. ; Maggie E. is at home with her parents; Franklin married Miss Delia Kirkpatriek, and is also living I in Covvley County, Kan.; Fannie, the twin sister of Franklin, is the wife of Henry Witherow. of Mar- shall County, Kan. Of the second marriage of Mr. Beeks there has been born one child, a son, Henry C., now twenty-one years of age. Mr. Beeks has been the incumbent of the various township offices, and has officiated as Justice of the Peace for a period of eleven years. He was Town- ship Treasurer nine years, Supervisor four years, Assessor one term, and for several years has been School Director. He voted for Fremont in 1856, and has since been a firm supporter of Republican , principles. Both lie and his wife are prominently f 105G LIVINGSTON COUNTY. connected with the Presbyterian Church, and are widely and favorably known throughout their com- munity as representatives of its most solid and sub- stantial element. HAHLES M. BAKEtt, the leading furniture dealer of Dwight, is of German ancestry, and the grandson of Nathan Baker, Esq., a na- tive and afterward a prominent and highly re- spected resident of Lancaster County, Pa. Nathan finally removed to Bedford County, where he en- gaged extensively as a farmer and miller, and where he spent his last years. The Baker family were widely and favorably known throughout Southern Pennsylvania. Isaac II. Baker, the father of our subject, was born at the homestead of his father in Bedford County, Pa., Oct. 1C, 1825. He was not particu- larly inclined either to farming or milling, but pos- sessing much natural genius as a mechanic, he took up the carpenter trade, and after his marriage, in 1850, migrated to Jefferson County, Ind., where he was employed upon woodwork for a railroad com- pany. Five years later he came to Dwight, and not long after entered the employ of the C. 4, when he sold out and em- barked in the furniture business, which he prose- cuted until 18*4, when he withdrew, and is now living in retirement in a comfortable home within the town limits of Dwight. The mother of our subject was formerly Miss Isabella II. Spear, and was born in Pennsylvania in 1827. Her parents, Robert and Agnes (Cowan) Spear, were natives of Huntingdon County, Pa., and of Scotch-Irish descent. Of this union there were born six children, viz.: Charles M., Agnes. George, Ella, Maggie and John. Of these, three are living and residents of Dwight. The parents are both members of the Methodist Church, and Mr. Baker, politically, formerly belonged to the Democratic parly, but. now gives his entire support to the Prohibitionists. He ulliciated as Village Trustee six years, and has been in all respects a valued member of the community. lie has been greatly interested in the success of the temperance movement, and whenever opportunity occurs h.-i- cast the weight of his influence toward the suppres- sion of the liquor traffic. Although a hard worker many years of his life, his correct and temperate habits have been the means of preserving his health to a remarkable degree, and he bids fair to live to a good old age. being even now stronger and more active in some respects than his sons. The subject of this biography was born iu Jeffer- son County, Ind., March 23, 18411, and coming with his father to Dwight in tjie spring of 1*55, when a lad six years of age, he soon afterward be- gan his education in the common schools. Later he assisted his father at carpentering, and in 18G1 engaged as a clerk, which occupation he followed until assuming the management of the old I'nion House, a hotel which was owned by his father, who was occupied in other business, which prevented him giving his attention to this. This property was sold out in 1886, and Charles M. engaged with his father in the furniture business, which was then the nucleus of the present large and lucrative trade. The marriage of Charles M. Baker and Miss Liz- zie S. Weagley was celebrated at the home of the bride on the 24th of December, 173. Mrs. 1. is the daughter of John T. and Eleanor (llilliard) Weagley, of Griggsville, Pike County, and of her union with our subject there have been born three children Cora M., Roy M. and Ella V., all living and comprising a bright and interesting little fam- ily. The stock and building of Mr. Baker were de- stroyed by fire in 1880, and he w;is obliged to be- gin the world over again, having no insurance. This, however, was not so ditlieult, as he had un- limited credit, and had been doing business among friends who had known him for years. He was soon upon his feet again, and in the fall of 1MH7 found time to interest himself in the prohibition movement, and in connection with Frederick B. llargreaves, of Dwight, organixcd the first society in Livingston County which moved effect i\ ely upon the evil of intemperance. Mr. linker was selected lo represent the county in the State LcgU- lature. anil notwithstanding the elements at work in LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1057 opposition to the success of the cause, he received 2.1 'Jo votes, which was considered as remarkable, and expressed not only the sentiment of the com- munit}' in regard to the liquor traffic, but also its sentiments in regard to one of its best citizens. During the late campaign, Mr. Baker published a temperance paper entitled Facts, the management of which he still continues, and which is.issned reg- ularly, receiving the encouragement and patronage of the friends of the cause in the most flattering manner. He is also joint proprietor of the " Re- ligious Newspaper Company." which was incorpor- ated under the laws of the State of Illinois, and furnishes its literature principally to clergymen for distribution. This has proved a most successful enterprise, and a genuine power for good. .So- cially, Mr. Baker belongs to the I. O. O. F., and is President of the Board of Trustees of the city of 1) wight. He and his excellent lady are connected with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and by their well-conducted lives have won the respect and confidence of the people around them. Mr. Baker prosecutes with earnestness whatever he undertakes, and the enterprises which receive his endorsement are usually successful. It. JOSEPH PAYNE, who is a dentist of Dwiglit, is a native of Gallia County, Ohio, and a descendant of excellent English and Scotch ancestry. His father, George Payne, was born at Newport-Pagnell, in England, fifty miles from London, in 1778, where he received few advantages in his childhood and began early in . life to "paddle his own canoe." Mr. Pa3~ne pt- sessed, however, the qualities of resolution and persistence, and soon after beginning to receive wages saved gradually and made wise investments, so that he finally accumulated a handsome property. He dealt largely in real estate and was chiefly in- strumental in the building up of Tavistock Square, London, where he finally resided, and attained to the dignity of his carriage and four at a time when only very wealth}' people could afford such luxury. The mother of our subject who, as a maiden, was Miss Isabella Smith, of Edinburgh. Scotland, was the sister of John and James Smith, two Scotch mission- aries to New South Wales, where they greatly dis- tinguished themselves for their labors and piety. George Payne and his young wife immediately after marriage took up their residence at No. 1 Tavistock Square, where they first dined after the ceremon\ r , and where their first child was subsequently born. There were afterward added nine more children to the household. The father of our subject, after his marriage, con- tinued his business in London for some time, and finally became security for his brother James, who was largely interested in navigation and was an ex- tensive importer of rare foreign woods. He became embarrassed by the loss of a fleet of vessels and ap- pealed to his brother George to assist him out of his difficulties. The latter signed paper to a large amount, which could not be met at maturity, and the property of both brothers was swept away. Seeing that ruin was inevitable, Mr. Payne, before the notes came due, went to the creditors and offered them certain property which he owned for their claims. They readily accepted this overture, ad- miring the spirit which prompted it, and left George Payne in possession of only the mansion at No. 10 Tavistock Square. George Payne, after this disaster, determined to cross the Atlantic with his family and seek to re- trieve in the New World a part, at least, of the fort- une which he had left in the old. He came to America in 1810, and made his way to Gallia I County, in the State of Ohio, and purchased a farm on the Ohio River. This he sold, and purchased 1,600 acres of the finest farming land in Gallia j County, where he put up a beautiful residence and remained there until ten years before his death. After selling this property he took up his abode at Porter, that county, where he lived retired from active labor until his decease, which occurred in 1850. He had never parted with his property in | Tavistock Square, as he always lived in hopes of being able to return. It is now in the hands of and is being controlled by a lady by the name of Payne, a relative of the family. .Mr. Payne, soon after coming to America, came to the State of Illinois on a prospecting tour, and had the misfortune to meet with an accident f lo:, s LIVINGSTON COUNTY. which entailed a liruken limb. 'and by reason of which lie was prevented from returning to London :il the time he anticipated, for it required three months to make the trip. He possessed an ex- cellent business capacity, and while a resident of Gal- lia he served as Justice of the Peace for many years. Politically he was a Whig. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. Upon assuming- his duties as Justice of the Peace the law of imprison- ment for debt was still in force, and when one of the primitive merchants would apply to the Justice for an execution for the body of his debtor, .Mr. Payne would tell him "if the man could not pay him when out of jail, he was very sure he could not do so when in." Justice Payne in these cases would make no costs, and even in extreme cases would advise a peaceable settlement of the claims. Of the ten children of the household the record is as follows: Margaret, the eldest daughter, was married to James Donnelly, of Gallia County, Ohio, and is now deceased: George J. married Miss Susan Kerr. and was engaged in the mercantile business foi forty years, now deceased; William married Miss Hannah Fisk, of Cincinnati, and is now deceased : James H. married Miss Fannie Newton, of Ohio: Charles took for his wife Miss Mary Dixon, of New Orleans: Isabella became the wife of Rev. Hiram R. Howe, of Gallia County ; Jane married Norval I). Rose, of the same county; Joseph, our subject, was the ninth child ; Thomas, the youngest, met with an accidental death in infancy; Richard, the third In-other, married Miss Mary A. Preston. The subject of this biography was born at his father's old homestead in Gallia County, Ohio, July 15, 1820, and acquired a limited education in the district schools of those times, the first schools being in log cabins, with no floor but the earth, and greased paper for windows, and three miles to walk, and the woods full of bears and panthers. Early in life he became a clerk in his brother's store at Porter, where he remained for a period of several vears. During this time, however, he determined to become master of one of the professions, although he had nearly readied his twenty-fifth year before circumstances were so shaped that he could begin his cherished project. Once started he made good headway, and in the year following ( 1S4G) assumed the responsibilities of a family by his marriage with Mis- Mary M. Sissons, daughter of Stephen Sissons. of Gallia County, Ohio, and a playmate of his in childhood. Dr. Payne commenced practice at Gal- lipolis, and there the young people remained until going to St. Louis, in 1853, where they lived for fifteen j'ears. In the meantime the household had been enlarged by the birth of four children, namely : Ellen R., Joseph W., Mary M. and Jennie. Of these three are living, two residents of Dwight, and one of Chicago. In 1K55 Dr. Payne had occasion to pass through this count}', and was greatly pleased with the coun- try. The wide expanse of beautiful and fertile prairie attracted his attention, and he purchased 400 acres on sections 8 and !), Dwight Township, a por- tion of which still remains in his possession. His dental instruments, which are probably not excelled in quality and finish by any in the world, were manu- factured expressly for him, and made of the finest steel with handles of pearl, beautifully inlaid with precious stones. Some of the instruments are of silver. His work is in keeping with the quality of his instruments. Dr. Payne assisted in the organization of the St. Louis Dental College, and was one of its charter members. He was unanimously elected its first President, and became the author of many ex- cellent articles in the leading dental journals of that time. From 1867 to 1868 he was editor of the St. Louis Dental Journal, and introduced various new theories which proved valuable to the profession. He had become convinced that amalgam fillings were poisonous, and fully demonstrated the fact by subsequent investigations. He is credited with having saved the lives of -everal people who were being slowly poisoned by mercury. These fact- are certified to by Dr. William Todd Helmeth, of St. Louis, and also by Dr. E. C. Franklin, both cele- brated medical authors. Dr. Payne, in 1869, removed witii his family to Dwight. Although now in the sixty-eighth year of his age, he is still vigorous and active, possessing a steady hand in the practice of his profession and a mind not in the least impaired by the flight of years. He has always taken a lively interest in those mat- ters which affect the general welfare of the commit- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 105P 1 1 nity, and is warmly interested in the success of tlu> Prohibition movement. In .in early day a wealthy land speculator pro- posed to the Doctor to buy a township of land from the Illinois Central Railroad Company, in which he should be given a one-fourth interest and its entire management. Dr. P. was to exercise his own judgment as to the price, and the gentleman men- tioned was to furnish the purchase money and pay the expenses of the negotiator. This party had tried to make this purchase, but the company had refused to sell except upon actual settlement. Dr. Payne secured the land for $8.60 per acre, the whole amounting to nearly $100,000. The plan was to lay off a tawn on the line of a projected railroad, nine miles east of the Illinois Central, and sell the land in alternate 80-acre tracts. In pursuance of this object lie engaged 100 families in the East to bu}- the land and settle on it. The great panic of 1857 broke upon the country and the Illinois Cen- tral made an assignment. The people who were to purchase anticipated difficulty in securing a clear title, and thus the whole project fell through. Df. Payne had formed extensive plans in connection with this project, one of which was a plank road to be constructed from the new town to the Illinois Central Railroad, and lie obligated the railroad company to put in a switch and a station at the point of commencement of the plank road. That station ultimately became the nucleus around which the present city of Paxton was built. Dr. Payne, however, immediately turned his at- tention to another enterprise, and soon organized a Swamp Land Company in Illinois and Missouri to contest the claims of those States to the so-called swamp lands, and made application to the General Land Office at Washington, embracing over 200,- 000 acres of land as fertile as the Valley of the Nile, under a promise from the Government that he should be permitted to enter these lands at $1.25 per acre. Dr. P. had them surveyed in 40-acre tracts, and the character of each tract accurately described, this being the requirement of the Gov- ernment. He was sent to Washington to hurry up the papers, and spent a week in the General Land Office with Thomas A. Ilendricks. During this time twenty clerks were employed to make out the papers. Dr. Payne, leaving a Member of Con- gress to look after his interests and to see that no bill was passed adverse to his rights, returned West to enter the land. But the gentleman he had left in charge to defeat any fraudulent bill that might be presented was the very man who betrayed the trust, and himself introduced a bill which Congress passed, and which was the means of cheating Dr. Payne out of every acre, lie had fully complied with his part of the contract, and was thus robbed by the United States Government. Me paid Rev- erdy Johnston $700 for his written opinion in the case, and who advised him to bring suit against the Government for the value of the land. It is possible that he may yet recover it, and if he does it will undoubtedly make him the richest man in the world, as most of it to-day is worth from $50 to $75 per acre. The following facts, aside from being closely con- nected with the life history of Dr. Payne, cannot fail ' to be of interest. In the summer of 1856, the Hon. Jesse W. Fell, of Bloomington, during a short stay at Cairo, 111., wrote to Dr. Payne, then stopping at ; the hotel in Bloomington, and advised him to purchase the farm north of Bloomington, which was known as the Arny farm, from having been 1 once occupied by the noted W. F: Al. Arny, of Kan- sas fame, and in his letter suggested that the State Board of Education might be induced to locate the Normal University there. He proposed that Dr. Pavne should meet him at Mound City, a small town near Cairo. Dr. Payne procured a team, i drove to the farm in question, made a careful in- spection of its location and natural resources, and was impressed with the feasibility of Mr. Fell's pro- ject. The Doctor a few hours afterward was on board the cars bound for Egypt. Meeting Air. Fell at Mound City, the two took a stroll up the railroad several miles and seated themselves on a log under the cool shade of a big oak tree, and there matured the plan which resulted in the location of the Normal University and Inter the beautiful city of Normal. Dr. Payne repaired to the station, and telegraph- ing to Bloomington, purchased the farm for the sum of nearly $20,000, and donated eighty acres of it to the State, upon condition that the Normal t ior.0 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. I'nivcrsity be located upon it. As soon as it was known that tin- Arny farm had boon purchased with a view to securing tlie location of the Normal University, every fanner within a few miles of Bloomiugton imagined he had the most eligible site for the enterprise, and real estate went up to fabu- lous prices. The excitement soon rose to fever heat, and spread to the neighboring towns until the whole State was involved ; even Eastern speculators from New York City hurried West to watch the movement with a view to investment. Peoria, however, soon became the formidable rival of Blooming-ton. The Board of Education required the university to be located where the best induce- ments in money, and a healthy and central location could be found. ' Both cities possessed these req- uisites. Each sought to show its superiority over the other, and while Peoria endeavored to prove that the land at Bloomington was too low, the other party argued that the bluffs of Peoria were too high, and they did not fail to point out the great disad- vantage of a long row of distilleries at the foot of the bluffs, which made the locality a dangerous place for young men to attend school. The amount of the subscriptions in land and money was kept, strictly secret, and was to be put in sealed envelopes, so that neither party should know what the other had raised until the bids were opened by the board. Finally the work of raising sub- scriptions was completed, and the bids were sealed. Next.evening as Dr. Payne was going into the hotel, he met a gentleman from Peoria coming out, and judged from his peculiar facial expression that something had happened. Dr. Payne knew the proprietor of the hotel could not keep a secret, and concluded the Peoria man had been 'pnnipina" him. The Peorian was none other than Prof. C. E. Hovey, who afterward became President of the Normal University, and later was widely known as Col. Hovey of the School Teachers' Regiment, and won laurels during the war that made him a General. Dr. Pavne inquired of the landlord if he had told Prof. Hovey the amount of their subscriptions, and he replied that he had. -'That is just what I thought," said the Doctor, "and he has gone to the telegraph ollice and sent the news to Peoria, and 1 ' they will open their bids and add enough more to 1 beat us. and you have mined our case." Dr. 1'. hastening away to the telegraph ollice, learned sure enough that Prof. Hovey had been there and sent a dispatch to Peoria. Something must be done quickly, and hastening to the house of Mr. Fell. Dr. Payne made known the situation. After a hasty consultation with .Judge David Davis and (ien. Asahel (Jridley, of the McLean County Bank, it was arranged to get the Judges of the County Court to- gether with the hope of inducing them to make an appropriation to help out of the scrape. McLean County owned a large amount of the so-called swamp land, and the plan agreed upon, was to try and induce the court to appropriate 10.000 acres of this laud. Judge Davis agreed to take it at $f> an acre and pay the cash, thus adding $00,000 to the subscriptions in the envelope. One of the Judges, however, lived more than twenty miles away, and it was now after nightfall, and the next day the bids were to be put into the hands of a committee; $50,000, however, was a powerful stimulus, and the Judge was sent for. He came promptly, and somewhere between midnight and daylight the appropriation was made, the bids were re-opened and $50,000 in cash was added. The envelope was then sealed and the County Court adjourned. \Vhen the bids were finally opened by the State Board of Education at Peoria, Bloomington was nearly $50,000 ahead of Peoria, and they have al- ways to this day supposed that the old hotel-keeper at Bloomiugton lied to Prof. Hovey. >HOMAS S. C'UKRAN, Eso,, one of the earli- est pioneers of the southeastern part of Liv- ingston County, located here in 185!). and has since been identified with its most important interests. He carried on farming almost continu- ously from the time of his arrival until 1H6;'), when he retired from active labor and removed to Chats- worth, where he occupied various offices, being Constable four and one-half years, and afterward Police Magistrate, which office he still holds. lie also occupies himself to some extent at his trade of a tailor, being a gentleman who dislikes idlene.-s. v LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ior,s and is never so contented as when his hands and mind are employed in something useful. This qual- ity of industry seems to have been peculiar to the pioneer settlers, and through its exercise have sprung up the improvements which we to-day be- hold in all the country around us. Mr. Curran is a descendant of excellent Scotch and Irish ancestry, and spent his early years in Frederick County, Aid., where his birth took place April 9, 1822. His father, William Curran, was a native of the same State, and a harness-maker by trade. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812, and was Lieutenant of a company of dragoons. He also followed teaming prior to the construction of railroads, and which at that time was a very lu- crative occupation. He was married to Miss Eliza- beth, daughter of Christopher Smith, of German descent, and locating in Frederick County, Aid., they there spent the remainder of their lives. The six children of the parental family are recorded as follows: Elijah is married and a resident of Carroll County, Aid. ; Mary became the wife of Adam Bowers, and is now deceased, as is also Alargaret, who remained single, and died about 1884; Eliza- beth became the wife of Christian Halleman, of Pennsylvania, and died about 1881; Sophia, the wife of Obediah Martin, is a resident of Frederick County ; Thomas S. was the youngest of the family. Air. Curran was but a child when his mother passed away, and his father breaking up housekeep- ing, he was taken into the home of his maternal aunt, where he passed his earl}' youth. The death of this friend necessitated another change, and he went to live with his brother-in-law, Adam Bowers, where he remained until sixteen years of age. Sub- sequently he commenced learning the tailor's trade in Taneytown, Aid., at which he served an appren- ticeship of five years, and after reaching his major- ity, worked as a journeyman in his native State and in Richmond. Va. He finally set up a shop of his own at AlcConnellsburg, Pa., whence in 1848, he migrated to Huron County, Ohio. A year later he removed to Richland County, and in 1850 to Hardin County. He started for the West in 1857, and upon entering the limits of the Prairie State, stopped first in what is now Ford County. lie was in poor health, and for a time made his home with his brother-in-law, William J. Reid. In 1859 he purchased a tract of land in Germanville Township, this county, upon which he operated six years, when he retired from the labors of country life, and established himself at Chatsworth. One of the most important events in the life of our subject took place in the spring of 1848, at Emmitsburg, Md., namely, his marriage with Aliss Alargaret Reid, a native of that town, where she was born Alarch 1C, 1828. This union resulted in the birth of four children, two of whom died young, and one son was called hence when a promising youth of eighteen years. The eldest child now liv- ing is William R., who was born Dec. 3, 1855. and is engaged as attorney-at-law in Pekin, 111., where he has met with fine success. Air. Curran has been an active member of the Presbyterian Church for several years, and politi- cally, is an uncompromising Democrat. As representative of the noble men who re- deemed Livingston County from the wilderness, we are pleased to give a portrait of Air. Curran. UGH ROBINSON, who is in the full mean- ing of the word a representative farmer and stock-raiser of Avoca Township, is a native of Fayette County, Ohio, where he was born on the 14th of July, 1842. He is the son of James K. and Ann J. Robinson, both of whom were natives of the State of New Jersey ; the paternal ancestors were of Scotch descent. When about ten years of age, Hugh accompanied his parents when they came to Livingston County, and settled in the southern part of Avoca Township. On the 10th of January, 1853, the mother died, and the father followed her over the river in De- cember, I860. To them were born a large family of children, of whom the following survive: John M., now in Kansas; Alarm, the wife of Joseph Brown, of Iroquois County, 111.; Darius A., now in Nebraska; Nancy S., Hugh; Effle G., the wife of William E. Fox, of White County, Ind.; Elizabeth, now Mrs. Timm, of Joliet, 111., and Irene AI. James K. Robinson, the father of the subject of L i 10(1 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. r tliis ski-tell, was the first Assessor of Avoea Town- ship after its organization. In his political atlilia- tions he always acted with tho Republican party, and was for many years of his life a member of tin- Method ist Episcopal Church. He was a representa- tive pioneer citizen, and entered cheerfully and heartily into the work of improving the section of country where he lived. He was always a liberal- spirited citizen, and gave substantial encourage- ment to all enterprises that would better his and his neighbors' condition. lie enjoyed the confidence and respect of all who knew him, and was a man of sterling integrity in all his business relations. He was one of the prime movers, and largest contrib- utors to the building of the pioneer Methodist Episcopal Church at the site of the former village of Avoca, where he was a merchant for a few years. In his death the county lostoneof its most valuable citizens. Mr. Robinson was reared to manhood in this county, and during his youth obtained more than an average education. He has been engaged in agri- cultural pursuits all his life. On the 3d of March. 1870, Mr. Robinson was united- in marriage with Elizabeth Hartley, a native of Canada, and they are the parents of four children : Minnie M., who was born May 7, 1872; LillieG., Nov. 12, 1874; Jessie E., Oct. 6, 1876, and John A., Nov. 25, 1881. Mr. Robinson owns a fine farm of goodly dimensions, all of which is under a high state of cultivation, and upon which he has erected comfortable build- ings of modern architecture, while he has expended much effort in making the surroundings of the place as cheerful and comfortable as possible for his family. Mr. Robinson takes a very decided interest in educational matters, which the people seem to have appreciated, for they have elected him School Director for fourteen years, and School Trustee of the township for two years, and under his adminis- tration the school funds of the township have been honestly and judiciously handled. For eight years he h:i- been a member and stockholder in the Fair- bury I'nion Agricultural Association, which has for its object the promotion of the interests of the annual fair held each year at Fairbury. Mr. Robin- sou is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the affairs of which he takes a lively in- terest, as in fact both lie and his wife do in every- thing that promotes the welfare, of the community in which they live. ICHAEL MULLIGAN is comfortably lo- cated on section N, in Broughton Town- ship, where he has 160 acres of land, and in the pursuit of his chosen vocation is meeting with fair success and enjoying the esteem and confidence of his neighbors. His property has been accumulated by hard work, as he commenced his life work at the foot of the ladder without means and dependent entirely upon his own re- sources. Our subject was born in Ireland, Jan. 1, 1835, and is the son of Owen and Judith (Fay) Mulligan, natives of the same country. His father was a far- mer of modest means, and Michael early in life was trained to habits of industry, learning to rely upon himself, which proved an excellent school and the secret of his future success. His education was quite limited, and when nineteen years of age, find- ing little to encourage him upon his native soil, he resolved to seek his fortunes upon the other side of the Atlantic. Accordingly, in the spring of 1856 he took passage on a sailing-vessel bound from Liverpool to New York City, and after a voyage of four weeks and three days lauded in the great me- tropolis, of which he had heard so much. Staying in New York a short time, he migrated westward, and in 1858 took up his residence in LaSalle County, this State. Eight years later he found himself in this county, and in 1867 purchased the land which comprises his present homestead. He ha^ effected a marked change in its appearance, and is now numbered among the thrifty and well-to-do farmers of Broughton Township. Mr. Mulligan, while a resident of LaSalle County, was married, Oct. 3, I860, to Miss Julia Corrigan. Of this union there were born eleven children, namely: Catherine, the wife of James O'Neil, Julia A., the wife of Thomas Johnson, both of Broughton Township; and John, Margaret, Mary, Mathew, Eli /.abeth, James, Thomas, Jane and Mon- f i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 10C5 t ica, all at home with their parents. Mr. Mulligan was reared in the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, to which he still adheres, and cilice becom- ing a naturalized citizen has given his support to the Democratic party. He is School Director, and is one of those men to whom their neighbors apply when they need assistance in the enterprises which are calculated for the general welfare of the com- munity. The wife of our subject was" born in LaSalle County, this State, Dec. 13, 1844, and is the daugh- ter of Mathew and Bridget (Conley) Corrigan, natives of Ireland. They emigrated to the United St.-ites early in life and cast their lot with the pio- neers of LaSalle County, 111. The father died at the homestead Nov. 15, 1875, while the mother is living and a resident of Chicago. The parental household included twelve children, those living being: Michael, of Kansas; Mary A., the wife of Alexander Wallace, of Missouri; Margaret and James, residents of Chicago, and Julia, Mrs. Mulli- gan. TEPIIEN POTTER has been a resident of Round Grove Township, and located on section 15, for thirty -three years, during which time he has been a witness of the rise and progress of one of the best counties within the borders of Illinois. He has been an active par- ticipant, so far as his field of operations is con- cerned, in this work of development and improve- ment, and at this day can look upon what he has accomplished with considerable satisfaction. Mr. Potter was born on the 1st of April. 180(i, and is the son of Theodore and Wealthy (Weller) Potter, both natives of the State of New York, of English- German extraction. They afterward removed to Ohio, when that country was very new, and the mother died in Cuyahoga County. Some years after her death the father removed to Michigan, and was overtaken by a snowstorm, and frozen to death somewhere iu the vicinity of Hastings, Mich. They were the parents of ten children, of whom our subject was the fourth child, lie was reared on the farm, and remained at home until he was of age, although previous to that time he had worked away from home for short seasons, but retained his place in the household. After he had reached his majority he worked by the month continuously, for one man, on a farm and in the, lumber woods for over seven years, and then went to Cuyahoga County, Ohio. August 25, 1834, in Essex County, N. Y., Mr. Potter was married to Mary Ann Killmer, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Dickson) Killmer, who were natives of New York State and of German and Irish ancestry. Mrs. Potter was born in Wash- ington County, N. Y., on the 23d of February, 1814. About one week after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Potter migrated to Cuyahoga County, Ohio, and settled on wild timber land, consisting of ninety-one acres, which they at once set them- selves about clearing and improving. They re- mained there for ten years, engaged in improving and general farming on this land, and then sold it and removed to Will County, 111., settling in Joliet. They remained here for ten years, five years of which time he was engaged in teaming. In 1849 Mr. Potter left his famity in Joliet, and went to California, going by the overland route, where he remained for five years and engaged in the mines most of that time. He returned to Joliet in Feb- ruary, 1854, and in the following April moved to Livingston County, and settled in Round Grove Township, on lands which Mrs. Potter had pur- chased during his absence, which consisted of 160 acres, located on section 15. They have since been residents of Round Grove Township, and have been successful in their undertakings. Mr. Potter began adding to his estate, and continued until at one time he owned 400 acres, but has disposed of all of this, with the exception of a quarter section, lie lias erected excellent buildings on his farm and made good improvements in the way of ditches, fences, orchards, etc., as may be seen by an exam- ination of the view which is given on another page of this ALBUM. Mr. and Mrs. Potter have had eight children, whose names are as follows: Charlotte B., Mary A., (Jeorge W., Margaret S., Reuben K., Albert, Alan- son and Elvie T. Charlotte was the wife of Jesse Eldred, and died in Round Grove Township, Nov. 18, 1881; Mary died in Joliet, 111., April , 184.S, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. when about nine years of age; George married Miss Emma Godfrey, and resides in Will County, 111.; Margaret resides at home: Reuben died in Round Grove Township, July 7, 1885, when forty- one years of age ; he was a telegraph operator on the Chicago & Alton Railroad for several years. Albert married Louisa Ilubbard, and resides in Peru, Ind. ; he is engaged as a detective, and is in the employ of the Gould Railroad Syndicate. Alanson died in Round Grove Township, Jan. 28, 1868, at the age of two years; Elvie, the youngest of the family, resides at home (see sketch of Elvie Potter.) In his political affiliations Mr. Potter acts with the Democratic party. He has held most of the offices of the township in which he resides, and was for a considerable time [IIighwa3' Commissioner. His excellent wife is an earnest and active member of the Presbyterian Church. They both participate actively in all the affairs inaugurated for the wel- fare of the community in which they live. ILEXANDER M. BREWSTER came to Central Illinois in the spring of 1X69, when twentj'-eight years of age, and has since been a resident of Livingston County. He owns a good farm on section 6, in Broughton Township, where he is carrying on agriculture with fair success, and performing his obligations as a useful member of the community. Our subject is the scion of an excellent Pennsyl- vania family, which included intelligent and suc- cessful men. His father, Henry Brewster, was a member of the Pennsylvania Legislature and served for many years as Justice of the Peace in Hunting- don County. In that county Alexander M. was born, March 18, 1*41. lib mother was in her girl- hood Miss Nancy Campbell, who was of Irish an- cestry, while the f;ither of our subject traced his descent to one of the old Scottish Highlanders of the seventeenth century. The first representative of the family in this country was William Brew, ster, who crossed the Atlantic in the Mayflower, and joined with the Puritans in their song of free- dom, as they landed upon Plymouth Rock. He settled in one of the New England States, married. and reared a family of sons and daughters, whose descendants became scattered throughout New England and the South, and finally drifted west- ward. Wherever known the name is honored, and with few exceptions has been the representative of more than ordinary intellect and l>n-iness capacity. Our subject was the youngest son of his father's family, and was reared to manhood in his native State, where he received a good education in the common schools. When sixteen years of age he repaired to the town of Huntingdon to learn the printer's trade, of which he gained a good knowl- edge, and which he followed until the outbreak of the late Rebellion. He was one of the first to respond to the call for volunteers, enlisting in July, 1861, in Company D, 41st Pennsylvania Infantry, and which afterward became the 1 2th Regiment of the Pennsylvania Reserve Corps, and was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Young Brewster, with his comrades, took part in many of the important battles of the war, being in the seven days' siege of Richmond, in the second battle of Bull Run, and was present at South Mountain, Antietam, Gettys- burg, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania, and other minor engagements and skirmishes. At the expir- ation of his term of enlistment, he received his honorable discharge in June, 1864. He had borne with true, soldierly courage the hardships and privations of army life, and is willing that its sufferings and trials should be remanded to the pages of the past, with the unwritten history of thousands of others, who shared in the perils of those memorable years. Mr. Brewster now returned to his home in Penn- sylvania for a short time, hoping that the conflict would soon be over and that the dawn of peace was at hand. In this, however, both the Government and the soldiers were disappointed, and our subject, after watching the progress of the war for a time, determined that he would return to the army and assist in fighting it out. on Gen. Grant's "line." Circumstances led him to Rochester, N. Y., and in September, 1864, he enlisted in Company I, 188th New York Infantry, of which lie was First Sergeant. and which was assigned to the 5th Corps, Army of the Potomac. They marched southeast and met the enemy at different places. In the battle at RESIDENCE OF G.W. BOYER , 5EC.20, DWIGHT TP . FARM-RESIDENCE OF FREDERICK CAR LTON ,SEC . 10 , LONG POINT TP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1009 . i\ Hatcher's Run, Mr. Brewster was wounded in both feet, and confined in the hospital, although but a short time. When he was able to rejoin his regi- ment, Lee had surrendered and the "boys" were or. dered to Washington. There our hero participated in the grand review, and in due time returned with his regiment to Rochester, N. Y., where he was finally discharged in July, 1865. Mr. Brewster, after a brief visit to his old home in Pennsylvania, engaged in printing in his native county until the spring of 1869, when he set out for the Prairie State. Upon reaching Livingston County he was engaged for a time at farming on land belonging to his father, and which he now oc- cupies. He was married, Sept. 4, 1870, by the Rev. Father Hanley, at Pontiac, to Miss Ellen Sulli- van, who was born iu Ireland, Feb. 4, 1849, and crossed the Atlantic with her parents when a child three years of age. They settled first in Wis- consin, and thence came to LaSalle County, this State, where the father died shortly after their arrival. Mrs. Brewster continued with her mother until her marriage. After this event our subjec and his wife located on the present homestead which includes 109 acres under a fair state of culti- vation, with a comfortable residence, a good barn and other necessary out-buildings. In politics Mr. Brewster is a stanch Republican. Mrs. B. is a member of the Catholic Church. Henry Brewster, the father of our subject, was engaged as a merchant in Huntingdon County, Pa. for a period of forty years. The male members of the family for several generations have been prom- inent in mercantile pursuits in that section of countiy. The elder Brewster died in Shirleysburg, Huntingdon County, Oct. 31, 1880, and his wife, Nancy, in 1851, at the family residence there. Mrs. Bre water's father died at LaSalle, of cholera, in 1849; the mother still lives. i t HARLKS FAUST, one of the enterprising ( * enn!U1 fal ' lnei 's dignified by the name of a farm as it had been little cultivated and had no buildings. They were young in years and strong in hope and quite willing to make sacrifices in order to secure some- thing better for the future. Erecting a temporary hut composed of clay and prairie grass they labored industriously with excellent results, and Mr. Faust, in due time, added forty acres to his first purchase. In 1X60 he sold the entire farm, and with the pro- ceeds came to Livingston County and purchased the land which constitutes his present homestead. Here he repeated the experience through which he had just iwssed in subduing the soil and slowly but surely bringing about the improvements which were necessary to the comfort of the family and the success of his farming operations. One of his first duties was to put up a shelter for the family, and he erected a small frame structure which served them a few years and until something more sub- stantial could take its place. The beautiful homestead which is now presented to the gaze of the admiring traveler, and of which a view appears elsewhere in this volume, bears little comparison with the tract of land upon which Mr. Faust settled eighteen years ago. He now has a fine set of frame buildings, and has added to his landed interests until the estate comprises 320 acres, all of which has been brought to a high state of cultivation. The handsome and commodious resi- dence, which forms one of the attractive features of the premises, was put up in 1872. In the rear are the fine barn and all the other necessary out-build- ings, together with a valuable orchard and various fruit and shade trees which arc proving useful as well as ornamental. The farm stock includes high grade Norman horses, Durham and Holstein cattle and Poland-China swine. The whole forms the picture of a complete home with peace and plenty throughout its borders. Mr. and Mrs. Faust became the parents of the children who were named a- follow-: William, Louisa, Albert, Daniel, Emile, (Justavc, Adolph, Hannah and Charlie. Of these, four were taken from the home circle by death Charlie. Albert, Hannah and William, (lustave and Adolph are married and carrying on farming in (Jermanville Township. Mr. Faust, having lived in a country where, among its excellent institutions the system of compulsory education is one of its most ad- mirable features, took special pains to have his children receive the advantages which "book learn- ing" undeniably bestows, and they are consequently well fitted, both by nature and education, to assume their rightful places as members of a highly intelli- gent community. Mr. and Mrs. Faust arc leading members of the Evangelical Church at Chatsworth, and in politics Mr. Faust is an ardent Republican. X. SMITH, who is one of the live and go- ahead business men of Pontiac, is a dealer in all Tvinds of lumber and building material, a line of goods which enters so largely into the growth of any city. He is a native of the town of Pine Bush. Orange Co., N. Y., where he was born on the 13th of January, 1 863, and is the son of Ezra and Dorothea (Corwin) Smith. The father was an ex- tensive farmer, and he and his wife were both na- tives of Orange County. They were married in the year 185(i, and had a family of five children Francis, Annie, Maggie, William I. and Carrie M. Ezra's father was Matthew, a native of New York- State, who engaged extensively in farming. Ezra and his wife were both members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a Democrat. Francis N. Smith attended the public schools dur- ing his boyhood days, during the school terms, and devoted the balance of his time to work upon the farm until he was sixteen years of age. He then engaged as a clerk in a grocery house, which occu- pation he followed for two years. In 1881 he came to the city of Pontiac, where he worked for two months on the Chicago & Alton Railroad. He then began work in the lumber-yard of II. Wilbeck, where he continued, and of which he is now the gen- eral manager. On the 7th of May, 1*84. Mr. Smith was married to Mrs. Clara A. (Moreland) Lambert, a daughter t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1071 t , of Hugh Morelaud, \vlio was a native of Scotland, and came to America when a young' man; he is now a resident of LaSalle County, and is a retired farmer. Of the union of Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born two children Ida and Gladys. Mrs. Smith is the j mother of one child by her former marriage, who is named Edith. In 1887 Mr. Smith built a fine house near the lumber-yard, which cost him $1,000. In politics he votes and acts with the Democratic party. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. For one of his years Mr. Smith has succeeded in business affairs remarkably well, and he possesses the energy and shrewdness requisite to success in a long race of life. Pontiac is a place of great possibilities for men of his character, and there is no doubt he will be closely identified with the material improvement of that city in future. It is with pleasure we show on another page a view of Mr. Smith's residence, and also his him- ' ber-yard. LEXANDER M< KENZIE took up his resi- dence in Broughton Township in the spring of 1865, locating upon his present farm on section 16, and since that time has been closely identified with the agricultural interests of Livingston County. He possesses all the substan- tial elements of a first-class citizen, and is held in warm regard by the people of the community of which he has been a member for so many years. His farm comprises eighty acres of land, which he has brought to a good state of cultivation, and embel- lished with suitable buildings and all the other ap- pliances of modern agriculture. For a man who first set foot upon American soil with a cash capital of three cents in his pocket, it will be acknowledged that he has done exceedingly well. Our subject was born and reared amid the High- lands of Scotland, not far from the city of Aber- deen. He first opened his eyes to the light on the ( lst of March, 1828, and is the son of Philip and Isabella (McLean) McKenzie, who were also of Scotch birth and parentage. They were people of modest means, and could only give their children the advantages of a limited education. Alexander continued a resident of his native country until twenty-four years of age, and then resolving to emi- grate to America, took passage on a sailing-vessel from the city of Glasgow, in May, 1852. After a stormy passage of nine weeks and three da3~s, he landed in New York City, and thence he migrated to Connecticut, where he was employed as a farm laborer six years at $18 per month and board, ex- cept in the summer season, when he received more. While a resident of that State, he was married, Nov. 17, 1855, to Miss Sarah Peirie, a lady of French descent on the mother's side, who was born in Aber- deen, Scotland, March 17, 182.S. The parents of Mrs. McKenzie were James and Susan Peirie, who spent their last years in Scotland. Our subject and his wife continued in New En- gland until the spring of 1858, when they came to Illinois and resided for a time in Grundy County. They came to this county in 1802, and located first in Round Grove Township, remaining there, how- ever, but a short time. They returned to Grundy County, where they remained until the spring of 1865, and Mr. McKenzie, still entertaining an affec- tion for this county, came back in the spring of that year, and secured the land included in his present homestead, of which he soon took possession, and has since retained. It was then a tract of raw prai- rie, upon which no improvements whatever had been made. He and his estimable lady endured all the hardships and privations of pioneer life, but met with the usual reward of industry and perse- verance. Now, sitting under their own vine and lig-tree, they are surrounded by all the comfort* of life, and feel that the old days afforded them an experience with which they would not willingly part. Our subject after becoming a naturalized citizen, identified himself with the Republican party, of whose principles he has since been a stanch sup- porter. JEORGE W. BLACKVVELL is one of Liv- ingston County's citizens who has succeeded in life admirably, and has, through g ..... 1 management and the judicious use of his resources, grown from poverty, if not to affluence, at lea~t 1<> an independence. lie is extensively engaged in i , 107-2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. farming and stock-raising; on section 35, Charlotte [ Township. lie was born at West Waterville, Me., Jan. 2, 1833, and was the fifth in a family of six children born to Col. Dennis and Adalissa (Stanley) Blackwell, both natives of Maine. The paternal grandparents, Thomas and Sarah (Burgess) Black- well, were natives of Maine, and the maternal grandparents, Thomas and Mary (Stone) Stanley, were natives of Massachusetts and Maine respect- ively. The father of our subject was both a miller and farmer, in both of which occupations he en- gaged at Fairfield, Me. He moved to that place in 1836, when our subject was about three years of age. Mr. Blackwell remained at Fairfleld until lie was nearly nineteen years old, and received a good edu- cation which was completed at the academy at the town of Anson, Me. His father was called to Au- gusta during the War of 1812, to act as drillmaster, and rose from the rank of Lieutenant to that of Colonel, filling all the intervening positions. He remained in Maine, where he died in 1857. The mother of our subject, who was Col. Blackwell's first wife, died in Maine in 1847. Col. Blackwell married again in 1850, his wife being Susan Clark, a native of Maine, and the daughter of James T. Clark. She survived her husband, and died at the advanced age of ninety-five, at Hollowell, Me. At the age of nineteen the subject of our sketch resolved to try his fortune in the West, and went to the city of Peoria in 1852, where he remained for three years engaged at work as a carpenter. In 1855 he went to Washington, Tazewell County, where he remained for ten years employed at his trade. In 1865 he went back to Peoria, and after remaining there one year, went to Chatsworth in the spring of 1866. His first purchase of land was made in Stark County, 111., in 1857, near Toulon, where he purchased 160 acres of wild land, which he kept for three or four years, and then disposed of it. In the winter of 1865-00, he benight eighty acres of wild prairie on what is now section 35, Charlotte Township, and cultivated it one year, this being his first crop as a farmer, and consisted almost wholly of broom corn. In December. 1800, Mr. Klackwell went to New York, and on the :!\SJjjj) when a youth fourteen years of age. They began in a new country, like most of the early set- tler-, having little to depend upon but their strong hands and courageous heart>. Our subject \vas reared to habits of industry, and lias licen an energetic worker all his life, while he RES. or JAMESTREDENICK,SEC. 9. SULLIVAN TOWNSHIP. RES. OF NELSON A.BEMiSjSEc. 2. ESMEN TOWNSHIP RES. OF J AMES LOVELOCKjSEC.31. SAUNEMIN TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1075 has now as the reward of his labors one of the finest farms in the southern part of Livingston County. This comprises 240 acres on section 22, located about the center of the township, where he has re- sided since about 1867. Here he has carried on farming and stock-raising successfully, and now keeps about thirty head of cattle, fifteen head of horses, and from twenty-five to thirty head of swine. The farm residence is a model structure of its kind, Joseph E. Myer is the son of Ely and Catherine (Umphenour) Myer, who came to this county in 1850, and located in Eppard's Point Township, where they spent the remainder of their days. Pre- vious to this they had been residents of Licking County, Ohio, where Joseph E. was born in Sep- tember, 1836. His early studies were conducted in the district school, and he distinctly remembers the journey from the Buckeye State to Illinois, which was made overland with teams, their outfit consisting of three horses and a wagon. They started about the latter part of October, and it was a trip which young Joseph did not especially en- joy, as he was shaking with ague most of the time. They settled upon a tract of uncultivated land, and erected the conventional pioneer dwelling, a log house. Our subject remained under the home roof until about twenty-five years of age, and afterward for a time took charge of the farm of a widowed sister near Fairbury. After the outbreak of the Rebellion he enlisted in the fall of 1863 in Company G, 129th Illinois Infantry, and with his regiment proceeded to Louisville, Ky. Thence they were detailed to guard duty around Bowling Green, and afterward in Tennessee, and participated in the battles of Chattanooga, Atlanta and Resaca, Ga. Subse- quently, at Peachtree Creek, our subject received a gunshot wound in the left knee, which disabled him for about one year, which time he spent mostly at home, where his father had removed him. Being veiy anxious to rejoin his regiment he started out once more, before his wound was healed, and not long afterward received his discharge. Of his com- pany only nine reported after the battle of Peach- tree Creek, the others having been killed, wounded or otherwise unfitted for duty. Mr. Myer upon returning home resumed fanning on the homestead of his father, where he remained until the spring of 1868, and then purchased the land which constitutes a part of his present farm, and which he had contracted for before his enlist- ment. He also received a county bounty in land, which was worth, when he returned home, about $20 per acre. On the 1 9th of August, 1860, he was united in marriage with Miss Ann St. John, who when a bride of about a year was called away, Nov. 17, 1870. Mr. M. was a second time married in 1878, and put np his present residence two years later. The present wife of our subject was formerly Miss Sarah A., daughter of Jacob and Almira (Green) Lindley, and their wedding took place at the home of the bride, in Woodford County, 111., Elder Mer- ritt, now of Fairbury Baptist Church, officiating. Jacob Lindley was born in Knox County, Ohio, in 1 830, and was the son of Mahlon Lindley, of Pennsylvania. The latter removed from his native State to Ohio in the pioneer days, and was one of the earliest settlers of Knox County. The mother was a native of Jefferson County, Ohio. Their family included eight children, of whom six are now living, three in Champaign, two in Ohio, and Jacob in Woodford County. Jacob married and came to the West in 1855, making his wedding tour in a lumber wagon. They first crossed the Missis- sippi into Council Bluffs, Iowa, which was then but a village, and not liking the outlook returned east to Bureau County, this State. Two years later they located in Nebraska Township, this county, where they resided until 18(!!), and then repaired to Wood- ford County, where they still remain. Of their live children Sarah A. was the eldest; Frank S. died of typhoid fever when four years old ;, Willie G., a young man of twenty-one years, as well as Hattie E. and LeGrande, are living at home. Mr. Lind- ley is a man of more than ordinary intelligence, and has given his children the advantages of a good education. They are all members of the Baptist Church at Ocoya. Mr. Myer came to the West five years prior to the arrival of the Lindleys, and first took up a tract of land in Eppard's Point Township, where the young people began life in a manner suited to their income, and have since labored with one common purpose. In due time the household was enlarged 1070 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. by the birth of four children. Lindley \V., the eldest, was born Nov. 29, 1X80; Lillian A., Aug. 15, 1881 : LaRado ,L, born July 25, 1888, and died July 12, 18S5; and Ethel C., born Deo. 17, 1885. Mrs. Meyer has been a member of the Baptist Church since a young girl twelve years of age, and is now connected with the society at Ocoya, where Mr. M. regularly attends with his wife, although not a member. In politics Mr. Myer affiliates with the Republican party. EYI LOUDEEBACK, largely engaged in farming and stock-raising on a finely culti- vated tract of land in Aimty Township, is the son of an early pioneer of Vermilion County, this State, where his birth took place Dec. 10, 1832. A sketch of his parents, Thomas and Sarah (Sprin- ger) Londerback, will be found in the biography of Liberty Londerback, on another page of this ALIU-M. Our subject commenced "paddling his own canoe" soon after reaching his majority, and by hard work and good management succeeded in se- curing the warranty deed to 175 acres of land, the greater part of which is now under a good state of cultivation. The fields are enclosed with neat and substantial fence?, and the farm buildings will bear fair comparison with those of the homesteads adja- cent. The location is unusually desirable, being convenient to church and school, and one of the most attractive features of the place is the only deer park in the county, which contains a number of fine animals. Mr. Louderback very wisely refrained from a>- suming the responsibility of a family until he had laid the foundations for a home and a competency. This accomplished, he was married in Livingston County, on the 1st of March, 1863, to Miss Sarah Jane Stretch. Airs. Louderback was born on the 19th of February, 1840, in Tippecauoe County, Ind., and is the daughter of William and Marv (Blue) Stretch, natives of Indiana. The mother was born July 5, 1H11, and departed this life at her home in Tippecauoe County. Ind., Dee. it, 1x47. William Stretch was born Aug. 20, 1801), and died in the same place Feb. >>, 1*50. They were married in the above county. April 2, 183.0, and were blessed with a family of seven children, two of whom died unnamed. The others were Thomas Harrison, now deceased; Sarah Jane; Harriet Elizabeth, the wife of John Randolph, of Lafayette, Ind.: William Moore, who became a Union soldier and was killed at the battle of Shiloh, and Mary Catherine, who died in infancy. William Stretch was subsequently married to Mrs. Nancy Hollcraft, June 1, 1850, in Clinton County, Ind., and of this union there were born two children: Celestia A., wife of Harry Canfield, a railroad conductor and now a resident of Louis- ville, Ky., and Ed, who died in Washington City, Feb. 14, 1874, when nineteen years of age. He was attending school and would have graduated in another month. Their mother is now deceased. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Louderback located in a modest dwelling on the farm where they now reside, and the household circle was com- pleted by the advent of the following children, the record of whom is thus given: Ulysses William was born March 1, 1804, and is now a promising young man twenty-four years of age. and complet- ing a literary course of study in the college at Dixon ; he is remarkably fond of reading and study, and will doubtless choose one of the professions; ;it present, the winter of 1887^88, he is teaching school. Ilattie Celestia, born Oct. 26. 18G5, also took kindly to her books, and is now a teacher in the public schools of Livingston County. The second daughter, Ella, was born July 1 I, 1*67, and died on the 15th of August of the following year. John Schuyler was born Feb. 10, 1*69: Lev! Guy, Feb. 3, 1875; Harry Thomas, May 29, 1880; and Mary Gertrude, March 19, 1885; these four are at home with their parents. In 1863, when Mr. Louderback took possession of his present property, there was much to be done in order to render it comfortable and desirable as a homestead, but to this task he set himself with a will and ma}' be justified in looking upon the re- sults of his labor with a great deal of satisfaction. I le has been upright in all his dealings, and num- bers his friends by the score in the community which has known him long and well, and learned to value him for his manly worth and integrity. t. 7 i LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1077 Ho has (lone a father's full duty by his children, \vlui form a family group of which the parents need by no means be ashamed. Mr. and Mrs. Louder- back are both members of the Methodist Protestant Church and in good standing of the same. N. MICKELSON, the leading gro- cer of D wight, is of Danish ancestry, and w s born in Denmark, July 29, 1850. He comes of long-lived ancestry, his paternal grand- parents living to be over ninety years of age. His father, Mikkel K. Mickelson, was a native of the same country, and was a cooper by trade, conduct- ing an extensive business. His mother was, in her girlhood, Miss Cecelia M. Frederickson, and they became the parents of six children, namely: Nelson N., Jens P., Botellje, Michal 8., Andreas and Andre. The father of our subject, soon after his marriage, started out on a sealing expedition as cooper of the vessel, visiting Greenland and the northern seas, being thus occupied ten years. He then returned to terra iirma, and spent his last years in his native Denmark. He was a hard-working, industrious man, temperate and upright, and is remembered as a good husband and father in the broadest sense of the term. His first wife died when sixty j'ears of age, and two years later he married again, and died Jan. 9. 1870. The subject of our sketch received his education in a common school, and learned coopering from his father in early life. Upon reaching his major- ity he resolved to seek his fortune in the New World, and accordingly embarked on a sailing-ves- sel from Hamburg, and after a fair voyage, arrived in New York City. He at once set his face west- ward, and coming directly to this county, located in D wight, where helms since resided. His ambi- tion to become a citizen of the United States had been stimulated by his teacher in the old country, by whom he was advised to emigrate, even if he had to borrow the money for the purpose, which ho did, securing $100 from several farmers in the locality where ho had been reared, who knew him MS an honest young man who would certainly repay them. The year after his arrival here he liquidated his debt, and still preserves the leaf in his memo- randum book containing the names of the kind friends who had so materially assisted him. Upon coming to this country Mr. Mickelson was employed as a farm laborer one year, and then en- gaged as an employe of William II. Conrad, with whom he remained two years, one year in general work and one at his trade. The four years follow- ing he was engaged as clerk with McWilliams & Smith, dealers in dry-goods and groceries, taking care to live within his income and save what he could of his earnings. In 1878 he established him- self in the grocery trade in a small frame building on East street, and there began the career which has proved so successful. In due time Mr. Mickelson was obliged to in- crease his facilities!, and moved to the district which was afterward visited by a disastrous lire which de- stroyed the business portion of the town of Dwight. In common with others of his townsmen, he met with great loss, hut spent no time in brooding over his misfortune. A week later found him estab- lished on the West Side with the remnants of his little fortune around him and ready for business. Subsequently he rented a store in the Hetzel Build- ing, where he is now located, enjoying a good and growing trade, while he has the esteem and confi- dence of his fellow-citizens. He is essentially a self-made man, and has been chiefly remarkable for his strict attention to his own concerns. Mr. Mickelson was married, in the spring of 1884, to one of his own countrywomen, Miss Mar- garet Pfeifer, and they have become the parents of one child, a son, Mitchell S. Mr. M., after becom- ing a naturalized citizen, cast his lot with the Re- publican party, and with his excellent lady, is :i member in good standing of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. ~">HOMAS C. HARTSHORN, D. D., a retired clergyman and resident of Pontiac, is agent at this point of the American Bible Society, and for a period of twenty-five years was one of its most active and efficient workers. He is a native of Montrose, Susquehanna Co., Pa., where he was 1078 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. born March 1, 1830. His father was Asa Harts- horn, Esq., a native of Norwich, Conn., who in early manhood removed to Pennsylvania. Asa Hartshorn was the youngest of the four sons of Oliver Hartshorn, of Lisbon, New London Co., Conn., who served in the Revolutionary War. and died on his farm near Lisbon, in October, 1810. His family included four sons and four daughters, namely: Ryal, Oliver, Ira, Asa, Clarissa, Miranda. Sophronia and Elizabeth, all of whom, with one ex- ception, emigrated in the early part of the present century with their widowed mother to the town of Lebanon, Madison Co., N. Y., where, with the ex- ception of Ira and the eldest daughter, the}' all spent the remainder of their lives. The latter never married, and at this date (March, 1887), remains on the. homestead and has reached the advanced age of ninety-three years. The father of our subject came to New York State in 1 834, during its early settlement, and located in Delta, Oneida County, where he remained until 1845. then went to Hamilton, Madison County, and passed the remainder of his days. His death occurred Nov. 22, 1865, and he left a family who were all located around him in pleasant homes. Asa Hartshorn was essentially a self-made man, and started out in life for himself at the early age of fourteen years. He served an apprenticeship of seven years at the silversmith trade, and in 1811) set up in business for himself at Montrose, Pa. Here he formed the acquaintance of the lady who subsequently became his wife, namely: Miss Mary, youngest daughter of Putnam Catlin, Esq., a prom- inent jurist and legislator of Pennsylvania, who >pent his early years at Wilkesbarre and subse- quently removed to Montrose, where he reared a fine family of sous and daughters. Among these was George, who became eminent as an artist and delineator of Indian character. Putnam Catlin was al>o an officer of the Revo- lutionary army, and the pcr-onal history of tile lady whom he married at the close of the war was itself a theme for romance. She was a daughter of .lames Suttoii, of WilkesbaiTc, and together with all her father's family, was in the midst of the Wyoming mas.-aere, and lied in the darkness of the night from the uplifted tomahawks of the savages. The parents of our subject were married Christmas Eve, I S2(), at the pleasant home of Judge Catlin in Montrose. Pa., where they continued to reside until 1*:>I. They then removed to Delta, Oneida Co., N. Y., and eleven years later to Hamilton, Madison County, where they spent the balance of their lives. There was born to them besides our subject one son only, Horace P., who was born April 23, 1823. Thomas C. Hartshorn, after being graduated from the Hamilton Academy, entered Madison Uni- versity of Hamilton, when sixteen years of age. and from which lie was graduated four years later in 1850, with the degree of A. B. He received three years later the degree of Master of Arts, and in 1 863, from Mount Union College, that of Doctor of Di- vinity. After leaving Madison University, he en- gaged in teaching and officiated as Principal of the Young Men's and Ladies' Institute at Peru, 111. In 1853 he became connected with the American Bible Society, and three j-ears later was placed in charge of the field made vacant by the resignation of the late Rev. Dr. A. AV. Black, in Eastern Ohio, and which was under his supervision for a period of ten years. In the meantime the State of Virginia was annexed to this territory, and Rev. Dr. Harts- horn had charge of the entire work of reconstruc- tion, under the most discouraging circumstances. It was accomplished, however, in the face of preju- dice and difficulty, with entire success, greatly to the credit of the Doctor. Our subject, in 1866, returned to Illinois and lo- cated in Pontiac, where, for a period of eight years, in addition to other labors, he was Superintendent of the Chicago Bible Society and its auxiliaries throughout Cook County. He continued his ar- duous labors until 1879, and was then smitten down with spinal disease, the result of constant fatigue. This affliction compelled him to abandon his life work, and since that peril id he has been endeavoring to comfort himself with his books and the friend- ship of the people who have known him long and well. It is scarcely possible to arrive at any accurate statement in figures of the work accomplished by Dr. Hartshorn during a quarter of a century, but it is safe to state that he has raised, directly and in- directly, probably more than >?I!.~.O,IHHI iw the dis- LIVINGSTON' COUNTY. 1070 semination of the sacred Scriptures in not fewer than 200 languages and dialects, while at the same time directing the disbursement of the Word of God to 20,00(1 destitute families. In the matter of pul- pit discourses Dr. Hartshorn's style was eminently effective from one special feature his almost uni- form hold upon the sympathies of his hearers. Whatever the theme he handled, scarcely ever did he fail to carry them with him from the start, owing largely to his happy faculty of illustration, and still more, perhaps, to the cleanly cut and incisive style with which his thought was clothed, always ornate, sometimes almost to profusion, not to say redun- dancy. He raroly, if ever, so imbedded his thoughts in words as to sacrifice clearness or force, or to ren- der him chargeable with logomachy. In conclud- ing the subject we cannot dismiss it more appro- priately than by an illustration from the Chicago Times of Nov. 30, 18C9, in a discourse published in that issue, and delivered by Dr. Hartshorn the day before in that city. His theme was the "Per- sonality of a Divine Revelation." We give this extract simply to illustrate the style of the speaker's usual address. The Times says : "The theme of Dr. Hartshorn's discourse yesterday morning was 'The Personality of the Revealed Word,' founded on the 103d verse of the 1 1 9th Psalm. 'The central truth of Divine revelation,' the Doctor observed, 'is the revelation of a personal mediator. From the oldest annals of human feeling the perplexing and oft repeated question has been, "How shall a man be just with God ?" The sacrifices in every age and upon every altar are a perpetual memorial of the earnestness and fruitlessness with which a solution to this question has ever been sought. But from the smoke of their incense no voice has ever yet spoken to give repose. That mankind will have a religion of some sort, is attested by the universal experience of the race, and the religion of the Cross never shines forth with greater effulgence than when brought into comparison with the various systems which men have devised to take its place in the great yearning heart of humanity. They testify bv the very contrast to their utter incapacity to satisfy the universal longings of human souls after immor- tality. And the great central truth of Divine rev- elation is that it is a revelation to the individual mind of man; it is a personal revelation. When I go to God in His Word, it is that I may hear that Divine voice addressing my soul; it is to me that lie speaks, and not to man. He had reference to me when He made that revelation ; He knew all my needs and my necessities, and He has adapted Him- self to them and satisfied them all. Christ, my Di- vine Savior, has, so to speak, embodied Himself in this written Word that He may minister to all my personal wants and necessities, and that He may cheer, and comfort, and encourage me through all my pilgrimage here upon earth, and I am made to feel that all the provisions of His Gospel are sacredly and personally my own through His rich ai;d abound- ing grace. " 'Reasoning a posteriori, it would certainly be a matter of the strongest presumption that God would make a personal revelation to man, if any at all, from the fact of the clearly revealed doctrine of per- sonal accountability. The language of Scripture is mostexplicit : "Everyone must give account of him- self to God," and this doctrine of personal account- ability seems to underlie the whole system of the Divine government. 1 cannot conceive for a mo- ment, how a system of moral government could be maintained or administered upon any other terms than of personal accountability between the subject and the sovereign. The Scriptures are every where expressive in the strongest language, of the responsi- bility of personal character before Him, and this doctrine of personal accountability implies and pre- supposes the correlative one of personal provision and personal adaptation. The Bible therefore ad- dresses itself to the individual consciences of men, and it "speaks as one having authority, and not as the scribes." Nothing cin ever supply its place; no creeds or ethics can ever become a substitute for it; no tradition, though it were to come from heaven and emanate from the very throne itself, could ever supply its place; it stands pre-eminently nlonc as containing the only revealed will of God to Ilis creatures, and unfolding the processes of His moral government over them. The Bible brings to our race the only adequate revelation of the char- acter and will of God. The Doctor observed that it had been stoutly and persistently maintained that r f. 10. SO LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Nature had made an antecedent revelation in the volume of her works, and at this very day, through lips professedly friendly to the instructions of this sacred hook, there are infused into the popular mind, to a most alarming extent, sentiments which, though specious in form, are most insicluous, most fatal in their ultimate tendencies, and are calculated to undermine the whole groundwork of Christian faith. It has been said that the inspired word is but a transcript of God's antecedent revelation in the volume of His works; that in this external rev- elation His character is most legibly written; that every green leaf in the forest, the cloud-capped mountain, and the smiling valleys, the purling streams at our feet, and the broad blue canopy above us, have emblazoned all over them the wonder- ful attributes of the Deity. To a limited and only a limited extent is this true. 'The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork; day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.' But here they leave us. They tell of His wisdom, His power, and His skill, but what do they tell us of His mercy and His love? What answer do they bring us to that long vexed question of our immortality? Alas! where most light is needed the inquirer is left most fatally in the dark. That man would be a most treacherous guide who should attempt to conduct you through a region of pitfalls till he brought you to the very brink of the precipice, and then should leave you in hopeless abandonment to your fate; and just such a blind guide has Nature ever been to unenlightened reason. What light has she ever been enabled to throw over the dark regions of the tomb? Go and consult her voiceless oracles, and where in all human history did there ever come back an answer to that vexing question : 'If a man die. shall he live again?' A most unsatisfactory process has this 'dim light of nature' been in a!) aues. and the whole catalogue of pagan philos- ophers attests how indistinct and even absurd have been the notions of the wisest of them pertaining to God and their moral relations to Him. Plato rea- soned with himself by the dim light of Nature till he became so entangled in the meshes of his 'nn- iv:i.-onable. logic,' that he came at last to doubt whether even lie himself existed; and Socrates, while prosing the fatal hemlock to his lips, turned to his friends and confessed that the future was all a dark uncertainty. So must it ever be with man- kind, wherever the light of this Divine revelation has not been bestowed. Thick darkness covers, and must continue to cover, the face of the world's deep, till God himself speaks as lie has done to us in this Word, to make the darkness light. "The discourse was listened to throughout with deep interest, and at its close a liberal collection was taken in behalf of the City Bible Society, for the supphy of the destitute masses with the word of God." The marriage of Dr. Hartshorn and Miss Kate Williams, of Bellaire, Ohio, was celebrated at the home of the bride. April 19, 18o9. Mrs. Hartshorn is the daughter of the late James Williams, of West Wheeling, and a great-granddaughter of Gen. Will- iam Williams, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and a member of the Continental Congress. She was also the great-great-grand- daughter of Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, of Connecti- cut, the friend and ally of Washington. Gen. Will- iams married Gov. Trumbull's only daughter, Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Hartshorn became the parents of a son and daughter: Frederick, who was born Dec. 19, 1801, and Ella Louise, Sept. 17, W>6. They are both living at home with their parents. <17 EWIS H. HOLLMEYER, who is success- || /) fully operating on 240 acres of land in '" -^\ Round Grove Township, section 29, is a na- tive of the Buckeye State, where he was born in the town of Oxford, Butler County, Sept. 4, 1M57. Four years later his parents came to this county, locating in Broughton Township, where our sub- ject pursued his first studies in the district school and completed them at the Normal School at Val- paraiso, I nd. He took naturally to farming pur- suits, however, in which he has been engaged since old enough to make himself useful. The parents of our subject, Henry C. and Wil- helmina (Neighburger) Hollmeyer, were born in the Province of Hanover, Germany, whence they LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1081 emigrated to the United States early in life, first locating near Cincinnati, Ohio, whence they subse- quently removed to Dwight, 111. The father was engaged nearly all his life in agriculture, and is now living retired from active labor. He is known as a man who has labored industriously and per- formed all his obligations as a good citizen. The parental household included five children, of whom Lewis H. is the eldest. The others are Minnie A. and [Etta Dora, living, while Nellie and Willie are dead. On the 28lh of December, 1877, the subject of this sketch formed a matrimonial alliance with Miss Ella D., daughter of Benjamin F. and Manetta A. (Bennett) Barney, who were natives of Ohio. Mr. Barney has lived in Livingston County a number of years, and now resides in Pontiac, where his daughter, Mrs. Hollmeyer, was born, Nov. 17, 1861. The family also included Zelda and M. M., besides one brother, Charles J.. who is now deceased. Mr. Hollmeyer is regarded as one of the rising young men of his community and one who is bound to succeed, in life. He is a prominent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in politics, a Democrat. Socially, he belongs to Dwight Lodge No. 513, I. O. O. F. ARY CAIRNS, who resides on section 2G, Rook's Creek Township, is the daughter of Isaac and Harriet (Belknap) Skeeles, and was born in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, ."March 1 ;!, 1829. Her girlhood days were spent upon the farm of her father, and her education was obtained in the common schools. On the 22d of May, 1847, our subject became the wife of Michael Kennedy Cairns, a farmer by occupation, and they resided in Ohio for about ten years after marriage. In July, 1857, they moved from Ohio to near Bloomington, 111., where they purchased 160 acres of land, and carried on farming for about four years. They then sold this land, and removing to Tazewell County, in 1861, purchased land near the town of Washington, where they con- tinued to live until 1878, when they moved to Woodford County, and resided five years. They then sold out and purchased the farm on which the subject of this sketch now lives in Rook's Creek Township. Mrs. Cairns is the mother of five children Har- riet Isabella, Margaret Jane, Samuel Isaac, Eleanor Johnston and Rosa Belle. Harriet I. was born Sept. 27, 1848, and died in infancy; Margaret J. was born May 2, 1850, and married Isaac Tobias, a merchant of Washington, 111.; she died Oct. 10, 1875, leaving one child, Carrie Belle, born Dec. 13, 1874, who is now living with the subject of this sketch. Samuel I., whose sketch is given in another part of this ALBUM ; Eleanor J. was born Jan. 12, 1855, and married Samuel Amsler Dec. 25, 1874; she lives in Fairbury, and has one child, named Charles 8., born Sept. 4, 187G. Rosa Belle was born Jan. 4, 1864, and received a common-school educa- tion, after which she attended High School at Wash- burn, III., two years, and then attended the Mon- ticello Seminary, at Godfrey, 111., two years. She then completed her education at the Jennings Sem- inary, from which she was graduated June 23, 1887. She is quite an enthusiast on the subject of music, and contemplates completing her study in Germany. Mrs. Cairns is the fifth child in a family of seven who grew to maturity : Jane, who married Samuel Ricketts, a merchant of Eurichsville, and has seven children; David B. married Rheuhanna Cairns, and lives in Dakota, where he owns a silver mine; he has two children, Samuel R., a farmer of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, married Jane True and has eight children; Thomas B., also a farmer in Tuscarawas County, married Rebecca Smith, and has five children; Asbury B. married Margaret Smith, and enlisting as a soldier in the Union army, died from the effects of a wound, and left three children; Charles B. married Almina Sherod, has four children and lives in Iowa; David, the oldest brother, was a Major in the Union army and served during the entire war; he went into the service as a Captain, and for gallant conduct was promoted to the rank of Major. Mrs. Cairns' father, Isaac Skeeles, was born in Maryland, and shortly after the close of the War of 1812, in which he was a soldier, located in Ohio, where he died on the 24th of May, 1869. Mrs. Cairns' mother was a native of one of the t 1082 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Knglanil States, and her parents moved to Ohio, where she met and married Mr. Skeeles. Mrs. Cairns' maternal grandfather, David Belknap, mar- ried Jane Ay res. Michael Kennedy Cairns, the husband of our sub- ject, w;is born near Belfast, Ireland, Jan. 4, 1826, and accompanying his parents to America when he was six years of age, located with them in Harrison County, Ohio. He died in Livingston County April 10, 1883. lie was the seventh child in a family of eight, the others of whom married and are recorded as follows: Margaret married Samuel Mack, in Belfast, Ireland, has ten children, and now lives in Harrison Count}', Ohio; William married Margaret McCayd, who died and left eight children, all of whom live in Ohio; Samuel married Mahala Fisher, and dying left two children, who live in Harrison County, Ohio; Isabella married George Johnston, has three children, and lives in Texas; Moses married Sarah Knight, and is now deceased; Kleanor married John Johnston, has nine children, and lives at Bloomington, 111.; John is married and lives in Texas, but has no children. During the war he was impressed into the service in the South- ern army and served three years. The father of Mr. Cairns was named Michael, and he was married in Ireland to Miss Isabella Kennedy. efpS>IMOTHY MURPHY. Few gentlemen of Livingston County are more worthy of representation in this ALBUM than the sub- ject of this biography. He has been located in Broughton Township since the spring of 1867, when ho settled upon his present farm, which he had purchased some time before, and which now in- cludes 360 acres of valuable land, comprising a part of sections 3-'! and 34, the residence being on the for- mer. This is a comfortable and well appointed structure, with a good barn and all other necessary OUt-buildinga convenient for the storing of grain and the shelter of stock. The entire premises, wear- ing as it does the appearance of comfort and plenty, is exceedingly pleasant for the eye to dwell upon. The proprietor is one of the self-made men of Livingston County, who began life for himself in a humble manner and has climbed up steadily until he occupies a good position socially and financially among his neighbors. Mr. Murphy was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, Aug. 22, 1819, and is the son of John and Elizabeth (Talbert) Murphy, natives of the same locality. He was the fifth child of the family, and was reared to manhood in the modest home of his parents, receiving a limited education in the com- mon schools. He was deprived of most of the ad- vantages afforded the young men of to-day, and earl}- in life was made acquainted with its toils and struggles. He continued in Ireland until twenty- seven years of age, and had not made a tithe of the progress to which his ambition aspired. Accord- ingly, in the spring of 1846 he gathered together his family and their personal effects, and bidding adieu to the friends of his childhood took passage on a sailing-vessel bound from Liverpool to New York City. A month later he set foot upon Amer- ican soil, and from the Empire City proceeded to Massachusetts, where he was engaged a year at wagon-making, which trade he had learned in the old country. He then removed to Buffalo, N. Y., where he followed his trade for a time, and then went over into Canada, where he met his fate in the person of Miss Ann Roach, to whom he was mar- ried Sept. 1, 1850. This lady was also a native of Ireland, and a daughter of Miles and Bridget Roach, who emigrated to America in 1834, when their daughter Ann was about fourteen years of age, settling in the Dominion of Canada. After four years he returned to Ireland, where he staid one year, and then came to the United States, where the death of both occurred in middle life. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy took up their residence in Mintsvillo, Canada, where they remained until the spring of 1852, and then coming to the West, located first in LaSalle, whence in 1867 they re- moved upon their present farm. Mr. Murphy was soon recognized as a valuable addition to the com- munity, in the affairs of which he has been quite prominent, serving as School Director seven years, and in other respects indicating himself to be an honorable and worthy citizen. The family lie- long to the Catholic Church at Campus. To Mr. and Mrs. Murphy there were born twelve LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1085 children, who are recorded as follows: Elizabeth is the wife of Patrick Ferguson, of Broughton Township; Maria was married to Amel Obrey, of Ottawa, III.; John married Julia Cooling, and is a resident of Chicago; Sarah J. died in the Convent j of the Servite Sisters, Chicago, when twenty-two years < >f age ; Margaret for the last seven years has been a nun with the Servite Sisters; Norah is the wife of William McDermot, of Butte City, Mont; Alice, Miles, Martina, George, Francis and Charles are at home. The Murphy children received good ad- vantages for schooling, and Elizabeth, Maria and Norah were engaged in teaching before marriage. Alice developed considerable musical talent, and is a good performer on the piano, besides being ; competent as a teacher of this art, in which she was engaged for a time at Emington. R. CYRUS H. BARR, physician and drug- gist, and one of the leading citizens of Uwight, is descended from English ances- try who came to this country with the Puritans. The Barr family were among the early settlers of New York State. On the maternal side Dr. Barr descends from the Austin family, members of which were among the first settlers of Rhode Island. The old log cabin still stands near East Greenwich, that State, that was the first home of the Austins in Rhode Island. Dr. Barr is thus a descendant of the pioneers of three States, New York, Rhode Island and Illinois. Aaron Barr, the grandfather of our subject, lived near Norwich, Chenango Co., N. Y., and was a farmer by occupation. Ethan R. Barr, the father of our subject, was born on his father's farm in New York. He first learned fanning, and afterward practiced as a veterinary surgeon, being one of the first in Illinois; afterward he was supercargo on a steamer running from New Orleans to Aspinwall on the Isthmus of Panama. Subsequently he re- turned to Rhode Island, and married Miss Emily A. Bennett, of East Greenwich, a daughter of Thomas and Emily (Austin) Bennett, and to them have been born three children : Cyrus II., July 10, 18f)J; Albert W., June 3, 185!, and Lloyd C., May 2'.), 1862. In 1856 Mr. Barr removed to Illinois, and settling on a farm in Grundy County, remained there until his death in 1882, at the age of fifty-six years. When he came to D wight there were but few houses in the village and the country was wild prairie. Dr. Cyrus H. Barr was born in East Greenwich, R. I., July 10, 1854, and was brought to this county by his parents when but four years of age. He obtained his education at the Morris Normal School, and his medical education at the Chicago Medical College, of which institution he is a graduate. He began the practice of medicine at Dwight in the spring of 1882. The year following he purchased a half interest in the drug-store owned by C. M. Baker, but subsequently took up his residence in Wilmington. In the spring of 1884 he returned to Dwight and purchased the remaining' half of the store, which he now conducts in connection with the practice of his profession. He is a skillful and reliable physician, and numbers his friends and pa- trons among the best people of the county. On the llth of March, 1 884, Dr. Barr married Miss Minnie A., daughter of Charles W. and Mary G. (Myers) Cook, of Wilmington, 111., formerly of New York. To Dr. and Mrs. Barr has been born one child, a daughter named Leila. Politically Dr. Barr is an advocate of the principles of the Repub- lican party, and fraternally he has taken three de- grees in Masonry which are conferred by the Blue Lodge. II. AMSLER, an important factor in the farming community of Indian Grove Township, came to this section during the l) early days of its settlement, and set himself about the establishment of a permanent home. Like many of the pioneers of Livingston County, he first opened his eyes to the light in Pennsylva- nia, his birthplace being in York County, and the date thereof Jan. 2, 1832. When our subject was but a child five years of age, his father migrated to the West, taking up his residence upon the present site of Peoria. There t f , lose LIVINGSTON COUNTY. f a> then hut little evidence of the beautiful and flourishing city which now greets the eyp of the traveler. A few months later the elder Amsler entered 160 acres of land in Woodford County, ten miles from where he had first stopped, and here the subject of our sketch was reared to manhood. He received but a limited education, find spent his early j-ears after the manner of the sons of pioneer farmers. He remained under the parental roof until about twenty-nine years of age, and was then united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Clifton, who has ever been to him a true friend and companion. Mrs. Amsler was born in Woodford County, 111., Sept. 5, 1K42, and is the daughter of Levi and S;ir:ih (Sowders) Clifton, natives respectively of Ohio and Virginia. Her father was a farmer by occupation, and departed this life in Woodford County about 1854, followed by the mother two years later; both were members of the New-Light Church. The parental household included seven children, two of whom, Douglas and Ernest, are now deceased. Those surviving besides Mrs. Ams- ler, are, Cora, the wife of E. W. Burger, of King- man, Kan.; Charles, Ida and Amber. Mr. Amsler removed from Woodford to McLean County in 18C6, and in 1883 came to this county, where his property includes eighty acres of finely cultivated land, one and a half miles west of Fair- field, besides a fine residence in the city. He still continues the superintendence of his farm, and spends his leisure time in Fairbury, where his home is replete with all the comforts of modern life. Dur- ing his later years on the farm, he turned his at- tention largely to the raising of fine stock, making a specialty of blooded draft horses and Poland- China swine. He usually does his own shipping, and has realized a small fortune from his opera- tions in this department of agriculture. Asa mem- ber of society he has been the encourager of those eiiterpri.-e> calculated for the moral and intellect- ual growth of the people, and with his family is :i member and regular attendant of the Christian Church, of which he has been Deacon for the last ten years, and Trustee for probably more than that length of time. In political matters lie is decidedly- Democratic. The parents of our Mibjcct. John and Annie 4 (Brock) Am>ler, were natives of Switzerland, where the mother was burn Nov. :i, 1802, and the father July 10, 1806. They were married in 1828, and :m> still living, enjoying in a remarkable degree their physical strength, and still employed actively about their homestead in Washington, Tazewell Co., 111. Both are members of the German Evan- gelical Church, in which the father specially has been prominent and has for many years held the office of Treasurer. They had a family of eight children. The eldest son, Jacob, started for Ore- gon in 1851, and since 1870 they have had no word from him or trace of him. The others besides our subject were named respectively: Susan, Mary, Heniy, Christopher, Maggie and Samuel. sHADDEUS S. McDONALD, a prominent grain buyer and stock-raiser of Round Grove Township, makes his headquarters at Cam- pus, near where he settled in the spring of 1 8KO, and has a good farm on section 27. This comprises 320 acres of land, with suitable farm buildings and all the conveniences for carrying on agriculture and stock-raising after the most approved methods. The childhood days of Mr. McDonald were spent at his birthplace in Taylor Count}-, W. Va., where he first opened his eyes to the light Jan. 27, 1 849. He continued there with his father's family until a youth of fifteen years, and they then all migrated to Illinois, locating in Esmen Township, this county, where Thaddeus S. passed his early manhood and resided until the spring of 1880. His industry and enterprise were indicated .-it an early age, and he became familiar with forming pursuits, which he has followed all his life. He occupied his farm four years, and in 1884 took up his residence in Campus, where he has a neat dwelling with attractive sur- roundings, and is numbered among the valued members of the community. He has represented Round Grove Township in the County Board of Supervisors two year>, and socially is a member of Cabery Lodge No. 031, A. F. ife A. M. In polities he supports the principles of the Democratic party. The marriage of Thaddeus S. McDonald and Miss Ella V. Bradley took place at the home of the T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1087 i bride in Amity Township. March 11, 1877. Mrs. McDonald is a. native of Illinois, and was born July 12, 18.")."). They have an interesting family of five children, named respectively: Delta V., Blanche M., Frank P., Ina E. and Thaddeus J. The elder children are pursuing their studies in the district school, and all will receive the advantages of a good education, as Mr. McDonald is a highly intelligent man and most decidedly in favor of " book-learning." The parents of our subject, Patrick F. and Eliza- beth (Husted) McDonald, were born in Taylor County, AV. Va., coming to this county in the spring of 1864. Their family included seven children, of whom Thaddeus S. was the eldest. Of these six survive, and five are residents of Illinois and one of Kansas. The parents of Mrs. McDonald, James and Nancy (Bartholomew) Bradley, were among the pioneer settlers of Livingston County and located in Amity Township, where they assisted in develop- ing its resources, building up a good homestead and rearing their children to become worthy and efficient members of society. The father died Dec. 2.'!. 1861 ; the mother is still living, and a resident of Cornell. The wife of our subject was the youngest of the family, and with her brothers and sisters received careful home training and a good education in the common schools. " AMUEL MILLS is successfully engaged in farming and stock-raising on section 8, Es- inen Township, where he owns 200 acres of land and has established a comfortable homestead, receiving as the reward of industry and economy, the good things of life which he has so richly earned. The subject of our sketch is a native of England, being born near London on the 6th of May, 1848, and was the fourth in a family of twelve children born to George and Sarah (Shad- well) Mills, who were natives of England. The pa- ternal grandparents were Richard and Sarah Mills, who were also English people, while the maternal grandparents were Samuel and Jane Shadwell. The father of Mr. Mills was a herdsman by occupa- tion, and followed that calling in his native country. Samuel Mills was reared to stock-herding, and when a boy was so constantly engaged in that work that his opportunities for obtaining an education were very limited. At the age of sixteen years he left the parental roof and followed the occupation of a herdsman until twenty years of age, at which time he concluded to seek a home in America. Ac- companied by Percivnl Kimber and his sister, he sailed from Liverpool on the steamship "Nebraska," and landed at Castle Garden after fourteen days on the ocean. lie at once started for Illinois, where the Kimbers had relatives living at Ottawa, and en- gaged at farm work. In January, 1871, he married Miss Mary Kimber, who had made the voj'age across the ocean with him and her brother. She is a daughter of Jesse and Alice (Ackert) Kimber, who were natives of England and emigrated to America, where both have since died. Mr. Mills and wife first lived with her uncle, William Kimber, two years, and then moved down near Ottawa, where he rented land and farmed for a term of six years. He then came to Livingston Count}', and bought 200 acres of improved land upon which he now resides, cultivating this farm himself and making a specialty of stock-raising. He is the father of three children Letitia Alice, Nellie Jeanette and Jessie Arthur, all of whom live with their parents. Mr. Mills is not very active in political matters, and acts and votes independently. Considering his age and opportunities he has been very successful since coming to this country, and has made good use of the opportunities afforded here to enterpris- ing men. He has an excellent farm, which is well improved and productive, and has already situated himself so as to be independent the balance of his life. On another page of this volume is shown a view of Mr. Mills' homestead. SEORGE L. TAYLOR is a successful farmer and land-holder of Dwight Township, and is of pure Scotch origin. James Taylor, his grandfather, was a silk manufacturer of Paisle}', Scotland, where he was engaged in manufacturing the celebrated Paisley shawls. In his religious doc- trines lie was an adherent of the old Scotch Coven- loss LIVINGSTON COUNTY. a nters. lie was the father of seven children and lived to l>e very aged. William Taylor, the father of the subject of our sketch, was horn at Paisley, Scotland, Dec. 12, 1802, passing his early life in the strict training of the old Covenanters. He was given a good com- mon-school education and learned silk manufactur- ing of his father, in which he became much skilled and continued until twenty-five years of age. In 1826, the year made famous on account of the death of Jefferson and Adams. Mr. Taylor came to this country, and was first employed in a glass man- ufactory in Chaiiestown, Mass. He was afterward foreman in cotton factories at Newton, Mass., at Newport, R. I., and other places, following this business eighteen years. In 1 847 he married Mrs. Prentice, widow of George Prentice, of Lanark, Lanarkshire, Scotland. The result of this marriage was three children, one of whom is now living. Agnes (commonly called Nancy), who married William McCartney, of Central Falls, R. I. The maiden name of Mrs. Prentice was Agnes Logan, and her parents were William and James (Gibson) Logan, natives of the same place as Mr. Prentice. Her marriage with Mr. Taylor resulted in the birth of one son, George L., the subject of this sketch. In 18o2 Mr. Taylor moved to Highland, Grundy Co., 111., and purchasing land of the Government began farming, and remained on the same farm thirty years. Being one of the pioneers of Illinois he has seen the State grow from the raw and un- broken prairie to its present condition of greatness in city, town and country. He was the owner of the first team of horses ever seen in Highland Town- ship. Among the amusements of the early settlers was the wolf hunt, in which all joined, and which nearly always resulted in the destruction of many of these pests. In 1881 he removed to his present residence, which is appropriately named "Maple Croft," consisting of ICO acres of land within one mile of 1) wight, as fertile and finely situated as any farm in this township. Politically Mr. Taylor was an old-line Whig, during the existence of that party, and upon the organization of the Republican party lie joined his political fortunes therewith. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he has held the office of Steward. He has also been a member of the School Hoard many years, during which time he has been active in pro- moting educational matters. As the result of a tem- perate and industrious' life, Mr. Taylor at the age of eighty-five is yet a hale and hearty man, and is a fine example of the sturdy race from which he sprang. Hy his own efforts he has accumulated con- siderable property, both personal and real, and his declining years are comforted by his wife, a lad}' of superior intelligence and undimmed facilities at the age of eighty-three years. George L. Taylor, the subject of our sketch, wa> born at Newport, R. I., Sept. 11, 1848. and was brought to Illinois, by his parents when but four years of age, passing his early life amid the scenes and hardships incident to pioneer life in a new State. As best he could he obtained a common- school education, and devoted the summer months to acquiring a practical knowledge of farming. In 1872 Mr. Taylor was married to Miss Emma J., daughter of James J. and Catherine (Numer) Good- win, of Huntingdon County, Pa. To them have been born four daughters Nora A., Nellie C., Linnie L. and Constance D. Mr. Taylor has remained with his father and con- ducted the home farm for many years. The extent of his membership in social orders is in being an Odd Fellow, of which order he is a bright and act- ive member. Like his father he is an ardent Re- publican, and allows no opportunity to pass whereby he can promote the interests of that party. He is a prominent farmer of the new and progressive school. and merits the reputation which he has of being an upright, energetic and enterprising man. His children are bright and interesting, and his good wife shares with him the esteem and ie>pect of all their neighbors. As illustrative of the homesteads that have su- perseded the "hut in some vast wilderness" of this county, we take pleasure in presenting on another page of this ALBDI a view of Mr. Taylor's resi- dence with its environments. THOMAS N. LANG AN. who has a reputa- tion throughout Illinois ns an importer and breeder of thoroughbred Clydesdale and Shire hor-es, and is a well-known citi/.en of Sun- RESIDENCE or W- FLANiOAN.Sec.l3,SuNBURY TOWNSHIP BQYTON BOY 1963. ROVE SPARKS. 3092, RES.OFT.N.LANGAN|BREEDEROFSHIRE&CUYDESDALI:HORSES}SECI2 ; SUNBURYTOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1091 bury Township, was born in Eagle Township, La- Salle County, on the 3 1st of August, 1855, and is the oldest son of James and Catherine (Coffey) Langan, of whom see sketch in another part of this ALBUM. Thomas Langan was ten years of age when he came to this count}' with his parents, and received his early education in the district schools, afterward attending the Christian Brothers' College at La- Salle. He also attended three terms at the Normal School at Normal, 111., and took a scientific course at the Morris Normal School. During this time, when not at school, he was engaged at farming. At the time of his marriage he settled on the farm he now owns and occupies, on sections 12 and 1, in Sunbury Township, consisting of 240 acres, all en- closed by a good hedge fence, excepting that part which lies along the railroad, which has a wire fence. On April 17. 1884, Mr. Langan was married to Miss Mary Mullaney, who was born in Vienna Township, Grundy Co., 111., on the 13th of Octo- ber, 1803. Her father, John Mullaney. was born in County Sligo, Ireland, and his father, also John, was born in the same county, where he remained during his life. The father of Mrs. Langan grew to manhood in his native country, and then coming to the United States, went at once to Ottawa, La- | Salle County, where he was employed on the public works. He purchased a tract of wild prairie land in Grundy County, which he paid for with money earned on the public works. He improved this farm, which consisted of over 400 acres, and died there on the 7th of February, 1884. The maiden name of Mrs. Langan's mother was Mary Burke, who was born in Tipperary, Ireland, and her father was Patrick Burke, while his father, the great- grandfather of Mrs. Langan, was born in America, of Irish parentage: was married in this country, and then went to Ireland, where he died. The name of the grandmother of Mrs. Langan was Mar- garet Hall, who was born in Tipperary, and resides there now. at the age of ninety years. Mr. and Mrs. Langan have one child livintf, named John Joseph, while two children died in in- fancy. The business in which our subject is en- gaged that of raising Clydexlale and Shire horses is one that requires considerable care and atten- tion, and involves the investment of large sums of money. Mr. Langan's success indicates that he is amply possessed of all the requirements. His stock has a reputation second to none in the State, and meets a ready market for the full product. We have pleasure in presenting on another page of this volume a view of Mr. Langan's homestead. -*- SPRINGER, a resident of Long- Point Township, on the western line of Liv- ingston County, owns and occupies a snug homestead including eighty acres of land under a good state of cultivation, and supplied with convenient and comfortable farm buildings. A view of the place is shown in this work. He is lo- cated on section 25, and took possession of his pres- ent property in 1863. Mr. Springer is a native of Vermilion County, this State, and was born Dec. 18, 1837. His par- ents, Nathan and Lydia (Lucas) Springer, were na- tives of Ohio. The former was born Feb. 1 1. 1803, and was the son of Uriah and Mary (Long) Springer, who were married July 30, 17!)!). Their son Na- than, the father of our subject, was married about 1820, to Miss Lydia Lucas, and came to Illinois in 1831, being one of the earliest pioneers of Vermil- ion County. After a residence there of twenty years, he removed to this county, settling first in Amity Township, whence a year later he removed to Long Point, and locating on section 25, engaged in farming and stock-raising. The parental house- hold was completed by the birth of ten children, namely: Lavina, Amanda, Presley, Mahala, Zadok, Reason, Margaret Ann, Nathan, Lydia Ellen and Luretta. Our subject was the sixth child of his parents. He had been reared to habits of industry and econ- omy, and when twenty years of age commenced life for himself. His marriage to Agnes Ardell Halbert took place at the home of the bride in Pon- tiac Township June 1 1, 1880. She is the daughter of William and Sophia (Plow) Halbert, natives of Illinois. The wife of our subject was also born in this State, Dec. 7, 1800. This union resulted in the birth of four children, namely : Levina Ardell. born 1002 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. July 1, 1882; Reason Ellsworth, Feb. 20, 1884: Nellie Josephine, Oct. 14, 1885; Mabel Mary, March 31, 1887. The wife of our subject was reared in the family of Michael Kenney until eight years of age, and re- ceived her education in the district school. Her father's family consisted of four children, namely: Sarah Alice, now of Peoria; Alonzo W.. of Texas; Agnes, Mi-s. Springer, and Addie, a resident of Ottawa. Upon the breaking out of the late war Mr. Springer enlisted in Company (', 39th Illinois Infantry, and served over eleven months; then, on account of a severe attack of measles which disa- bled him for further duty as a soldier, he was given uii honorable discharge, and returned North. In the meantime he had met the enemy in several skir- mishes, but, with his company, was detailed princi- pally to guard duty. Mr. and Mrs. Springer, after their marriage, lo- cated on the parental homestead, where they have since remained, and to the farm operations of which he has given his entire attention for the last twenty years. He has become one of the familiar figures in Long Point Township, where he enjoys the con- fidence and esteem of the entire community. Mr. Springer's father is deceased; the mother still sur- vives, and is living in Amity ^Township. fARON WINTIIROP KELLOGG, the fourth of eleven children born to Rev. (l\ Hiram H. and Mary (Chandler) Kellogg, was born in Clinton, Oneida Co., N. Y., Nov. 7, 1835. He came to Illinois with his father's family in 1841, and this State has been his home most of the time since that date. The parents of Rev. Hiram H. Kellogg migrated from Connecticut to Oneida County, N. Y., 100 years ago, and assisted in funning the colon}- from which sprang the Indian school of Rev. Samuel Kirkland, which grew into Hamilton College, the descendants of whom held their Centennial celebra- tion at Clinton the past summer, which President Cleveland, a former resident of that village, at- tended. and at which he made the speech which w.-is SO justly praised for its manner ami matter. Rev. Mr. Kellogg established at Clinton one of the lirst female seminaries in the country. The founders of the now famous Mount Ilolyoke Seminary visited his school for the purpose of learning what they could of the pioneer institution before starting their enterprise. He very early also became interested in the temperance and anti-slavery movements, and stood with Gerritt Smith, Beriah Green, Alvin Stewart and the little band of Abolitionists who made their power felt in Central New York along in the thirties. He was a warm personal friend of Albert Barnes, and stood by him in his position which resulted, finally, in the division of the Presbyterian Church into the so-called Old and New School branches. lie joined the Rev. George \V. Gale in his plan of founding a colony and a Christian and anti-slavery school in the (then) West, and was elected the first President of Knox College at Galesburg, III. lie held this position six years, during which time Galesburg was known all over this portion of the State as a -'nigger hole," and the men and women who lived there were known everywhere as Abolitionists. It was one of the principal stations of the "under-ground rail- road," and no fugitive was ever turned back to slavery after reaching that burg. During these years Rev. Hiram Kellogg was the associate of Owen Lovejoy, Ichabod Codding, William T. Allen, Dr. Charles Dyer, Philo Carpen- ter and others who lived to see the odious name of ' Abolitionist" respected. AVhile at Galesburg he served as pastor of the first church there and after- ward carried on schools or preached at various places, including Clinton, Rome and Marshall, N. Y. ; Washington, 111.; Marshalltown, DesMoines, Guthrie and Newton, Iowa; and Baraboo, Wis. ; and died at Mt. Forest, 111., Jan. 1, 1881, when nearly eighty years of age. Aaron W. Kellogg pas>ed his youthful days at Galesburg, attending the common school, with its little wooden benches, the only one at that time in the village. When eleven years of age he returned to his native county and remained in school there until the fall of 1 sf> 1 , then came back to Galcsliurg and prepared for college. In ISoo he once more returned to Clinton, and was graduated from Hamil- ton College in 1S.">7. lie, subsequently studied law 1 f t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1003 with Prof. T. W. Dwight. now of the Columbia Law School in New York City, but on account of failing health lie engaged in outdoor business about eight years, raining iron ore and lumbering. In the spring of 1866 he came to Pontiac and settled on the place which has since been his home, on section 22, Pontiac Township, just outside the cit3" limits, where he engaged in raising fruit. He soon became connected with the Pontiac Sentinel, and for seven years he was its editor, until the paper was purchased by Mr. Alles. He afterward edited the Streator Monitor for a short time, following which he taught in the public schools of Pontiac three years. He then engaged in writing for firms who were engaged in publishing county histories, and in this connection assisted in writing the histories of Livingston, McLean, Vermilion and Iroquois Counties. Mr. Kellogg, in the winter of 1873, while con- nected with the Sentinel, was elected Assistant Postmaster of the State Senate, and served in that capacity two years. During five winters in addi- tion, 1880 to 1885, he was engaged at Springfield clerking for the Legislature and in the Auditor's office, and was at the same time correspondent for several newspapers. During several years he acted as the local correspondent of the Inter-Ocean at Pontiac. In January, 1884, at the request of Senator Cullom, he was appointed Assistant Post- master of the United States Senate, which position he still holds. For many years he has been the correspondent, first at Springfield and afterward at Washington, of the Peoria Journal, and his letters over the name of "Winthrop" have attracted a good deal of attention. From his early education Mr. Kellogg could not well have been other than a Republican in politics. He cast his first vote for Fremont, and has voted at every election since except twice, when by change of residence he was not a voter. Ho has never held political office except as mentioned above. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church. In December. LSI; I.Mr. Kellogg was married at Vienna, Oneida Co., N. Y., to Miss Sarah Emeline Allen. Nine children have been born to them, all of whom are living Othniel Williams. MMY Emeline, Gertrude Whmifred, Winthrop Chandler, William Seward, Hiram Harlow and Har- riet Helen (twins), Homer Gleason and Carrie Emily. Mr. Kellogg has a pleasant home, and when not absent officially at Washington, enjoys farm life, caring for his growing crops and stock and looking out for the care and education of his children. LEXANDER MONTGOMERY, a model farmer located on section 7, Reading Town- ship, but whose post-office is Minister, LaSalle Co., 111., is a native of Pennsyl- vania, where he was born in Fayette County, on the 23d of December, 1828. He is the son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Cammett) Montgomery, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Ireland respectively. The father, who was a Pennsylvania farmer, died in 1858. The mother was born in 1799 and died in 1878. During her entire life she was an active worker in the United Presbyterian Church. Their other children were born as follows: Isaac, April 11, 1813; Mary, Aug. 8, 1810; Rebecca, April 18, 1819; Thomas, July 1, 1822; James, Aug. 10, 1824; Margaret, Aug. 22, 1826; John, March 2, 18:51; Elizabeth, March 12, 1833, and Sarah, Jan. 20, 1835. Mary died Nov. 25, 1881; Isaac, Feb. 8, 1822; John, July 20, 1838, and Sarah, Oct. 28, 1842. Alexander Montgomery was married to Sarah Stofer, March 23, 1856. She was born March 15, 1829, and is the daughter of John and Man- (Stim- mel) Stofer, who were the parents of the following- named children: Elizabeth, who was born in 1831, and resides in Penns_ylvania, and Sarah, the wife of our subject. The mother of these children died in 1833, and the father died in Pennsylvania in 1877. Thev were members of the Presbyterian Church, in which they were active workers for many years [receding their death. The father was a Repub- lican in politics, and during his life manifested much interest in politics. He was a fanner by occupation, and achieved reasonable siicccs>. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery has resulted in the birth of ten children, eight of whom are living. They are recorded as follows: James was born Jan. Hi. 185S; Elizabeth was born June 30, 1 s.V.i. and married William Walters, who died June \* 1094 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. ;i, 18H5, leaving two children; John was born April 10, 1SC3; Frank was horn Dec. 21, 1865, and died Aug. 1, 1886; Dora was born March 16, 1867; Seymour, Jan. 5, 1868; Mary, July 1!), 1871; Al- exander, Nov. 18, 187-1; Margaret Ann was born April 31, 1870, and died in October, 1872; Eva was born Aug. 24, 1877. Mr. Montgomery removed from the State of Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1867, and selected his present farm, consisting of 160 acres of good land, which is fairly improved. In politics Mr. Mont- gomery acts with the Democratic party, and has held the office of Road Supervisor, and also that of School Director, eight years. His wife is an earn- est member of the Presbyterian Church, which she regularly attends. V.EAVTON MITCHELL. Among the most I* substantial natives of foreign countries to choose the United States for their home, are those of Norway, a country lying largely in the frozen zone, but the temperature of which is much modified by the great extent of sea coast, the Gulf StiTiim, and the large area occupied by water, es- pecially by the fiords, which are in immediate com- munication with the sea. Thus the native of Nor- way is made hardy by the frigid temperature of the climate, mellowed by the counteracting influence of the winds which pass over the Gulf Stream. During the last half century no remarkable changes have occurred in that country, and the subject of this sketch, who was born there on the 22d of January, 1824, can still revisit in his imag- ination, the scenes amidst which lie was reared to manhood, with the knowledge that they have not been impaired by the ravages of time. Mr. Mitch- ell received an excellent education in his native language, and in 1854, at the age of thirty, emi- grated to America, where after an ocean voyage that was full of delays, accidents and perils, lasting fourteen weeks, he landed in the city of (Quebec, Canada. Remaining in that city but a short time, he came direct to Livingston County, 111., where he luis ever since resided. In 1ISC1 he settled on a farm in Rook's Creek Township, and there lived until he moved to his present farm in Pontiac Township in 1 SKI). Mr. Mitchell was married, on the 8th of March. 1861, to Miss Lena Norton, also a native of Nor- way, and they have had seven children: Isabelle May, the wife of /. Henson ; Guilder, Sophia, Moses A., Mabelle Lillie, Amelia and Cora. Ilis farm is lo- cated on section 7, Pontiac Township, and section 12, Rook's Creek Township, and consists of ;>40 acres of fine land. Mr. Mitchell has accomplished much since coming to this country, for when he ar- rived in Livingston County he was #50 in debt, while now his farm and buildings are as valuable a> .-1113- in the county. He is eminently a self-made man, his success both in this and the old country being the result of his own unaided efforts. In his younger years he engaged in the business of car- pentering, and in that occupation earned sufficient money to bring him to this country. He is a mem- ber of the Lutheran Church, and has served that denomination in the capacity of Deacon. After becoming an American citizen, and studying the political status of the country, lie concluded that the Republican party was that of freedom and lib- erty, and so cast his political fortunes with it. He has acted with that party ever since 1856, the date of its organization, two years after his arrival in this country. 3 AMUEL McCOBMACK, who was one of the widest known and most highly esteemed citizens of Livingston Count}', was a native of Virginia, where he was born on the 29th of March, 1818. His parents were Thomas and Catherine McConnack, and his paternal ancestors were of Scotch origin. Our subject was reared in Virginia, and in the year 1 with his parents removed to Vermilion County, 111., where he married for his first wife Miss Elizabeth Laycock, and they were blessed with li\e children: Rachel: Catherine, now deceased: Ruth, the wife of Charles Best, of Linn County, Kan.: Frank and Henry. His second marriage was with Miss Mary Louderback. a native of Brown County, Ohio, the marriage taking place in Living- ston County, 111. She is the daughter of Thomas RESIDENCE OF W*. BRUNSKILL.SEC.K. ESMEN TOWNSHIP. FATHER'S Ffzs/ofNCE. 5cc. 23 .AND FARM PROPERTY OF JOSEPH RICH , SEc's.22.&2S.SAUNEMiN TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1097 and Sarah Louclerlwk, both natives of Ohio, who ! (Mine with their family in 1831 or 18;>2 to Ver- milion County, 111., where they were early settlers. By this marriage five children were born, three of whom are living Nellie, Mary and Grant; the two deceased were Charles and Belle. The present Mrs. McConnack with her parents, settled in Livingston County in the year 1836, over half a century ago, and were among the first settlers in Amity Township. Mr. McCormack came to Livingston County in 18o4, and settled on section 2."), Pontiac Township. What is now known as the homestead was in a comparatively raw or primitive condition. Like all pioneers, he endured great hardships and privations, which affected his health in after life, and he died on the 30th of January, 1881. In his 3'outh Mr. McCormack received but an ordinary district-school education, but he was a man of considerable natural ability, and read a great deal in after life. His political affiliations were with the Democratic party, and he was a mem- ber of the I. O. O. F., at Pontiac, where he was highly esteemed by his fellow-members. He was a widely and favorably known citizen 'of the county, a kind and loving husband and father, and was highly res- pected by all the citizens. Mrs. McConnack still resides on the old homestead, containing 170 acres, and can look back over a well-spent life with cause for considerable satisfaction. \ AMUEL M. BARNES, M. D., Fairbury. The art of medicine is one of the most an- cient and most beneficent of professions. In the early ages, among the Egyptians and Greeks, physicians were supposed to be in some mysterious way descended from the gods; and cer- tainly of no man is required a higher character and purer life than of the family physician. It may be properly said of Dr. Barnes that he sustains in a high degree these characteristics. He is a native lllinoisan. having been born in Whitesicle County, Dec. 4, 1840. The parents of the subject of this biography were Henry 15, and Jane M. (Kilgore) Barnes, the former now living in the enjoyment of a rii>e old age in Saunemin Township, this county. He was born in Sussex County, Del., while the mother, who died in 1882, was born Jan. 1, 1819, in Ohio. (See sketch elsewhere in this Ai.itrM.) Their chil- dren, seven in number, were: Mary K., now the wife of William P. Carri there, and the mother of the present State's Attorney; Belle K. ; Louisa, the wife of William M. Kilgore, a well-known farmer of Saunemin; Olive S., the wife of John C^. Brown, of Macksburg, Iowa; II. E. W., a prominent physician, also of Macksburg, Iowa; Derastns T., who died in childhood, and Samuel M. Whilst a youth Dr. Barnes secured a fair education iu the common schools, which was supplemented by a year's attend- ance at the Wesleyan University, Bloomington. We next find him engaged in teaching that step- ping stone to other professional life in which call- ing he continued during four terms. Thinking it more congenial to his tastes he next entered the drug-store of Thomas & Tweddale, of Lacon, 111., as clerk. Here he remained several months, when he went to Sterling, Whiteside County, where he found like occupation and remained until the spring of 1867. During that year he returned to Lacon, purchased the interest of Dr. Thomas, and con- tinued in partnership with Dr. Tweddale until 1869, when, after a brief return to teaching, he came to Saunemin Township, this county, where he im- proved a tract of land, and also gave the people of that section the benefit of his knowledge of medi- cine. In 1871 he went to Chicago to perfect him- self in medicine at Rush Medical College, but the fates decreed otherwise. The great Chicago fire destroyed much of that beautiful city, and his chosen alma mater was laid low by the flames. This necessitated a change in his programme, and the Medical Department of the University of Iowa, at Iowa City, became his place of stud}-, and gradu- ated him in March, 1872. Another illustration is here afforded of the change necessitated by force of circumstances. After graduation he commenced the practice of medicine in Monmoiith, Jackson Co., Iowa, whence in 1873 he came to Fairbury, ami be- came associated with Dr. N. T. 1'. Robertson, now of Ihitchinson, Kan., and his brother, Dr. II. E. W. Barnes. Thi> partnership continued three years, f 1098 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. when it wa> dissolved, Dr. Robertson going to Kan- >a>, and our subject and his brother continuing here. In 1878 he too went to Kansas, resuming his old-time association with Dr. Robertson. Whilst in the enjoyment of this relationship, his wife was removed by death, compelling him, in behalf of his children, to return to this State, which he did in 1879. For a single year he and his brother prac- ticed together, when Dr. II. E. W. Barnes moved away, since which time our subject has continuously resided and practiced here, securing a profitable practice and acquiring an enviable reputation, es- pecially as a surgeon. Where great skill and exper- ience are required, his services are in demand, and at the Chatsworth disaster he bore a leading part in caring for the wounded. He was for some years Examining Surgeon for the Government, and is at present Examiner for the ^Ktna, Washington, North western, New York Life, Home, National Life, Travelers', and a number of other insurance com- panies, for which services he receives a handsome income annually. Politically Dr. Barnes is a Republican, and takes an active interest in politics. Besides his natural adaptability to his chosen calling, he is an inventor of no mean talents, and is the patentee of several devices. Socially he is a member of the Masonic fraternity and has passed to the Council Degrees, has been High Priest of the chapter, Master of the lodge, and has creditably filled the various offices of the bodies. He is also a member of tlie Knights of Pythias. Dr. Barnes was first married in September, 1870, to Miss Augusta S. Erwin, of Wenona, 111. This lady became the mother of three children : Edna M., who was born in August, 1 871 ; Clara B., in October, 187;i, and Erwin M.. who was born in July, 1877, and died March 2(1, 1885. Mrs. Augusta Barnes departed this life at IIutc!iinson. Kan., Feb. 28, 1879. and i> buried by the >ide of her father, at , Wenona, III. The Doctor was subsequently married, July 28, 1880, to Miss Ella B. Irwin. a sister of his first wife. She was born Dee. l:i, l!s5i;. in Marshall Count}', 111. They were the daughters of William and Susan A. (Sain) Erwin, native> of Ohio. Mr. Erwin died at Wenona sonic years ago. and the mother still lives there. They were the parent- of Austin M. Erwin, of Sannemin; Mrs. Dr. II. K. \V. IJarnes, of Macksburg, Iowa; Mrs. Charle> Horn, of Wenona: Mrs. Franklin, of Streator: Mrs. Fo.-ter. of LaRose; Mr. C. E. Erwin, of Wenona, and Airs. Preston Gants. of Omaha, Noli. Of the last mar- riage of Dr. Barnes there was born one child, Editli Mautie, a bright little girl now (1887) four years old, who enjoys the honor of having named herself. APT. EUGENE ROLAZ STEVENS, one of the best known citizens of Livingston Coun- ty, is now a retired business man of Dwight. It is seldom that a biographer has occasion to deal with a subject whose family lineage contains the names of so many eminent men as that of the Ste- vens family, names famous alike as soldiers, states- men, scholars, bankers and merchants; a name which has become distinguished in nearly all the higher grades of life. They were pioneers in the New World, and patriots in the struggle for liberty. The Stevens family is of English origin, and Gen. Ebenezer Stevens, the grandfather of our subject, was born in Boston, Mass., on the 25th of August, 1751. He was engaged in the destruction of the tea in Boston Harbor, in December, 1773, and an- ticipating disastrous consequences to himself, he went to Rhode Island to reside. Here he raised two companies of artillery and one of artificers for the expedition against Quebec, in which he served as Lieutenant, and was in command. The expedi- tion marched with cannon and mortars through snow and over rough hills of New Ilampshire and Vermont to the mouth of Otter Creek on Lake Champlain. and enduring great privation and in- tense .sufferings. At Three Rivers they heard of the fall of Montgomery, and the defeat of the Ameri cans of Quebec. When they returned to St. John's. Maj. Stevens and his corps rendered efficient .-erv- iec in the Northern Department during 177(i. In the spring of 1777 he went to Ticonderoga, and commanded the artillery there. lie joined Gen. Schuyler at Ft. Edwards, and commanded the artil- lery at the battle of Stillwater. In consideration of bis services he received from ( 'ongre.s the brevet rank of Lieutenant Colonel of Infantry, and soon f, t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1099 after was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of Artil- lery, lie was afterward entrusted with special duties of great moment, and was selected to ac- company LaFayette in the contemplated expedition into Canada. Early in 1781 he proceeded with Gen. LaFayette into Virginia to oppose Arnold. After the surrender of Cornwallis, Lieut. Col. Ste- vens returned North, and from that time until the close of the war he remained in command with Col. Lamb at West Point. When peace was restored. Col. Stevens began the business of a merchant in New York. Here he was commissioned Major General, commanding the di- vision of artillery of the State of New York. lie was holding the latter office when the War of 1812 broke out, and was called into active service of the United States in the defense of that city. He was a senior Major General of Artillery until 1815; in 1800 he superintended the construction of the forti- fications on Governor's Island. For many years he was one of the leading merchants of New York, and amassed a considerable fortune. His death oc- curred Sept. 2, 1823. Col. Trumbull introduced Lieut. Col. Stevens in his picture of the surrender of Cornwallis, mounted at the head of the regiment, and also prominently in his picture of the surrender of Burgoyne. Alexander H. Stevens, M. D., LL. D., son of the above, was born in New York City, in 1 789, grad- uated at Yale in 1807; studied medicine in London and Paris; was professionally engaged in Queen's (now Rutger's) College from 1814 to 1816; in the New York College of Physicians and Surgeons from 1826 to 1 837, and again in 1840 to 1844, and filled several other important positions in the medical profession. He was also author and editor of many valuable medical works, and died in New York Citv. March 30, 1859. John Austin Stevens was the son of Gen. Ebenezer Stevens by his second wife, Mrs. Sands, and was born in New York City, Jan. 22, 1795. His mother was a sister of Col. Ledyard, of Revolutionary fame. Mr. Stevens graduated at Vale College ill 1813, and became a partner in his father's mercantile house. In 1818 he was a dele- gate to the Philadelphia Free Trade Convention, and in 1820 became a member of the New York Chamber of Commerce, of which he was for several years the Secretary ; was one of the founders and first President of the Merchants' Exchange, Presi- dent of the well-known Bank of Commerce, and President of the Associated Banks of New York, Philadelphia and Boston, which, during the late Civil War, saved the credit of the Government by repeated loans amounting in the aggregate to $150,- 000,000, and was Chairman of the committee which managed the details of these transactions. He took an active interest in benevolent institutions, and was for a long time Governor of the New York hospitals combined. He was a Whig with Free Trade principles, and was noted among his intimate friends for literary and scientific attainments. He died in New York City on the 19th of October, 1874. John Austin Stevens, son of the. one just above named, was born in New York City, Jan. 21, 1827; graduated from Harvard in 1846, became a mer- chant in New York, was Secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, and was prominent in loyal and pat- riotic organizations during the Civil War. lie is the author of several valuable historical and bio- graphical books. He is an accomplished investiga- tor and author, and has contributed to the literature of the country several valuable papers on American history. Samuel Stevens, son of Gen. Ebenezer Stevens, born in New York City in 1784, graduated from Yale in 1805, studied law and became a distin- guished member of the New York bar, and was prominent in politics. Frances Gallatin, the mother of Capt. Eugene R. Stevens, was born in Baltimore in 1803. She was the daughter of Albert Gallatin, the eminent statesman, patriot and financier of the Revolutionary period, and the early half of this century. Abraham Albert Alphone de Gallatin was born in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1701, was the son of Jean de Gallatin by Sophia Albertina Rolaz du Rosey. He was of an ancient patrician family. His maternal grandfather was Albert Rolaz, Seigneur du Rosey, of Pays, now Canton of Vond. Switzer- land. His ancestor, Jean de Gallatin, Secretary to the Duke of Savoy, removed from Brene, now De- partment of Air in France, to Geneva, of which he became a citizen in 1510, and, although he was vested a viscount palatine by Pope Leo X (1522), 4* noo LIVINGSTON COUNTY. lie embraced the Reformation, and was one of the magistrates of the city in 15:io, when Geneva be- came an independent Republic. His wife was Per- sonnetta D'Entremont, nearly related to Josephine D'Entremont, wife of the illustrious Admiral Co- ligny. Albert Gallatin was left an orphan in his infancy, and was educated under the care of a distinguished lady, a friend and relative of his mother. He graduated in 1779 at the University of Geneva, and being deeply inbued with the bold and liberal spirit of the times, he declined offers of honorable em- ployment under one of the sovereigns of Germany, and in opposition to the wishes of his family emi- grated to the United States. He landed at Bos- ton July 14, 1780. He met some Swiss lately from Geneva, and with them enlisted in a company of volunteers about to march to the defense of a threatened point, and he was soon appointed to command a post of some Importance, menaced by a body of militia and Indians. The war soon ended, and he found employment at Harvard College, where he taught French during the year 1783. On coming of age he received his share of his father's estate, with which he purchased land in Virginia, but went to reside on a farm in Pennsylvania, not far from Pittsburgh. On these lands he founded the glass manufactory which has grown to such great proportions that at the present time about one-half of the glass used in the United States is made within a few miles of the spot where Albert Gallatin began it in such a humble way in 1790. He was soon drawn into public life, and upon the division of par- ties during Washington's first term as President. Gallatin sided with Jefferson and the Democracy, and made himself conspicuous by the boldness and decision with which he advocated the Democratic principles. The whole country rani; with his name in 1793, when, after having been elected United States Senator by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, his right to a seat in the Senate was denied by the Federal Senators. At the time of the whisky in- Mirrection he was instrumental in bringing the affair to a peaceful conclusion. The great period of his life began in 17i>", when the people of Western Pennsylvania elected him to the House of Repre- sentatives, where he distinguished himself by the vigor of his opposition to Federal measures. Mr. Jefferson selected him in 1801 to fill the second place in his Cabinet, that of Secretary of the Treasury, a position he held for twelve years, when he was sent abroad by the President, and negotiated a peace with England. After the War of 1812 Mr. Galla- tin was appointed Minister to France, where he re- mained eight years, returning home in 1*27, when he chose the city of New York as his place of resi- dence. He assisted to found the University of New York, and was the author of several works of great value. He lived to the great age of eighty-eight years. Byam Kerby Stevens, son of Gen. Ebene/.er Ste- vens, and the father of the subject of our sketch, was born in 1792, and graduated from Yale in 1811. He was the friend and classmate of the eminent Dr. Worcester, the author of Worcester's Dictionary. Mr. Stevens and his brother, John A., succeeded their father, (Jen. Stevens, in the shipping and com- mission business in New York. He married Miss Frances Gallatin, the only daughter of Albert Gal- latin. She was born in 1803, and died in 1877, at the age of seventy-four years. She was very highly educated, and was a woman of great force of char- acter, and took a lively interest in politics, as she had been a companion of her father, and a confi- dant in many of his plans. Her mother war- a daughter of Commodore Nicholson, of the Ameri- can Navy. Mr. Stevens was one of the old New York merchants who did so much to lay the founda- tions wide and dee)) for the future greatness of the city. The linn of which he was the founder and head at one time owned as many as twelve vessels, and did a large business with the West Indies and foreign ports. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens were the parents of seven children, whose names are as follows: Albert G., imw a lawyer in New York; Frances AL. who married Uriah Tracy; Alexander II., V ice President of the Gallatin National Bank in New York; Byam K., ex- President, of the Gold Stock Exchange, of New York, now retired from business; Eugene R., our subject: Frederick W.. a lawyer of great wealth, and Josephine, who remained unmarried and lived in New York. Mr. Stevens died in New York in 1*70, at the age of seventy -eight years. Both lie I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1101 :ind his wife were Episcopalians, and the children were trained in that faith. In political opinions Mr. Stevens was a Whig, and afterward a Repub- lican. ('apt. Eugene Rolaz was horn in New York City Oct. 2f>, 1X37, at No. 12 Leroy Place, Bleeker street, the residence of his father. His early life was spent in gaining an education, and he attended the school kept by Aaron N. Skinner, the Mayor of New Haven, Conn. He entered Yale in the class of 1858, and graduated with it. He then acted as secretary for his uncle, John Austin Stevens, who was President of the Bank of Commerce in New York. In 1860 he came to Livingston County and bought 680 acres of land and began farming. He assisted in raising the first company of soldiers organized in D wight, and was chosen Captain, but his company was not accepted, as the quota had already been filled. He re-enlisted in August, 1862, in Com- pany B, 129th Illinois Infantry, as a private. He was detailed for detached service at headquarters, acting as Assistant Adjutant General for Gen. K. A. Paine. After the war Capt. Stevens embarked in the grain business at Dwight. He was for seven years a member of the Board of Trustees of the village, was for five years Town Treasurer, and for the same length of time School Treasurer. In 1879 he went to Colorado and became deeply interested in mining, and made frequent visits to that State up to 1 883. He is now retired from active busi- ness. In politics he is a Republican, and is a mem- ber of the G. A. R., which is the only fraternal so- ciety of which he is a member, as he is opposed to secret societies. He is a courteous gentleman of very agreeable manner, a man of education, well reud, of high character and unsullied reputation. J "JOSEPH P. RICH, one of the solid and reliable men of Saunemin Township, has been en- gaged in agricultural pursuits on section 22 ' since the spring of 1876. He is mostly in- terested in stock-raising, and his life has been marked by that industry and perseverance which seldom fail to bring success. He is in comfortable circum- stances, and enjoys the confidence and esteem of all who know him. Mr. Rich was born on the other side of the Atlan- tic in Somersetshire, England. April 3, 1849, rind is the son of James J. and Mary (Perrett) Rich, who were also of pure English descent. When their son Joseph was a child of five years of age, the parents set out for the New World with their little familj-, hoping to improve their condition financially and give to their children better opportunities than then appeared possible upon their native soil. After a brief time spent in New York City, where they landed, they set out for the West, and coming into Lake County, this State, resided there a few years and thence came to this county about 1864. Here the parents have since remained, and are comfortably located on a good farm on section 23, in Satinamin Township. Our subject was reared to manhood in this county, and received rather a limited education, his services, as soon as he was old enough, having been utilized in assisting to build up the new home in the West. He was naturally industrious and frugally inclined, and under the training of his excellent parents, set out in life with a well-formed character, and the qualities which commended him to the people around him. He remained a member of his father's household until the latter part of 1872, and on Christmas Day of that year was united in marriage with Miss Sarah A. Spafford, one of the most es- timable young ladies of Saunemin Township, and the daughter of Robert S. Spafford, a well-to-do farmer, of whom a sketch appears in this AUK M. Of this union there were six children, four of whom are living, namely: Mary I., Charles J., Han^y R. and Elsie J., all at home with their parents. One daughter, Sylvia, died when nine months and four days old, and another, Edna, when six months and nine days. The Rich homestead includes 200 acres of valuable land with a handsome and substantial set of frame buildings, suitable barns and outhouses, and every- thing pertaining to a first-class estate. The stock is of good grades and well cared for, and the farm machinery embraces implements of the most im- proved pattern. Besides this property Mr. Rich also owns 120 acres in Kankakee County. This t f 1102 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. property lie has luiilt up from a capital of forty acres, which was given him by his father upon reaching his majority. He has been blessed with good judg- ment, has been wise in his investments, and never afraid to put his shoulder to the wheel whenever his labor was necessary. Mr. and Mrs. Rich are members in good standing of the Methodist Epis- copal Church at Sauneinin, of which our subject is a Trustee, and to which be has always contributed liberally and cheerfully of his means. He is one of the most reliable members of the Republican party, although giving little attention to politics beyond casting his vote at the general elections. As repre- sentative of the buildings of this section of country we present on another page a view of Mr. Rich's residence. t X RRIN GALLUP, who is a retired fanner of Dwight, was born in Sterling, Windham Co., Conn., in 1824. The Gallup family in America are all descended from old Puritan ances- try, Capt. John Gallup having come to this country in 10:!0, with the Puritans who fled from England for the purpose of enjoying greater religious free- dom. A strict regard for the Sabbath was one of their particular characteristics, and is to-day a trait of the Gallup family which descended from their Puritan ancestors. Capt. John Gallup was a noted Indian fighter, and was in the Pequod War of 1G35, in which he commanded a company. His son, John Gallup, was killed in King Philip's War, in the fight at Burning Swamp, and it is supposed his body was burned, as it never was found. Isaac Gallup, the great-grandfather of the sub- ject of this sketch, was a settler in Connecticut and was a land-holder, owning at one time a township of land in Windham County. He was a large owner of slaves in the days when slavery was an institution in New England as well as in the South- ern States. He freed all his slaves before his death. and settled them all upon his estate, directing that. they should be cared for in their old age. One of his peculiarities wa.- that he would never own a female slave. He wa. a Deacon in the Presbyterian Church, and very strict in all his religious observ- ances. Hen Adam Gallup, the son of Naac, and grandfather of our subject, was born on his father's estate, and by occupation was a farmer. He was married to Miss Margaret Dorrence, and they be- came the parents of seven children. He was a sol- dier in the Revolutionary War, and was a man of strict, integrity, a very industrious and careful far- mer, whose word was as good as his bond. John Adam Gallup, the father of our subject, was born in Sterling, Conn., on the 6th of April. 171)5. He was reared as a farmer, and learned the trade of a carpenter. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and participated in the battle of Stony Point. The musket which he then carried is still preserved and in the possession of his son. Nov. 26, 1818, he married Miss Polly, daughter of Henry and Annie (Rathburn) Barber, and they became the parents of nine children Ben Adam, Daniel, Orriu, Sabra, Leonard II., Cynthia, Ralph W., Mir- anda and Diana, all of whom are living except Miranda, who died when a young lady, and Cyn- thia, who died in infancy. In 1850 Mr. Gallup moved to LaSalle County, 111., where he followed the occupation of a farmer until the death of his wife Oct. 23, 1863. After spending a few years in retirement upon his farm lie took up his residence with his children in Livingston County, and died at the house of his son Daniel on the 16th of June, 1875, at the age of eighty years. He was a member of the Congregational Church, a man of good prin- ciples and upright character, who brought up his family in the ways of industry, economy, truth and virtue. Orriu Gallup was born on the old homestead which had descended from his great-grandfather. He received an education in the common schools of that day, to which he has since added by quite ex- tensive reading and careful observation. At tin- age of twenty-one years he learned the trade of a wool sorter, and he worked at that business which was very profitable until he was twenty-nine years of age. accumulating sufficient money to give him a fair start in life. In 1844 he was married to Miss Harriet J., daughter of Charles and Partheua (Ford) A very, and this union was blessed by the birth of three children Abby .1.. Sarah E. and John A. The two daughters died in infancy. In 1 s.V) Mr. Gallup removed to LaSalle County, 111., and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1103 purchased a farm, and in 1882 lie came to Dwight, this county, near which he owns 320 acres of hind, which he rents to other parties. John Adam, the son of the subject of this sketch, was carefully edu- cated at Olivet College, Mich. ; Columbia College Law School, N. Y., and at the Law Department of the University of Michigan. He is now a practicing lawyer at Pomona, Los Angeles Co., Cnl., where he is doing a prosperous business. The subject of this sketch is a self-made man, who started as a poor boy, and by patient industry and careful economy has accumulated a fortune which he is now enjoying in his retirement. His four brothers are all well-to-do, and during their lives have made it a point to assist one another whenever money was needed. The entire family is an example of what perseverance and industry can accomplish. Mr. Gallup is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and as he grows older in years his interest in the principles of that order in- creases. After a long and successful life he has now retired from business, and is prepared to en- joy the fruits of his labor, surrounded by people who hold him in high esteem as a citizen and have great respect for what he has accomplished during his residence among them. BERNARD O'NEILL, a gentleman of rare in- telligence and great force of character, has, for the last thirty years, been one of the most prominent members of the farming community of Broughton Township. He was born in the county of Dublin, Ireland, March 27, 1818, and is the son of Henry O'Neill, who was a farmer of modest means. Bernard received a common- school education and distinguished himself as a bright and apt scholar, keeping his eyes open to what was going on around him, and making the most of his opportunities. When a youth of seventeen, becoming tired of the 111011010113' of the fields, our subject went to Dublin and engaged_as clerk for Peter Anngiar, who was proprietor of a large extent of land, and whose business required the employment of a book-keeper. Young O'Neill continued with this gentleman for some months, and then, nothing better presenting itself, he returned to farm life and followed agri- culture until he had nearly reached his thirty-third year. In his youth lie was ardent in his desires for liberty, and at an early age signed petitions for Catholic emancipation, and served as an O'Con- nellite for a number of years. He recollects well Peale, Wellington and other notable men. In 1 8- ( >8 he joined the United Irishmen, attending all their meetings, and in 1841 joined the National Repeal Association of Ireland. In 1843 he attended the monster repeal meeting held on the hill of Tara, also the last one, which was suppressed whenO'Con- nell was arrested. His fealty to his chief was crowned by his attendance at the funeral of O'Con- nell, in Dublin, in 1847. Our subject now decided that if he was to make any headway in the world he must change his lo- cation, and seeing nothing encouraging in the re- i gion where he had been born and reared, he decided to seek his fortunes in the New World. He sailed from Liverpool on the 27th of March, 1K51, on his thirty-third birthday, and after an ocean voyage of twenty-seven days landed in New York City, whence he found his way to Long Island, and worked upon a farm about four and one-half years. The climate, however, being unfavorable to his health, he started for the West, and reaching Chicago he remained a few days, and then proceeded to Waukegan, 111., whence he finally came to this county on the :5d of October, 1855. During his wanderings, however, Mr. O'Neill had found a companion to share his labors and struggles, having been married on the 15th of Janu- ary, 1854, while in the State of New York, to Miss Johanna Maloney, a native of his own country, and the daughter of James and Mary Maloney, the father a resident of the old country ; the mother is now deceased. Mrs. O'Neill, however, did not ac- company her husband upon his first trip to the Prairie State, but joined him in the following spring. Mr. O'Neill continued as an employe two years after reaching this county, with excellent re- sults, and in 1857 purchased 160 acres of the farm which he now occupies on section 1. In 1N(>5 he settled on this land which was then in its primitive f 1104 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i- condition, with no improvements whatever. .Mr. O'Neill's first care was to provide a shelter for him- self and his wife, and ho put up a modest dwelling. As time passed on other improvements were added, and our subject purchased eighty acres more, so that he now has 240 acres, all under a high state of cultivation. The residence is a neat and substan- tial structure, and the barns and out-buildings are in keeping with the thrift and intelligence of the proprietor. The homestead is convenient to a school, market and church, and the town of Cam- pus is on'.y a short distance off. To Mr. and Mrs. O'Neill there were born seven children, of whom four are living, namely : Catherine, James Henry, John T. and William Patrick. Cath- erine was born Feb. 22, 1859, and is the wife of Peter Handley, a prosperous fanner of Seward County, Neb., and the mother of two children. James H. was born April 3, 1861, and married Miss Catherine Milligan, Feb. 14, 1887; they are living in Broughton Township. John T. was born June 15, 1864, and makes his home with his father, as also does William P., who was born June 3, 1867. Mrs. Johanna O'Neill departed this life at her home in Broughton Township Dec. 14, 1881. She was a lady of many excellent qualities, a faithful wife and mother, and greatly respected by her neighbors. Our subject after becoming a naturalized citizen, identified himself with the Democratic party, but is a strong protectionist. He cast his first Presiden- tial vote for the lamented Stephen A. Douglas, but had it not been for Dr. Burchard's '-three R's" in 1884, he would have voted for Blaine, the Repub- lican nominee for the Presidency. Mr. O'Neill keeps himself well posted upon State and National affairs, and entertains decided views upon all ques- tions of general interest. This quality, however, is one he inherited from his ancestors, and one of which lie need by no means be ashamed. His ma- ternal grandfather, John Palmer, an Irishman by birth and parentage, served in his native country in the War of 17118, and was just as fearless in the ex- pression of hts sentiments and his honest convic- tions as is his grandson, our subject. The old gen- tleman was held a prisoner for some time on ac- count of his political principles, and from accounts there is no doubt that when liberated he was just as courageous as before in disseminating his honest convictions. Mr. O'Neill came to this county when its schools and churches were being established, and in accord- ance with his belief in the necessity of thorough education, contributed liberally to the enterprises set on foot in this direction, donating land for a building site when men who were wealthier re- fused. He has been almost continuously since that time a School Director, giving his services cheer- fully for a period of thirty years or more. He hn carried his precepts into practice by giving to his own children excellent advantages, preparing them to enter the business and social world upon an equal footing with the intelligent people around them. Mr. O'Neill was reared in the doctrines of the Catholic Church, and was the first person of this denomination to settle in this part of Livingston County. He was confirmed by Archbishop Murray, of Dublin, when a lad ten years of age, and all his life he has loyally adhered to the religion of his forefathers. There are few men represented in this work whose careers have been marked by greater attainments, according to their advantages, or who have exercised their influence with better results. I', OSS DK ALBERT GREGG, who is one of L?t/ the latest acquisitions to citizenship in civ\\ Round Grove Township, was born in Mag- %|)nolia, Putnam Co., 111., Jan. 2, 1861. His parents were William M. and Ann M. (Calloway) Gregg, who were natives of Pennsylvania and Ken- tucky respectively. Their household consisted of three children, of whom our subject was the second child, and he was six years old when the father died at Ann Arbor, Mich. The mother afterward mar- ried H. J. Oakes, and they reside inSunbnry Town- ship. During his boyhood, and up to eighteen years of age, our subject lived in the village of Magnolia, where he attended the common schools regularly, and obtained a good education. In the spring of 1869 he came to Sunbury Township. Liv- ingston County, where he was engaged in agricult- ural pursuits until the spring of 1887, when he sold hi-* farm, and purchased 160 acres on section 1 f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1107 1 22, Round (Jrove Township. Tliis farm, a view of wliicli is presented on another page, is one of the most eligibly situated in the township, and under the intelligent manipulation of Mr. Gregg will no doubt be made very productive and remunerative. March 14, 1872, Mr. Gregg was married to Miss Mar}' Brooker, who was born in Cleveland, Ohio, Nov. 20, 1854. She is the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Halferry) Brooker, the former of whom was born in the county of Kent, England, on the 6th of June, 1821, and the latter in Hesse-Cassel, Germany, on the 19th of April, 182"). Mr. Brooker was in the employ of the United States Govern- ment for eight years, during which time he engaged in the building of forts, and for a considerable time was General Government contractor. Since be- coming a citizen of Illinois, he has been engaged in farming. He first settled in Sunbury Township in the fall of 1857, where he was residing at the time of his death, which occurred on the 28th of Sep- tember, 1884. His widow still survives. They had a family of ten children, of whom Mrs. Gregg was the fourth in order of birth. In their new home in Round Grove Township, Mr. and Mrs. Gregg are surrounding themselves with all the comforts of life. The farm which they have purchased is one susceptible of great improve- ments, and can be converted into one of the most comfortable homesteads in the township. Mr. Gregg is a Republican in politics. Sl'ENCE. One can get an idea of the lapse of time since the subject of this sketch settled in Livingston County, when it is remembered that he was the first groom and his wife the first bride of the county, and that their par- ents were about the first white people to settle in the county. They have witnessed its growth from a condition of utter wildness to one of the most populous and best cultivated counties in the State. Mr. Spence is now a retired farmer and lives on section t, Belle Prairie Township. Our subject was born on the 12th of July, 1814, in Madison County, Ky., and is the son of Malachi and Courtency Ann (Hubbard) Spence, natives of North Carolina, and Maryland respectively. The mother died in 1817, and the father remained a widower until his death on the 1st of June, 1847, in Livingston County, at the age of eighty years. He had the ad vantages of only a limited education, and in politics he was a Democrat. There were born to them nine children Lacada, Sarah, James, Mary, Rebecca, Keziah, Carrie, our subject, and one who died in infancy. Mr. Spence was reared on a farm, and spent all the time that he could in attending the primitive schools of that day, which were taught in log school- houses, there being no better school buildings until long after Mr. Spence had attained to manhood. He remained at home with his parents until he reached the age of twenty-two, when he was mar- ried to Miss Mary Darnall, on the 4th of June, 1837, by the Rev. John Darnell, of the Baptist Church. She was born on the 18th of September, 1820, in Boone County, Ky., and came with her parents to Illinois in 1 830. Her father, Mr. V. M. Darnall, was snowbound in the winter of 1830-31 at Mack- inaw, McLean County, where he had gone to obtain provisions for the family. On account of the ex- traordinary snow drifts on the prairie, he was com- pelled to remain away from his family for five days with the full knowledge that they were suffering for food. His is credited with being the first family to settle in Livingston County, and they suffered ter- rible hardships and privations, the relation of which would seem incredible to the people who are now living in comfort and plenty in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Spence were born five children: Courteney A. R., who married John M. Darnall, who died in the army in 1864; Melvina F. E., now Mrs. Allen Bentley: Martin M., who married Jennie Darnall: Mary E., who became the wife of D. C. Avery, and Marcus D., who married Miss Cora Myers, and is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser of this county. Mr. Spence accompanied his parents when they arrived in Illinois tin the loth of October, 1831. He began life for himself without capital and with- out land. The first house in which he lived was 16x1 8 feet in dimensions, constructed of roughly hewed logs, with a plank floor, and his first purchase of real estate was eighty acres of Government land. 1108 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. r As the years went by and the country became bet- ter populated, he became more prosperous, and from time to time added a few acres to his original pur- chase, so that his farm now consists of 320 acres of land, all of which is cultivated to the best advan- tage. Mr. and Mrs. Spence can be truly designated as the pioneers of Livingston County, for they have the honor of enjoying the distinction of being the first couple married in the county. The half century which lias just closed shows the wisdom of the choice on the part of each, for during that long period they have lived together as man and wife happily and contentedly, sharing alike their joys and sorrows. Mr. Spence has been a life-long Dem- ocrat, and has lived to see his i>arty again in power, after having no voice in the Government for over twenty years. Mrs. Spence is a member of the Baptist Church, regular in her attendance, and de- voted in her loyalty. It is with pleasure we present on a preceding page of this volume portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Spence, worthy pioneers of Livingston County. H. CONRAD. A large number of the residents of Dwight Township are scions of old Pennsylvania families who descended from English, German and Irish ancestry, and came to this country in the Colonial days. The subject of this sketch, who is now largely engaged as a lum- ber dealer in Dwight, is the grandson of Henry Conrad, who emigrated from Germany late in 1700. His mother joined him in the voyage, but died on the ocean and was committed to a watery grave. The son located at Woodstock, Shenandoah Co., Va., where he engaged at hotel-keeping and butch- ering, and continued in that locality for a period of twenty years. He became thoroughly American- ized, imbibing the patriotic principles of the Colon- ists, and served as a soldier in the War of 1812. Among the sons of Henry Conrad was William, who became the father of our subject. He was born at Woodstock, Va., iu 1797, and early in life learned the trade of a wagon-maker, which he fol- lowed many .years in Lancaster County, of which he became a roidcnt when twenty-four years of age. He married Miss Rebecca, daughter of William Hosier, of Berks County, Pa., and they became the parents of fourteen children, of whom the following are living, namely: John, Jacob. Henry and W. II. Five years ago Benjamin crossed the Missis- sippi, and when last heard from was in Montana. The daughters were Mary, who married John Faust, of California; Elizabeth, who became the wife of Henry Ditterline, of Lancaster County, Pa.; Catherine, the wife of Tillman Steininger, of DuPage County, 111.; Ann, who married Peter Good, of Livingston County; Barbara, the wife of John Klughard, of this county; and Margaret, who married William Suyder, of Kankakee County. William Conrad came to Kankakee County, 111., in 1859, where he engaged in farming, but only lived until the fall of the following year; the mother is still living, and has now reached her eight3'-fifth year. Both were members of the Evangelical Church. The father of our subject was quiet and unostentatious in his habits, industrious and honest, and possessed all the qualities of a substantial and reliable citizen. He was energetic and industrious, and surrounded his family with all the comforts of life. In early man- hood he had identified himself with the old-line Whigs but later endorsed Republican principles. W. H. Conrad, the subject of our sketch, was born in Lancaster County, Pa., July 27, 1832, and spent his childhood and youth upon a farm, while in winter he pursued his studies at the district school. When eighteen years of age he commenced learning the carpenter's trade and continued a re>i- dent of his native county until 1854. He then started for the West, and crossing the Father of Waters, located in Jackson County, Iowa, where he worked at his trade three years. He met with such success that he decided he was entitled to spend a part of his earnings on a visit to his childhood's home and his old friends. Upon starting again for the West he stopped in DuPage County, III., a short time, and then became a resident of Joliet for one year. Subsequently he migrated to Chicago, and was employed at his trade in different places until 1863. In the spring of that .year he set up in business for himself at Dwight, and in 18(!8 was in good condition financially to establish a home of his own. He was accordingly married to Miss f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1109 Maiy, daughter of Simon and Margaret (Taylor) Winkler, of Dwight. The little household in due time was enlarged by the birth of two daughters Lillie and' Mary. The progress of Mr. Conrad was steadily onward, and in 1877, having a snug capi- tal, he put up a steam planing-mill and tub factory at Dwight. and engaged extensively in the manu- facture of barrels and butter-tubs. Upon abandon- ing this he engaged in the lumber business, in which he has since also been uniformly successful. Mr. Conrad is now numbered among the prom- inent and reliable business men of the town, and with his family moves in the best society. Politi- cally, he has always been a Republican, and with his wife and daughters, is a member in good standing of the Evangelical Church. Miss Mary Conrad, who with her sister has been finely educated, is book-keeper for her father, and does her work in an expert and business-like manner. kEM UEL F. SHEPHE fthe respected citizen _ Livingston County, I \l/ EM UEL F. SHEPHERD. Prominent among citizens and successful men of who have succeeded in life through their own energy and perseverance, is the gentleman of whom we write, who is at present residing on his fine farm of 320 acres in Saunemin Township. Mr. Shepherd is a native of Montgomery County, Ohio, where he was born on the2dof August, 1834, and is the son of John P. and Nancy E. Shepherd, natives of New Jersey and Virginia respectively. In the year 183G he accompanied his parents when they emigrated to Illinois, and settled in Marshall County, where they were among the pioneer settlers. They remained in that county until 1872, when they moved to Minonk, Woodford County, where the mother resides; the father died in 1870. The latter, during- his lifetime, served as Township Road Commissioner in Marshall Count}', and filled other important positions in the government of the township. Our subject remained at home with his parents until he attained to years of manhood, during which time he received careful training in the rudiments of farming, and also obtained a fair education in the public schools. He has spent his entire life upon the farm, excepting about four years, during which time he was engaged in the livery business in Washburn. Wood ford Co., 111. On the 21st of February, 1857, Mr. Shepherd was married to Mary J. Gray, who was born on the 23d of June, 1835, in Marshall County, III. She is the daughter of William and Catherine (Osborn) Gray, both of whom were Kentuckians by birth, and came to Illi- nois at an early day, settling in Marshall County. Of this union have been born six children, five of whom are living: John P. was born Nov. 4, 1858; William R., Dec. 12, 1861 ; Frank I., Oct. 7, 1865; Charles E., May 1, 1869; Isabelle C., July 6, 1871; and Jessie 1C., Jan. 2, 1875. In March, 1876, Mr. Shepherd became a citizen of Livingston County, and purchased 320 acres of land in Saunemin Township, upon which he has since resided, and devoted his time to making sui>- stantial improvements. That he has succeeded will be seen by examining the view of his home, which is shown in this volume. Mr. Shepherd has served as Road Commissioner for six years, and for many years in the capacity of School Director. In polities he votes and acts independently of either of the old organized parties, and votes for men whom he considers qualified to discharge the trusts con- ferred upon them honestly, regardless of what party they belong to. Mrs. Shepherd is a prominent member of the Christian Church, and devotes con- siderable time to the welfare of that organization. 1 F. C'ORBIN. One of the most commanding and picturesque homesteads in Sunbury Township is that occupied by our subject 011 section 29. He is a Virginian by birth, being born in Taylor County, that State, Oct. 5, 1843, and is the eldest of a family of nine children born to Oliver H. P. and Mary E. (Flowers) Corbin, natives of Harrison County, W. Va. The paternal grandparents of our subject, Ander- son and Elizabeth (Haines) Corbin, were natives of Maryland and West Virginia respectively, the former of English descent. At the age of sixteen Mr. C'orbin became a soldier in the Revolutionary f if 1110 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. r army, in which also his father, Francis Corbin, was Quartermaster. The maternal grandparents, Jesse and Mary (Lucas) Flowers, were natives of Virginia and also of English descent. The Flowers family wa.- largely composed of professional men, several of them having become eminent in the practice of medicine, and in their day were nearly all prominent in politics. Jesse Flowers was a member of the Old Dominion Legislature, and upon the construction of the State of West Virginia, after the war, served as a member of the Legislature of that State. His father, John Flowers, lived in Pennsylvania. The father of our subject was a carpenter by trade, but spent the greater portion of his life in the occupation of a farmer. Coming to Illinois in 1854, he entered the land upon which our subject now re- sides, and made it his home until 1870. when he rented the farm and went to Holden, Johnson Co., Mo., and spent a year and a half in looking over the country. While there his demise took place, and the family then returned to the old homestead in Livingston County, where the widow now re-ido with our subject. Mr. Corbin has lived upon the farm all his life, and in early boyhood applied himself closely to fa- miliarizing himself with all the details of farm work, improving all the opportunities also that were avail- able for obtaining a good common-school education. At the age of twenty-two years he left home to cure for himself, going to Holden, Mo., where his parents joined him some time afterward. While living here he became engaged for a time as baggage- master, and was also employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company. Upon the death of his father he settled up his affairs in Missouri, and re- turned with the widowed mother and children to the homestead in this county. Our subject's brother!* and sistera were named as follows: John II., Jesse F.. Florence, Edith, Mary E., Francis M.. Sarah J., Benjamin 15. and Oliver II. P. Francis and Benjamin died in infancy; Mary E. married L. V. Harvcv. a farmer, and lived in Lincoln County, Mo., where she died leaving two children, one of whom died MM in after, and the other, Mary E., was reared un- der the care of our subject and his mother; Edith married Oliver II. P. Lower.-, a native of Virginia, who is engaged in farming and stork-racing on the seriioii south of the old homestead. Since Mr. Corbin's return to Livingston County he has con- ducted the affairs of the home farm success- fully, and besides cultivating crops has engaged considerably in stock-raising. The farm consists of ](!() acres of land, all of which is under cultiva- tion, and the position of the farm is one of the most desirable in the township. Mr. Corbin is quite active in politics, although he is not attached to either of the old political parties. In 1880 he was elected Supervisor forSmi- bnry Township on the Independent ticket, and has held that office every year since without serious op- position. He has also served as Justice of the Peace for several years, and School Treasurer seven years. He is a member of the Odd Fellows, and recently joined the encampment at Pontiac. He is one of the live men of Sunbury Township, and makes his influence felt upon all occasions where the people of the township are interested or where their condition can be bettered.* As representative of the buildings of this section of country, we present on another page of this vol- ume a view of Mr. Corbin's residence and its sur- roundings. (0) JEREMIAH COLLINS. One of the finest farms in this section of country, both in the 1 way of improvements and farm buildings, is ' the one occupied by the subject of this sketch, on section 25, Esmen Township. Mr. Collins was born in Miami County, Ohio, Jan. 22, !*:!!, and was the eldest child in a family of thir- teen born to Daniel and Nancy (Penney) Collins, natives of Ohio and Virginia respectively. The paternal grandfather was Jeremiah Collins, a native of France, who was a Captain in the Revolutionary War under Gen. LaFayette. The maternal grand- father was James Penney, and hi- wife was a .Mi Holme-, who was born in Ireland. The father of Mr. Collins was a blacksmith by trade, and came l<> Ottawa on the IGthof July, 183H, where he followed his trade for seven years and then engaged in fanning, lie made two trips to California, and now live- in Marseilles. III. ; the mother is dead. Mr. Collins was reared to farm life and received hi- I ' ' . LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 113 education at the common schools. At the age of twenty-one years, in 1852, he went to California by the overland route, in wagons drawn by oxen, and consumed six months on the journey. After mining and lumbering there fora little over three years, he became dissatisfied with the country and returned home by way of the Isthmus, riding, at that place, on the first railroad he ever saw. Soon after his return to the States he came to Ottawa, III., where he arrived on the 20th of November, 1855, and began farming, which occupation he followed for several years. On the 5th of August, 1802, Mr. Collins enlisted in Company C, 88th Illinois Infantry, under Capt. George A. Sheridan, at Seneca, and was mustered into the service at Chicago, under Col. F. T. Sher- man. The regiment was first sent to Jefferson ville, Ind., opposite' Louisville. Ky.. and soon afterward took part in the battle of Perryville, Ky. Mr : Collins was disabled by sickness, and was discharged at Gallatin, Tenn., Feb. 5, 1863, and for two years after was unable to perform any work. On the 9th of December, 1855, Mr. Collins was married to Eliza J. Turner, who was born at Leeds, England, on the Gth of January, 1835. She was the daughter of George and Ann Turner, natives of England, who came to America at an early day, and settled at Dayton, LaSalle County, in 1841, where they spent tlieir declining years. Mrs. Collins died Feb. C, 1872, leaving a family of five children, who are recorded as follows: George D. was born Jan. 11, 1857; William E., June 2, 1858; Martha J., Dec. :i, 1859; Charles J., April 30, 1804; Warren R., May 1, 1860. Charles and Warren are unmarried and live at home; George married Mary (iunn and they reside in Esmen Township: Will- iam married Mary Mackinson, and lives on a farm in the same township; Martha married S. E. Slider, and lives on a farm in Owego Township. Mrs. Collins was a member of the Christian Church, and was a lady highly esteemed in the community. Mr. Collins was a second time married, to Rachel Wilkerson, Oct. 20, 1872. She was born in Madison County, Ky., on the 21st of March. 1854, and was the fourth child in a family of nine born to John and Mary (Bentley) Wilkerson, who are natives of Kentucky, ami now reside in Lexington, 111. Immediately after this marriage Mr. and Mrs. Collins settled on the farm where they have ever since resided. They are the parents of four chil- dren, all of whom are living: Mary was born Dec. 19, 1873; Grade M., May 18, 1877; John E., Sept. 29, 1878, and Sadie B., Feb. 10, 1885. Mr. Collins' first purchase of land was eighty acres, part of which was improved, in 1855, and soon thereafter he bought fifty acres more. This he sold, and com- ing to Livingston County in 1871 purchased 100 acres of improved land, to which he has since added eighty acres. In 1887 he built a commodious residence, which is nicely furnished throughout. On another page of this volume is shown a view of Mr. Collins' residence. Mr. Collins is not active in political matters, and has only consented to discharge the duties of the offices of School Director and Road Commissioner. In elections, however, he votes for the candidates of the Republican party. He is an enterprising and go-ahead citizen, taking an active interest in all public affairs which affect the people. EANDER MORGAN, a retired farmer of Dwight Township, withdrew from the active labors of an agriculturist in 1887, and took up his abode in the town of Dwight, where he is surrounded by all the comforts of life and enjoying the rest and ease which he has so justly earned, lie has lived worthily and presented an example which the present generation will do well to emu- late. He is the scion of an excellent old family, the essential points in the history of which is as follows: The first representative of this branch of the Morgan family in America was the great-grand- father of our subject, who emigrated from Wales when a young man, accompanied by two brothers, at a period long before the Revolutionary War. They located in Reading, Fairfield Co., Conn., and there joined the Societ}' of Friends who had fled from Wales and England to escape persecution and en- joy the right to worship after the dictates of their own conscience. Among the sons of this gentleman was James Morgan, grandfather of our subject, :114 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i who was born in Reading, Conn., and was reared to fanning pursuits. He also, in compliance with his early teachings, identified himself with the Friends, and upon reaching manhood, was married to Miss Mary Osborn, a native of his own town. They be- came the parents of six children, namely: Ezekiel Zalman, Joel, Stephen, William, Dolly and Mary. Grandfather Morgan reared his family in the quiet of their New England home, and remained a resi- dent of that locality all his life. His three brothers settled near him. and they were all distinguished as peaceable and law-abiding citizens. The Friends had no regular church, and the people held religious meetings at their homes. The Friends, as is well known, are averse to warfare, and refusing to serve as soldiers, Mr. Morgan and his brothers were all imprisoned during the Revolutionary War. The British soldiers visited the homestead on one of their raids but did little mischief beyond drinking the milk in the pantry. Grandfather Morgan accumulated a handsome property, including 200 acres of land, with a substantial mansion and all the appurtenances which went to make up the complete homestead of that day. There Stephen Morgan, the father of our subject, was born, and continued under the parental roof until reaching his majority. He took naturally to farm pursuits, and when ready to es- tablish domestic ties was united in marriage with Miss Annie, daughter of John St. John, of Wilton Township. The household in due time included ten children, namely : George, Giles, Roswell, Le- ander, Hiram, Hermon, Samuel, John, Delia A. and Eunice. These children were all reared on the old farm, and all have passed away except George, Her- mon and our subject. Stephen Morgan swung loose, somewhat, from his early religious training, and identified himself with the more modern Congregationalists. lie still preserved, however, the stanch morality and tem- perance of life which had distinguished his progeni- tors, and was greatly respected by all who knew him. He acquired a good education and was a fine penman. He became prominent in local affairs and finally was called upon to represent his county in the Connecticut Legislature. The Morgan family attained to high standing in '-the land of steady habits," were of stalwart frame and sound consti- tution, and remarkable for their industry and energy. They made for themselves a name of which their descendants may well be proud. The subject of this biography was born at the old homestead of his parents, Feb. 24, 181.0, in the mansion which had sheltered three generations of the Morgan family. He became accustomed in early life to the various employments of the farm, and received a common-school education. Upon reaching manhood one of his first important steps toward the establishment of a home of his own was his marriage with Miss Ann Eliza, daughter of Elias and Lettie (Dickens) Barker, of Greenwich. After his marriage he removed to Yonkers, N. Y., and was there engaged ten years, when he returned to his native State, and three years later, in 1 8.0(5, set out for what was then the far West. Upon reaching Livingston County, this State, he pur- chased a quarter section of land one mile and a half from the present flourishing town of Dwight, which was then but a mere hamlet of four houses. There was not a tree to be seen in the township and no fences or other indications that it would ever be a point worthy of any special interest. He and his wife began life there in the pioneer fash- ion, armed with hope and strength and prepared to meet every emergency. The difficulties and priva- tions which they experienced seem now even greater than they did then, because of the contrast between the past and the present. Mr. Morgan, true to the instincts which he had derived from his ancestry, put his shoulder cheer- fully to the car of progress, and was one of the first to assist in the establishment of educational and religious institutions. He helped to build the churches and sustain the societies, contributed of his means to the erection of school-houses, and by all methods in his power, encouraged the settling up of the country with an intelligent and progres- -ivr people. He had become a Whig in early man- hood, but upon the abandonment of the old party cordially endorsed the principles of the Republicans. The temperance movement of late years has en- listed his sympathies in the wa'rmest degree, and he- is now an active Prohibitionist, and hopes to live until he shall assist in the election of a Prohibition LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1115 candidate to the Presidential Chair. Both he and his excellent wife united with the Congregational Church years ago. Mr. Morgan is in all respects an honor to his stanch Nevv England ancestry, and looks back to the story of his progenitors with par- donable pride, taking as much satisfaction in being a descendant of James Morgan as though he were William the Conqueror. There were boni to Leander and Mrs. Morgan four children, namely : Marie A., Leander B., William II. and George A. The two youngest sons are stock dealers at Gardner, III. Their only daugh- ter, Marie, was taken from the household circle by death at the early age of twenty years. y WILLIAM W. HILTON, who is engaged in cultivating the old Hilton homestead, was born in Esmen Township, Livingston Count}', on the 5th of January, 1 849. He is the only child born to Philip K. and Matilda S. (Longnecker) Hilton, natives of Ohio and New York respectively, of whom a biographical sketch is given in another part of this ALBI'M. Our subject was reared to farm life and received a liberal education. He first at- tended the common schools at Odell, passed through the High Schools of that town, and was graduated from the select school at Des Moines, Iowa. Like his father, William W. Hilton has been an extensive traveler. In 1873 he went with his father overland to Denver, Col., visiting the nat- ural parks, Colorado Springs, Pike's Peak and all the noted mountain scenery. During this trip he joined in a buffalo hunt, and with the help of a colored man who accompanied him, killed a young buffalo. He spent the winter in the mines, and proceeding to California the next spring, visited Los Angeles, San Jose, the sea-shore at San Pedro and the bath- ing resorts at Santa Cruz, and thence to San Fran- cisco, and by rail by the way of Denver to his home in Livingston County. Upon his return in 1876 he assisted in restoring the farm, which had consider- ably run down during the absence of himself and father. After this he engaged for a short time at farm work in the neighborhood. On the 8th of October, 1870, Mr. Hilton was mar- ricd to Miss Alice J., daughter of George and Sophia (Armen) Stevens, who were natives of Ohio, but migrated to Illinois at an early date, where the mother died. The father now resides in Lawrence, Kan., where he is engaged in wagon-making. Mrs. Hilton was reared by the family of Hugh Cummins. After marriage Mr. Hilton worked at farming in Esmen Township for one season, and then moved upon the homestead where he has since remained, actively engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. and Mrs. Hilton have six children, whose names are as follows: Philip Kimball, Henry Wallace, Clara Matilda, George Franklin, Mabel May and Edna Pearl. In political matters Mr. Hilton followed in the footsteps of his father and gives his allegiance to the Democratic party. He is not very active in politics, but discharges his duty as a citizen by always voting. He is a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, as well as of the Odd Fellows, and has oc- cupied in these orders the higher positions in the subordinate lodges. He has served his neighbors iu the capacity of School Director many years, and has also been Overseer of Highways. He is an excel- lent citizen, correct in his habits and prompt in his business transactions. ETER MUNSON. In no other country on the face of the globe do there exist such op- portunities for success in any of the pursuits l\ followed by men, and particularly in agri- cultural pursuits, as in the United States. Ever since the settlement of the country the public do- main has been without limit, so far as the demand for land is concerned, and even now there is enough unoccupied land to afford a farm for the heads of families of the balance of the world. Thousands of men have come from foreign countries who did not possess a dollar when they landed on our shores, and within a few years become the owners of am- ple and beautiful farms. Our customs and privi- leges are such that any man, no matter what his nativity, if he is industrious and economical, can have a landed homestead of his own on which no one dare molest him in his vested rights, or make t , 1116 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. him afraid. He need not have money to begin with; all the capital required is willing hands and a stout heart. Peter Munson, who is an enterprising farmer and stock-raiser on section 29, Pontiac Township, is a native of Denmark, and was horn on the llth of April, 1837. He is the son of Morgens and Eliza- beth (Munson) Andersen, and was their first born. He was reared to manhood in his native country, and received a good education in his native lan- guage. In 1857 he emigrated to America, taking passage at Copenhagen upon a sailing-vessel, and after a voyage of three weeks landed at New York City, and came immediately to LaSalle County, where he resided six years. About 1863 he came to Livingston Count}-, of which he has since been a citizen. In September, 1 8C4, he joined the 54th Illi- nois Regiment, being attached to Company B. He participated in the battles at Franklin and Nash- ville, and in numerous shirmishes, serving until the loth of June, 1865, when he was honorably di>- cliarged. He now owns 120 acres of good land, which he purchased with money accumulated through his own industry and economy. Mr. Munson was married, on the 3d of Novem- ber, 1867, to Catherine E. Kofod, and they have had six children, five of whom are living Matilda. Milo, Joseph, Earnest and Lillie. Mr. Munson is a member of the Republican party, and has been elected by the people upon several occasions to public office. He is now serving as School Director in District No. 5, and was elected Township Road Commissioner in the spring of 1887. He is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and gives of his time and means liberally for the support of that organization. As a citizen he stands well among his neighbors, and is considered one of the representative farmers of Pontiac Township. IOHN R. RADCLIFF. One of the best cultivated farms and most |>lea-ant home- -teads in Livingston County is located in D wight Township, near the town of Dwight, in which (he Mihjecl of lliis >ketdi and his family reside. Mr. Rack-lit! is of Welsh descent. Isaiah Radcliff, the- grandfather of the subject of our sketch, came as a young man from Wales be- fore the war of the Revolution, and settled on a farm in Fayette County, Pa., near Perryopi>li>. He married Miss Hannah Curable, and to them were born eight children Samuel. Laban, John, Joseph, Hannah, Rebecca, Sarah and Phcube. He was, like many of the original pioneers of this country, a man who made few changes in life. lie remained on the old homestead all his days in the quiet life of the pioneer, before railroads had fur- nished available means of travel, and died in the early part of this century. In his religions beliefs lie was an adherent of the Baptist Church. Joseph Radcliff, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born on the old homestead in 1801, and was educated in the common schools, learning farm- ing also, which he followed on the old homestead. At his father's death his mother was left with a small farm, and Joseph lived with her and cared for her until her death, when he inherited the property. In 1 *30 he married Miss Sarah, daughter of William and Jane (Crawford) Shanks, of Fayette Count}', 1'a., and to them were born thirteen children Maria, Rebecca, Phcube, John, Hannah, Rachel, Mary, Alfred, Isaiah, Sarah. Esther, Huldah, and one who died in infancy. In 1 837 he sold the prop- erty left to him by his mother and bought a farm near Uniontown, Pa., where he remained until his death in 1865, at the age of sixty-five- years. He was a strong Democrat politically, and in religion was a Baptist. He was a man of a vigorous mind and took an active interest in the affairs of the day. The subject of our sketch was born on the old homestead of his grandfather in 1835, and went with the family to Uniontown, where he remained until he grew to manhood, receiving a good com- mon-school education and becoming proficient in the occupation of a fanner. In 1858, at the age of twenty-four years, he married Miss Mary L., daughter of Absalom and Rachel (Leightlc) Carr, of Fayette County, Pa. They became the parents of two children: W. A., who died in infancy, and Emlyn A., who married Miss Adella, daughter of Dennis and Elizabeth (Martin) lirown, of Living- ston County; they are -ettlert in Ida Grove, Ida Co., Iowa, where he is engaged as an engineer in a o UJ "I o c 00 to to ui o: s IT u_ XL O O ,55 ifc LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1119 steam flouring-mill, and are the parents of two children, Arthur he Roy and an infant, Mona Ames. In 1859 Mr. Radcliff moved to LaSalle County, and began farming on rented land where he re- mained for eleven years. In 1870 he came to Livingston Count}', and in 1874 he purchased the farm on which he now resides, near I) wight. This is considered one of the best farms, in the township, and is provided with comfortable buildings and other first-class improvements, of which a view is shown in this connection. Mr. and Mrs. Radcliff are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which Mr. R. has been Steward for several years. He is now filling the responsible position of School Trustee, and takes great interest in all educational matters. His very decided views upon the temperance question have led him to join his political fortunes with the Prohibition party, and he is a very strong advocate of the doctrines promulgated by that party. The success in life attained by Mr. and Mrs. Radcliff is due to their own united efforts. The}' began in a humble way, and by industry and perseverance have earned a competency. They are now com- fortably situated and need have little fear for their personal comforts during the balance of their lives. They are pleasantly surrounded in a social way, and enjoy the esteem and respect of all their neighbors. OHN A. COYNER. This gentleman is pleas- antly located on section 26, Avoca Township, where for a period of eight years he has been successfully engaged in the various details of farm life, and is numbered among the representative citizens of Avoca Township. He is the subject of an interesting history, which is substantially as fol- lows: Mr. Coyner was born in Augusta County, Va., Nov. 5, 1850, and is the son of Addison II. and Elizabeth (Brown) Coyner, also natives of the Old Dominion, and the father now deceased. His pa- ternal ancestors comprised one of the finest branches of an excellent Scotch-Irish family, while on the mother's side he is descended from the German. His paternal grandmother, a Miss Rhea, was a, daughter of Gov. Rhea, Governor of North Caro- lina, where her whole family excepting herself and one brother and sister were massacred by the Indians. His maternal grandfather crossed the Atlantic in the eighteenth century. The parents of our subject, in 1856, emigrated from their native State to McLean County, 111., where the father died only a few months after his arrival. The mother continued tliere with her children until the spring of 1870, and then, accom- panied by her sons, John A. and another, took up their residence in this county, where our subject, with the exception of four years spent on the other side of the Mississippi, has since resided. The mother is still living, at nearly eighty years of age, and is a resident of Forest, 111. The parental house- hold included seven children, of whom five survive, namely: Mary E., the wife of Brunson Smith, of Forest; Margaret E., the wife of Dr. Lockridge, of Indianapolis. Ind. ; Sarah L., the wife of Milo Rowell, of Colorado Springs, Col., a brother of Congressman Rowell, of Illinois; Charles, of San Diego, Cal., and John A. Mr. Coyner received a thorough English educa- tion and made the most of his opportunities. lie was fond of his books, and after leaving school engaged in teaching during the winter for several years, while in the summer he employed his time in farm pursuits. He was thrown upon his own re- sources early in life and acquired those habits of in- dustry and economy which have, been the secret of his later success. He took possession of his present farm in the spring of 1880, and is now the owner of 150 acres of fertile land, which by his own labors has been brought to a good state of cultivation. The farm buildings are creditable to the proprietor and the township alike, and Mr. Coyner, as a mem- ber of the community, is rated among its most worthy and useful men. While a resident of Forest he officiated in the Methodist Episcopal Sunday- school as Superintendent, and is now serving as Class-Leader of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Avoca. His estimable lady also belongs to the same church. Politically, Mr. Coyner is Demo- cratic, and during the years 1882-83, represented Avoca Township in the County Board of .Super- visors. He has always given his support to theeslab- - A 1120 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. lishment and inaiiitcn.iiicc of schools, and is at pres- ent serving as Director. It is natural!}' expected, from his character and habits, that he should aid in all the enterprises tending to the welfare of the community, and he has never disappointed those who have thus relied upon him. Mr. Coyner was married, on the 12th of March, 1878, to Miss Celia M., daughter of Nicholas and Nancy (Thompson) Wilson, who were among the earliest pioneers of Livingston County. Mr. Wil- son passed to his long home in 187C; the mother is now living in Forest. Mrs. Coyner was born May 14, 1856, and is now the mother of four chil- dren: Grace M., who was born Dec. 21, 1878; Walter Lee, April 25, 1881; Lewis C., May 21, 1884, and Theodora, Nov. 5, 1887. The two eld- est are just commencing their education in the dis- trict school. ENRY SIEDENTOP, one of the leading ag- riculturists of Livingston County, and also identified with her industrial interests, owns and operates a good farm on section 1, Sun- bury Township. He also owns a farm in Nevada Township, and is carrying on a brick-kiln and tile factory, which is patronized by a large proportion of the people around him. He came to this county in what might properly be called its pioneer days, and has contributed in no small degree to its ad- vancement and prosperity. He is regarded by Ins neighbors and fellow-townsmen as a fine represent- ative of the prosperous German citizen who pur- sues the even tenor of his way, attending to his own concerns, and as a consequence is abundantly pros- pered. Mr. .Siedentop was born in the Province of Han- over, Germany, April 20, 1844, and comes of a race of people who for generations have been largely en- gaged in agricultural pursuits. His father, Henry Siedentop, was born in Hrunswick. Hanover, where his grandfather operated a farm and spent his en- tire life. When a young man. Henry entered the army and served the required time, then returninij to the rural districts he resumed the tilling of the soil until his death, which occurred in l.si;ys- tem of his native country he was placed under in- struction at an early age and was kept at his books quite steadily until fourteen years of age. when he assisted his father on the farm and remained under the home roof until 1802. Then, a youth of eight- een, he embarked alone for the United States, taking ship at Bremen and landing in New York City. He arrived upon American shores worse than penniless, for he had borrowed the money with which to pay his passage. He came directly to LaSalle County, 111., and was employed by a farmer who owned land near the present site of the town of Streator. It was then but the beginning of a village and our hero for his services received $10 per month. He made it his first business to repay the money which he had borrowed, and after work- ing for other people about three years engaged in tanning for himself on rented land. Five years later, in 18G8, he purchased the land included in his present homestead, and one year afterward settled upon it. There was at the time but one small frame building which might better be named a shanty than a house. He made the best of circumstances, however, and moved into it with his little family. The}' occupied this dwelling one week, and then Mr. S. began the structure which has now grown into a large and commodious frame residence, lin- ished and furnished in modern style. He has, be- sides, a good barn and all other necessary out- buildings, a fair supply of farm machinery, and a good assortment of live stock. On another page of this ALBUM may be seen" a view of Mr. Sicdentop's residence with its surroundings. Mr. Siedentop put up his buildings and com- menced the manufacture of tile and brick in IM.s:',. He has two large kilns and a commodious dry house. and turns out annually about -SS.IIDII worth. The product i- of superior quality, and the manufactory t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1121 is a great convenience to the citizens of Sunbury and adjacent townships. Mr. S. has added to his landed interests and now has 278 acres of some of the finest farming land in Central Illinois. Our subject while a resident of Streator, 111., was married, Oct. 2, 1 866, to Miss Elizabeth Bencken- dorf, a native of his own Province and born March 28, 1848. Her parents, Frederick and Reka (Messel) Benckendorf, were also natives of Hanover and are now living near Streator. The children of Mr. and Mrs. S. were named respectively: Henry, Frederick, Lizzie. Willie, Einina, Alberd, Lena and Emile. The elder ones are making themselves useful about the homestead and the younger are pursuing their education at the district school. Mr. Sieden- top is a gentleman of more than ordinary intelli- gence and business capacity, and upon becoming a voter identified himself with the Republican party, whose principles he has since uniformly supported at the polls. He and his estimable wife are mem- bers in good standing of the German Methodist Church. EDWIN O. CHAPMAN, the agent of the Chicago & Alton Railroad at Cayuga, was born in Lancaster, England, May 14, 1835, and was the second child born to Walter Walker and Hannah (Buckley) Chapman, natives of En- gland. He came to America with his parents at the age of fourteen years. They sailed from Liver- pool on the " Blanchard," under command of Capt. Blanchard, in 1848. After being tossed on a stormy sea for six weeks and four days, during which time the vessel lost her mainmast, and came very near foundering, they landed in New York Harbor. Mr. Chapman's sunny disposition, and his songs and jokes, made him the boy favorite of the crew, and he lived among the sailors all the way across. Mr. Chapman's parents came to Kendall County, 111., where they had friends. Soon after, leaving their two boys at Lisbon, they went to Morris, Grundy County, where the mother opened a mil- linery store and the father engaged in gardening. Their children never saw them again, as a few weeks after the terrible cholera scourge swept over the country and they were numbered with its vic- tims. Mr. Chapman is now the only surviving member of the family. At the age of seventeen he bound himself to contractor Foote, of Grundy County, to serve as an apprentice at the carpenter's trade for three years, and with him came to this county in 1855; He worked at this trade for five years, helping to build nearly all the houses in and around Cayuga. In the fall of 1859 Mr. C. and his brother bought some wild land and farmed until 1861, when the pressing need of brave men to defend the Union called him away from all that he had accumulated and bright prospects for the accumulation of more, to face the foe on the field of battle. Aug. 12, 1861, he was mustered into Company C, 39th Illi- nois Infantry, under Capt. Gray, of Rook's Creek Township. They were sent at once to Chicago, and thence to St. Louis, and soon after to Williams- port, Md., where they were joined by Company K, the last to enter the regiment, and which completed its muster and enrollment. It was now October, and they were placed under Gen. Curtiss, of Fremont's command, at St. Louis, Mo. About November the regiment was sent to the East under command of Gen. Ward Lemon, and stationed at Williams- port, Md.. and were introduced to actual service in an artillery skirmish at dam No. 5, about four miles from the station, after which they were placed tinder the command of Gen. Leander, and stationed to guard the Baltimore & Ohio Railway at Alpine Station, Va. The brigade then comprised the 13th Indiana, 39th Illinois, 62d Ohio and 85th Pennsyl- vania. Here Stonewall Jackson found them first at Bath, Va., driving some toward Cumberland, Md., and the rest down the river to Alpine and across the river to Hancock, Md. Company C was placed on the hill near the pike, west of the station, to hold the enemy then approaching on the road from Bath. As Jackson's column arrived near them they were ordered to fire, and doing so, emptied eleven saddles. The company then re- treated to the landing and proceeded to cross the river on the ferry-boat. The boat being very heavy, it ran aground about the middle of the river, and enough of the men waded to the shore to lighten the boat so it could proceed to the other side. As 1 1 -2-2 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. \ :i result of the exposure, Mr. Chapman was taken sick with erysipelas, and lay in that condition for some time, when he was furlonghed thirty days. Mr. Chapman rejoined his comrades at Winchester, and they engaged Stonewall Jackson on the 16th of March. They drove him down the Shenandoah to Newtown, and across the brakes to the Luray Valley. They were then called to Fredericks-burg, reviewed by President Lincoln and placed in Mc- Dowell's command. The next order took them back to the Shcnandoah, to engage Leo and Jack- son. McDowell lingered, and the detachment un- der Shields, in which Mr. Chapman was, reached there three days before he did. Preparations were being made to fortify the month of the valley and de- stroy the three bridges crossing the river. This was the only outlet for the Confederates, the alternative being to abandon everything, even to their guns, and scatter among the mountains; but McDowell refused to allow Shields to do this, and the enemy crossed one of the bridges, fought their way through and attacked McClcllan when he was lying before Richmond. Had McDowell carried out the plan of Gen. Shields the Confederates would never have left the Shenandoah, McC'lcllan would have gone to Richmond, and the war would have closed in 1 S62. The regiment was then sent up the James River to aid McClellan, and captured a battery and 500 prisoners without firing a gun. They were just in time to take part in the battle of Malvern Hill, July 3, after which they fell back and forti- fied Harrison's Landing, and held it until ordered to Yorktown, thence were sent to Hampton Roads. In September they moved t<> Suffolk. Ya., and fort- ified that place. Here the brigade was vciy mate- rially weakened by the 13th Indiana being taken from it. The regiment remained here half the win- ter, and engaged in skirmishing along the Black Wa- ter with detachments of Jackson's forces. January ."> they broke camp, crossed the country to the coast, and shipped from Ilolley's Landing, Ya., to New- bern. N. ('.. arriving there about the middle of the month. Six weeks later they re-shipped at More- head City, N. C., and went to Hilton Head, a.-mall island off the- OOast of South Carolina, where they were reviewed by Gen. Hunter, who was then in command, and re.- ted on their arm> inilil April 2, when they went up to Cole's Island and cros-ed. On the 7th (the fleet having assembled, and every preparation having been made to reduce Ft. Sum- ter) the first gnu in retaliation for our humiliation of two years previous was fired. It was a sight long to be remembered. The fleet commenced fir- ing at 3 P. M. and continued until 5 P. M., when they moved majestically out of the harbor. The monitor " Monotuck" was badly hurt, and on mov- ing out in rough water sank about one mile from the shore off Morris Island. Contrary to the ex- pectations of the land forces, the fleet did not re- new operations, but some time afterward returned to Edistoe Inlet for repairs, leaving the regi- ment to which Mr. Chapman belonged on the north point of Folly Island. Here it (>as$ed a >eason of inactivity until some time in June. The rebel blockade runner, " Ruby," being chased by the fleet, was run aground at the mouth of a small inlet be- tween Folly and Morris Islands. She was loaded with cotton fabrics and silks, and was a very valu- able prize. The strife to gain possession of the cargo of this vessel caused a rupture between the Union and rebel forces, which ended in our being obliged to fortify ourselves, and ultimately forced on the siege of Fts. Wagner and Gregg. On July 18 the charge on the above forts took place, which was unsuccessful, and fully showed the strength of the rebel forces. From this time the fighting set- tled down to a siege. In the siege of Charleston, during the month of August, the famous "Swamp Angel" burst in tiring the eighteenth shot. On the 7th of September the Union forces had worked up close to the forts, and the rebel forces evacuat- ing about '2 A. M. of that day, we had possession of the entire island by daylight. One of the mon- itors coining in to inspect the obstructions of the harbor, which were anchored at the extreme north end of the Wand, was left aground by the falling tide, upon which the entire fleet came in to engage the rebel forts so a.- to protect the monitor. The regiment to which Mr. Chapman belonged returned to Folly Island October 2S, and thence to Hilton Head, where the veterans re-enli.-ted, and re- turned home on a furlough for sixty days; Mr. Chapman remained on the island at Braddock's Point. On its return the regiment. wa> placed nn- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 11-2:5 der Butler's command and moved to Hampton Roads, where the detachment to which Mr. Chap- man belonged joined it on the 1st of May. They then moved on transports up the James River to City Point, and went forward toward Richmond, coining in sight of Manchester May !.">, while Grant was fighting in the Wilderness. Here they lay un- til the 16th, formed in a semi-circle, when they were attacked on the right and defeated all along the line until the extreme left was readied, where the regiment to which Mr. Chapman belonged held its position at fearful cost, losing- nearly 400 men. Every commissioned otlicer ou the field was lost. Butler then re-organized the troops and aided Grant to cross the James River, hemming Lee in at Pe- tersburg by fortifying from the James to the Ap- pomattox in front of Weir Bottom Church, where, on the 20th of May, occurred the memorable charge and capture of Walker. On the 12th of August the regiment crossed the James River to Deep Run, and on the 15th attacked the rebels there, but were defeated with terrible loss. Mr. Chapman's time expired the day they crossed the river, and he ap- plied for his discharge. Before it came he engaged in the battle of Deep Bottom, and was wounded in the left leg. He had received a wound in the cheek and one in the foot when before Richmond in May, but neither of these wounds disabled him from serv- ice. From the beginning to the end of his service he never was known to shrink when duty called him to action. He enlisted as a private, was promoted to Corporal, and then to Sergeant, for his braver}-, and after heroic service at Charleston, was tendered a commission, which he modestly declined. He was discharged on the llth of September, 1864, having served for three years and one month, and battle-worn and weary he returned to his home in Livingston County, where he began work at his trade and on the farm. On the 16th of September, 1866, Mr. Chapman married Miss Mary J. Thompson, who was born in Edenton, Ohio, on the 4th of February, 1843. She was the second child in a family of three born to James and Alice (Harris) Thompson, who were natives of Ohio, and settlers in Illinois in 1800. Mr. Chapman farmed until the fall of 1872, when he was appointed agent of the Chicago A. f Alton Railway at Cayugn, which position he has held up to the present time. In December of the same year he was made Postmaster, and filled that office with credit until May 1, 1886. He was a member of the School Board twelve years, and served as Road Commissioner three years. In 187f>, realizing the need of a telegraph station at Cayuga, he provided himself with a battery and instrument, and by dint of hard study and close application, fitted himself and daughter, nine years of age, for the work. Without an instructor, never having seen the work- ings of a telegraph office, and past forty-two years of age, he was ready within six months for active work, and in May, 1876, the office was established, and is now one of the most important along the line. Our subject and his amiable wife became the par- ents of six children Agnes, George, Emily, Mary, Edwin and Cora. Agnes married J. H. Cosgrove, who was Station Agent at Odell; George died in childhood, and Kmily in infancy ; Mary, Edwin and Cora are attending school, it being the ambition of their parents to educate all their children well. Mr. Chapman is the owner of a comfortable home in the village, and has a good farm near by. He takes an active part in political matters, and votes and works with the Republican party. IIARLES II. CRANDALL, engaged in build- ing and contracting in the town of Dwight, ^fj was born in the city of Providence, R. I., Aug. 12, 1831. His ancestry dates to the landing of the Pilgrims in 1620, and on his mother's side tt> Gov. Winslow. Charles Crandall, the grand- father of the subject of our sketch, came from En- gland with his two brothers when a young man, be- fore the battle of Bunker Hill had been fought, and settling at Greenwich, R. I., kept the tavern at that place at the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Gen. Putnam was a guest at the hotel over night and offered Mr. Crandall a commission as Captain in the Continental arm}'. Mr. Crandall was a pa- triot, and immediately accepting the proposition, raised a company at Marblehead, Moss., which lie t f. t 1124 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. commanded at the battle of Hunker Hill. The patriotism of the Continental soldiers is well illus- trated by the fact that part of Capt. Crandall's men were barefooted during much of the time they were in the service. Capt. Crandall served all through the Revolutionary War, and at its close became a merchant at Voluntown, Windham Co., Conn., where he remained until his death. He was paid for his services in the army in Continental money, which he applied to the purchase of a large tract of land at Voluntown. He was a very religious man, and becoming a Baptist minister, built a church himself in which he preached for many years. He was held in great respect, and is remembered to this day by the title of Elder Crandall. Charles C. Crandall. the son of the above, and father of our subject, was born at Voluntown, Conn- He inherited lands from his father, and was a well educated man, teaching school at Fall River, Mass., and Providence, R. I. He married Miss Lucy Winslow, daughter of Capt. Isaac Winslow, of Fall River, Mass.. and they were the parents of six chil- dren, named as follows: Lorenzo, William, Edward, Charles, Celeslina and Joanna. He was a man of strong religious convictions and was a member of the Baptist Church. His death occurred on the 1 4th of February, 1857, at the age of sixty years. He was a kind husband and father, and a man of ster- ling integrity. Charles H. Crandall, our subject, remained with his parents until seventeen years of age, during which time he was given such an education as could be obtained in the common schools of that day. He then left home and began learning the trade of a house joiner, at which he served an apprenticeship of three years. In 1852 he went to California, and worked on the Panama Railroad at $10 per day. The mortality was so great that it is said a man was buried for every tie laid. Mr. Crandall did not remain in this employment long but went to San Francisco, and soon after returned home, where he worked for a time in New York. He went to Cuba at the time of the execution of Gen. Lopaz, the fillibuster, and twenty-five Americans, most of whom were mere boys. Mr. Crandall has been quite a traveler, and among the places in which he has plied his vocation is Savannah. Ga. In 18f>(j Mr. Crandall was married to Miss Amanda, daughter of Daniel and Maria (Austin) Bartholic. of East Greenwich, R. I., who are now residents of Dwight. To Mr. and Mrs. Crandall have been born six children Joanna, Lucy, Carrie, Charles, Oliver and Henry, all of whom are living. In 1858, with his family, Mr. Crandall removed to Dwight, and purchased a lot, on which he built the house in which he still lives. For twenty-three years he was a bridge builder for the Chicago 4, Long Point Township. Charles Moulds is a native of England, where he was born on the 2Hth of April, 1S35, and is the son of John and Sarah (Llowett) Moulds, also natives ! t. ,,11 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. of tli.-it country. The mother died in September, iss;,. jn Livingston County, while the father i.- non- living with his son William. They emigrated to America in Is.V!. ami were accompanied by the subject of this sketch. At the age of twenty-two years Charles Moulds began life on his own account, and his experiences at the beginning were varied and discouraging. His first crop of wheat was a large one, and in due time it was stored in rail pens, lined with straw. The owner of the land, concluding to rid the field of superfluous straw, set it afire. The fire commun- icated to the pens and Mr. Moulds' entire crop was destroyed. The next yetir he began a new en- terprise, and engaged during the season in breaking prairie land, at which he made good wages, but when pay-day came he discovered that the con- tractor for whom he worked had absconded and he received no pay. The next season he again en- gaged in raising wheat, with a fine prospect of an excellent crop, but this time misfortune came in the shape of chinch bug, and entirely destroyed that season's crop. He then went to Indiana, where he engaged for two years as drayman. On the 24th of January, 18(!1, Charles Moulds was married to Miss Martha, a daughter of Fryer and Elizabeth Richardson, who were natives of England, in which country she also was born, on the 4th of February, 1841. To Fryer and Eliza- beth Richardson there were born six children, one iif whom, John, first married Miss Sarah Richardson, and was a second time married, to Miss Annie Mains, who bore him three children, and they re- side in Nebraska Township. Their daughter, Eliza- beth, married Henry Moulds, and to them were born eight children, five of whom are living; they now reside east of 1'ontiac. Thomas, another son, married Miss Mary Ami Farr, and they have sc\cn children. At the time of his marriage the cash capital of our subject consisted of *;>;">. but he went to work with a will, and by economy and close attention to bii-inc-s. ably -cconded by his wife, he has so well succeeded that he is now established on an excel- lent 80-acre farm. All the buildings are of good and substantial quality, and the fields are fenced and cross fenced with both hedge and wire. Every detail about the farm -hows ir I and careful man- agement, and the evidences of thrift are noticeable on every hand. Mr. Moulds, in politics, acts with the Democratic party, but he does not neglect his business affairs on account of politics. He and his family stand well in the esteem of the people who surround them. J. PILLSBURY, of Pontiac, was born in York County, Me., Oct. 21, 1884. In 185, r > <*|? he married Eliza J. Cole, and the same year removed to Illinois, and engaged in farming until April, 1863, when he commenced reading law, and upon being admitted to the bar formed a copart- nership with Samuel L. Fleming, then engaged in the practice at Poutiac, 111. In 1873 he was elected Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, composed of the counties of Livingston, Iroquois and Kanka- kee. This circuit was consolidated with the circuit composed of McLean and Ford Counties in 1877 by the act of the Legislature establishing Appellate Courts for the State. He was then appointed by the Supreme Court one of the Judges of the Ap- pellate Court, and has been three tirms re-appointed and occupies that position. He has been re-elected for the third time Circuit Judge. In 1K70 Mr. Pillsbury was elected a delegate to the constitutional convention which framed and submitted to the people the present constitution of the State. Having been a resident of Livingston Count}- for over thirty years he is regarded as one of the "old settlers," and it is believed lie enjoy - the confidence and respect of the people of the county. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Pillsbury. four of whom still live to love and bless them: Clara A. intermarried with Mr. S. K. Sims, of Pontiac; C. Avis, now Mrs. E. J. Walker, of Kansas City; Louis S. and Dale. i HESTER F. MORRIS. The extensive and valuable farm property of this gentleman is located on section 17, Amity Township, and forms one of the most valuable and well conducted homesteads in the western part of Livingston ,ft o LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 11-29 County. It includes 450 broml acres, "<)() of which has been brought to a high slate of cultivation. The remainder is in pasture and timber, the proprietor being largely engaged in the raising of fine stock. Mr. Mori-is is widely and favorably known as one of the most ciiterpri-ing men and skillful fanners of Central Illinois, and his very example has proved an impetus to his neighbors around him, whose farms, have no doubt been given better care and cultivation than they would otherwise have re- ceived. A view of the residence and its beautiful surroundings is given on another page of this AL- ISUM, to which the reader is referred. Mr. Morris came to this county at a time when it most needed resolute and enterprising men to cultivate the soil and introduce the improvements which were so necessary to its progress and enlight- enment. His early years were spent in Tippecanoe County, Ind., where his birth took place Dec. 12, 1828, at the modest home of his parents, Henry and Mary (Reynolds) Morris. They were natives re- spectively of Virginia and Ohio, whence they re- moved in 1830 to Illinois. The father, however, was not long lived, his death occurring at the age of thirty-nine years, nine months and nine days, on the llth of September, 1843, when his son, Chester F.. was a youth of fifteen years. The father of our subject was a well-educated and intelligent man, a Whig politically, and a prom- inent member of the United Brethren Church, to which the mother also belonged. She remained a widow, surviving her husband over thirty years, and passed away at her home in Livingston County, at the age of sixty-three years, eleven months and twenty-eight days. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Chester F., our subject, was the eldest. Mary R. died Sept. 28, 1843, at the age of thirteen years, seven months and fourteen day.-: Philip died Sept. 29, 1 843, aged twelve years, seven months and twenty -eight days; Andrew en- listed in the Union army at Pontiac. in August, 1861, returned from the service unharmed, and died at his home in Livingston County, Oct. 12, I * 72, at the age of thirty-nine years, ten months and nineteen day-: lie had been married and was the father of one child who is now deceased. Nancv died in IN 13. when about eight years of age. Will- iam H. gave his life to the service of his country, having enlisted in Company F, 33d Illinois Infantry, and died at Iron ton, Mo., Nov. 27, 18G2, aged twenty-two years, nine months and four days. Jo- seph died Sept. 9, 1843, aged ten years, and Ellen, Sept. 19, 1845, aged one year and four days. Our subject came to Illinois in 1836, and was married in Amity Township, this county, June 11, 1857, to Miss Susan Springer, who was born in Ohio. Sept. 17, 1 832, and died at her home in Amity Township, Feb. 13, 1874. Of this union there were born the children whose record is as follows: Henry was born May 8, 1858, and died Sept. 8, 1858; Perry J. was born Sept. 21, 1859, and died April 18, 1879; Scott B. was born Sept. 30, 1860, and died Aug. 18, 1861: Mary was born Oct. 25, 1861, and died Jan. 10, 1862; Rose was born April 4, 18C4, and died Sept. 17, 1878; Joseph was born Nov. 26, 1865: William R., May 20, 1868, and Geneva, Jan. 3, 1870. The present wife of our subject was formerly Mrs. Sarah (Smith) Goddard, and they were mar- ried Jan. 13, 1878. She is the daughter of David and Mary Smith, natives of Ohio, and was born Dec. 8, 1837. Of this union there have been born three children, all of whom are deceased : Chester was born July 19, 1878, and died July 30 follow- ing; May was born Aug. 30, 1881, and died when one year and sixteen days old. William Henry Morris died aged two years andtwelve days. Po- litically Mr. Morris is an uncompromising Demo- crat. ANSON C. POPE, one of the most active anc ' useful citizens of Livingston County, has been identified with its farming interests since his boyhood. He was born in Reading Town- ship, Nov. 14, 1844, and is the son of Joseph and Milln Pope, the former born in North Carolina, Nov. 14, 1807, or about that date. The elder Pope came to Illinois in 1841, bringing with him his wife and three children, and took up his residence in Reading, where he departed this life in 1847. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Nathan- iel Pope, was a native of Scotland, whence he emi- grated at an early day, and settled in the South; his mother's people were of Irish descent. Grand- I 130 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. father Pope reared a large family of children, who in turn married and reared large families of their own. His descendants are now widely scattered, many of them in the South, and most of the re- mainder in the West. To Joseph and Milla (IJrat- ton) Pope there were born five children, of whom but two are living. John, the eldest son, died in Streator, III., when forty years of age; Walter D. was born Dec. 20, 1827, and is now in Streator; Frances was born Jan. 14, 1x30, and is deceased; Rachel died in infancy; Lanson C. of our sketch wa.s the youngest of the family. Joseph Pope was stricken down by the hand of death when a young man, his decease occurring at the family residence in Reading Township, when Lanson C. was but three years old. He had been for some time Justice of the Peace of this town- ship. The family not long afterward came to New- town Township, and thence to Ottawa, LaSalle County. Young Pope remained a member of his mother's household until a youth of eighteen years, when, in 1863, he joined the Union army, enlisting with his brother in the Cogswell Battery of the Inde- pendent Light Artillery, and marching to the scene of conflict, he participated in many of the important battles of the war. In the fight at Nashville, Term., Dec. 15, 1864, our subject with his comrades faced the enemy two days in continuous battle, and dur- ing the first day and night they neither left their guns nor horses. The constant boom of artillery affected Mr. Pope to such an extent that he after- ward became deaf in the right ear. They next met the enemy at Franklin, and kept up a skirmish for several days, giving chase to the rebels, and finally following them until most of the division was either killed or captured. The remaining members of the regiment to which our subject belonged then boarded a steamer which took them to New Orleans, whence they crossed the bay to Dolphin Island, and not long afterward moved upon and captured Span- ish Fort, after an engagement of several days While at Mobile they were greeted with the joyful news of the surrender of Gen. Lee and the balance of the Confederate army, and not long afterward re- ceived their honorable discharge, and were mustered out at Springfield. Mr. Pope upon returning from the army, located first in Ottawa, and in 1870 purcha>ed part of his present farm. He was prosperous as an agricult- urist, and built up from the uncultivated soil a good homestead with suitable buildings lie in- Nested his surplus cash in additional land, and now has 190 acres which has been drained with KOO rods of tile, and upon which he operates largely as a stock-raiser. For this purpose he lias ample stabling room and sheds, and the traveler passing by the place and noting the tasteful dwelling with its sur- roundings invariably turns to look a second time and to make a mental note of the thrift and indus- try of the proprietor; on another page of this work is shown a view of the homestead. Mr. Pope, after the war identified himself with the G. A. R., and in politics may be designated as an independent Demo- crat. Our subject while a resident of Newtown Town- ship, was married in February, 1809, at the home of the bride in Newtown Township, to Miss Diana Lundy, who was born in LaSalle County, Nov. 1 5, 1 837. Her parents, Henry and Polly (Cops) Lundy, were natives of New Jersey and Virginia respect- ively, and are now in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Pope began life together in. Newtown Township, and in due time became the parents of five children: Their eldest daughter, Mary Frances, was born Sept. 7, 1871 ; she has received a fair education and still re- mains under the home roof; John Marion was born Feb. 20, 1873; Erastus C., Nov. 14, 1875; Henry Porter, May 18, 1877; and Jessie Pearl, Aug. 18, 1879. Mrs. Diana Pope departed this life at her home in Newtown Township in February, 1880, mourned by a large circle of friends. Her remains were laid to rest in the Phillips Cemetery in New- town Township. The present wife of our subject was formerly Miss Rachel Dickey, and they were married at Pon- tiac in 1883. Mrs. Pope is the daughter of Isaac and Lucinda (Goff) Dickey, who were natives of Virginia and Ohio respectively, and are now de- ceased. Of her union with our subject there are the following two children: Cora Alice, who was born July 27, 1884, and Gracie Pearl, Jan. 4, I SKI;. Isaac Dickey, the father of Mrs. Pope, was born at Harper's Ferry, Va., Oct. '-', 1812. He left his native State when a young man, and went to Ohio, r f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1131 whore ho was married to Miss Lueinda Goff. SIio was burn in Cincinnati, Feb. 11, 1817, and died in Esmcn Township, May 2, 1881; her husband had served some years as Justice of the Peace, and died in 1865. The record of their children is as fol- lows: Margaret Jane was born in Ohio, Aug. 18, 1849; James Harvey, Feb. 12, 1847; Reason Morse, Nov. 6, 1848; John Andrew, Feb. 19, 1852; Rachel, Mrs. Pope, Aug. 1 7, 1 854 ; Mary Frances, March 31, 1856; Isaac William, June 3, 1861. Walter D. Con- nor, a son of our subject's sister Frances, was reared in the family, with whom lie remained until his mar- riage, about eight years ago, and to whom they be- came much attached ; he is now a resident of Amity Township. HRISTOPHER L. AYGARN. Oftentimes those who come to the United States from foreign countries meet with reverses and sore discouragements for some years after their ar- rival here, but tenaciously following out the course of action adopted at the outset, almost invariably they are finally rewarded with success. Such was the case with our subject, who is a fanner and stock- raiser on section 9, Rook's Creek Township. He is the son of Lars and Martha C. (Helicksou) Aygarn, and was born in Avaldncs Haugesuncl, Norway, on the 4th of September, 1850. He came to this coun- try with an older brother when he was sixteen years of age, landed in Quebec about the 1st of Novem- ber, and reached Chicago on the 21st of that mouth in the year 1866. He went at once to Ottawa, 111., where he arrived on the 23d, and there remained about three years, working by the month during the slimmer in LaSalle County, and boarding jn Liv- ingston County during the winter. He spent the summer of 1870 in Minnesota, and remained there during the following winter, when lie again returned to LaSalle County and worked by the month. Mr. Aygarn was married, on the llth of Feb- ruary, 1f John and Bertha C. (Oakland) Mitchell. After his marriage he rented land in Livingston County, which he farmed for three years, and having saved some money, purchased 160 acres of land in the fall of 1874, on which he now resides. In the three years following his purchase his crops were almost absolute failures, compelling him to allow the land to revert to the original owner, losing the amounts he had already paid. Still believing in the holdfast doctrine, he continued to farm the same land until the year 1886, when he repurchased it. Mr. and Mrs. Aygarn have had six children: Lewis Oliver, born on the 18th of July, 1873; Ber- tha Josephine, on the 3d of August, 1875; John Tobias, born on the 1 3th of October, 1878, and died on the 25th of December. 1878; Martin Gustav Me- lancthon, born Dec. 3, 1879; Harriet Tabitha, Oct. 30, 1882; Christian Thomas Millard, Aug. 4, 1886. Christopher Aygarn is the youngest of a family of thirteen, all of whom grew to years of maturity ex- cepting one ; eight of whom were married, and six are still living. The names of all of them are as follows: Lars, deceased, was married and lived in' Norway, leaving several children in good circum- stances at his death; Anna Christina married in Norway, came to this country, lives in Min- nesota, and has several children; Ellieck came to Illinois and then removed to Minnesota, where he married and has a large family ; Oliver came to Illi- nois, married, and enlisted in the army about 1863; served through the war, receiving a slight wound in the neck, was honorably discharged, and died on the 1st of November, 1870, leaving one child, Lars Aygarn, who lives in Illinois; Katrine was married in Norway, has quite a large family, and is the only one of the children still remaining there; Martha Christina died in Norway ; John, who was in the army three years, and received an honorable dis- charge, is unmarried, and lives in Illinois ; Peter and Matthias were twins, and both grew up to manhood. Upon coming to America, Peter became a, sailor and enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served about eleven years, when he was taken sick and sent to the hospital at Norfolk, Va., where he died <>f numb palsy; Matthias remained on the farm in Norway until he became a man, and then upon emigrating to America, he also concluded to be- come a sailor, and followed the sea until 18<>8, when he went as a sailor on the Lakes. After two years' service he concluded to become an Illinois farmer, and finally in 1883 he went to Dakota, where he took I . i I 1 :;-.' LIVINGSTON COUNTY. a homestead :ui the tenth in a family of thirteen children, five of whom are still living. Three brother* yielded up their lives as a sacrifice upon the altar of their country, having eiili-ted during the late war in an Indiana regiment, bein<>- r taken fatally ill in Kentucky, and died there in the ho.-pital. James, another In-other, enlisted in the 20th Illinois Infantry and succumbed to the ex- posure and hardships of army life; he came home and died soon afterward of typhoid fever; hi.- re- mains were placed in the family biirying-ground on section 22. Daniel enlisted in the 26tli Illinois In- fantry, and escaped comparatively unharmed, liv- ing to return home, and is now a resident of Olatlia, Kan.; Mary Jane became the wife of Francis Davis, of McLean County, and they have one child: Elizabeth, the wife of Newton Kdgington, of John- son County, Kan., is the mother of five children; Ellen married Davenport Welch, now deceased, and lives in Virginia; she has four children. The par- ents were natives respectively of Virginia and Con- necticut, and became residents of Ohio in their childhood. They were married in the Buckeye State. Mr. Durflinger remained under the parental roof until after his parents became residents of this county. He was reared to fanning pursuits, which he has followed all his life, and as opportunity af- forded has improved hij limited education, keeping himself well posted in regard to public matters and taking a genuine interest in the progress and pros- perity of his adopted count}-. He was married rather late in life, after passing his thirty-first birth- day, to Miss Louisa J. Pemberton, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, March :!, 1864. This union has resulted in the birth of four children, namely: Ida Alice, born Feb. 14, 18(!(>; Charles William. May 1, 1870; Abram II., March 12, 1878, and Ina M., March 12, 1885. Mrs. Durflinger is the daughter of Hiram and Catherine (Hibbs) Pemberton, and was the fifth child in a family of nine, four of whom are de- ceased. Her eldest sister, Anna, was twice married: first to Abram Gamble, by whom she became the mother of three children, and secondly to his brother, Harvey (iambic. Jame.- M. served as a soldier in the I'nion army and was killed in battle at 1'eachtree Creek; I'. Darius i- fanning in Hook's Creek Township; Alson Parker. Martha Josephine: St.ansbury Cannon died about l^G'J: Aaron Alvah is farming in Rook'.- Creek Township, ' and Hiram Camdon is a roident of St. Louis. Mo. y f . RESIDENCE or-hN. BARR SEC. 17. ESMEN TOWNSHIP. RES\ DENCE or GEO.W. BROOKS, SEC. 32. SULLIVAN TOWNSHIP. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 11 35 GEORGE W. BROOKS is one of the best known stock -raisers in Livingston County, and has one of tlie best arranged and highly cultivated farms in Sullivan Township, located mi section 32. He was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., Fcli. 20. IS III, and was the youngest child in a family of three born to his parents, Richard and Mary (Daniels) Brooks, both of whom were natives of Kngland. The paternal grandparents were George and Susan (Blinco) Brooks, natives of En- gland, and the maternal grandparents were Benja- min and Mary (Williams) Daniels, who were Welsh by birth. The father of our .subject was born in England on the Oth of November, 1824, and was married there in 1844. They came to this country in 1841J, a short time before our subject was born, and set- tled in the city of Brooklyn, whence they removed to I'oughkeepsie, where Mr. Brooks, the elder, had charge of an engine at the iron works, and held that responsible position some seven years. In 185C he migrated to LaSalle Count}', 111., where he lived until 1809. The father in the spring of that year came to this county and purchased 100 acres of wild prairie oil section 32. Sullivan Township, where our subject now resides. The parents died within nine weeks of each other; the date of the father's death was April?, 1884, and that of the mother's Feb. 5, 1884. George W. remained at home and assisted in improving the farm, re- ceiving his education at the Christian Brothers' Academy in LaSalle County, 111., from which he graduated with honors in the spring of 1800. On the 27th of March, 1872, at Saunemin, Mr. Brooks was married to Annie A. Gray, who was born Feb. 22, 1852, in Deer Park Township, La- Salle Co., 111. She is the daughter of Aimer and Mercy E. (Pratt) Gray, and was the second in a family of seven children, five of whom are living; in Livingston County and one in Kan-a-. Mr. and .Mr,-. Brooks are the parents of four children, whose names are Marietta, Fannie Maria: Katie Mabel, who died at (he age of twenty month-, and Rich- ard Aimer. The farm on which our subject resides, by the addition of a piece now and then, has increased un- til it now comprise.- .">00 acres of most excellent laud, the greater portion of which is under a high state of cultivation, 200 acres being set aside for pasture ground. The residence is a model build- ing, and on the home farm there are three good barns. The farm is stocked with high-grade Norman horses, to the number of forty-five, including two fine thoroughbred stallions. lie has also fine herds of graded Short-horn and Hereford cattle, and droves of Poland-China hogs. Mr. Brooks is act- ive in political matters, and is a strong partisan of the Republican party. He has held a number of the township offices, including that of School Trustee for ten years. School Director for two years and Township Clerk for three years. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks have made themselves popular with the people who surround them, and delight to engage in such good works as will ameliorate the condition of their neighbors. As representative of the progress made in the style of architecture of the buildings of this section of country, we present on another page of this ALBUM a view of Mr. Brooks' residence. LISTED BROS., gentlemen widely and favor- ably known throughout Amity Township, have been farming together for the last seven years, and are now principally en- gaged in stock-raising. They have a fine tract of land located on section 20, 2G5 acres in extent, which is provided with a good dwelling and suita- ble out-buildings for the carrying on of their chosen calling. Samuel N. Husted, the elder of the above firm. was born in Franklin County, Ind., and is the son of William and Rachel Husted, natives of New Jer- sey. The parental household included -even chil- dren. The father was a farmer by occupation, and a reputable and worth}' citizen. He and his excel- lent wife are now residing in Cornell. Husted Bros, were reared in Indiana, and Sam- uel N. after reaching his majority, was united in marriage with Martha Iloltcn, daughter of James Wilson, the wedding taking place at the home of the bride, Dec. 2."), 1807. Their first home was in Esiiicn Township. They became the parents of 1 1 30 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. seven children, six now living, namely: Charles S.. William J., Raymond ()., David Earl, Mabel 11. and Edna C. Albert S. died in 18711, when ten yours of age. The mother of these children, after l>i'iii; the faithful wife and helpmeet of our subject for a period of nearly twenty years, died very sud- denly with congestive chills on the 7th of May, 1887. Her remains were laid to rest in the ceme- tery at Cornell, and her name is held in kindly re- membrance by her mourning family and a large circle of friends. David M. H ustd was born Sept. 27, 1854, in Putnam County, 111., and like his brother, assisted in the labors of the homestead as soon as old enough to make, himself useful. He was educated in the district school, and in the spring of 1880 was united in marriage with Miss Clara A., daughter of William J. and Sarah (Wilson) Reeves. The brothers are industrious and enterprising citizens, skillful and progressive farmers, and in all respects valuable factors in a community noted for its pros- perous and intelligent people. The children of William and Rachel Husted arc recorded as follows: Hannah M. became the wife of H. B. Sheppard, of Chatsworth, and is the mother of seven children ; Caroline is the wife of D. G. Campbell, of Streator, and the mother of seven children, six now living; Mr. C. is a Station Agent for C. cape of that region. A view of the homestead is shown elsewhere in this work. His property includes 010 acres of valuable land, located near the town limits of Dwight, which he inherited from the estate of his father. The latter, Robert Davis by name, wa- a descendant of substantial Welsh ancestry, and was born in the northern part of the principality where several generation:* had come and gone, and were chiefly distinguished for their quiet and unobtrusive lives, and their quali- ties as correct and law-abiding citizens. Robert Davis crossed the Atlantic when a young man, and took up his residence in Pike County. Ohio, with his two brothers, Thomas L. and Richard, who accompanied him. Thomas L. finally drifted into Peoria, this State, where he engaged in rectify- ing whisky, and became wealthy. Richard occupied himself as a boatman on the Illinois River, and died young. Robert, who had learned the cooper's trade, finally came to Lacon, Marshall County, arriving here with only seventy-five cents in his pocket, but soon afterward secured employment, and after years of plodding industry invested the capital which he had accumulated in a stock of groceries. He was engaged in trade a few years, then began speculating in lands, and soon found himself on the wave of prosperity, which finally led him on to fort- une. At the time of his death he was worth at least $300,000, and this remarkable accumulation, from such a humble beginning, was the re.-ult solely of his own industry and perseverance. Robert Davis, besides distinguishing himself as a very sagacious business man, had great respect for his word, which the people around him soon found was as good as his bond. He had a thorough con- tempt for the irresponsible man, and required those who dealt witli him to be prompt in meeting their obligations and engagements, or to furnish some good reason for their dereliction. He was one of the most zealous members of the Republican party, but was no office-seeker, preferring to give his time and attention to his own affairs. He had been reared piously, and in religious view> adhered to the doctrines of the Episcopal Church. His death took place at his home in Texas, in the spring of 1870, after he had reached the age of sixty-four years. His only sister, Margaret, is the wife of 1-M ward Jones, of Henry, Marshall County, and the mother of four sons: Edwin, who died young: Charles R., a banker: Robert and Thomas, all resi- dents of Henry. The mother of our subject was. in her girlhood. Mi>s Margaret, daughter of lien jam in F. and Hannah f. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1137 E. Goodwin, of Wheeling, W. Va. This lady died at her home in West Virginia when her only child, William G.. our subject, was but two weeks old. The father subsequently married Miss Sarah M., ' daughter of Dr. Fetter, of Magnolia, and they be- came the parents of four children, viz: Helen V., who married Sunnier Clark, of Peoria, and is now ! deceased; Maria E., Lora F., and Frederick, who died when a boy. William G. Davis was born at Lacon, Marshall Co., III., Dec. 29, 1848, and received a common- school education, while at the same time being reared to farming pursuits. He was an ambitious boy, however, with decided views of his own, and when eleven years of age engaged as a cabin-boy and "texas tender" on a steamboat on the Ohio River, which occupation he followed four years, and experienced many hardships. He then decided, like the Prodigal Son, to return to his father's house, and like him was received with open arms. From this time on he labored at the homestead until 1X7<>, when he was married to Miss Drnsilla M., daughter of Edwin and Hattie Simpson, of Magnolia. After marriage our subject and his young wife located on a farm near Henry, 111., where, however, the}^ only remained a short time, and lived in dif- ferent places until 1879, when they took possession of their present property. Mr. Davis in the mean- time took one more trip on the Ohio River, as a re- minder of the old times. Life, since that day, flowed on comparatively uneventfully until our sub- , ject met with his first great affliction in the death of the faithful wife, which took place in the spring of 1887. Mrs. Davis was a lady greatly beloved by her family and friends, and possessed those womanly virtues by which she exerted a go. ,.1 influence upon all around her. She was kindly in ail her wa\>, hospitable and charitable, and a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She died with full faith in the Christian redemption, and met the last enemy with that calm- ness and fortitude which had chacterized her through all the vicissitudes of life. The household of our subject is now presided over by his niece, Miss Nel- lie Matthiason. daughter of Peter B. and Florence S. Simpson, of Magnolia. This lady is highly in- telligent and well educated, being a graduate of Jacksonville Female Seminary. Mr. Davis, politically, is like his father before him, a stanch Republican, and in his management of the important interests which he now represents, and the large property which he owns and controls, has evidently inherited a large proportion of the good judgment and energy which proved the secret of his father's success in life, and made of him one of the most important factors in the business and agricultural interests of Illinois. LEXANDER SINCLAIR. It can truth- fully be said that Illinois is in advance of her sister States in the matter of agricult- ure and stock-raising, as the statistics from all sources will amply prove. Her soil is not ma- terially different from that of Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin, and the reason cannot be placed to that account. But there must be a reason some- where, and it seems to lie in the people themselves. Pennsylvania has planted her sons compactly in many sections of the State, and wherever they are the country has been made to blossom as the rose. It is largely due to the sturdy Pennsylvaniaiis who settled in Illinois during the infancy of the State, and later, that her position as a grain-growing and a stock-raising State has been attained. In this connection it is pertinent to state that the subject of this sketch, who is a farmer and stock- raiser on section 19, Esmen Township, was born in the Keystone State, Cambria County, on the 24th of August, 1839. He is the third child in a family of four born to Gordon and Barbara (Hosea) Sin- clair, who were natives of Scotland, and emigrated to Pennsylvania, arriving there in the fall of 18:il. They came from Aberdeen, near where they were both born, and where they were married. The pa- ternal grandfather was al>o named Gordon, and the maternal grandparents were John and Margaret (McGregor) Ilosea, who were also natives of Scot- land. They emigrated to America in 1831, and the grandmother died during the ocean voyage: the grandfather spent his declining years in America. The father of Mr. Sinclair followed his trade of a I i 1138 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. harness-maker until lie came to America, when he settled in Minister, Cambria Co., PH., ami followed the same occupation about six years. lie then bought eighty acres of land and began life as a fanner in 1838, which occupation he followed until his death, June 7, 1862. He was an earnest Chris- tian, and a zealous member of the Presbyterian Church all his life; his excellent wife died on the llth of November, 1881, in Michigan, where she was residing with her children. Mr. Sinclair was reared as a farmer boy, and re- ceived what education the common schools afforded until he was twenty-two years of age, when he en- tered an academy for the purpose of securing a higher education ; but the death of his father called him home, and he then took charge of the farm. His younger brother, Gordon, had entered the Union army, and Alexander was the oiil3' one upon whom the home interests could devolve, and he managed affairs for two years. On the -2(1 of July, 18G4, Mr. Sinclair married Margaret Griffith, who was born in Wales on the .~>th of November, 183."). and was the youngest child in a family of eight boys and seven girls born to Evan and Sarah (Davis) Griffith, who were natives of Wales. They came to America about 1839, and after living five years in Indiana County, Pa., they bought a farm in Cambria County, where the father died on the 9th of January, 18C1, and the mother in September, 18G2. Their parents were John and Catherine Griffith, and Daniel and Sarah Davis, all natives of Wales. Alexander Sinclair settled on the home farm in Cambria County, where he remained five years, then removed to the town of Evansburg, in order to lie near good physicians who might treat his wife's eyes, which had begun to fail. They remained there one year and then moved to Van Buren County, Mich., where he teamed at a sawmill .-ix years, and then coming to Livingston County, in the fall of 1S7(), he settled on land belonging to Mix Sinclair's brother. Four years later he bought 320 acres of improved land on section l!i, where lie erected im- provements and lias re.-ided ever since. Mi's. Sin- clair never recovered her Mght, and has been totally blind for the past sixteen years. She is the mother ol' live children, all of whom are living and unmar- ried: Barbara 10. was born July 111, 1 Si!.") ; Robert Gordon, Oct. 29, IKOC,; Evan I',.. .May II. 18011; Mary F., Feb. 11, 1871, and Erwin A., May :>, 1880, Mr. Sinclair is now Road Commissioner, and lias served as School Director ever since he settled in the county. He takes no very active part in politics, but votes with the Republican party, and is not in- different to its successes. lie is an enthusiastic stock-raiser, and has a decided partiality for Nor- man and Hambletonian horses, Durham cattle and Poland-China hogs. On an adjoining page of this volume is shown a view of Mr. Sinclair's residence together with its surroundings. ETER J. NEWHALFEN, a native of the Province of Cologne, Prussia, emigrated to America when a youth of nineteen years, and since that time has adapted himself t< > the institutions of his adopted country, while at the same time he has been industriously engaged in tilling her soil and endeavoring to become a useful and respected member of society. In his laudable efforts he has succeeded well, and by his industry has acquired a comfortable property consisting of eighty acres of land under a good state of cultiva- tion and supplied with excellent buildings. He has been favored with a good physical constitution, and has strictly observed that most important fac- tor to a man who would be successful and well thought of, namely, honesty, and a careful conscien- tiousness in the transaction of bu?ine>-. As the re- sult of these qualities, he enjoys the kindly regard of his neighbors, and is esteemed as a valued fac- tor among the property owner> of Saiinemin Town- ship. Our subject was born Oct. 17, 1835, and is the son of Peter W. and Regine (Schuste) Newhalfen, who were also of German birth and parentage. In common with the youth of his native land, lie re- ceived a good education in the German tongue, and continued near the place of his birth until the sum- mer of 1*,)4, when, accompanied by his parent >. lie took passage on a sailing-vessel at Antwerp, and after an ocean voyage of >i\ week>. landed in New RESIDENCE OF HENRY FRANCIS, ODELL, ILLS. PROPERTY OF TRWIN G Rl F F ITH . SEC. 28 RESIDENCE. OF ALEXANDER 51 N CLAIR ,5EC.13,E5MEN TP. r. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1141 York City and came directly to this State. They located in LaSalle County where they made their home, and where the mother died about 1874. Peter J. employed himself at whatever he could find to do, being mostly engaged in farming, and about 1804 came to this county, taking up his abode in Saunemin Township, of which he has since been a resident. He had been trained to hab- its of industiy and economy, and as soon as possi- ble began to save something from his rather limited earnings, which he in due time invested in the land which constitutes his present homestead. Here his course has been marked by the true German per- sistence of his ancestry, and he has added little by little to the value of his property, until it bears fair comparison with that of other intelligent farmers around him. Some time after coming to this count}' Mr. Newhalfen made the acquaintance of Miss Eliza- beth Eisfield, one of his own countrywomen, and they were married on the .")th of February, 1873, at the home of the bride in LaSalle County. Mrs. N. was born in the Province of Hessen in 1841, and by her union with our subject has become the mother of four children: Henry \V., who was born Oct. 22, 1873; Augustus E., Dee. !), 1876; Freder- ick, Feb. 20, 1879, and Grover C., Aug. 9, 18*3. The name of this last child quite satisfactorily in- dicates the politics of its father, although Mr. N. usually votes independently and for the men whom he considers best qualified for office. It. WILLIAM L. ItABE. a practicing phy- sican of thirty years' standing, traces the main points in an interesting career as fol- lows. The family originated in Germany, and was first represented in this country by the pater- nal grand lather of our subject, Jacob Rabe, who left the Fatherland previous to the War of 1812, when he was a young man. His ancestors had for many generations been widely known throughout Prussia, where two of his brothers were publishers at Berlin. Jacob Itabe upon coming to America settled on a tract of land near what was then the unimportant little town of Monongahela, Pa., where he engaged in fanning, married.; rind became the father of three sons. He subsequently arrayed himself on the side of the Colonists in their struggle for liberty, and also fought in the War of 1812. As the result of temperance and other good habits, he lived to the patriarchal age of one hundred and three years, and preserved his mental and physical strength to a re- markable degree. He was noted for his industry and integrity, and whether at home or among his neighbors preserved that equanimity of temper and well-bred manner which at once singled him out as a gentleman by birth and breeding. The celebrated opera singers, the Itabe sisters, were offshoots of this family, and were widely known throughout, Europe, where they made a fortune by their talent. They were offered 120,000 to fill an engagement in this country, but declined to cross the water. Many other members of the family were distinguished for their musical talent. John Itabe, the father of our subject, was born on the old homestead near Monongahela, Pa., where he pursued his early studies, and developed into'a school-teacher. Upon reaching manhood he was married to Miss Elizabeth Luce, a native of his own State, and this union resulted in the birth of the children recorded as follows : Melesendra became the wife of Dr. Henry Morrison, of Pittsburgh; Amanda married Samuel A. Frederick, of Ohio; Maria died at the age of sixteen years; Hiram is a capitalist at Clyde, Ohio; John is 'i physician of Monongahela, Pa., and William L. is our subject. In 1820 John Itabe removed with his family to Jefferson County, Ohio, and purchased a form, upon which he located and spent the remainder of his life, his death taking place about 1872. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and was at once recognized as a valuable addition to the community. He was prominent in the membership of the Pres- byterian Church, and held the various township offices. Upon becoming a voter he had identified himself with the old Whig party, but upon its abandonment cordially endorsed Republican princi- ples, and sought to wield a healthy influence over his children, to whom he gave a liberal education and encouraged them in the exercise of those vir- tues by which they became valued and reputable citizens. Dr. William L. Kabe was born on the old home- 11 12 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. .stead of his parents in Ohio, May 8, 1839, where he passed his early life and became familiar with farm pursuits. At the same time he was being carefully edurati'd, ami filtered Richmond College at an early age, after the removal of the family to Ohio. Upon being graduated from this institution he attended Washington College, in his native .State, and taking up the study of medicine, completed his course in Cleveland Medical College, Ohio, from which he received his diploma. He opened his first ollice at Wellsvilk 1 , in that State, where he practiced four years, and subsequent!}' became President of Richmond College. After coming to the West he took up the study of theology in the McCormick Theological Seminary at Chicago. He did not by any means, however, abandon his first profession, but in order to still further progress in the science of med- icine, in 1866 took a course at Rush Medical Col- lege, which conferred upon him a diploma and an honorary degree. In 1 !S67 he became pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Bloomington, where he continued for a period of eight years. He then removed to Dwight, where he officiated as pastor of the Union Church seven years, after which he re- turned to, and has since followed his old profession, of physician and surgeon. During the late war Dr. Rabe, true to the patriotic instincts which had descended to him from a race of men distinguished by their love of freedom, raised two companies of infantry and prepared to defend the city of Steuben- ville, Ohio, from the threatened raid of the rebel General, Morgan. During the conflict there he acted as Assistant Surgeon, was under fire, and experi- enced a very narrow escape. He witnessed the capture of Morgan and attended professionally to twenty men wounded by sabre cuts. lie is con- servative in politics, and meddles little with matters outside of his profession. Dr. Rabe, while a resident of Bloomington, was united in marriage with Miss Kninia Clay Temple, daughter of William II. and Elizabeth (Park) Tem- ple, of Bloominglon. Of this union there are four bright children, namely: Mildred T., who was born July 17, ISO*; William L., Oct. s. |si;:i ; Clarence P., Jan. 10. 1872, and Lucy K.. Jan. 21, 1 s74. all remaining at home with their parents. Miss Mil- dred Rabe has received a musical education and evinces decided talent in this direction, having siin^ in public with great success, while her brother. Clarence, seems strongly inclined to the same. .Mrs. Rabe, on her mother's side, is descended from the Park-Custis'family, to whom the wife of Wash- ington was closely related. The following extract is taken from the lecture. "A Doctor's Rambling Thoughts," delivered by Dr. Rabe before the Medical Association held at Ottawa, 111., Dec. 6, 1887. ' Gentlemen, our mission is to conserve the truth; remember, " truth is mighty and will prevail." And when the great assemblage of the renowned inedieal men of the whole world the greatest medical con- vention, as I conceive, ever convened or presided over by a citizen of Illinois or any citizen of any State, laud or country when they, in their wisdom, admitted none but regular rational physicians to their deliberations, they gave a stunning, fatal blow- to deception, fraud and quackery in our own and other lands. Let fashion be fashionable, but when you are called to the bedside of a sick man. think without reserve, what is the very best thing I can give or do for this, my patient; if very sick get the best counsel you can. But wise as we may be. walking vocabularies of medical knowlege. long experienced, why don't we cure more of the sick? Why do so manj' die ? Or will any of you answer or tell satisfactorily why or what is a pain? " Now, gentlemen of the Medical Association, in fine a correct diagnosis is ne plus ultra: a prognosis is of far less vital character. Nature's wants in health are few and simple. We can consider as we please or wish, make them great. So likewise in disease, few remedies are absolutely needed, it is the best we want." PERRY, who own? :!.'(i a. -ITS ol land located on section 7, Amity Township, was born in Pontiac Township on the 1 ;">th of March, 1*43, and is the sun of Sylvester and Jane (Campbell) Perry, who were natives of Ohio, and came to Illinois in 1 ;!:!. locating in Pon- tiac Township. The father was a strong Democrat; the mother was an ardent member of the Christian t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1143 Church. To them were born four children : The subject of tliis sketch and his sister Mary Jane, who were twins, the latter dying when she was about two 3' oars old ; Thomas C'., who grew to manhood and enlisted in Coin pan j' F, 33d Illinois Infantry, and died of flux at Vicksburg, Miss., Sept. 27, 1 865, after having served eighteen months in the army: and Eleanor, who was born March 30, 1848, and married David Morris; they have seven children, and live in Nebraska. Mr. Perry received a good common-school edu- cation and also attended a six-months term at the Jennings Seminary in Aurora, 111. In 18(52, at the age of nineteen, he enlisted in Company G, 129th Illinois Infantry, with which he served three years, being discharged on the 27th of July, 1865. Dur- ing the time he was in the army he participated in the battles of Resacaand Burnt Woods, Ga., and in the slaughter of Pine Mountains, a southern branch of the Keniiesaw Mountains, in which he re- ceived a gunshot wound, the ball entering the small of the back, taking a downward course and coming out through the left hip. This wound was so severe that he had to be removed to the hospital at Nashville, Teun., and from there to the Marine Hospital at Chicago, where he remained about one year, and was then discharged from the service on account of his wound. For this disability he now receives 14 per month from the Government. On the 12th of May, 1867, Mr. Perry was married to Almina L., daughter of William and Matilda (Mills) McVay, who were natives of Greene County, Pa., and devoted members of the Christian Church. '(See sketch of William McVay elsewhere in this work.) Mr. Mills was a strong Democrat in his political convictions and used all his influence for the perpetuity of that party. He is now dead and his wife survives him. To them were born nine children Almina L., Isabella U., Albert. Eli F., Ida T., Joseph, Ira. Perry D. and Willis D. Soon after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Perry, in 1867, moved upon the farm they now occupy, on section 7, which comprises 320 acres of fine farm and pasture land, watered by Mole Creek, and on which there is ample provision to protect the stock from the heat of the summer, and the blasts of win- ter. They also have an orchard of three acres comprising the finest varieties of fruit, while the general improvements of the farm denote good management at the hands of the owner. On another page is shown a view of this beautiful homestead. To Mr. and Mrs. Perry have been born nine chil- dren, all of whom are living at home, as follows: Willie S. was born May 3, 1868; Elmer T., Jan. 28,1870; Nellie B., Nov. 30, 1871; Joseph A., Oct. 21, 1873; Pearl M., Oct. 23, 1875: lidna M., Jan. 10, 1878; Walter V., Nov. 26, 1880; Alfonza L., Feb. 19, 1883, and Winifred A., June 3, 1885. All these children enjoy exceptionally good health, and theirs may be termed in the fullest sense of the word a happy family. Mr. Perry is a leading Comrade in the Grand Army Post in Cornell, and is regular in his- attendance upon the meetings. j&ILLIAM RIDINGER, a highly respected citizen of Sannemin, owns and occupies a comfortable homestead on section 32, where he is successfully engaged in farming and stock- raising. He is a native of the State of Indiana, and was born in Warren County on the 29th of February, 1832. He is the son of John and Elizabeth Ridin- ger, both of whom were natives of Ohio. His paternal ancestors were of German descent, and were early settlers in this country. In about 1846 our subject accompanied his parents when they came from Indiana to this county. Upon their arrival they settled for a short time in Avoca Township, and thence removed to Saunemin Township, where they made a permanent residence. There the father died in November, 1880, and the mother now resides on section 33. There were born to them thirteen children, of whom the following survive: William of our sketch; Mary J., the wife of George Yeagley; Eliza, the wife of A. Johnson, of Saunemin; Alfred, who lives near Saunemin, and married Eliza Lord ; John, who married Ellen Lee, and now resides in the State of Nebraska ; Martha, the wife of Russell Thornton, of Minnesota; Sarah E., the wife of James K. P. Ycaglcy, of Nebraska; Nicholas P., who is living south of Fairbury, ami married Mary Rhodes, and it 11-14 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Charles, who is single and :it home. The mother of these children is in her seventy-fifth year, and is physically hale and hearty and with mental facul- ties unimpaired. The parents were among the lirsl pioneers of Livingston County, and the father was one of the first men to serve upon a jury in the county, lie endured the usual hardships which fell to the pioneer settler and became widely and favorably known throughout the county. He assisted in rais- ing the frame of the first flonring-mill erected below Pontiac, and he also assisted to build the first bridge at Pontiac. During the cholera epidemic the dis- ease prevailed to an alarming extent at Pontiac. and during this time he gave great assistance to the suf- ferers in the capacity of a nurse. He was a man of generous disposition and philanthropic nature, and during his entire life made it a point to divide what he had with the destitute and needy. William Ridinger, our subject, in many respects possesses the characteristics of his father, and has attained the reputation of an excellent citizen and benevolent gentleman. The greater portion of his life has been spent in Illinois, where he first began the life of a farmer, and in the common schools of the State received such education as the facilities of those days afforded. On the 18th of September, 18oG, Mr. Ridinger was married to Julia M. Hamlin, a native of New York, who was born on the 27th of December, 18.'!S, and is the daughter of Alanson P. and Esther M. (Roberts)llamlin, natives of Vermont. Mrs. Ridin- ger before her marriage taught the first school in the first log school building erected in this township. and the old structure still stands on Mr. Ridinger's farm. To Mr. and Mrs. Ridinger have been born six children, four of whom are living, whose names are: Louisa, who was born Nov. 11, 1857, and is the wife of David Morehart, of Saiincmin ; Alice. who was born July :!1. IS.V.I. and is the wife of William Phillips, of Sauucmin; Emma, who was born Feb. 1.'!, 1X01, and is married to Charles Tan- ner, of Sanneniiii. and Henry, who was born Oct. 27. IXOS.aiid rc.-idcs with his parents. Nellie M. died at the interesting age of seventeen years : Marv Hell died aged one year and four months. Mr. Ridinger own> Mill acres of land, on which he has erected comfortable and substantial build- ings, and the home of the family is one of the most pleasant in the township. Our subject is a Demo- crat in politics, but the extent of his office-holding has been to serve as School Director, and in the dis- charge of the duties of that oflice he has given most excellent satisfaction. R. MAURICE HOUSTON, a leading phy- sician of the town of Dwight, is of Scotch- Irish origin. His grandfather, John (lib- son, came from the North of Ireland, while his father, James Houston, was a farmer and land- holder in Northern New York. The latter began life like most Americans, in a humble manner, but through energy and perseverance has accumulated a comfortable competency. During his entire life he has been a stanch Republican in political opin- ions, and has held the various township offices. He took for his wife Miss Margaret Gibson, daughter of John and Sarah (McKee) Gibson, of Canada, and they became the parents of eight children, namely: Sarah, Josephine, John, James, Lyons, (i rant, Samuel and Maurice. The father had only a common-school education, but was a man who was a great reader and lover of historical works, and he was careful to give all his children a good education. He is now living at the age of sixty- five years. Dr. Maurice Houston was born on his father's farm in Essex County, N. Y., on the 27th of October, I HIT, and passed his early life at the homestead, lie gained a good common-school education, and by dint of industry earned means whereby he procured his professional education. He spent eight years in office work under Dr. F. J. D. Avignon, of Essex County, N. Y., and with Dr. C. A. M oners, of Law- rence, Mass, lie then graduated at the Ilahnemann Medical College, Chicago, and after some practice in that city came to Dwight. where he has estab- lished an extremely lucrative practice. On the IT) th of May, 1X74, Dr. Houston was married to Miss Addic A., daughter of Asa and Matilda (Jennings) Barker, resident- of Metlmen. .\Ia-s. A -a Barker, the father of Mrs. Houston, was a soldier in the Civil War and was killed at Spoil- LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 11 !.- >vlv:nii:i. To Dr. :ni(l .Mis. Houston lias been born one son, Kred M., whose birth occurred on the 2(ith of October, 1875. Dr. Houston is eminenth 7 .1 self-made man, and had :in extremely hard struggle to gain the means for obtaining a medical education. He was fore- man in the Great Atlantic Cotton-Mills, at Law- rence. Mass., and 'during that time devoted all his leisure to study. On account of the constant strain both in his work in daytime, and his study at night. his eyesight became so seriously impaired that he was prevented from reading for three j'ears, and the treatment which he was compelled to take ab- sorbed the accumulations of eight years' earnings. His devoted wife came to his aid by reading aloud to him, and cheered him with words of kindly sym- pathy and encouragement. The physicians under whom he studied advised him to abandon the study of medicine, but he still clung to his aim'.in life with the firmness and tenacity characteristic of the hardy Scotch stock from which he sprang. The Doctor, by hard study, became one of the first in his class at Hahnemann Medical College and was elected to the honorable position of President of the class. In his case it is proved that persistent effort is almost always sure of success. Dr. Hous- ton has secured the confidence of the people of 1) wight by his skill and ability in his profession, in which lie stands deservedly high. Among the portraits of representative men and women of Livingston County 'we have pleasure in presenting that "of 'Dr. Houston. , HRISTOPHER S. CIIRITTEN, JU.,M prom- . inent representative of the farming interests ' i if Newtown Township, is the son of one of the early settlers of Livingston County, who came to this section from Crawfordsville, Ind., about 1H53. Our subject was born in that city, July 13, 1 843, and was the fifth in a family of seventeen children, the offspring of Christopher and Kura (Drake) Chritten. natives respectively of Virginia :m<1 New Jersey. The father of our subject was born in 17!)ii and d( parted this life at his home in Montgomery County, Ind., in is)!). The paternal grandfather was of German birth and parentage, and died when his son Christopher was two years of age. The latter continued with his mother in Kentucky un- til approaching manhood, and learned the trade of stone and brick mason, at which he became a skill- ful and reliable workman. lie; put up the first brick chimney in Montgomery County, Ind., and burned the first brick that was made in that county, being the first workman of the kind to settle there. He assisted in the erection of many important build- ings of Montgomery County, including its court- house and some of its churches. He accumulated a good property, and was a man greatly respected for his excellent personal character. Politically he was a Democrat, and was one of the most useful mem- bers of the Baptist Church at Crawfordsville. The mother of our subject was born in 1798, and died at her home in Livingston County in 18(i."i. She was the daughter of Enoch and Eura (Drake) Drake, natives respectively of Germany and Wales, whence they immigrated to America early in life, and were married in New Jersey. Mrs. Chritten was a lady of great business ability, and after the deatli of her husband increased her possessions to the amount of $6,000. She also was a devoted Chris- tian and a member of the Baptist Church. Besides rearing a family of fifteen children she performed the part of a faithful and conscientious mother to three of her grandchildren, who were bereft by deatli of their natural protectors. She spent her last 3'ears at the home of her son William in Read- ing Township, passing away at the age of sixt3'- seven vears. She had been a resident of the county since September, 1852. The household of the grandparents of our sub- ject included twelve children, all with one excep- tion now deceased. The remaining one, their son Noah, is supposed to be living in Ohio. To Chris- topher, Jr., and his wife there were born seventeen children, namely: Isaac, who died when about sixty vears of a^e; Enoch, a resident of Nebraska; Jo- seph, of Iowa; Alexander, deceased; Lucinda, who died in Indiana, leaving a family of three children ; Catherine, living in Iowa; William, of Reading Township, this county ; Racliael, the wife of Sam- uel Bower, Supervisor of Reading Township; Rob- I f. i in; LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i- ert.of Kansas: Rebecca, tin- wife of Jacob Spencer, of Iowa : Charles, a resident of Kansas; Maty, the wife of David Runion, of Missouri; Christopher S., our subject; .lames, who died in the army at Chat- tanooga, July 4, 1863; America, the wife of K. Fenner, of Heading Township, and two who died in infancy unnamed. The subject of our sketch continued under the home roof until seventeen years old. In the mean- time, after the death of his father, his mother with her family had removed to this county. Christo- pher, at the age mentioned, started out for himself as a farm laborer by the month, and two years later rented a tract of land and commenced farm- ing on his own hook. He worked singly fora num- ber of years, and after hislthirty-first birthday was united in marriage with Miss Mary E. Masters, Feb. 25, 1X75. The wedding took place at the home of the bride in Newtown Township, L. II. Mallory, J. P., officiating. Mrs. Chritten was born in Wyandot County. Ohio, Jan. 10, 1855. and is the daughter of BJTOII and Luciuda (Cronse) Masters, natives of Pennsylvania, and of Dutch and Irish descent. Their family in- cluded eleven children, of whom but seven are now living. The father still survives, and is a resident of Newtown Township. He owns 160 acres of good land, upon which he located in 18C7. His wife, Lucinda, died March 10, 1885, when sixty- two years old. To our subject and his wife there have been born the following children: William Emmett, March 8, 187C; Fanny Leah, May 26, 1878; Dap Burnett, Jan. 28, 1881; Owen Elbert, Sept. 27, 1883, and Mary Jessie, Sept. 30, 1886. Mr. Chritten for a period of flteen years operated a coal bank near Coalville. Since 1876 be has been engaged in farming and trading. He is a wide-awake, energetic fanner and business man, and a fair representative of the enterprise and industiy of the community, lie is the only adherent of the Republican party in his father's family, and to these principles he clings with all the tenacity of his natural force of character. Iivron Masters, the father of Mrs. Chritten, is now sixty- four 3' ears of age. Sarah A. .her elder sister, was born Aug. !). IM.'il, died .Inly :!. 1 882 ; Samuel, born Sept. in. 1*17: Melissa. Sept. 26, IS4'.I ; Emma, Dec. '.), IK.").'!; Mary E., the wife of our subject ; Fremont. born in September, 1857 ; Amanda, Jan. 14, 1860; Elmeret, Sept. 30, 1862, and three brothers died young. - -KH- M< VAY was born in Washington County, Pa., on the 15th of July, 1820, and died on the 1st of June, 1874. He was married to Miss Matilda Mills, who was born on the 18th of January, 1836, and was the daughter of Abel Mills, of Greene County, Pa. In pol- itics William MeVay acted with the Democratic party, and in religious matters was an adherent of the doctrines of the Christian Church, in which he was for many years a Deacon, living an exemplary life, while in his death the church lost one of its strongest supporters, the community a generous hearted man and a kind neighbor, and the family an indulgent and affectionate parent. The Ijrothers and sisters of Mr. McVay were named as follows : James, John, Hannah, Jacob, George, Mary, Rebecca, Caroline, Samuel and Wal- lace. James was born March 23, 1822, married Miss Susan Niel has four children and resides in Greene County, Pa.; John was born July 25, 1825, has a family and resides in Greene County, Pa. : Hannah was born July 5, 1827, is the wife of Judge John T. Elbin, of Greene County, Pa., and they have a family of five children; Jacob was born June 7, 1828, and married Miss Vina Courtwright, who died soon after marriage; he then married Mar- garet Thorp, and they had two children, one of whom, a daughter, is married. George was born Aug. 11, 1832, and first married Miss Maria Smith, who died leaving five children; his second wife was Miss Elizabeth Long, a native of Pennsylvania, and by this wife were born one girl and one boy. Mary was born July 11, 1834, is married and has a family of five children; Rebecca was born Dec. 28, 1836, a sketch of whom will be found elsewhere in this Ai.iti M: Caroline was born May 14. 1840, and was married to George Hughes, of Greene County, Pa.; she died Feb. 15, 1 88."), leaving eight children. Samuel was born June 4, 1842. and died July 30. isl.'i. aged three years, one month and twenty-one days; Wallace was born July I-'!. 1 S4 4. and died Sept. I 4 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1147 27, 1855, aged eleven years, two montlis and nine days. The record of the parental family of Mrs. McYay is as follows: Catharine was married to Abel Wool- sey and died Sept. 16, 1867 ; she was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Kmeline was married to Robert Morris Dec. 28, 1839, and died May 8, 1854; she was also a member of the Cum- berland Prc.sl>3'terian Church. Martha was born Sept. 19, 1821, and died aged twenty-five years and ten months; Simon U. was born May 11, 1828, and died many years ago; Stephen U. was born March 26, 1831, and is long since dead; David H. was born Dec. 1, 1833, and is also dead; Eli was born June 18, 1838, and died Aug. 7, 1861 ; Joseph was born April 11, 1841, was married and lives in Amity Township. John McVay, father of the subject of this sketch, was born Oct. 28, 1794, in Washington County. Pa., and died April 15, 1831; his wife, Hannah, was born July 12, 1806, and was a native of Greene County, Pa. To William and Matilda McVay were born eight children Almina, Isabella. Albert, Francis, Ida, Ira, Willie P. and Willis. Albert, Ida and Willie P. are deceased ; Ira and Willis have not yet reached their majority, and reside with their mother, devoting their time to the management of the farm and stock-raising. The farm consists of 280 acres of most excellent land, all of which is very productive. Mrs. McVay is a thoroughly practical woman and understands precisely how to manage all the affairs connected with her farm, and with her two sons at- tends to every detail. She is a lady who stands foremost in the advancement of /ill good works, and enjoys the esteem and respect of her neighbors. WP take pleasure in presenting on another page a view of the homestead of Mrs. McVay. i^RESLEY SPRINGER, pleasantly located in Amity Township, section 20, lias passed nearly all his life in farm pursuits, and is the owner of a comfortable homestead com- prising 150 acres of fertile land, convenient to schools, church and market. Of this, thirty acres- is in timber and pasture, and the balance is under a fine state of cultivation. It is stocked with good grades of domestic animals, while the residence and other farm buildings reflect credit upon the proprie- tor. Mr. Springer is a native of Ohio, where he was born in Brown County, April 19, 1831. His par- ents, Nathan and Lydia (Lucas) Springer, were na- tives of the same county, the former born Feb. 11, 1804, and the latter, Dec. 5, 1807. They were married Feb. 22, 1827, and soon afterward removed to Vermilion County, 111., where they resided about twenty-two years. They then removed to Living- ston Count}' and settled in Long Point Township, where the death of the father occurred, Jan. 29, 1871. The mother is still living, and is a member in good standing of the Christian Church. They became the parents of fourteen children, three sons and five daughters of whom still survive. When a child Presley Springer was brought by his parents to Vermilion County, where he rema-'ned a resident for a period of twenty years, when he took up his abode in this county, locating first two and one-half miles southwest of his present home- stead. While a resident of Amity Township, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Clara Custis, Nov. 2, 1866. Mrs. Springer is the widow of Levi Custis, and daughter of Lewis and Prudence John- son. By her first marriage she became the mother of three children: Frank Elmer, now a resident of Iowa; Ena E., the wife of Gustave Girard, now re- siding in Denison, Iowa, and Harry Willard, who married Miss Lillie Maud Partridge, of Clinton County, Iowa, and resides in Kansas. Mrs. Springer was born in Smithfield Center, Bradford Co., Pa., in 1840, and came to Illinois in 1857. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Springer are re- corded as follows : Milton Eugene was born Aug. 24, 1867; Ella Jane, Aug. 6, 1869; Lewis Presley, March 15, 1871 ; Clara Alida, April 24, 1874; Henry Preston, April 19, 1876; Guy Manley, Feb. 25, 1878; Martha Maria, Dec. 28, 1881, and Charley Sherman, Aug. 27, 1883. Lewis P. died Dec. 12, 1872, and Martha M., Aug. 3, 1882. The mother of Mrs. Springer, Prudence Johnson, was born in Catskill, N. Y., Oct. 4, 1805, and was a most estimable Christian lady, and a member of f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. the Methodist Episcopal Church. She departed this life at her home in Ancona, April 1!), 1809. The father of Airs. Springer was liorn ill Oxford, Che- naiigoCo.. N. Y., March -21, 1 KO. 4 !, and at the present time is the oldest man in Amity Township, where lie resides at Cornell. He has suffered a great affliction in the loss of his eyesight, which occurred six years ago. Mr. Springer ranks among the well-to-do farmers of his community, and although meddling very lit- tle in political matters, casts a straight Democratic vote at the general elections, and keeps himself well posted upon matters concerning the welfare of his county and township. Mrs. Springer became a member of the Christian Church in l.s.~>8. 17 OUIS K. REDFERN, a farmer by occupation, Maud a gentleman who has followed that call- ing during the greater part of his life, but who at present is engaged in working for Walton Bros., of Fairburj', III., is a son of John and Eliza- beth (Shields) Redfern. The father of our subject was born in England, whence he immigrated to this country, landing, after a pleasant voyage, at Troy, N. Y. There he was variously occupied, and it was there he became acquainted with and married Miss. Shields. John Redfern, hoping to better his financial condition in the rapidly growing West, migrated to Fulton, Whiteside County, whence, after a residence there until 1801, he moved to Denver, Col., and made that his home until his demise, in 1864. The subject of this notice was born in Fulton, Whiteside Co., 111., in 1852. He accompanied his parents to Denver, Col., in 1801 , and after the death of his father in that city in 1804, he and his mother returned to Fulton, 111. After a residence there of four years, the mother was called to the supposed death bed of her youngest daughter. While en route an accident occurred, which resulted in the throw- ing of the -tage in which Mrs. Redfern was riding down an embankment of forty feet, and into the Platte River. She \va> badly hurt but, was rescued, and Vanderbilt being on hi.- way to California and hearing of the accident, had Mrs. Redfern taken to a ranch, and all was done that possibly could be to alleviate her suffering. When she was able to be moved, she was sent to her home in Fulton, but died from the result of injuries received in the accident. Louis Redfern was left an orphan at the age of fifteen, and Dr. Leander Smith, of Fulton, became his guardian. Louis was sent to Jennings Semin- ary, Aurora, 111., where he received a good educa- tion, and then, obtaining possession of the money left him by his mother, he went to Chicago. He was there during the terrible fire of 1871, and it was in that city that he lost the principal part of the money that was left him. From Chicago he came to Livingston County, where he engaged in fann- ing, meeting with signal success, and which vocation he continued to follow until within the last two years, when he met with financial failure; since then he has been working for Walton Bros. March 7, 1877, Mr. Redfern was united in marriage with Miss Minnie May Johnson, the ceremony taking place in Vermont. Fulton Co., 111. Their union has been blessed by the birth of the following children : Mertie May, born June 23, 1878; Corrie Lnella, March 2:>, 1881, and Fred Eugene, Oct. 22, 1884. JOSEPH STEVENSON. In the subject of this sketch we find an excellent example for young men just embarking in the field of active life, of what may be accomplished by a man beginning poor, but honest, prudent and in- dustrious. In early life he enjoyed but few ad- vantages, and his school days were limited. He has relied solely upon his own efforts and his own conduct to win for him success, and he has not been disappointed. He has not been a swces- wholly in the sense of accumulating wealth, but in doing good to others, in serving them well, and winning their respect and esteem. He has ever ob- served that important factor in a successful life, honesty. He is a careful, conscientious business man, ever obeying the dictates of that higher law in matters both of a public and private nature. Mr. Stevenson is engaged quite extensively in farming and stock-raising on section 17, Snuncmin Township. lie is a native of the North of Ireland, LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1151 where 1 lie MS liorn on the 22d of May, 1849, and is the son of John (deceased) and Elizabeth Steven- son, and the eldest of their family of children. He was reared to manhood in his native Ireland, and received a fair education in the schools of that country. He emigrated to America in 1872, taking; passage on a steamer at Londonderry, on the 23d of May, and landing in Philadelphia on the 6th of dune. Soon after his arrival he secured employ- ment as a farm hand in Pennsylvania, at which he continued until the spring of 1874, when he came to Illinois and located in Livingston County. Here he worked by the month on a farm for fourteen months, at which time he rented land which he cul- tivated until the spring of 1883, and saved sufficient means to enable him to purchase eight}' acres of excellent land. Among the improvements which he has placed upon this farm there are 300 rods of tiling, which serve to drain the land completely. Upon his arrival in this county, Mr. Stevenson had but $5 in money, and when he came to Illinois his capital consisted of $125; from that small begin- ning has grown his present prosperity. On the 8th of duly, 1875, Mr. Stevenson was married to Miss Martha Byers, a native of Ireland, where she was born in April, 1 852, and the daugh- ter of Robert and Mary Ann (Hutchinson) Byers. To them two children have been born, viz. : Rob- ert J., on the 14th of April, 1876, and William G., on the 23d of August, 1878. Mr. Stevenson is a believer in the Presbyterian doctrines, but not a member of the church, and his political affiliations are with the Democratic party. He is in favor of any measure that will improve the condition of the << unity, and elevate the standard of society. \ ETER W. SKTZER, a progressive fanner and stock-raiser on sections 17 and 18, Es- men Township, is a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born in Luzerne County, on the 23d cf duly, 183S, and was the tenth child in a family of eleven born to Peter and Catharine ( YanCamp) Setzer, a sketch of whom appears in another place in this work. Mr. Setzer spent his early life upon a farm and his dependence for an education was wholly upon the country schools. At sixteen years of age he left home and worked for a neighbor for six months, after which until almost of age he worked upon the farm in summer and during the winter attended school. His father dying about the time our sub- ject reached his majority, he returned home, and taking active management of the farm, he soon saved sufficient money to buy ox-teams, and he then contracted for breaking prairie lands throughout the surrounding country; many of the farms in sight of his home were first brought under cultiva- tion by his hard labor. Being energetic and enter- prising he accumulated a good beginning before he concluded to marry. On the 7th of April, 1862, Mr. Setzer took as a helpmeet Miss Sophia, daughter of Daniel and So- phia (Whittier) Knight, natives of the State of Maine, where she also was born in the year 1840. Her parents came to Illinois and first, settled in La- Salle County, whence at the end of one year they came to Livingston County, but being of a roving disposition soon sold out and afterward made many changes, buying and selling land all the time until the death of the father, which occurred in Fillmore County, Minn. His wife still survives him, and resides in Chippewa County, Minn. Mr. and Mrs. Setzer settled lirst on the farm they now occupy and have remained there ever since, excepting a year spent in the North, which was necessary for the benefit of her health. They are the parents of ten children, six of whom Nettie, George, Charles, Fred, Effie and Cora are now liv- ing and reside at home. The names of the deceased were dohii, Hattie, Bertie and Warren. In the summer of 1862 Mr. Setzer enlisted in Company M, Light Artillery, under Capt. Miller. The organization of this company was begun at Ottawa, and those who enlisted went to Chicago, where the complement of a full company was se- sured, and where Mr. Setzer was sworn into the service, acting independently as long as he served with it. About three months after the company went South he was injured at Louisville, Ky., by a horse, and on the 24th of October, 1862, he was discharged. He does not take a very lively interest in political matters but votes with the Republican 1152 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. party. Mr. Set/.er has :i most excellent farm of 280 acres, in the cultivation of which he devotes much energy. In his stock operations he keeps abreast of the times, and has the reputation in his neighbor- hood of putting first-class animals upon the market. As representative of the buildings in this section of country, we present on another page of this work a view of the homestead of Mr. Setzer. ^* ORRIS FOLEY, a prominent and wealthy farmer of Amit}' Township, is the owner of a tract of 537 broad acres, 240 of which is under a fine state of cultivation, while the balance includes twenty-five acres of timber and a wide stretch of some of the best pasture in Living- ston County. His possessions are the result of his own industry and perseverance, as he began life poor in pocket and under the most adverse circumstances. He has illustrated, in a remarkable manner, what may be accomplished by energy and resolution, and stands to-day among the most highly respected citizens of Central Illinois. The early home of our subject was on the other side of the Atlantic, in County Wexford, Ireland, where he was born in November, 183.0, and remained until a young man twenty-two years of age. His parents, Dennis and Honor (Kelly) Foley, were also of Irish birth and parentage, the father being the son of Morris and Mary (Rhine) Foley. To the latter were born the following children: Morris, Patrick, John, Mary Ann, Bridget and Philip. The mother of our subject was the daughter of Pat- rick and Ann (Doran) Kelly. Mr. Foley received a limited education during his boyhood, and assisted his parents in their efforts at maintaining a family, his father being a farmer by occupation. He began early in life to think about the future, and after considering the matter in all its bearings, became convinced that there was little chance for his advancement during the then present state of things in Erin's Green Isle. His parents did not accompany him but joined him a year later, in the spring of 1852. Young Morris embarked first on a small vessel at Waterford, IPV which means he reached Liverpool, and then boarded a sailing craft bound for New Orleans. The voyage occupied seven weeks and three days, and with the exception of a few squalls, was reason- ably fair and pleasant. From the Crescent City our subject made his way north into Ottawa, this State, where he found friends, and made his home there two or three years, in the meantime employing himself at whatever he could find to do. Subsequently he went up the Fox River into Asbury and became the employe of Paul Kennedy, with whom he remained two years. From there he migrated to the town of Serena, LaSalle County, where he farmed on shares for three seasons, and from there made his way to this county, becoming a permanent resident in the spring of 1850. Mr. Foley had lived frugally and saved what he could of rather limited earnings, which he now in- vested in 1 60 acres of land on section 35, in New- town Township. His course from that, time has been steadily onward, and he has been uniformly suc- cessful in his undertakings. He has added to his first purfchase by degrees and has now one of the most desirable homesteads in the township. It is with pleasure we present a view of it in this volume, as being a fine representative of the farm homes of Livingston County. Upon coming here he was ;it once recognized as a valuable addition to the com- munity, and has interested himself in whatever en- terprise was set on foot for the advantage and wel- fare of the people. Politically he votes the straight Democratic ticket, and is School Director in his dis- trict. He was reared in the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, and has all his life closely adhered to the faith of his forefathers. The family of our subject consists of his wife and eleven children. The former was Miss Bridget, daughter of Michael and Mary (Doran) Whalen, natives of County Wexford, Ireland, and the par- ents of ten children. The latter were named re- spectively : Patrick, Ellen, John, Catherine, Mar- garet, Michael, Bridget, Lawrence, Thomas and Edward. With the exception of John, who died in August, 1873, at Esmond, they are all living and mostlj' residents of Livingston County. The chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Foley are recorded as follows: Patrick Henry was born March 22, 1859, and is an intelligent and enterprising young man, who, in or- I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1153 der to see something of the world, started out in 1883 and is now traveling in Texas; Mary Pollen was horn Dee. 17, 1861, and died May 30, 1886; Morris, Jr., was born Oct. 22, 1863, and married Miss Maggie L., daughter of Frank Craven, of Odcll Township, and is engaged in farming: John W., born May 27, 1865, is at home with his parents; Frances C., born Jan. 13, 1867, is the wife of Peter, son of John Corrigan. of Amity Township, and whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume; Dennis was born Feb. 13, 1869; Thomas Edward, Sept, 1, 1870; Hannah, Oct. 10, 1872; Katie Agnes, born Sept. 10, 1874, died Aug. 9, 1875; Philip C. was born in 1 875, aud with the other younger chil- dren continues at home with his parents; Katie Ann was born Dec. 14, 1877; Josephine, in December, 1879; Frederick A., Aug. 17, 1883. Besides bringing his land to a thorough state of cultivation, Mr. Foley has erected a fine set of frame buildings which will bear fair comparison with anything of the kind in this county. As a man who has assisted in the development of the re- sources of Livingston County, he stands high and enjoys the uniform respect and esteem of his neighbors. y WILLIAM E. VAN BUSKIRK, Cashier of the bank of Odell, is a native of Montgomery County, Pa., born July 29, 1860, and is the son of Silas Y. and Catherine (Troy) Van Buskirk, who were natives of Pennsylvania and New Jersey respectively. The father of our subject was a farmer in early life, but his later years were spent in painting. In 1867 the family came to the great West and located at Fairview. Fulton Co., 111. Two years later he removed to Odell, where he is still living, and following the trade of a painter. The subject of this sketch was reared a fanner until a young man. Me then commenced learning the harness-making and saddlery trade. Not find- ing this very lucrative, he commenced teaching school, which he followed for two years and one- half. He was educated at the city schools at Odell, and completed the full course in those excellent in- stitutions. In 1883 he prepared to enter the Nor- mal School in McLean County, but being offered a position jn the bank of Odell, he renounced his in- tention, and entered upon his work in the bank on the 9th of April, 1883. He has remained in this institution ever since, and now holds the respon- sible position of cashier. August 6, 1884, Mr. Van Buskirk married Elma L. Root, daughter of S. T. and Susan (Haynes) Root, who was born in Somerset, Mich., Dec. 14, 1859. She had been a teacher by profession, and was fulfilling an engagement in the Odell school at the time of her marriage. They are the parents of one child, Troy Root, born Aug. 10, 1885. eHARLES STACKER has been a resident of Livingston County since the 24th of August, 1865, moving from Bureau County, III., where he had been successfully engaged in farming for ten years. Since becoming a resident of Liv- ingston County, he has been engaged in general farming and the raising of high-grade stock, in- cluding Norman horses, Short-horn cattle, and Po- land-China hogs. He keeps generally from fifteen to twenty horses aud cattle, and about the same nnmber of hogs upon the place. The improve- ments which he has made upon his farm are very substantial, and include the planting of an ash and maple grove, covering two acres of ground. When Mr. Stacker came to Forest Township, a large pro- portion of the land embraced in that territory was wild prairie. The eighty acres which he purchased of Mr. S. G. Cone is now all under a good state of cultivation, and is located about a quarter of a mile from the village of Forest. For this land he paid 120 per acre, and under the intelligent manipula- tion of its present owner it has increased in value until it is now worth $>7o per acre. Mr. Stacker was born on the 31st of August, 1837, and is the son of John and Henrietta Stacker, the former a wagon-maker by trade, who came to Chicago in 1854, where he remained until his death, which occurred in 1858. The mother died in the old country one year before the father emigrated to the United States. They were the parents of ! I 1151 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. five children, whose names are: Mary, Lena. Caro- line. Louise :md Charles. While our subject re- mained at home he worked at the trade of wagon- making with his father, and at twenty years of age began working for himself, engaging the first year with a Mr. Reese. He then went to Bureau County, where he worked at his trade by the month for three years, and then entering land he farmed for five years, at the end of which time he came to Liv- ingston County, where he has since resided. On the 15th of September, 1870, Mr. Stacker was married to Miss Lutina Judson, a native of New York State, and to them have been born two children George Lester, on the 31st of February, 1878, and one child who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Stacker are members of the Methodist Epis- copal Church, in which they take an active interest. The}' are prominent members of the society of the neighborhood in which they live, and engage act- ively in such movements as are calculated to bene- fit the community, and promote the interests of the people. Mr. Stacker acts and votes with the Re- publican party, but is in no sense a politician in the meaning that he is a seeker after office. ETER SETZER was a farmer by occupa- tion though in early life he learned the blacksmith's trade, which occupation he followed, managing a farm at the same time. He was born in Luzerne County, Pa., where he was reared and engaged in farming. Mr. Setzer married Catherine Van Camp, a native of Pennsylvania, and in 1844 came to Illinois and settled in LaSalle County, which at that time was very sparsely settled, and the preliminary work of constructing a canal was in progress; there were then no railroads through the country. He lived there about seven years, when he moved to Living- ston County, and bought eighty acres { wild land in what is now Esmen Township. He built his house of timber which grew along the creek, sawing the slabs used in its construction five miles from home and hauling them to where they were needed. This house was 1 :!x20 feet and was one and one- half stories in height. He was obliged to do all In'- own making and repairing of implements for farm use. His grain and stock market, while a resident of LaSalle County, was at Chicago, and he either drove or hauled his hogs there every year. At driving time the neighbors took turns at hauling feed along for the hogs and in aiding to drive them. While small game was plentiful in those days and deer roamed the prairie in great numbers, wolves were also very plentiful, and when the boys went in the evening to drive the cows home they carried a gun with which to protect themselves. Mr. Setzer was the father of eleven children at that time, of whom four were with him Jacob, Peter W., Mat- tie and Anna. Sarah came soon after. Elizabeth, ' Isaac and Abraham remained in Pennsylvania, the boys following a seafaring life, and three children died in infancy. The life on the farm was at first characterized by many hardships, but soon the land around was taken up and settlement began in earnest. A few years served to see the prairie dotted with houses and the roots of the prairie grass turned up to the sun by the sturdy plowman. Mr. Setzer was a quiet and industrious farmer, and never sought office, 'although quite active in political matters. He was a Republican in politics, while he and his wife were members of the Baptist Church for a great many years, and wielded a strong influence in the community. It is to such pioneers as Mr. Setzer that Illinois owes her standing for en- lightenment and intelligence in the sisterhood of States. /MOS HERTZ came to Livingston County '(l\ when a large portion of it was practically jft a wilderness. He was well fitted both by nature and early training to take up life and its duties in this undeveloped section of country, and has ably performed lii> part in the building up of the township which he chose for his future resi- dence. Broughton Township had been then but recently outlined, and the cabins of the settle]-- were few and far between. The people were struggling to secure a comfortable living, and at the same time effect the improvements for which there was LIVINGSTON COUNTY. such great room. They battled with the difficul- ties of a new and undeveloped soil, a distant market, and the laborious transportation by horse or ox teams over highways which had been but faintly marked out through the woods or over the comparatively untrod prairies. The exercise of industry, however, during the laje of years, has effected a change which words seem feeble to express. There were required to accomplish this, resolute hearts and strength of muscle, and in these essential qualities the subject of this sketch distinguished himself as a useful and important factor toward the task which, begun amid such difficulties, has proceeded with such admirable results. Mr. Hertz is one of the oldest living settlers of Broughton Township, to which he came in the spring of 1859. He was born in Berks County, Pa., Sept. 12, 1831, and is the son of Samuel and Sarah (Ludwig) Hertz, who were also natives of the Key- stone State. His paternal grandfather, Conrad Hertz, was a Hessian by birth, and with thousands of others became a soldier under the British Gov- ernment, and was sent to America to assist in crush- ing the rebellion of the Colonists. Upon arriving here, however, and becoming acquainted with the condition of affairs, being an intelligent man he went over to the ranks of Gen. Washington, and O thereafter did splendid service in behalf of those who were struggling for their liberty. After the close of the war he settled in Pennsylvania, where he married and reared a large family of children, among whom was Samuel, the father of our sub- ject. Samuel Hertz was reared to manhood in his native county, where he continued several years after his marriage. Most of the survivors of a large family born to him and his wife Sarah are located in Pennsylvania. They are named as fol- lows: Bernard, who is farming: Matilda, Mrs. Abrani Weitzel, of Berks County; Samuel, Jesse, Amos, Jeremiah ; Mary, Mrs. Nicholas Moore; Elizabeth, Mr-, \\illiam Gophart; Benjamin; Salinda, Mrs. Jacob Bixler, and Frank. Amos Hertz continued in his native county until reaching manhood, in the meantime receiving a limited education, and becoming well acquainted with hard labor. lie had always been anxious to become well informed, and availing himself of the instructive books which came in his way, by a steady course of reading he has kept himself well - posted on matters of general interest. He came to Livingston County first in 1858, and purchased his present farm, then returned to Pennsylvania. He provided himself with a wife and helpmeet in the person of Miss Cynthia J. Persels, to whom he was married April 4, 1861. They began housekeeping in a modest frame dwelling on the new land, and our subject commenced in earnest the cultivation and improvement of his purchase. Here he has since resided with his family. The wife of our subject was born in Wayne County, N. Y., Feb. 10, 1844, and is the daughter of Isaac and Clarissa (Bosvvorth) Persels, the former ; a resident of Grundy County, this State. Isaac Persels was born in Cayuga County, N. Y., and is of German descent; the mother was of English an- cestry, and a native of Westfield, Mass. Mrs. Hertz came to Illinois in 185(1 with her parents, who lived in Grundy County for a short time, and removed to Broughton Township, this county, in 1859, where they were among the first settlers. Mr. Persels labored industriously for a number of years and accu- mulated sufficient means with which to retire from active labor. He removed to Gardner in 1887, and is spending his last years in ease and comfort. The mother died on the farm in Broughton Township | Jan. 23, 1877. They were the parents of nine chil- ! dren, of whom six are living, namely: Henry, of Binghamton, N. Y. ; Samuel, of Steel City, Neb.; Cynthia J., Mrs. Hertz; Roland, of this county; Mary, the wife of Charles Correll, of Greenwood County, Kan., and Herbert, of Butler County, Kan. Our subject and his wife became the parents of three children, namely: Ernest A., who was born Jan. :>, 18C5, and died Jan. 11, 1880; Jessie M., who was born May 3, 1869, and Louis R., April 26, 1881 ; the last two are at home with their parents. The homestead includes eighty acres of land, which produces in abundance the richest crops of the Prairie State. Mrs. Hertz is a very intelligent lady, well educated, and taught the first school in District No. :!, Broughton Township, and the second term in what was then known as District No. 2. Both lir.s LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i husband find wife early in life identified themselves with the Congregational Church at Einington, and have since continued active members. Mr. Hertz officiates as Trustee, and has been a cheerful and lib- eral contributor to the maintenance of the society, as well as other worthy enterprises calculated for the good of the community and the promotion of morality and education. As representative of the buildings of this section of country we present on another page of this vol- ume a view of Mr. Hertz' residence and its sur- roundings. a*s*a. AMUEL THOMSON ably represents the farming and stock-raising interests of Ne- braska Township, and has a desirable home- stead pleasantly located on section 24. He is of substantial Scotch ancestry, a man of excellent education, and followed the profession of a teacher some years during his early manhood. He is in the prime of life, having been born Aug. 24, 1859, and his first recollections are of his boyhood home in Jubilee Township, Peoria County, this State. His parents were Thomas and Margaret Thomson, who lived on a farm in Peoria County, where with their other children, our subject was reared to manhood. Young Thomson upon reaching his majority com- menced farming for himself, but after one year, not being satisfied with his mental accomplishments, sold his teams, and entering the Normal School attended four terms, and in the spring of 188,'i went still higher, into the commercial department of Wesleyan College at Bloomington, where he took a full course in book-keeping, commercial law, etc. In the fall of 1884 he commenced teaching, and kept this up several seasons, in the meantime also carrying on farming in Waldo Township. The marriage of Samuel Thomson and Miss Ara- bella, daughter of Isaac and Mary J. (Spencer) Sheets, was celebrated on the 22d of February, 1885, Key. Woodard, of Gridley, officiating. Mr. T. and his bride soon afterward went to housekeeping, and our Mibject continued teaching in winter and farm- ing in summer until enabled to inirclia.se eighty acres of land, of which he took possession in the spring of 18X7. and where he now lives. They have one child, a daughter, Mary A., who was born Feb. G, 1886. Mr. Thomson was the sixth in a family of nine children: His sister Margaret is the wife of .Mat- thew Murdock, a inolder by trade, but who is now farming in Allen County, Kan. ; they have five chil- dren. Eliza C'.. Mrs. William A. Cornwell, lives on a farm in Waldo Township, and is the mother of six children; William married Miss Margaret (Jal- lagher, and lives in Rook's Creek; Agnes is the wife of James Baxter, of California, and the mother of six children; David married Miss Lucy K. Smith, and they, with their one child, reside in Storm Lake, Iowa; Samuel of our sketch was the next in order of birth; Mary became the wife of George S. Thomson, and they removed to Texas, where she died in October. 188(5; Thomas is a resident of Peoria, and John V., of Rook's Creek. Thomas Thomson, the father of our subject, was a native of Edinburgh, Scotland, born in 1802, and died in 1869. The mother was born in Glas- gow, and is still living. They were married in Peo- ria County, this State. Mrs. Thomson was born in Nebraska Township, this county, March 20, 1864, and is the youngest in a family of six children. Her brother William is married, and the father of five children; he lives in Crawford County, Kan. Alexander continues at home; Xial R., also a resident of Kansas, is married and has two children: Margaret is the wife of John Haley, of Dakota, and the mother of five children; Ernest Earl is at home. Mr. Sheets was born in Columbia County, Ohio, and his wife in Pennsyl- vania. Mr. Thomson is a Republican, and a strong tem- perance man, and is not afraid to state his views and opinions, which he defends with all the sincerity and honesty of his nature. THORNTON KEMEYS PRIME. The dif- ferent generations of the Prime family as they have come and gone, have all left marks which have not only added luster and renown to them individually, but each in his time ha.- been a benefactor to the human race. I LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1159 Three brothers named Prime, of an excellent En- glish family, left Liverpool in HioO, and settled in Massachusetts. One family was known as the Massa- chusetts Prime, and subsequently removed to New York City, ami founded the old banking house of Prime, Ward & King, which .to-day exists but un- der another name. The second brother went to the South, where all trace of him was lost. The third, .lames Prime, was a wealthy and influential citizen of Mil ford, Conn. Ebenezer Prime, one of the children of James, makes the chain complete, and from him directly we trace the genealogy of the subject of this sketch. Not only as a personal history but of general in- terest to our readers at large, will be found a short biography of the ancestors of Mr. Prime, as show- ing what has largely given him the present bent of mind and taste. Ebenezer Prime was graduated when he was nineteen years of age from Yale College in 1714, and was pastor of a parish in Huntington, L. I., in 1723. An accomplished theologian, a thor- ough classical scholar, keenly interested in Colonial affairs, he directed the thought, political as well as religious, of the neighborhood in which he lived. He preached, exhorted, wrote, printed and circu- lated, and enjoined resistance against the British with all the force of his tongue and pen. When the British took possession of Long Island, Col. Thompson took particular pains to direct the fury of his detachment of soldiers against the parsonage, destroying the house and its contents, and the Col- onel himself ordered that his own tent should be pitched where, as he expressed it, he '' could never walk in and out of the graveyard without treading on the head of that damned old rebel, Ebenezer Prime." Benjamin Young Prime, the next descendant, was born in the old Huntington parsonage, Dec. 20, 1733. He entered the college of New Jersey, then situated at Newark, and was graduated in 1701 with honor, lie decided on the profession of med- icine, and sailed for the continent, and was soon busily engaged at work. He made himself pro- ficient in six languages, writing readily French, German and Spanish, as well as the classic lan- guages, lie inherited all his venerable father's en- thusiasm, and composed songs, ballads and battle lyrics, which were sung by the soldiers during the Revolution, and have gone down into history as the best of poetic and literary work of that nature. -He lived to see the close of the war and the estab- lishment of peace, and died respected and lamented by all, in 1791. A son of the above, the Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Scudder Prime, was an eloquent speaker, a close observer of current thought, a learned theologian, a wise counselor, and a zealous pro- moter of education. He left behind him four sons, two of whom were clergymen, the third a physician and the fourth a lawyer, but all so actively en- gaged in letters as to be pre-eminently recognized as literai'3' men. We now come to Dr. Samuel Ireiueus Prime, the father of S. Thornton K. Prime. His .life may be considered from four standpoints, those of the preacher, the author, the editor and the private man. Dr. J. R. Paxton, in his funeral address, de- livered July 22, 1885, says: "Never a bigot or fanatic on any question agitated or debated in the land for half a century ; a well-balanced head, no eccentricities, no pet virtue, no little hobby, no one special excellence which he always aired and rang changes upon, the leading advocate of the evangelical Protestant faith in this country, his death is a calamity to the whole church. He will have no successor, but as long as this country en- dures and Christianity is proved, Dr. Irena-us Prime is sure of honor and fame for the good he accomplished, the life he lived, the God he glori- fied as citizen, preacher, editor, author and man." The historical facts are condensed from a paper en- titled Four Primes, read before the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, Feb. 12. I,s8(i, by Edward Iremeus Stevenson. S. Thornton K. Prime was born at Weston, Conn., July 31, 1*34, and was educated at Rahway. N. J., where he was prepared for entering college. He did not enter, however, for the father thinking the tastes of his son inclined more to a business career than a literary one, placed him in the banking-house of John Gihon & Co., New York City, where he remained for seven years, and until the house was swept away by the financial crisis of 1857. Mr. Prime married in 1858, and removed to Dwight, III., which was then a very small prairie town with T I 1 1 no LIVINGSTON COUNTY. not over 100 inhabitants. He purchased 320 acres of land, built a house and commenced farming, knowing nothing practically of the work. He toili'd on, struggling for ten years against low prices and poor crops. During all this time he de- voted his leisure moments to reading and study, and was never so happy as when writing some short article for the press. In 1873, when the Granger movement swept over the Northwest, Mr. Prime took a most active part in the work in Illinois. No other county was so thorough!}- organized or produced greater practical results from the move- ment than Livingston County, the home of Mr. Prime. The celebrated platform of the Farmers' and Peo- ple's Anti-Monopoly Party was the joint work of Mr. Prime, of Dwight, and W. B. Fyfe, of Poutiac. Tens of thousands of copies of the platform were circulated all over the Northwest; the principles adopted, and county and State officers elected, as the result of this wonderful, broad and far-reach, ing declaration of principles. A copy of the plat- form is here given. PLATFORM of the Farmers' and People's Anti-Monopoly Party of LIVINGSTON COUNTY, ILLINOIS. DECLARATION. The organization is opposed to railroad steals, tariff steals, salary -grab steals, and every other form of thieving by which the farmer and laboring classes are robbed of the legitimate fruits of their labor. PLATFORM. First: We are in favor of controlling by law the railroad corporations of the State. Second: We submit to taxation and duties to meet the necessities of the Government, but de- nounce as unjust and oppressive all taxations for the benefit of special classes. Third: We are in favor of the present banking -\>tem being so made that all men, by giving the proper security, should have equal privileges. >o that supply and demand shall regulate our money- market. Fourth: We are opposed to all future grants of land to railroads or other corporations, and believe that the public domain should be held sacred to the actual settler. Fifth: We are in favor of a true system of Civil Service Reform, making honesty and capacity the only valid claims for public employment, and believe that the office should seek the man and not the man the office. S. T. K. PKIMK. Secretary of the Farmers' and People's Anti- Monopoly Part}-, of Livingston County, 111. DWIGHT, ILL., July 17, 1873. The Grange excitement had subsided, leaving as it did, the unmistakable marks of progress, advanc- ing and settling the railroad question in one year by what had not been accomplished by the courts for over 100 years, and Mr. Prime turned his at- tention more particularly than ever before to edi- torial work. For many years he contributed arti- cles of practical value to the Chicago Tribune over the signature of ' Plowholder," upon the tariff ques- tion, and also upon matters connected with agri- culture. In 1878 Mr. Prime commenced a special department in the Chicago Tribune, of reporting the crops of the country; these reports covered the entire Northwest, and appeared daily in the Tribune from March until October. They added greatly to the Tribune's reputation as a newsgatherer, but very little, if any, to Mr. Prime's, as the nature of all great dailies is to glorify themselve> and ignore those who furnish the brains, the authors. At this time also, over the signature of " Northwest." Mr. Prime made an enviable reputation as a correspond- ent of the New York Commercial Bulletin. As has been intimated, the crop statistics of Mr. Prime, after the first season, attracted such attention that he conceived the idea to withdraw his work so far as the daily press was concerned, and establish a erop bureau, supplying private individuals, grain and commission merchants all over the country, with the earliest, fullest and most reliable crop in- formation in the 1'nitcd States. This proved to be a va>t undertaking. Every county in every State. from Ohio to the far Northwest, was thoroughly f LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1161 organized, and from three to live correspondents were appointed in proportion to the value of the county as a grain-producing area. Twelve clerks tiiilcd him in this work, until he had his bureau thoroughly systematized and organized. Every day in the year, and from every State, Mr. Prime received information as to the crop outlook, so mi- nute as to details that he was in a position at any time to know their condition. These reports are now the authority of the country, and are eagerly sought after by the trade, not only at home but abroad. In 1881 Mr. Prime opened in the Farm- ers' Review, then a small weekly agricultural paper, a department of crop news, which he conducted until the summer of 1880, when he resigned. For the last six years he has been the able correspond- ent of the New York Journal of Commerce under the signature of " Northwest." He is also a regu- lar contributor to The Farmer, of St. Paul, and the American Rural Home, of Rochester, N. Y. Not- withstanding all his newspaper work and crop du- ties, Mr. Prime has found time to advance, and has had the pleasure of seeing adopted many valuable suggestions concerning our country roads, and also upon the question of tile drainage. In 1878 he compiled and edited a book of 800 pages, " Model Farms and Their Methods," which is a standard, practical work, giving, the experience of 150 suc- cessful farmers. Mr. Prime resides upon his farm of 400 acres, which is in a high state of cultivation, while his home is one of the most beautiful in the St.-ite. The house contains a fine library, and is also adorned with works of aft. Mrs. Mary K. Prime, the wife of the subject of this sketch, was a woman of rare accomplishments, and shared with her hus- band a great love for everything which in this world goes so far toward making a home attractive. There are few more beautiful homes in Illinois, and none more happy and cheerful, than the one which from small beginnings thirty years ago, Mr. and Mrs. Prime, by their good taste and untiring in- dustry, succeeded in making. Mrs. Prime was called from this beautiful home to a " house not made with hands," on the 24th of April, 1886. The Rev. O. X. Pollard in his tribute to her mem- ory said : .She was reared in the best society of the land. She was truly cultured, and had a wide reputation for hospitality and making those about her at ease on all occasions. To her is due much credit for the good influence of our society from an early day to the present time, and in her death the community loses a power for good that can never be restored to us." Mr. Prime has from time to time filled all the different town olHces. and in politics is a Republican, and a Protestant in relig- ion. In the full vigor of manhood, it would seem that he has just commenced to be a useful man to society and the world at large. i E8SE LITTLE, who occupies a prominent position among the farmers and stock-raisers of Broughton Township, owns land on sec- tions 5 and 6, and is in possession of one of the most desirable homesteads in this part of the county. He is in the prime of life and in possession of a competence, the result of years of industrious labor and good management. He began at the foot of the ladder, without means or influential friends, and aside from being the owner of a fine property, has been prominent in township and county affairs, and in all respects a most reliable and intelli- gent citizen. Our subject was born near the famous battle-field of Gettysburg, in Adams County, Pa., April 4, 1832, and is the son of Andrew and Mary (Gricr) Little, also natives of the Keystont- State, and the father a farmer of modest means. Jesse, in common with his brothers and sisters, received his education in tin- district school, and when fourteen years of age, on account of the death of his father, was thrown upon his own resources. In the meantime the family had removed from Adams to Franklin County, Pa., and Jesse there worked by the month during the sum- mer, while he pursued his studies in the winter. When a youth of eighteen he commenced serving an apprenticeship at blacksmithing and plow- making at Chambersburg, where he spent three years, and worked three more years as a journey- man in Detroit, Mich. Mr. Little, in the spring of 18oO, took up > 1162 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. f i residence in Peru, 111., where he established a wagon and carriage shop, which he conducted about two years. In 1858 he returned to his native State, where he remained until the outbreak of the late Rebellion. Soon afterward he enlisted in the 12th Pennsylvania Reserves, and was in the battle at Drainsville and the seven-days fight before Rich- mond. On account of his bravery and fidelity to duty, he was promoted First Lieutenant, and assisted in the command of his company until the conflict at Harrison's Landing, when he was taken ill with camp fever and compelled to return home. On the 13th of February, 1863, he was united in marriage with Miss Rebecca, daughter of James and Catherine (Snively) Chariton, of Franklin County. Mrs. Lit- tle was born Jan. 3, 1839, in that county, while her father was also a native of Pennsylvania, but of Scotch-Irish descent : the mother, also a native of the Keystone State, traced her ancestry back to Switzer- land. Mr. and Mrs. Little soon after their marriage came to Peru, 111., where our subject continued his former occupation as a wagon-maker until the fol- lowing year. In the spring of 1864 he came to this county, and in company with his brother, pur- chased a half section of land, one-quarter in each of sections 5 and 6 in Broughton Township. The soil was in its primitive condition, and the marvel- ous transformation which has been effected has been simply the result of incessant labor and persever- ance, often under the most discouraging circum- stances. Mr. Little, however, possessed in a large measure the qualities required by the pioneer set- tlers, and had no thought of abandoning his task or flying from the difficulties which stared him daily in the face. He proceeded with the cultivation of his land through sunshine and storm, and at the end of each year found himself a little further advanced. The lowlands were made productive by the laying of tile, an orchard was planted and buildings put up, one after another, until the homestead now has around it an air <>f thrift and plenty that is most pleasing to the eye of the beholder, as may be judged from the view of it presented on another page of this AI.IUM. Our subject now, sitting un- der his own vine and fig-tree, can survey the work of his hand- with :i pardonable degree of pride, and with the reflection that he has been amply rewarded for his toil and care. The household circle of our subject and his wife was completed by the birth of ten children. The eldest sou, William Fremont, was born Aug. 22, 1804, and is now proprietor of a good farm of ninety-four acres in Clay County, Miss., within a quarter of a mile of the court-house. Edward E. was born April 8, 1866, and remains at home with his parents and the younger children; Joseph JV. was born March 10, 1867; Annie E., Jan. 31, 1871 : Benjamin Franklin, April 19, 1872; Alfred L., May 4, 1874; Sarah C., June 22, 1876: Edith B., June 20, 1877; Roscoe ('., March 10, 1879, and George, May 18, 1885. The parents of Mrs. Little arc still living, making their home at Dwight, this county. Mr. Chariton was born Dec. 14, 1810, and his wife, Catherine, April 17, 1820. They were reared in Franklin Count}', Pa., and married there on the 1 2th of April, 1835. They have lived together in peice and har- mony for a period of more than fifty years, and. celebrated their golden wedding in Dwight, which was made the occasion of general rejoicing by a large company of their friends and relatives. Their family included nine children, five of whom attained their majority. Rheuhamma E. is the wife of John Slyder, of Peru, 111., and the mother of three children; Rebecca, the wife of our subject, was the second child; Alfred married Miss Georgiana Board- man, and is carrying on general merchandising at Campus; they have one child; William married Miss Frank Bigelow, and is a resident of Chatta- nooga, Teiin. ; they have two children. Daniel G. is engaged in merchandising at Campus. Mr. Little was the fourth child in a family of seven. His eldest brother, Levi B., married Miss Rebecca Boone and is the father of two children ; he served during the late war in the 159th Penn- sylvania Infantry, and died at his home in Ft. Wayne, Ind., Dec.. 9. 1882. Edmund H. married Mi" Susan Sell, and served as a I'nion soldier in the (ith Pennsylvania Infantry; he was killed at the battle of Bristol Station. Va.. and left two sons and two daughters. Thaddeus S. is engaged in farming at West Point, Miss.; Jesse, our subject. w;is the next in order of birth; Benjamin T, died LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Dec. 24, 1855, when about twenty-two years of age; Louisa is the wife of Joseph W. Seibert and the mother of three children; their home is in Cham- bersburg. Pa. Jennie married Lodasky S. House, and died in 1874, leaving one child, who is now a resident of (iettysburg. The paternal grandfather of our subject served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War five years, and subsequently drew a pension from the Government. Andrew Little, the father of our subject, was born on St. Patrick's Day, 1784. and during the War of 1812 was drafted, but on account of being an in- cumbent of an office, escaped service. Mr. Jesse Little has been quite prominent in the affairs of his township, serving as Highway Commissioner and School Director several terms. He is a Republican, politically, and has an abiding faith in the correct- ness of his party's principles. In 1876 he attended the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, and im- proved the opportunity to visit the scenes of his boyhood days, made so famous by the battle fought there during the late war. This was an outlay of time and money which he has never regretted and which could scarcely have been spent in a wiser manner. 'DWARD G. PUTNAM was born at Han- over, N. II., Aug. 20, 1827, and is the son V ? of John and Sarah (Heath) Putnam, natives of New Hampshire and Connecticut respectively. In 1844 the father of our subject removed to Madison County. Ohio, with his family, where he remained until his death in 1841). He had been twice married, his first wife being Anna B. West, by whom he had one son. At his death his widow removed to Ottawa. III., and thence to Livingston County, where she died in Odell, in October, 1868. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm, and educated in the district schools, with the ad- vantages of one term in the academy. At the ago of eighteen years lie left home, and for a year en- gaged in farm labor. The next year he entered the employ of a book and clock firm at Columbus, Ohio, as traveling salesman, and being promoted to the position of collector for the same house, he served in that capacity about seven years. April 28. 1853. he married Miss Mary E. Crabb. who was born in West Jefferson, Ohio, July 1, 1834, and is the daughter of William W. and Lucy Ann (East- man) Crabb. Her father was a merchant, although he had learned the trade of a saddler. He was born July 27, 1811, and died Dec. 8, 1839. His widow 'married a Methodist Episcopal minister, and re- moved to Indiana in 1842. They came to Illinois in 1862. and died in Forest, the mother in 1879. The subject of this sketch and his wife shortly after their marriage settled in West Jefferson, Ohio, where he followed farming for one year. They then moved to Indiana, but the next year went to Ottawa, LaSalle County, where he was engaged on a farm two years. They came to Livingston County in 1 859, where they have since made their home. He has been engaged since coming here as a clerk in a store, and is now a traveling salesman. He and his wife are parents of six children, as follows : Otto L., Etta H., Mary E M Elmer E., Clarinet and Anna L. All of the children have received a liberal education and have developed into successful teach- ers in the schools, except Elmer, who is an artist of considerable ability. Mr. and Mrs. Putnam are worthy members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, upright and un- ostentatious in their lives, and enjoy the confidence and esteem of their community. Mr. Putnam is a stanch Republican in politics, but does not take an active part in the deliberations of his party. INCKNEY S. BROWN, proprietor of 240 acres of fine farming laud on section 17. Round Grove Township, came to this county in June, 1861. lie has, however, bei-n a resident of Illinois since the spring of 1853, when, a young man just married, he set out to seek his fortune in the great West. Mr. Brown was born in Hopkins County, Ivy., in the spring of 1831, and remained in that section of country until after reaching his majority, engaged in agricultural pursuit*. Upon leaving his native State he located in Bond County, 111., where he operated on rented land four years, and thereafter lived in both Putnam and LaSalle Counties, lu 1164 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. June, 18lil, he came to this county and purchased eighty acres of land, which is now included in his present homestead. He labored with an industry and persistence which could hardly fail of good re- sults, and added to his purchase until he now has all the land that one man can properly oversee and cultivate. He also put up good buildings, and has expended hundreds of dollars in improvements, but feels well repaid for his outlay of time and labor. Mr. Brown before leaving his native State was united in marriage with one of his childhood a.-so- ciates, Miss Ruth Weeks, who became the mother of two children: John M., now a bright and intel- ligent young man who continues at home with his father, and Eudora L., the widow of William Cum- berland. The latter was married in 1877, and lo- cated with her husband in Livingston County. He crossed the Mississippi into Kansas, where, on ac- count of ill-health, he purposed to sojourn for a time, and died there in Crawford County. Dec. 25, 1879. His widow then returned to her father's house, where she has since remained. The mother of these children died in Bond County, HI., about 1855. She was a lady of many excellent qualities, and a consistent member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church. Mr, Brown, in the spring of 18GO, was married to Miss Melissa Weeks, the sister of his first wife, who was also a native of Hopkins County, Kv. Their parents were natives of Maryland and Georgia respectively. The father has long since passed away. The mother, now in her eighty-ninth year, lives with Mr. Brown. This union resulted in the birth of five children, namely: Mary, Annie, Lucy. William and Wesley, all living and at home with their father. Mrs. Melissa Brown departed this life at her home in Round Grove Township in the spring of 1872. She is affectionately remembered by her friends and family as a worthy wife and devoted mother, who performed all her duties in life with conscientious care and fidelity. She also belonged to the Methodist, Kpiscopal Church. Mr. Brown politically is independent and has also taken a deep interest in the success of the tem- perance movement. While possessing decided opin- ions he is never offensive in the expression of them, and believes there is more Christianity in persuasion than in force. He has officiated as School Director in his district, and is looked upon as one of the most substantial and reliable men of bis -community. UGH CUMMINS, the oldest living pioneer in Esmen Township, is the owner and occu- pant of a farm on section 8. He was born in Ross Count}', Ohio, Feb. 22, l.si>7, and is the son of James and Sarah (Foster) Cummins, both of whom were natives of Lancaster, Pa., and is of Scotch-Irish ancestry. The father of our subject removed to Ohio in the earlier days of its settlement, about the year 1802, and following farming all his life, died in Delaware County, in the fall of 1834. lie had been a soldier in the War of 1812, as his father before him had been in the Revolutionary War. He was a thorough pioneer in all his habits, and fond of frontier life. Hugh was reared amid all the hardships of pioneer life, making rails, grubbing stumps, building fences, etc. He cast his first vote for Gen. Jackson in 1828, and the same year left his home and came West. He made the trip by water on the Wabash into Indiana, and thence on foot to Illinois. He tramped through the country to the Illinois River, and followed that stream to Ft. Clark, now Peoria. There being nothing there except the military fort, and the Indians being quite hostile, he returned to the Wabash River. lie reached home late in the winter of that year and remained there until 1833, when he traded for 1(10 acres of land in Illinois and came out to hunt it up. lie discovered the land in Knox County, and finding some friends settled on the same sec- tion, returned to Ohio to bring on the family. On account of sickness in the family, however, he was compelled to forego the design, and settled near home. In is in he sold out in Ohio, and com- ing to Illinois, purchased eighty acres of land near Pontiac, where he made a settlement in 1842. In November, I.S4;>, Mr. Cummin.-, married Miss Hannah, daughter of John and Katnrah (Wilkins) Chew, both of whom were natives of New Jersey. She was not destined for a long life, and died LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1165 March 20, 1846, leaving her husband with two chil- dren, James B. and Hannah, the latter of whom died in infancy; .lames B. married Miss Ellen Gar- rison ami lives on the home farm; they have eight children. Mr. Cummins sold out his property, and bought land in Esmen Township, where he now re- sides. In 18411 he again entered into the marriage state, this time with Mrs. Rachel Longnecker, a daughter of Zachariahand Mary (Keith) Robinson, who was born in Maryland, March 10, 1804. DYVIG, who owns a good farm on sec- tion 26, Nevada Township, was the first native of Norway to make a permanent set- tlement in the township. He was born Feb. 13, 1845, and is the son of John O. Dyvig, also of Norwegian birth and parentage. The latter con- tinued in his native country until 1866, and then, accompanied by his wife and six children, made the long voyage to America in the hope of bettering his condition. The father of our subject, upon landing in this country, made his way westward to Illinois, and first pitched his tent in Odell Township, this count}'. He was comparatively without means and commenced farming on rented land, following agri- culture in this manner until he could save enough money to buy a farm, and when this auspicious day arrived he purchased one in Nevada Township, and there spent his last days, his death occurring Sept. 29. 184. Our subject attended school until fourteen years of age, and then continued with his parents, work- ing on the farm in his native country, and accom- panying them to the United States. At this time he had attained to manhood, and after his arrival in this county worked out by the month in Odell Township until the year following. He then crossed the Mississippi into Wimieshiek County. Iowa, where he resided two years, and after a visit to Minnesota returned to his old tramping grounds in this county. Our subject now commenced as his father had done before him, and farmed on rented land in Ne- vada Township three years. At the expiration of this time he was enabled to purchase eighty acres which are included in his present farm. This is all enclosed and drained, and furnished with conve- nient and substantial buildings, including a com- fortable dwelling and suitable barns for the stor- age of grain and the shelter of stock. His family consists of his wife and one child, the latter :i daughter. Julia. The wife of our subject, to whom he was married in 187.">, was formerly Miss Carrie Thompson, one of his own countrywomen. They are Lutherans in religion, and Mr. Dyvig votes the Republican ticket. Since becoming a naturalized American citizen he has thoroughly identified himself with the interests of his adopted country, keeping him- self well informed in regard to matters of general interest, and in his township is always ready to assist any worthy enterprise. I I I ILL W of W/ err, jj-ILLIAM FINHOLD. A large proportion those who first ventured into the West- ern country, having the courage to stake their all on the untried prairie or in the virgin forest, were natives of another continent. They crossed many miles of ocean before reaching the land which they believed would, by the exercise of industry and well directed effort, yield them a home and a competency. Among those who came to this country nearly forty years ago was the subject of our sketch, who is now a farmer and stock-raiser on section 1 (i, Owego Township. Mr. Finhold is a native of Prussia, Germany, where he was born on the 15th of June, 1831, and is the son of John and Mary Finhold. The first twenty years of his life were spent in his native country, where he received a good education in his native language. In his youth he learned the trade of a carpenter, which he followed for several years, and then emigrated to America in 1851, taking passage in a sailing-vessel at Hamburg. After an eventful voyage of eight weeks he landed at the city of New Orleans, and thence by steamboat on the Mississippi River he reached the town of Peru, 111., in the neighborhood of which place he remained until 1864. In that year he came to Livingston County, and settled on his present farm. His first _^_ f 1166 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. pure-huso of land consisted of a tract of eighty acres, fifty of which had been broken and on which was a small house. lie went to work upon this land with a determination to succeed, and he was not disap- pointed. By subsequent purchase's, as he grew able, he added to the original tract, until he now owns 5(>0 acres of first-class land. Our subject was united in marriage with Miss Caroline Miller, a native of Germany, and they have had seven children, six of whom are living: Frederick, Henry, Charles: Minnie, wife of Joseph Harden, of this county ; Augusta and Rikin. Mr. Finhold is a member of the German Lntheran Church, in which he takes a warm interest, and con- tributes liberally of his means, lie is a Republican in politics, and takes a leading part in the affairs of his party. He is at present serving as Road Com- missioner of Owego Township, this being his second term as incumbent of that office, and he has served for many years as School Director, and takes great interest in school affairs. When Mr. Finhold reached Illinois, on his ar- rival in this country, he lacked $7 of having any- thing, that being the amount of his indebtedness at the time, and considering the property which he has accumulated since, he can lie highly compli- mented for his energy, perseverance and judicious investment. J'~OHN V. WILSON, Sheriff of Livingston County, is a native of the Buckeye State, and was born in Adams County, April 21, 1 183!). His parents, James and Sarah (Earl) Wilson, were natives respectively of Virginia and Adams County, Ohio. James Wilson carried on farming extensively in the latter State, where lie was regarded as a good citizen, and with his wife, was a member in good standing of the Presbyterian Church. They had a family of nine children, of whom six are living, namely : John T. of our sketch ; Josephine. Mrs. Washburne, of Ohio; Dr. Isaac A., of Fairbury, 111. ; Robert F., of Ohio; Rebecca, Mis. Sears, of Indiana, and James K., of Ohio. The father of our subject departed this life in Brown County, Ohio, in 1882. The mother is still living on the old homestead there. John T. re- ceived a practical education in the district school, and continued on the farm until reachinghis major- ity. Upon the breaking out of the late war, he en- listed in Company D, 24th Ohio Infantry, and par- ticipated in the battles of Stone River, Chicka- inauga, Lookout Mountain, Mission Ridge, and many minor engagements during his three years service. After the war he was employed in a Provost Mar- shal's office at Hillsboro, Ohio. In 186/i he was married, in Adams County, to Miss Susan M., daughter of William and Mary Shepard, and not long afterward they settled on a farm near Pontiac in this county, where they lived until 1882. Mr. Wilson then moved into the city, and the same year was appointed Deputy Sheriff of Livingston County, which position he filled so acceptably that he was elected Sheriff in the fall of 1886. He is Republican in politics, and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and the G. A. R. He and his family occupy pleas- ant apartments in the county jail building, and en- joy the friendship of the best people of Pontiac. Their two children. Louis B. and Florence V., live with their parents, the son being employed as a clerk in the Sheriff's office. AMES H. WYLLIE, one of the most enter- prising farmers and stock-raisers in Union Township, located on section 1 , is a nati ve of Illinois, where he was born in LaSalle County, on the 27th of September, 1862, and was the third child in a family of six born to John and Margaret (Hamilton) Wyllie, who were natives of Scotland and a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this ALBUM. The subject of this sketch was a child when his parents moved to Livingston County, where he was trained to farm life, and received a good common-school education. On the 31st of December, 1885, Mr. Wyllie was married to Jessie McLeod, who vns born in Scot- land on the 16th of May, 1865, and was the fourth child of a family of seven born to John and Agnes McLeod, also natives of Scotland, who came to America when the daughter was about three years old, and settled first in Canada. They afterward * LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1167 removed to Wisconsin and thence to LnSalle ( 'omit y, whence they subsequently came to this county, where the father engaged in fanning, lie was a well-educated man, and well trained in business habits, and for a good portion of his life he followed the occupation of book-keeper and accountant. Immediately after marriage Mr. Wyllie and his wife settled on the farm where they now reside, and erected a commodious house, which they furnished comfortably and also erected a barn and other farm buildings. Mr. "\Vyllie is grading up his stock from thoroughbred animals, and in this department of his business has been quite successful. He spares neither time nor expense in accomplishing what he undertakes, and on this account has deservedly ob- tained the reputation of being one of the most enter- prising farmers and stock-raisers in Union Town- ship. Being but a young man, and having made such an auspicious beginning, the future undoubt- edly has much in store for him. They have one child, named Agnes, who was born on the 7th of October, 1886. Mr. Wyllie is not very active in political matters, but never allows an occasion to go by when he can vote the Republican ticket. He has never been an office-seeker, and has no taste for public positions. He is thoroughly wrapt up in his business affairs, and feels that he has no time to engage in the scramble for office. He is a most excellent citix.en and contributes liberally to all public enterprises. yARREN C. MUNRO, a prominent farmer on section 1, town 27, range 7, has been a resident of Saunemin Township since 1868, with the exception of twelve years spent in Iroquois County. He was born inSeekonk. Bristol Co., Mass., Oct. 29, 1834, and is the son of Joseph and Olive (Brown) Munro. also natives of the Bay State. They were married in Seekonk, April !i, 1826, and lived there until the death of the-father, which occurred on the 23d of April, 1863. Joseph Munro had been engaged in mercantile business a long period, but the last years of his life were spent on a farm. After his decease the mother came to Saunemin, Livingston County, and made <* her home with her children until her death, which occurred near Watseka, Oct. 8, 1878. The parental household included nine children, named respect- ively : Melvin, Courthmd C.. Brown, Joseph, Seneca W., Warren (.'., Sopater S., William 1). and Cornell. The two last named are deceased. The paternal grandfather of our subject, also Joseph Munro, served in the Revolutionary War, as also did the maternal grandfather, Aaron Brown, while Joseph Munro, Jr., served in the War of 1812. The family traces its ancestry back to the landing of the Mayflower, and is of English and Scotch extrac- tion. AVarren C. remained with his parents until reaching his majority, and then started out in life for himself. He journeyed from his native State to LaSalle County, 111., in 1856, and engaged in farm- ing on rented land until 1860. Then, in partner- ship with his brother, he purchased 240 acres which they sold two years later, and our subject again farmed rented land four years. At the expiration of this time he came to Saunemin Township and purchased a farm of eighty acres on section 36, of which he remained in possession until 187">. Mr. Munro now sold out his property at a good profit, and removing to Iroquois County remained until the spring of 1887, when he returned to Livingston and purchased his present farm of 120 acres in Sauisemin Township. This comprises one of the most valuable bodies of land in this section of country, is very fertile and under a high state of cultivation. Upon it there is a good set of frame buildings, and Mr. Munro keeps a goodly assort- ment of live stock, while he is amply supplied with all the appliances required by the skillful agricult- urist. While a resident of LaSalle County, Mr. Munro was married, Nov. 4, 1860, to Miss Emma Pearson, who was born in Miami County, Ohio, Feb. 7, 1841. Mrs. Munro is the daughter of Jonathan C. and Nancy Jane (Anderson) Pearson, who were natives of Ohio, and became the parents of eleven children. These were named respectively : Irena, John F., Rosetta, Emma, Abraham C., Mary. Webster M., Amelia H., Elizabeth S., Marintha J. and Lillie. Irena, John F.. Rosetta and Lillie arc deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Munro there have also been born eleven children. Those living are: Rosetta, 1168 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. A-:i < '.. Lemuel 1',., Elvira, (ieorge W.. Ira 1'. :iiil Esther; the deceased nrc Kdgar, Amanda, Lucy unit .Nelson. Our. subject and his wife are prominent members of the United Brethren Church, while three uf their children belong to the Christian Church. In polities Mr. Minim is a Prohibitionist, exerting his influence in behalf of temperance and the general principles enunciated by this party. E. RIORDAN, of Nevada Township, one | of its well-to-do citizens, is located on a good farm comprising a part of section 32, where he has met with success in tilling the soil and provided himself with something for a rainy day. He is a native of County Limerick, Ireland, where he was born April 16, 1849, ai;d is the son of Patrick Kiordan, a native of the same county. James Kiordan, the paternal grandfather of our subject, spent his entire life in County Limerick* where he carried on farming. His wife, Bridget (Kelly) Kiordan, was a native of the same county- Their son, Patrick, upon reaching manhood was married to Miss Catherine Shunahan, daughter of James and Julia (Hanley) Shunahan, also of County Limerick. The father of our subject, in 1849, accompanied by his wife and children, emigrated to America and lived for two years following in the Dominion of Canada. Next he took up his residence in New- York State, whence, two years later, he came to Illi- nois, and locating in the town of LaSalle remained there a few years, then went onto a farm in Dimmock Township, that county. This land had been pur- chased by his son James, and he occupied it until 1868, in which year he came to this county, and spent the last years of his life with his children in Nevada Township. His death took place in July, 1HS1. The mother is still living, and makes her home with our subject. Patrick and Catherine (Shunahan) Kiordan were the parents of seven children, four of whom grew to mature years. Jeremiah is a resident of Nevada Township; James lives in Dimmock. LaSalle County, and David in Nevada. Mr. Riordan of our sketch was but an infant when he \vas brought by his parents t<> America. Heal- tended the district school in LaSalle County, III.. and the Christian Hi-others' School. \Vhen not em- ployed at his books he assisted in the labors of the farm, and upon reaching manhood was fully quali- fied to carry on agriculture for himself. In l.sT.'i, he was married to Miss Ella Murphy, daughter of Timothy Murphy, and who was born in LaSalle County. Mr. Murphy was a native of County Cork, Ireland, and the son of Bartholomew Murphy, who spent his entire life there. The mother of Mrs. Kiordan was Miss Catherine Tookey, of County Cork, where she was reared and married. Patrick Murphy and his family came to America in 1840, and located in Pennsylvania, where they lived seven years. Upon coming to Illinois they settled in Rutland Township, LaSalle County, whence they removed, in 1 868, to this county, and located in Nevada Township. Here the mother died in 1877. Mr. Murphy is still living, making his home with his daughter, Mrs. Kiordan. Our subject and his wife are the parents of seven children Mary A., Katie A., John T., Maggie. David A., Nellie B. and Annie N. Mr. R. is Dem- ocratic in politics and has been quite prominent in township affairs, holding the various offices and dis- charging his duties in an intelligent and praiseworthy manner. In 188(i he was the candidate of his party for Sheriff, but the Democrats being in the minority he was defeated with the balance of his ticket. RS. YERNERA K. STRATTON, of Long Point Township, and daughter of J. W. and E. E. (Kingsley) Miller, owns and occupies a valuable farm on section 24. This com- prises 240 acres under a fine state of cultivation. supplied with good buildings and chiefly devoted to grain and stock raising. In the drainage of the land there has been employed about 7">0 rods of tiling, and adjacent to the residence is a fine orchard, while the homestead is abundantly supplied with small fruits of all kinds. On another page of this AI.HI >t is shown a view of .Mrs. Stratton's resi- dence with its environments. Mrs. Stratton isa lad}' greatly esteemed in her community, and surrounded LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1169 by her family and friends is enjoying all of the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. The parents of Mrs. Strattou were natives of Pennsylvania, her father the son of Jeremiah and Sarah Miller, who spent their entire lives in the Keystone State. The former died in 1860, at An- cona, 111., and his wife two years later, in Pennsyl- vania. Vernera E. was born in Pennsylvania, Aug. 25, 1835, and came with herparents to this State in 1844. The paternal family included the following- named children : Samantha E., Vernera E., Abigail D., Annie V.. John E., Annie Viola, Merritt W., and an infant who died unnamed. Mrs. Stratton completed her education in her native State, and continued under the parental roof until her marriage with M. L. Stratton, which was celebrated at the home of the bride, June 24, 1859. The nine children born of this union are recorded as follows: Susan was born July 20, 1800, and is now living in Iowa; Martha W. was born Feb. 22, 1861, and died two weeks and three days later; Dighton was born Feb. 21, 1863, and is farming in Iowa; Ralph was born May 6, 1865, and remains at home with his mother; Celia I. was born Feb. 25, 1868, and being unusually fond of her books, has acquired a good education, completing her studies in the High School at Perry, Iowa; Hugh was born March 6, 1870; Flora M., June 28, 1873; Edwin S., June 17, 1875, and Clyde F., July 11, 1878. IBERTY LOUDERBACK, general insur- ance, real estate and collecting agent at Cornell, came to this county during the pio- neer days, locating in Amity Township in 1837. He m.'iy now proudly boast of a fifty years' resi- dence, during which time he has built up an envia- ble reputation as an honest man and a good citizen. He possesses excellent business capacity, and has been closely identified with the interests of his adopted State since taking up his abode within its limits. Mr. Louderback was born in Brown County, Ohio, July 4, 1824, and is the son of Thomas and Sarah (Springer) Louderback, natives of the same place, where the former was born in 1803, and was the son of Michael Louderback, a native of Germany, born in 1770. He crossed the Atlantic during his youth, just after the Revolutionary War, and located in Brown County, Ohio, where he en- gaged in farming and spent the balance of his days. He built up a good homestead, and closed his eyes upon the scenes of earth in 1832. He chose for his wife one of the maidens of Brown County, and they became the parents of eight children, namely : Peter, Michael, Andrew, Thomas, Henry, Isaac, Susanna and Nancy ; all have now passed away. In November, 1831, Thomas Louderback left the Buckeye State, and coming to Illinois located in Vermilion Count} 7 , where he engaged in farming six years. In 1837 he came to Livingston County, and in April of that year located in Amity Town- ship on section 21. He possessed a large amount of sturdy persistence, and with reference to any- thing he had once undertaken, there was in his vo- cabulary no such word as fail. The face of the country fifty years ago presented a vastly different appearance from that of the present, suggesting at once the necessity of men of perseverance and strength of character in order to perfectly accom- plish the developement of its natural resources. Thomas Louderback was in nowise lacking in the essential qualities of the pioneer, and each year saw something added to his prosperity. In due time, besides various conveniences around the homestead and the necessary buildings pertaining thereto, he had accumulated 250 acres of land and a choice as- sortment of live stock. After having been an hon- ored resident of Amit}* Township for a period of seventeen years, during which time he had made many friends and secured the respect of the entire community, he departed this life on the 6th of March, 1854. The faithful wife and mother, who had accompanied him to the West and bravely shared his trials and labors, preceded her husband to the silent land Oct. 25, 1842. The eleven children born to Thomas and Sarah Louderback were named as follows: Susanna, Lib- erty, Mary, Mills, Levi (see sketch), William, Co- lumbus, Thirsja, Mahala, Thomas and George. Susanna, Columbus and George died in infancy ; most of those now living are residents of Living- ston County. The mother of this family was born i t 1170 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. i in Brown County, Ohio, June 12, 1805, and was the daughter of Uriah and Nancy (Long) Springer, natives of Virginia. Nancy Springer was born July 23, 1779, in Brown County, Ohio, and de- parted this life July 24, 1838. Her husband, Uriah, was born in the State of Virginia, March 31, 1780, and surviving his wife nine years, died Oct. 29, 1847. Our subject has in his possession a fine family record dating back through several genera- tions. By this it appears that his maternal ances- tors were natives of Sweden and residents in or near the city of Stockholm. Grandfather Springer, after his marriage in the Old Dominion, removed with his family to Brown County, Ohio, and subse- quently, in 1837, to Illinois with his children, locating in Amity Township, where he and his ex- cellent wife spent their last years. They were the parents of thirteen children. Mary, the eldest daughter, died when forty-three years of age, in Amity Township; Hannah died a year younger; Nathan lived to be seventy-one years of age ; Sarah, the mother of our subject, was the fourth child ; William died at thirty-three years of age; Joseph at forty-seven; Zadock at twenty-two; Levi at twenty-seven ; Drusilla makes her home at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and is seventy -three years of age; Nancy died at thirty -nine years of age; Mahala at twenty -eight; Uriah lived to be only twenty years old, and Thirza passed away at the age of fourteen. The subject of this biography spent his child- hood and youth under the parental roof, making himself useful in various ways upon the farm. As may be supposed, considering the section of country in which his early years were passed, his schooling was exceedingly limited, embracing only about eight months to the time of reaching his majority. lie possessed good natural ability, however, while he was a keen observer of what was going on around him, and by the perusal of instructive books, has attained a good knowledge of business methods, besides posting himself upon subjects of general interest. He was a lad of thirteen years upon coming to this county, and developed into manhood amid its pioneer scenes, securing many friends and becoming admirably equipped for the struggle of life. The most important event in the life of our sub- ject was his marriage, which took place April 25, 1849, shortly before he had reached his twenty- fifth birthday. The young lady chosen to share his future life was Miss Mary Jane Corbin, who was born Oct. 9, 1827, in the Old Dominion, and is the daughter of David and Catherine Corbin, na- tives of Virginia. They continued in the Old Dominion until about 1831, and then took, up their residence in Livingston County. The paren- tal household included five children Jacob, Obe- dience, Ellen, Harriet and Mary Jane ; of these but one is now living. Mr. and Mrs. Louderback after their marriage located in Amity Township, and in due time their household included six children. The eldest son, John H.. was born March 25, 1850, and on the llth of May, 1873, was married to Miss Mary King, of Amity Township, where they are still living on a farm, and have four children; George W. was born Oct. 9, 1851, and married Miss Ella Gates, of Amity Township; he is also engaged in farming in that township, and is the father of three children. Chester W., a painter by trade, was born April 9, 1854, and married Miss Amanda Young, May 12, 1878; they have four children, and reside in Paw- nee City, Neb. Julia was born Oct. 18, 1856, and is the wife of Thomas J. Gregory, of Cornell, and the mother of four children, one of whom is de- ceased ; Hersie Jane was born Sept. 28, 1863, and was married, Dec. 27, 1882, to Harry L. Mallory; they have two children, and are residents of Strea- tor. Harriet C. was born April 26, 1868, and is the only child at home. Mr. Louderback's business transactions extend over a large tract of territory, and he has been made the conservator of important interests. He is independent in politics and has for years been warmly interested in the success of the temperance movement, being essentially a Prohibitionist. He was elected Justice of the Peace in November, 1855, which office he has since held, and has served as Township School Treasurer eight years, and rep- resented Amity Township in the County Board of Supervisors three years. He has been a resident of Cornell for the last ten years, and is recognized as one of its most valued citizens. Our subject, with his excellent wife, many years ago connected LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1171 himself witli the Protestant Methodist Church, of which he has now been an honored member thirty- six years, much of this time serving as Trustee, which office he holds at present. He has now l>assed his threescore years, and has made for him- self a record of which his children will never be ashamed. J1OIIN ZEIGLER, a retired farmer of Sun- bury Township, was. born near Carlisle, I Cumberland Co., Pa., April 3, 1821, and was the eldest in a family of five children, the offspring of Henry and Sophia (Frye) Zeigler, also natives of the Keystone State. His paternal grandparents were Henry and Barbara Zeigler, na- tives respectively of America and Germany. Henry Zeigler was Captain of a company in the Revolu- tionary War, serving all through the conflict until its close. Henry Zeigler followed the occupation of a far- mer in Pennsylvania until 1856, then removed to Fountain County, Ind., and from there, in 1877, to this State. His wife had died in Pennsylvania. He spent his declining years with his two sons, al- ternately, and died in 1881. John, of our sketch, was educated in the common schools, and at the age of twenty engaged in teaching. On the 6th of October, 1842, he was married to Miss Sarah Dunkelbarger, who was born in Perry County, Pa., Aug. 4, 1825. Her parents were Jonathan and Maria Dunkelbarger, natives of Pennsylvania, where the}' spent their entire lives. Our subject after his marriage farmed fora time in his native State, and upon his removal to Indi- ana, purchased a farm in Fountain County, upon which he operated three years. In the spring of 1852 he came to Illinois, making the journey over- land in the same manner in which he had removed from Pennsylvania, and driving his stock before. In this manner he brought sheep and hogs, but the price for these being very low he lost money on them. Mr. Zeigler upon coming to this county entered 160 acres of land on section 25, in Ncwtown Town- ship, with forty acres of timber. Here he built a house, and with the exception of two families had no neighbors for many miles around. Deer, wolves and wild turkeys were plentiful, and there was only one school-house between him and Pontiac. Mr. Zeigler assisted in laying off roads and school dis- tricts, locating the boundaries of the township, and was otherwise prominent in its development and progress. During his residence there of twenty- nine years he built up a fine farm, but finally took up his residence on his farm in Sunbury Township. Mr. and Mrs. Zeigler became the parents of seven children, of whom but two are living Benjamin and George. The former is farming in Newtown Township, and the latter is living at the homestead. Jesse R. Brown, a grandson, also makes his home with our subject. Mr. Zeigler contemplates mak- ing his future home in New Michigan, where he has already purchased property. He has been active in politics the greater part of his life and votes the Republican ticket. Religiously he belongs to the United Brethren Church, in which he has officiated as Class-Leader for twenty years, and also as Trustee. LVIN GEORGE CLARK was born in La- Salle County, 111., Oct. 4, 1842, and was the oldest child of Charles and Olive (Slater) Clark, who were natives of Ohio and New Hampshire respectively. His parents came to LaSalle County probably in 1838, and remained there until the close of the war, when they removed to Missouri, and settled in Johnson County. The father remained in that place until his death. He enlisted in the 104th Illinois Infantry on its formation, and served until the close of hos- tilities, and participated in many battles, including those of Shiloh, Lookout Mountain, Corinth and Island No. 10. His death was due to disease in- curred while in the service. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. At the age of twenty-two he left home and began life for him- self, having been married Nov. 25, 1862, to Miss Susan Wi throw, who was born in Toronto, Canada, Feb. 22, 1841. She is the daughter of James and Mary (Harley) Withrow, the former of whom was a school teacher, Alvin and his young wife com- i 1172 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. T menced life on a farm in LaSalle County, where they remained two years, but in 1865 they removed to Livingston County, where they have lived ever since. He has been engaged all this time in farm- ing. He and his wife are the parents of four chil- dren Thomas A., Ada E., Delia M. and Francis C. Thomas died in childhood. Ada is the wife of W. W. Chapman. Mr. Clark is a Republican in poli- tics. ATTHIAS TOMBAUGH, late a prosperous farmer and stock-raiser of Odell Township, was born in Washington County, Pa., June 11, 1835, and was the sixth child in a family of ten born to Matthias and Rachel (Spohn) Tombaugh. He was reared on a farm and received a good education, spending some time in Mt. Union College, Ohio. When twenty years of age he en- gaged in teaching in his native county and followed this profession ten years, in which he attained to considerable prominence, officiating as Principal in different cities. During the late war Mr. Tombaugh was anxious to enter the ranks, but could not do so on account of ill-health. He came to the West in 1865, with his wife, formerly Miss Elvira J. Letherman, to whom he was married Jan. 30, 1862. She was also born in Washington County, June 11, 1838, in the township adjoining that of her husband. She was the youngest of the nine children born to John and Christina (Myers) Lethermau, also natives of Penn- sylvania. Her father served in the War of 1812, and spent his life in his native State. Mr. Tombaugh landed in Illinois on the 1st of March, 1865, and shortly afterward purchased 320 acres of partly improved land in Reading Town- ship. Later he was joined by his family, but sold this farm about three years afterward. He then traveled through several of the Western States, but finally returned to this county and purchased a farm in Sunbury Township, where he farmed and taught school, and in the fall of 1873. after serving two or three terms as Supervisor, was elected County Superintendent of Schools, in which capacity he served nine years. In 1876 he exchanged his farm in Sunbury Township for 240 acres near the village, where he took up his residence. He was afterward elected Supervisor for Odell Township, in which capacity he served until his death. Mr. Tombaugh left a fine farm of 358 acres in a high state of cultivation and with first-class build- ings. He was a prominent member of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and together with his excel- lent wife, labored for the advancement of Christi- anity, both in the Sunday-school and elsewhere, as opportunity offered. His career was cut short while he was in the prime of life. He was very fond of fishing, and on the 13th of May, 1887, this time rather reluctantly, set out as usual to the river accompanied by his son and two hired men. They had gone early, and about 8 o'clock one of the men slipped over the dam, and being likely to drown, Mr. Tombaugh, hastening to his assistance, stepped too near the treacherous surface and was also precipitated into the water below. His son sprang in to save him, but Mr. T. seemed to have been stunned by the fall and could not help him- self. He dragged his son to the bottom twice with him, when the latter also began to fail, and was obliged to release his hold. The son succeeded in getting to shore, but the father had sunk to rise no more. This affliction to the family was pecul- iarly distressing, as his son, Raymond R., had ;il unit a year previous!}' met his death after bathing in the river. Mr. and Mrs. Tombaugh were the parents of seven children, of whom five are living. They have in- herited those admirable traits of character which will make of them honest men and good citizens. OHN THOMAS McCLINTOCK, of Eppard's Point Township, operates forty-eight acres of improved land, and stands well among his fellow-citizens. He was born in Kentucky, Sept. l!l, 1819, and removed with his parents when five years of age to Ohio. After a residence there of twenty years, during which time he engaged ex- tensively in teaching, he removed to Indiana, and from there three years later to this State, becoming a resident of this county in 1868. He is a natural farmer and horticulturist, and takes pride in beau- t f * LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1173 T tifying his surroundings, which attract much atten- tion from the passers-by. The father of our subject was William, and his grandfather Joseph McClintock, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter settling in the Blue Grass regions about the time that Daniel Boone was be- coming famous. The family is of Scotch and Irish descent. William McClintock and his wife became the parents of twelve children, six of whom were born in Kentucky and six in Shelby County, Ohio. In the latter place the parents spent their last years, the father dying in 1851, when sixty-five years old, and the mother in 1855 or 1856, when about sixty- three. But three of their children are now living: Daniel, of St. Louis, Mo.; Henry, of Springfield, Ohio; and John T. of our sketch. The wife of our subject was formerly Miss An- geline G., daughter of Col. Samuel Eccles, one of the military men of Kentucky, full of patriotism, and an expert in drilling soldiers. Mr. and Mrs. McClintock became the parents of two children, who died young, Sarah Jennie, at the age of nine years, and Mary Gertrude, at sixteen months. The former was a very bright child, and even at that early age had developed a great talent for composition. Her parents preserve with religious care a little book in which the child had noted down many of her thoughts and fancies. Our subject and his wife were reared Presby- terians, but are now members of the Congregational Church, with which Mr. McC. has been connected since he was twenty-one years old, and in which he officiated as an Elder from the fall of 1851 to 1880. He has also been a Deacon, and is considered one of the chief pillars. Politically he is a Democrat, and a warm admirer of President Cleveland. sHOMAS N. YOUNG is now occupying the re- sponsible position of Postmaster of Cornell, Amity Township, which position he deserves, both because of his fitness and as a recognition of the services he has rendered to the party in power in the National Government. Mr. Young was born on the 9th of June, 1843, in Brown County, Ohio, and is the son of Simon K. and Barbara'B. (Reyn- olds) Young, both of whom are natives of Ohio. The father was born on the 1 1 th of November, 1815, and died on the 29th of July, 1872, aged fifty-six years, and the mother was bom on the 20th of April, 1808. She was the daughter of Stephen Reynolds, Sr., and Barbara (Northrup) Reynolds, natives of Rhode Island. Her father was born July 28, 1774, and died Aug. 2, 1842; her mother was born Nov. 4, 1769, and died Jan. 28, 1843. Ste- phen Reynolds and Barbara Northrup were married in Rensselaer County, N. Y., Dec. 23, 1791, and came to Ohio in 1802, before that State was ad- mitted into the Union. The brothers ^and sisters of the mother of our subject are as follows: George Tiffany was born March 27, 1792;. Lavinia, born June 2, 1793, and died Aug. 12, 1838, in Livingston County, 111.; Oliver, born Aug. 20, 1794; Thomas Northrup, born Sept. 25, 1795, died April 29, 1868, aged seventy -two years ; Susannah, born Sept. 12, 1797; Olive, born May 28, 1799, died Jan. 20, 1817; Joseph, born Sept. 21, 1801, died Feb. 9,1857, aged fifty-six years ; John Wilson, born Dec. 2, 1803, in Ohio; Stephen, born March 4, 1806, died Feb. 22, 1865, aged fifty-eight years; Barbara B., the mother of our subject, born in April, 1808; Cor- nelius W., born Jan. 2, 1811, died Jan. 31, 1887; he was the first Clerk of the Court of Livingston County. Samuel K., born April 24, 1814, was one of the pioneer settlers of Livingston County, and is now a resident of the State of Missouri. The par- ents of our subject had two children, Susan Ann being the name of the other; she was born on the 15th of September, 1844, and died in Livingston County May 14, 1861, aged sixteen years. Thomas N. Young, our subject, was married to Martha Ann McKee, on the 2.9th of December, 1 865. She was the daughter of James and Nancy McKee, born on the 28th of June, 1848, and died on the 14th of August, 1871, aged twenty-three years. Mr. Young again married, the lady of his choice being Mrs. Mary E. Werner, who was born on the 22dof December, 1839. The marriage took place on the 29th of February, 1872. The result of this union has been two children: Augustine H., born July 5, 1874, and Barbara O., Aug. 22, 1879. Both these children are at home and the 1174 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. T former is making good progress at school. Mr. Young enlisted in Company F, 33d Illinois Veteran Infantry, in April, 1864, and served in that regi- ment until December, 1865. During his service he was in the engagement at Mobile, and at Ft. Blakesley, receiving a broken ankle while on duty at Bayou Bloneff, La., Dec. 25, 1864. Mr. Young owns some valuable property in the town of Cornell, which includes a house and lot, also one store building, and a vacant lot. He is a Democrat in politics, and besides the Government appointment which he now holds, he has filled the official positions of Township School Treasurer and Assessor. He is a member of Beacon Lodge No. 618, I. O. O. F., at Cornell, is a comrade of Cornell Post No. 223, G. A. R., is a member of the Good Templars, and is also a member of the Christian Church, as was his late wife, who died on the 14th of August, 1871, at Jacksonville, 111. Mrs. Young came to Livingston County in the spring of 1851. HRIST GMELICH is one of the extensive farmers and stock-raisers on section 7, Amity Township. He was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, Sept. G, 1833, and is the son of Philip and Magdalene (Walter) Gmelich, farmers in Ger- man y, where the father died in 1852 at the age of sixty years, and the mother in 1853, at the age of fifty-six years. To them were born the following- named children: Sophia, Christina, Delina and Christ. Sophia was born in 1826, and came to America in 1854; she married William Everet, who died in 1876, leaving her with five children living in Pittsburgh. Christina was born in 1829, and died in 1881 in Germany; she married Mr. Keebler and had a familv of four children. Delina was born in 1839, and died in 1877; her death was caused by being thrown from a bridge by a train of cars near Pittsburgh, Pa. In 1853 our subject came to the United States, and on the 21st of February, 1858, he married Miss Johanna Winkler, of Brunswick, North German}'. She was the daughter of Henry and Anna Winkler, who were the parents of the following-named chil- dren : Anna, Henry, Johanna, Dorothy and Christ. Anna married Henry Hoover, by whom she had three children, and died in Germany; Henry is married and lives in Germany; Johanna is the wife of our subject; Dorothy died in 1864; she came to America in 1 855, and was married to Justice Wag- ner, by whom she had three children, and died in Illinois. Christ resides in Germany. To Mr. and Mrs. Gmelich have been born six children, as fol- lows: William, on the 31st of May, 1859; Lew Al- bert, April 5, 1862; Matilda C., Oct. 29,1863; Sophia, May 5, 1867; Robert Christ, Feb. 3, 1870, and Daniel Edwin, May 1, 1879. These children all reside at home, engaged in assisting their parents upon the farm and attending the common schools. Mr. Gmelich's excellent farm consists of 279 acres,' under a good state of cultivation, and on which are erected good and commodious farm buildings, a view of which is shown elsewhere in this work; the farm is watered and well drained by Mole Creek. Besides farming Mr. Gmelich gives considerable attention to a high grade of Norman horses, and graded hogs and cattle. He is a Re- publican in politics and wields considerable influ- ence with his party. Because of his interest in educational matters he has been selected for several terms to fill the responsible position of School Di- rector. He is an active and progressive citizen and participates in all matters calculated to benefit the community, lie and his wife and two children, Tilda and Robert, are members of the Evangelical Church, in the affairs of which they take an active part. ENRY C. LIST, who is the " Village Black- smith" of Fayette, is a native of Tazowell County, this State, and was born Jan. 5, 1842. His parents, Lewis and Kate (Ga- ble) List, natives of Germany, formed their ac- quaintance on board the vessel coming to America, about 1830. Each was alone and comparatively frendless, and they concluded the most sensible thing would be to unite their fortunes and assist each other in the further journey of life. They set- tled in Pennsylvania, where the wedding occurred six months later. They remained in the Keystone State about three years, then came to Tazewell LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1175 County, 111., where the husband followed farming, varied by a little shoemaking for tke neighbors, he having served an apprenticeship at this trade. The parents of our subject had a family of nine children, of whom eight are living. They were named respectively: Jacob, Adam, John, Lewis, George, Frederick, Christopher, Mary and Henry; Mary died in infancy. Henry C. remained with his parents on the farm in Tazewell County, work- ing during summer and attending school in winter, until 1860, when he started out for himself and for four years worked as a farm laborer. He then served an apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade under the instruction of Benjamin Tobias, at Wash- ington, 111., and after leaving the shop was em- ployed by the day at his trade for a period of six years. Mr. List, in 1875, established himself at Strawn, iu this county, setting up a shop of his own, where he commands the entire patronage of the place, as his is the only establishment of the kind. He chose for his wife a maiden of this region, Miss Maggie Schmaltz, to whom he was married Oct. 17, 1878. Mrs. List is a native of Germany, and the daughter of highly respected citizens. This marriage re- sulted in the birth of two children Clara M., who was born Nov. 14, 1879, and Gertrude Frances, Nov. 23, 1884. They occupy a neat and comfort- able home, and enjoy the confidence and esteem of many friends. Mr. List, politically, is an uncompromising Dem- ocrat, a man of decided views and opinions, and lias been School Director of District No. 2 since 1885. ANS LARSON TUESBURG, deceased, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark, and reared to a seafaring life. After receiving a liberal education, he learned the carpenter's trade, after which he entered the Danish Navy and was soon made a Lieutenant. During the bombardment of Copenhagen he distinguished himself, and shortly afterward left the naval service and entered the merchant marine. For fifteen years he was en- gaged in the trade between Hamburg and Rio Janeiro, and afterward between Copenhagen and Valparaiso. Rounding Cape Horn twice a year for more than fifteen years, without a single accident, is a testirnonj' to his seamanship. In 1835 he re- solved to leave the sea, and become a citizen of the United States. Accordingly he landed at New York to look for an opportunity to engage in some line of business. The year previous, three land agents, Josiah James, John Harris and William Sampson, had organized a scheme of colonization for their land in Central Illinois. Mr. Tuesburg joined a company bound for that region, among whom were the following parties: David Roberts, Charles Jones, John Harris, Dr. Shaw, A. Hay wood, A. Richmond, G. Richmond, II. Richmond, and others to the number of twenty. They left New York on the 1st of October and traveled by way of the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and thence across the country to the Ohio River. The balance of the trip followed the course of the Ohio River to its mouth, thence up the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers to the mouth of Apple Creek. From there they crossed the country to Jacksonville, where they remained all winter, and in the spring removed to Tazewell County where they settled. Each one of the col- onists was allowed to purchase but one-quarter of a section to start with. The land-owners had laid out a town to which they gave the name of Tre- mont, and each purchaser of 160 acres of land was to be given three lots in the new town gratis. The colonists soon built up a prosperous and happy so- ciety, and laid the foundation of the present thriv- ing county of Tazewell. In 1835 the subject of this sketch entered into a contract to bring a stock of merchandise to Tre- mont for a merchant named Flager who was going into the business at that place. On his arrival with the goods, he found such a contented and happy community that he resolved to remain there, and aij'ain engaged in carpentering, the trade he had learned in his youth. In October, 1839, he married Mrs. Estelle Spaulding, the daughter of Charles Jones and widow of Adam Spanlding, who was a nutive of Chambersford, Mass. They were the parents of five children, Adtr, who died in infancy; La ust Hanson, deceased; Lawrence, deceased; Charles H. and Lawrence. Laust Hanson enlisted in Company Q, 4th Illinois Cavalry, under Col. i 1176 t LIVINGSTON COUNTY. Cook, and was killed at Holly Springs, Miss. The younger Lawrence is engaged in the machinery trade at Ottawa, 111. Mr. Tuesburg died in April, 18. r >9. His widow still survives him, and resides on the farm with her son Charles H., with whom she has always made her home. She is a hale and hearty matron of eighty years, with a bright and clear intellect and a memory replete witli incidents of their early colonial settlement. She and her husband were both members of the Baptist Church. T R. DANN BREWER, of Fairbury, a prac- titioner of the Eclectic School, has been remarkably successful in his pursuance of the practice of medicine, and although comparatively a young man, has clearly distanced many who have had more experience and count a greater number of years. He is a native of Ohio, where he was born in the town of Warren, Trum- bull County, Jan. 22, 1843. The parents of our subject, Sylvester and Sarah (Hake) Brewer, were natives respectively of Ver- mont and Pennsylvania. The father was bom in 1805, and emigrated from his native State to Wis- consin in 1853. He departed this life in Jefferson, Wis., in 1874, after reaching the advanced age of seventy-five years. The mother is of Pennsylvania stock and is still living in Jefferson County; she belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church. The parental household included eleven children, of whom one died in infancy. The eldest son, Frank, is a practicing physician of Evanston, III.; Horatio is deceased ; Elizabeth became the wife of William Thatcher and is now living in Ohio; Leah died when twenty-seven years old ; Dann of our sketch was the fifth child; Marietta, Mrs. Webber; Peter, Sylvester H., Jay, Sarah and Cynthia comprise the remainder of the family. The education of our subject commenced after the removal of his father to Wisconsin, and making good use of his time during his school days, he commenced teaching at an early age, and in 1870 became Principal of the Waukesha Reform School, where he acquitted himself with great credit. In the meantime he had given his leisure hours to the perusal of medical works, and shortly after coining to this county, in March, 1873, entered Bennett Medical College at Chicago, from which lie was graduated with first honors in the spring of 1870, and began practice at Fairbury. Two years later he took a course at Hahnemann College, Chicago, and afterward attended a clinical course of lectures in the Cook County Hospital ; he has become one of the leading physicians in Livingston County. Dr. Brewer was married in Fairbury, May 10, 1882, to Miss Lottie Rogers, a native of Ohio, and who was born in August, 1855. Mrs. Brewer is a lady of fine literary attainments, and a disciple of the Western Female Universit}' at Oxford, Ohio, and is also a graduate of the Chautauqua Literary So- ciety. They occupy one of the most attractive little dwellings in the city, which, within and with- out, furnishes ample evidence of the refinement of its inmates. The Doctor and his wife are in sym- pathy with the Christian Church, of which he has been a cheerful and liberal supporter, contributing materially to the erection of their church edifice. Socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity and has taken the Knight Templar's degree, being for two years Eminent Commander, besides holding the various offices in his lodge. )HOMAS C. SPENCER, one of the solid men of Forest Township, is a native of the Prai- rie State, and was born in the pioneer days, in November, 1826. His early home was in Schuy- ler County, and his parents were William M. and Rachel (Brooks) Spencer, natives respectively of Ireland and Massachusetts. William M. Spencer emigrated from his native country while a youth, and settled first in Law- rence County, this State, in 1804, while it was still a Territory. He occupied himself in tilling the primitive soil, and established a gristmill on what was then the Little Embnrras River. This he oper- ated a good many years, but on account of the troubles connected with the War of 1812, was obliged to abandon it for a time. On his premises a family of eight were killed by the Indians, and LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1177 he, with the other inhabitants of that section, was obliged to keep a constant watch to preserve his life. The savages murdered the settlers indiscrim- inately, sparing neither women nor children. Mr. Spencer finally crossed the Mississippi and made his home near Waterloo, Iowa, in 1854, where his death took place at the advanced age of eighty -six years, when he was making his home with a daugh- ter; the mother had passed away some ye&rs before, at the age of seventy. The father of our subject was twice married, hav- ing six children by his first wife. This lady was in her girlhood Miss Lorana Snow, who died when middle aged. He was subsequently married to Miss Rachel Brooks, and they became the parents of twelve children, two now living, namely : Ritcheson and Thomas C. Thomas C. remained at home un- til twenty-five years of age and then started out for himself. One of his first steps toward the establish- ment of a home was his marriage, Sept. 28, 1851, to Miss Sarah A. Bocock, a native of Ohio, and born in Highland County, in 1832. Mr. and Mrs. Spencer began life together on a farm near the town of Canton, 111., and in due time the little household was enlarged by the birth of seven chil- dren, four living, namely: James A., William G.. Samuel W. and Jesse O. One son and two daugh- ters are deceased, namely: Theodocia E., Maggie E. and John U. The latter died when an infant; Maggie passed away when an interesting child twelve years of age, Feb. 27, 1873; Theodocia died at the homestead in Belle Plaine Township, Oct. 16, 1865; James and Samuel are married, the former being occupied as engineer in an oilrnill at Gilman, and the latter is engaged in farming. Samuel is carrying on stock-raising in Lake View, Ore. ; William is working at the trade of carpenter, at Lake View, Ore., and is interested in the farm with Samuel. Our subject acquired a good common-school ed- ucation, and in early life was trained to habits of industry. While in Marshall County he held the offices of School Trustee and Justice of the Peace nine years, and was Township Clerk four years. Politically, he is Republican, and with his estima- ble lady is a member in good standing of the Mis- sionary Baptist Church at Fairbury, in which he officiates as Clerk, and is otherwise prominently identified with its interests. The farm of Mr. Spencer lies on section 6, and comprises forty -eight acres, where he carries on agriculture, and also a dairy. His farm has a great variety of fruit trees of all kinds, and is about equi-distant from Forest and Fairbury. OHN C. GEORGE, the Postmaster of Dwight, is a native of Barnesville, Belmont Co., Ohio, and was born Oct. 19, 1833. The family is of Irish extraction, John George, the father of our subject, having come from the North of Ire- land, near Belfast, when some nineteen years of age. He settled in Maryland, and there married Ann Cross, who vvas the mother of the following children : Sarah A., Edward, James C., Priscilla A., Margaret, John C., Leathey, Louisa, Benjamin C., Elizabeth N. and Rebecca J. The father of our subject removed with his little family to Belmont County, Ohio, among the pio- neers of that region, and engaged in farming. In 1865 he removed to Illinois, where he purchased a farm in Nevada Township in this county, where he made his home until 1876, when he departed "to the pale realms of death." He was a member of the Presbyterian Church. - Our subject passed his early life upon his father's place, and received his education in the common schools of the period. At the age of twenty-one he left home and came to Nevada Township, arriv- ing here on the 8th of October, 1854. The town of Dwight had been laid out during the summer, but the site was so low and wet that James C. George, a brother of John, refused an offer of eighty acres of land adjoining the corporation as a gift, considering it worthless. John C. George purchased land in the vicinity. It was at that time covered with heav}' grass, which was some twelve feet high in low places. He commenced immediately to improve his farm, and make a home. Having now the cage prepared, in 1856 he married Miss Mary E. Clarkson, a daughter of Egbert and Maria (Joycox) Clarkson. On the 5th of August, 1862, Mr. George, imbued with intense patriotism, en- listed in Company C, 129th Illinois Infantry, and f ' 1178 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. served throughout the war. With his regiment he was employed in guard duty, etc., until the spring of 1864, when they joined Gen. W. T. Sherman, and with that matchless leader began the famous march to the sea. Mr. George participated in the battle of Resaca and the other contests around At- lanta, at Peachtree Creek, Burnt Hickory, and others of that great campaign. After participating in the grand review in Washington he was mustered out on the 8th of June, 1865, and honorably dis- charged. He at once returned home and began farming. Three years later he moved to Dwight Village and began contracting in railroad work, which he continued for many years, until appointed Postmaster in 1886. His wife died in 1887. In political opinions Mr. G. is a stanch Demo- crat. He is a member of Dwight Post No. 626, G. A. R., of the I. O. O. F. and the Pioneer Society of Dwight, and is a popular and esteemed citizen. ON. AMOS M. JOHNSON was born in New Lebanon, Columbia Co., N. 'Y., Aug. 3, 1819. He was reared a farmer's boy, and until sixteen years of age attended winter schools. On reaching his sixteenth year, he matric- ulated at Wilbraham College, Mass., and following the curriculum of that institution, was graduated therefrom with honors. Hoping to better his finan- cial condition in the fast-growing West, he mi- grated to this State and located at Farmington, Fulton County. There he studied medicine in the office and under the instruction of Dr. Christie. Later, he attended Rush Medical College, Chicago, from which he was graduated and received his di- ploma. Returning to Fulton County, he hungont his shingle at Vermont, and entered upon what proved to be a very successful and remunerative practice. Dr. Johnson was united in marriage with Miss Melissa II. Kinney, a charming and accomplished young lady of Farmington, 111., in 1843. Contin- uing his practice in Vermont until 1851, during which time he was also engaged in the drug busi- ness with his father, he moved to Ipava, Fulton County. There he embarked in the mercantile business with his brother Deloss, and they success- fully conducted the same until 1854. During that year Dr. Johnson purchased 300 acres of land in McDonough County. Moving his family upon this land, he superintended its cultivation, at the same time practicing his profession, and was thus occu- pied for about two years. He was also engaged in the land business at Vermont, and traveled over many of the Southern States in the interest of his business. Returning to Fulton County, he sold his farm for $8,000 in gold, and moved to Vermont. There he engaged in the real-estate business with his two brothers, William K. and F. I. Johnson, which relationship existed until 1859. During the latter year Dr. Johnson moved to Peoria, this State, and was the capitalist among the incorporators of the great American Pottery at that place. In this adventure he lost $50,000 in cash, and four years after going to Peoria he found him- self without a dollar, and a large family on his hands. He kissed his wife and children, told the boys to " keep the wolf from the door," and started South to act as surgeon in the 1 19th Illinois Infantry, Col. T. J. Kinney commanding. On reaching the regi- ment, the vacancy was filled, and Dr. Johnson went to buying cotton. In less than a year he returned to Peoria with $7,000, and walking into the room threw it into his wife's lap, remarking, " That's a pretty good year's work." The writer heard him say it, and was one of the " tickled " company. In 1864 Dr. Johnson moved his family to Osce- ola, Ark., where he was successfully engaged in raising cotton. He was elected to the State Legis- lature in 1868, and served with distinction. The feeling was strong against Northern men in that part of the State ; rebels who had been whipped in honorable warfare were smarting from their defeat. Dr. Johnson, day after day and night after night, rode among them and administered to their wants, and never charged a dollar. How glad they were to see his face when languishing on beds of sickness, and yet they killed him killed him because he loved his country, and dared to express his belief that " the North was right and the Soutli was wrong." Aug. '24, 1 869, they shot him, as the moon was hidden by the blackened clouds of night, and not a single ' LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1179 I twinkling star shone forth to testify to their ac- cursed deed. His remains were laid to rest at his old home of Vermont, Fulton Co., 111. Of the union of Dr. Johnson with Miss Kinnej', nine children were born, five boys and four girls. Two have gone to meet their father on the other shore, and seven yet remain. Of the latter, four are living in this county, viz. : Eugene ; Minnie, Mrs. Redfern; Jennie, Mrs. Easton, and Ella, Mrs. Westervelt; the others are Dayton, Oscar and Lew. The mother is still living, and makes her home with her children in this county. fifJESSE SLYDER, a retired farmer and auc- tioneer of Dwight, is of Scotch and Welsh ancestry on his father's side, while on his mother's he is German. A branch of the Slyder family crossed the Atlantic at an early day and located in Maryland, where William Slyder, the father of our subject, was born. He was fairly educated, and was employed both as school teacher and shoemaker in his native State until removing to Franklin County, Pa. The mother of our subject was in her maidenhood Miss Elizabeth Shull, and was a native of Mary- land. Jesse Slyder first opened his eyes to the light in Adams County, Pa., where he received a common-school education and was reared to farm- ing pursuits. Early in life he was thrown upon his own resources, and at the age of fifteen years he en- gaged as a teamster from Chambersburg to Balti- more and Pittsburgh. This was before the days of railroads, when freight had to be transported by wagons immense structures, capable of carrying five tons, and drawn by six horses. They were built very clumsily and were very heavy, the tire of the wheels being four inches in width, and the wagon alone being a load for one pair of horses; the harness corresponded with the carriage. The roads were turnpike and a great many men were employed in this freighting business. It required no little skill to manage the six horses, but young Slyder was equal to the emergency and soon became as proficient as the rest. The route from Chambers- burg to Pittsburgh covered a distance of 115 miles, and our subject frequently crossed the Alleghany Mountains in the dead of winter and in the midst of blinding snowstorms. Little account was taken of these storms, however, and no stop made unless the road was utterly impassable. There were stations along the route called taverns, which were provided with spacious stable yards capable of ac- commodating a large number of horses and wagons. The animals were sheltered from the weather simply by a large woolen blanket and plenty of straw. They were well fed, and frequently came out in the spring in better condition than when they started. Mr. Slyder, during the summer, followed farm- ing, and occupied himself with teaming in the winter seasons. The owners of the teams formed caravans of 126 horses and three men each, and employed an agent along the line to look after their interests. Mr. Slyder became one of these agents and traveled on in advance of the teams to arrange for accom- modations at the stopping places, and on the return trip settled for the provisions which the men and animals consumed. An idea of the magnitude of these transactions may be obtained from the fact that in the course of two years Mr. S. for this pur- pose paid out $160,000. Our subject continued in Pennsylvania, and in 1837 was united in marriage with Miss Hannah L. Minger, of Franklin County, that State. They be- gan life together in a little home in that county, and in due time became the parents of eight chil- dren, namely: William, Susan, Samuel, Jesse L., Hattie, David, Daniel and Emma. In the spring of 1853 Mr. Slyder determined to seek the western country, and while changing his location, changed his occupation also. On arriving in this State he located upon a tract of land near the town of Peru, whence three years later he came to this county and purchased 200 acres in the remote northeastern part of Round Grove Township. There were but few improvements in the township at that period, and his own land was essentially in its primitive condition. He located his family in a board house, and under great difficulties began the cultivation of the soil. His perseverance and resolution soon bore their legitimate fruit, and in due time he began to realize the reward of his labors. As his family I I 1180 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. f grew up around him there also grew up on the farm one improvement after another, until he he- came the possessor of a neat and substantial resi- dence, a commodious barn with convenient out- buildings. a goodly assortment of live stock, and all the other accessories of the modern country estate. In 1808 he retired from the laborious duties of an agriculturist and took up his abode in Dwight, of which he has now been a resident twenty years. He has been remarkably successful as an auctioneer and has had an experience of thirty-seven years at this business. Upon first becoming a voter Mr. Slyder identi- fied himself with the Democratic party and sup- ported its principles until the election of James Bu- chanan. In 1860 he considered that he had reason to change his opinions, or felt that his party was not living up to its avowed principles, and joined the Republican ranks. In religious matters he is a decided Methodist. During his youth Mr. S. was extremely anxious to obtain a finished education. His father, however, met with sore reverses, and the son yielding to his sense of duty laid aside his personal plans and wishes and bent his energies to assist in the support of the family. He has, however, improved his opportunities for reading, and has a good knowledge of general business, by which he is enabled to suc- cessfully cope with the various questions which arise in the routine of daily life. Mr. Slyder has been quite prominent in township affairs, serving as Supervisor, and being identified with those enterprises inaugurated for the general good of the people. His duties as auctioneer have brought him in contact with most of the residents of Round Grove Township and vicinity, by whom he is generally esteemed as a useful citizen and a valued member of the business community. AMUKL HIGBEE,a well-known and highly respected resident of Reading Township, has a fine farm of 240 acres on section 29, which is well improved and largely de- voted to the raising of grain. He has been especialty successful in his labors, which have been carried on with good judgment and system, as indicated in the neat appearance of his homestead, about which nothing is allowed to run to waste or any work ill done. This gentleman first opened his eyes to the light near the Atlantic coast, N..J., April 6, 1827, and is the son of William and Hannah (Horn) Higbee, natives of the same State, the former born in 1785, and the latter in 1799. William Higbee departed this life at his home Aug. 8, 1878, and his wife, Hannah, surviving him nine years, died March 19, 1887. The father in early manhood was a sailor on the Atlantic Ocean, but subsequently took up his residence oil terra firmaand engaged in farming. In 1839, accompanied by his family he migrated from New Jersey to Ohio, where he was one of the earliest pioneers. After leaving the sea he had served in the War of 1812, doing guard duty along the coast. His wife in the meantime, together with many others, fearing an attack from the enemy, took her bedding and her little family, and fled to the woods. The British, however, failed to effect a landing, and so their fears proved to be groundless. In those days, however, it was deemed wise to use every pre- caution for the preservation of life and property. To William and Hannah Higbee there were born the following children: Phebe Ann, John, Sarah Ann, Mark, William. David, Hannahettie, Thomas, Mary, Elizabeth, Charles H., James and Phebe Ann. Samuel Higbee left his native county, and at the age of twenty-nine years was married, Sept. 29, 185G, to Miss Sarah E. Girard. tier parents were John and Elizabeth (Robinson) Girard. The father was a carpenter by trade, and spent his last days in the Old Dominion. His wife, Elizabeth, was born in March, 1795, and died in Ohio in April, 1877. Their family included eight children, namely : Lu- cinda, who was married, and died in Ohio, after reaching middle age, and becoming the mother of eight children; Thomas R., a contractor and builder at St. Louis, Mo.; John R., a farmer of Ohio; Ruth Eleanor, wife of Hamilton Hedges, of Ohio, and the mother of eight children; James W., who died in Virginia after reaching his twenty-first birthday; Seman, a carpenter by trade, and Susan. Mr. and Mrs. Higbee after their marriage located in Livingston County. The record of their chil- ^ t. LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1181 dren is as follows: The eldest daughter, Mary, died shortly after her birth ; Charles Theodore was born July 18, 1858, is now married, has a family and is farming in this county; Ettie Jane was born Jan. 29, 1861, and is the wife of Harry C. George, and the mother of two children; they are carrying on farming. Edwin S. was born Oct. 16, 1863, and is connected with the post-office at Ancona ; Samuel Leone was born May 2, 1866; Jessie Mabel, Oct. 13, 1868; Sarah Luella. May 14, 1871; Anna Bell, April 25, 1876. The younger children, with the ex- ception of Sarah L., are home with their parents. She is attending school in Streator. Mr. and Mrs. Higbee are prominently connected with the Method- ist Episcopal Church. Our subject, politically, is a Republican and a Prohibitionist. He served on the Village Board of Trustees six years, and also as School Director and Pathmaster several terms. ffiOHN NEWTON CAMPBELL owns 133 acres of good land on section 25, Newtown Township, where he controls about 213 acres. As a tiller of the soil and a breeder of good cattle and horses he has distinguished him- self in a highly creditable manner. With the ex- ception of about sixteen years' residence in Indiana, he has lived in this locality, his birthplace being near his present residence, where he first opened his eyes to the light May 5, 1856. For a man of his years he has a good start in life, and in addition to being regarded as a skillful agriculturist, is also one of Newtown Township's best citizens. Our subject is the son of Samuel and Sarah (Spinning) Campbell, the former born in Preble County, Ohio, in 1822. His father, Joseph Camp- bell, was a native of Kentucky, and of pure Scotch ancestry. He married Miss Sarah Walker, a Ken- tucky lady, and not long afterward they left the Blue Grass regions for Ohio, whence they removed to Indiana, where the wife and mother died. The remaining members of the family subsequently came to Illinois, where the eldest son, John, is a resident of Esmen Township and is represented in another part of this work. Samuel, the father of our sub- ject, was the second child, and Melinda is the wife of Edward Spinning, of Kansas; Andrew left home when about nineteen years old and went to Cali- fornia with a company twenty-five j'ears ago, since which time he has not been heard from and is sup- posed to have died ; Joseph died in 1857, in this State. Samuel Campbell was reared to manhood in Indiana, and married there in 1850. Six years later he came to Illinois, but returned to Indiana after eighteen months and remained until 1867. He then came to Livingston County, locating in New- town Township, where he continued four years. Thence he returned to Indiana, where he became the owner of 380 acres of land, on which he has since resided. He is a prominent and liberal-minded cit- izen, and the father of thirteen children, whose names are as follows: Jefferson, Sarah, Andrew, John N., Rosanna, Hettie, Ulysses Grant, Frank, Eve, James, Custer, Emma and one who died in infancy. Jefferson is connected with the State Re- form School at Pontiac : Sarah became the wife of William Miller, and died in Indiana in 1873 ; Andrew is married and lives near his father; Rosanna is the wife of John Board, of Stone Bluff, Ind. ; Hettie was paralyzed in her lower limbs when three years old and has since been a cripple; Ulysses Grant, Frank, Eve, James, Custer and Emma are at home with their parents. Our subject continued under the home roof until after reaching his majority, receiving a good edu- cation in the common schools, and was then ready to commence in life for himself. He was first mar- ried, Sept. 25, 1878, to Miss Marietta Reed, who was born in Fountain County, Ind., in 1858, and died of typhoid fever at her home in Newtowu Township, Nov. 7, 1878. Mr. Campbell was sub- sequently married to Mrs. Mary (Hoobler) Cusick. The first husband of Mrs. Campbell, Clark Cusick by name, was suffocated by foul air in a well in Sep- tember, 1877. Mrs. Campbell is a daughter of Jeremiah and Frances Hoobler, natives of Pennsyl- vania; her father now lives in Newtown Township. Of this union there have been born two children Irma, March 15, 1882, and Samuel J., June 27, 1885. When Samuel Campbell first came to Illinois, in 1853, he entered a tract of land in Newtown Town- ship for his father, Joseph Campbell, a portion of - . 1182 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. which lias remained in possession of the family for over thirty years. It is to he hoped that it will not be transferred for many generations to come, as there is nothing which confers more dignity upon a family or member of a family than to hold its pos- sessions and keep up the property as this farm has been kept up. The buildings are substantial and in good order, and the entire estate reflects credit upon those who have brought it to its present state of perfection. i; UGENE F. D. JOHNSON, a farmer by oc- cupation, but at present working for Walton Bros., of Fairbury, is a son of Hon. AmosM. and Melissa H. Johnson, a short sketch of whom may be found in this work. Eugene Johnson was born in Vermont, Fulton Co., 111., Oct. 19, 1844. He lived there until 1859, during which time nothing eventful occurred in his life, except an occasional "licking" for running awa3' from school. We next hear of him working in the American Pottery at Peoria, becoming very pro- ficient, and bossing the "boys" around with an air of authority. After nine years he went to Memphis, Tenn., and assumed command of a steamboat his father owned, and ran the same up Red River. Af- ter several trips between Shreveport and Jefferson City, Capt. Johnson loaded his boat with cotton for New Orleans, receiving $25 a bale. Landing safely in New Orleans, he sold the boat for $1,000, and he and his brother Lew, who was cashier on the boat, went back to Peoria, 111. In 1864 our subject went to Osceola, Ark., to engage in the raising of cotton in partnership with his father. In 1868 the levees broke, and their crop was entirely destroyed, and our subject con- cluded he had had enough of Arkansas. His brother Lew had preceded him to Chariton County, Mo., and rented a 500-acre farm, and Eugene, with his mules and wagons and a few faithful negroes, went and took possession of it. We cannot take time to tell of the glorious "licking" he got by the deck- hands while on his trip North, for letting his dog run into their dinner pans; suffice it to say, it \\.-i> a good one, and he will never forget it. He ar- rived in Chariton County badly bruised and used up, but alive, and before the crop was gathered, heard of his father's assassination (see biography in this ALBUM). His backing was gone, and all he could do was to labor on for the support of the family. A year later he went back to Vermont with his mother, brothers and sisters, and located on a farm which he and his brother Lew purchased. Later Eugene sold his interest to his brother. In 1872 Eugene Johnson and Miss Mary, daugh- ter of James and Theodate Fowler, were united in marriage. Two children were born of this union. Mr. Johnson, after an experience of two years in the grocery business in Chicago, in the employ of Johnson & Stover, moved to Cimarron, Kan., and there his wife died, and was buried. Sending his children back to Vermont, he wandered around over Colorado. New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska and Iowa, and we next hear of him in Fulton County, 111., again. On coming to this county, Mr. Johnson was out of means, "dead broke," and having no rich rela- tives who were disposed to aid him, worked at whatever his hands could find to do. Later he went to Logan County, this State. There he ob- tained a position as custodian of a grain elevator, and held the position for four years. In the mean- time he was married again. The latter union has been productive of four children, two pair of twins. In 1887 Mr. Johnson came back to this county, and engaged working with Walton Bros., of Fairbury, with whom he is still interested. He is a hard- working man, and although adversity has checked his onward progress to prominence and wealth, he will live in the memory of those who know his real worth as long as life shall last. R. WALLACE, the Judge of the County Court, and a resident of Pontiac, was born in Belmont County, Ohio, March 13, 1835. He is a son of David and Frances Ross, who were natives of Ohio and Pennsylvania respect- ively. He was reared to a farmer's life until he was twenty years old, receiving at the same time a good education. At the age of twenty, he entered the t. T LIVINGSTON COUNTY. 1183 Madison College of Ohio, where he remained two years, and then attended the Monmouth College in this State, from which he graduated in 1861. Later he received the degree of A. M. from the same col- lege. In 1861 he enlisted in the 74th Ohio Infantry, and remained in the service until 1866. He entered the army as a private and was mustered out as Captain. The regiment to which he belonged was a part of the 14th Army Corps, and he participated in nearly all the battles of that division, from the capture of Nashville to the close of the war. After returning from the front, Mr. Wallace lo- cated at Ottawa, LaSalle County, where he resumed the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1867, at that place. Going to Chatsworth, Livingston County, he commenced the practice of his profession and continued there until April, 1874. He was elected Judge of the County Court in 1873, and took up his residence at Pontiac. He was re- elected to the same office in 1877, 1882 and 1886. He was married in 1867 to Miss Louisa Strawn,.a native of LaSalle County, 111., and a daughter of Isaiah and Elizabeth (Champlain) Strawn, natives of Ohio and Connecticut respectively. They are the parents of four children. Judge Wallace is the commander of G. A. R. Post No. 105. |)ILLIAM R. MARVIN, a member of the Board of Supervisors of Livingston County, and a representative citizen of Emington Township, is a native of Rensselaer County, N. Y. He was born Oct. 20, 1 840, and is the son of Peter D. and Julia A. (Smith) Marvin, both of whom were natives of the Empire State. The subject of our sketch was reared to man- hood in his native county, and received a good ed- ucation in the common school. On the 21st of April, 1862, he was united in marriage with Miss Emrna J. Mosher, a native of Columbia County, N. Y. They were the parents of four children. In 1864 he came West with his family, and located in Kane County, 111., where he made his residence ^ until 1868, at which time he came to this county and settled on section 19, in Broughtou Township, where he at present lives. His wife died here Dec. 17. 1883, and realizing that it was not well for man to live alone, he again entered the marriage state Oct. 14, 1H86. His choice was Miss Sarah E. Stuff, a daughter of Adam and Wilhelmina Stuff. Politically, Mr. Marvin is a Republican, and has held several important offices of trust in the town- ship and county. He has served as Clerk of j Broughtou Township and as Justice of the Peace, and is a member of the Milage Board of Trustees of Emington. He was first elected Supervisor in April, 1871, and with the exception of one year, has continued in that office to the present time. pZTINEFIELD BROS, carry on a general black- smith and horse-shoeing business in the town of Odell. These enterprising young men took charge of this business some five years ago, as successors to their father, whose history ap- pears in this work. Frank Finefield, the senior member of the firm, was born in Kendall County, 111., May 11, 1856, and was four years of age when his parents re- moved to Odell. He was educated in the common schools of this locality, and while a boy spent a large portion of his time when not in school in his father's shop, and at the age of seventeen he took up the business regularly, and followed it until he was twenty-three years of age. He then went West and settled in Salina County, Neb., at the town of Dorchester, where he formed a partnership with a man by the uamelof Barslow. He remained there two years and then returned to Odell, to take charge of the business he is now conducting. Nov. 16, 1883, he married Helen I. Woodbury, who was born near Palatine, 111., and is the daughter of George and Anna (Puffer) Woodbury, both of whom were natives of Massachusetts. They are the parents of one child, George L., who was born Aug. 2, 1884. Fred Finefield, the junior member of the firm, is a native of Odell, and made his appearance on the stage of life Aug. 17, 1862. He was the sixth child of the family born to his father, Charles Fine- field. June 28, 1883, he entered into a matrimouia alliance with Caroline Erschen, who was born near ' . 1184 LIVINGSTON COUNTY. St. Charles, Mo., Nov. 28, 1862. She is the third child in a family of nine born to Mathiasand Caro- line Erschen, both of whom were natives of Ger- many, and who had come to America prior to 1862. Fred entered upon his present business at the same time as his elder brother, the partnership being formed as above stated. Since that time their lives have run parallel. Each of the brothers is the pos- sessor of a neat cottage home. Fred Finefield and his estimable wife are the parents of three children Frank E., Bertha and Albert M., all of whom are living. The brothers are not active in politics, but vote with the Republican party. ACK LEONARD, who ranks among the well-to-do farmers of Broughton Township, was in his early years a " Lancashire lad, " and was born May 12, 1833. His parents were William and Mary (Chadwick) Leonard, the former a Scottish Highlander \>y birth, and the mother a native of England. The latter spent her entire life on her native soil, and died in Lancashire; the father is still living and continues in England. Our subject spent his childhood and youth amid the quiet scenes of country life in his native county, and received a common-school education. Upon reaching his majority he resolved to change his lo- cation, and embarking on an ocean steamer at Liver- pool bound for New York City, at the end of thirteen days he set foot upon American soil in the great metropolis, and thence proceeded directly to Troy, N. Y., in the vicinity of which he worked about a year as a farm laborer. Thence he migrated to Kendall County, this State, and continued at the same employment until the spring of 1866, when he took up his residence (n Livingston County, ;m der, Daniel H 704 Pearson, EH W 1019 Pearson, Martin 832 Perrine, Charles 982 Perry, Ebenezer 1142 Snyder, L. L 6tB Somers, Peter 922 Persels, Roland 737 Peters, Michael D 272 Spafford, Robert S . 689 Travis, Jeremiah 3 I 9 Peterson, H 810 Riordan P E.. . 1168 Tredenick, James 968 Phillips, Jacob 605 Phillips, John T 661 Phillips, Wm. A 790 Spence, T M 228 Pierce, Franklin 71 Pillsbury, N. J 1126 Rollins, C. W. 260 Spencer, T. C... . .... 1176 Tucker, Jacob S 423 Tuesburg, Charles H 617 Piper, Alexander S 877 Piper, Joseph 1044 Plowman, J. R 275 Rudd J W 966 Tuttte, L H 345 Polk, James K 59 Pope, L. C 1129 Stanford, J F . 445 Porter, Joseph M 540 Porter, J. R 321 Ruston, Winfield S 1009 Ruiz, Wm . .. 288 S States. A. H . . ; 334 Stephenson, John E 702 Stevens, Capt. Eugene R. ...1098 Potter, Alfred G 945 Potter, Elvie T 667 Potter, P. M 6ij Stewart F W 4 ^ t Potter, Stephen 1065 Stewart, John W 568 Powell, John 316 Stickney. C. W 960 Stockham, DeWitt C 338 Powell, Rev. A. B c 9 S Pratt, L. F 3 > 6 V VanBuren, Martin 47 Pricer, S. M 276 Prickett, Aaron 88 j Straight, R.C 463 Prime, S. T. K 1158 Stratton, EL.. . 317 Pritchard, John 895 Stratton, Mrs. V. E.. ( n6S Proesel, Joseph .994 Sears, W. W 484 Puffer, R R 587 Purslcy. John 431 Strawn, Capt. Wm 773 Putnam. E. G 1163 Streamer, Jacob 639 VanBuskirk, W. E 1153 Q Quest, Mrs. E 17 6 Street, Daniel 356 Vercler, Peter 776 Strobel, Bernhard .... . 339 Verry.O. P 578 Vickery, John 384 Studley, C. C 325 Virgin, John 603 Studley, John 896 Vorhees, Isaac. 414 Sheldon C W 193 Sullivan, Jeremiah 938 W Wade John * 659 Shelly, Malachi 8 S7 R Rabe. Dr. W. 1 1,4, Sutton. E. R 618 Swan, Hollis P 680 Il09 Swarner, M . R 3^7 * g 3ir Swift, H. A 384 Swygert, Emanuel 289 Shrimpton, Philip 1044 T Sidle. J. D as8 Radcliff, John R m6 Simpkins, C. W 859 Simpson. Samuel .318 Sinclair, Alexander 1137 Skinner, George 749 Ragan, Elon G iu2o Raisbeck, F 277 Ramsay, Isaac T 4^0 Ramsay. W. S 492 Skinner, W. W . 768 Raymond, John H 597 Slyder. Jesse u 7 g Walter. Zachariah .658 Redfern, Louis K 1148 Slydcr,S. K 278 Reed, Daniel 208 Smith. B . . . . . 953 Tanner. James 204 ' P '" 3 * 9 Reed.J. H 399 Smith, Charles E 616 Smith, David F 635 Reed. Wm . . . , 999 iReed, Wm 871 Smith. F. N 1070 T Reese, J. D y>i Smith, J. A 527 Tate, Wm. L 3 6r Webster. S. D... 842 f. I INDEX. Webster, Warren 839 Weider, Aaron 373 Weihermiller, Nicholas 367 Wendel, Henry 647 Westervelt, Emery 360 Westervelt, J. L 424 Whalen, E 3*5 Whalen, John 268 Whalen, Thomas 707 Wienand, Theodore ..630 Wilcox, Samuel G 401 Wilder, E. L: 387 Wilder, M. DeF 403 Wilkey, John 300 Wilson, Charles 645 Wilson, J. T 1166 Wince, John M 257 Winsor, H. W 576 Wolf, John N . 340 Wood, John 155 Wcodburn, C. F 448 Wooding, Stephen 819 Woodruff, Hon. George A 976 Worden, Charles 664 Worrick, George. . . Wylie, James M. . . . Wylie, James Wyllic, J. H Wyllie, John ....679 IO22 742 ...1166 99 Yates, Richard. Young, Jacob . 159 .224 Young, Thomas N . Younger, Charles. . Younger, Wm ."73 ..330 . 67. Zeigler, John. . . Zeilman, P. B.. Zeph, Nicholas Zook, John M . . .1171 ..684 ..g6, 373 Arthur, O 420 Barlow, Samuel 863 Barr, J. N 1134 Becker, Aaron 420 Bemis, Nelson A I0 73 Blackwell, G. W 231 Bohlander, George.. 729 Boyer,G. W 1067 Brooks, G.W 1134 Brown, James 1117 Brunskill, William 1095 Bullard,J.T 393 Carlton, Benjamin 812 Carlton, Frederick 1067 Catton, H .-591 Chamings, William 769 Chappel, William 936 Christmann, John 1067 Church of St. John the Bap- tist 979 Church of St. Rose of Lima. .979 Clark, E. S 779 Cline,G. W 253 Coe, John 869 Coleman, Stephen 824 Collins, Jeremiah .1111 Conine, S. L 511 Conrad, Frank 641 Cook, Ira 792 Corbin, J. F izn Cowling, William 313 Cunnington, Thomas 729 Davis, W. G 679 Dirks, E 853 Eads, F. M 379 Eggenberger, Uriah 481 Eiklor, W. F 309 Elmore, Robert 429 Ewing, James 936 Faust, Charles 361 Finley, J. S 293 Flanigan, William 1089 Foley, Morris 269 Francis, Albert 351 Francis, Henry * II 39 Fry, J. H 914 Funk, J. H 541 Gallup, D 833 Garrets, G. A 571 Gmelich, Christ 793 Graham, Robert A 863 Gregg, R. D 769 Gschwendtner, Anton 914 Hamilton, James, 892 Harmon, Amiel 6n Harris, John 293 Harris, John 361 Herr, Stephen 489 Hertz, Amos 481 Hoffman, Albert 369 Holdridge, R. L 401 Hoi man, T . L. H. . . . 1040 Hoobler, David 253 Hoobler, Fred 709 Howell, James I 661 Humiston, Bennet 231 Humphreys, C. C 853 Hunt, Lovejoy 875 Hurt, Nathan 392 Jennings, J . W 5=1 Kellogg Bros 351 King, Jacob 571 King, Joseph R 571 Kuns. Jacob 551 Kuntz, Joseph --449 Langan, T. N 1089 Lawless, Patrick 409 Lewis, Lars 919 Linn, James H 591 Little, Jesse 747 Lockner.John G 521 Lovelock, James 1073 Lower, A 985 Lundy, Elias J 824 M aj o r , A . A 521 Marks, J. W 1029 Mason, L 1017 McDonald, P. F 1040 McDowell, J. W 802 McGee, John 833 McVay.Mrs. Matilda 661 Mette, Louis 313 Mills, J. W 53 i Mills, Samuel 361 Mills, Thomas 793 Minard, John 963 Morris, C. fr" 1127 Morris, W E 739 Mulford, Daniel A 985 Odell, James H 471 Odell, John 1008 Pearson, Eli W 1017 Piper, Alexander S 875 Pope, L. C 1127 Potter,A. G 833 Potter, Stephen 481 Potter, P. M 611 Proesel, Joseph 739 Pursley, John 429 Radcliff, J.R 1117 Reed, Daniel 209 Reed, William 869 Remsbury, P. F 331 Rich, Joseph P 1095 Ringler, H. Y 273 Searing & Messier 331 Setzer,P. W 369 Sheldon, C. W 1029 Shepherd, L. F .769 Shepherd, H.B 471 Shrimpton, Philip 401 Siedentop, H 679 Sinclair, Alexander J1 39 Smith, D. F 273 Smith, F. N 747 Smith, John 919 Somers, Peter 541 Spafford, R. S 688 Spence, M . D 489 Springer, Reason 747 St. Patrick's Church 1001 Straight, R. C 461 Stratton, Mrs. V. E 641 Studley, John 897 Sullivan, Jeremiah and Mi- chael 739 Sutton, Emmet R 331 Taggart, J. H... 974 Taylor, Geo. L 401 Thomas, J. S 891 Tredenick, James 1073 Tryon, Fred N 729 Turner, Benjamin 511 Ulbright, H " .273 Walker, William 49 Wendel, Henry 649 Wienand, Theodore 3*3 Woodburn, C. F 449 Woodruff, George A 974 Wyllie, Margaret 897 Younger, William 670 Zeph, Nicholas 963 INDEX. Adams, John 24 Adams, John Q 38 Arthur, Chester A 88 Barnes, Mrs. Hannah F 930 Beardsley , C 563 Beveridge, John L 170 Bissell, W. H 150 Bond, Shadrach no Buchanan, James 74 Camp t Apollos - 500 Camp, Mrs. Nancy T 501 Carlin, Thomas 134 Clark, E. S 2co Clark, M*rs. Mildrid Ann 201 Cleveland, S. Grover ..102 Coles, Edward 114 Cullom, Shelby M 174 Curran, Thomas S 1061 Darnall, Major Martin 264 Donohoe, Francis 720 Duncan, Joseph 130 Eads, F. M. 380 Edwards, Ninian nS Ewing, Wm. L. D 126 FHlmore, Millard 66 Ford, Thomas 138 French, Augustus C 142 Garfield, James A 94 Goembel, W. P 844 Grant, Ulysses S 86 Hadley, James P .908 Hamilton, John M 178 Harrison, Wm. H 60 Hayes, Rutherford B 90 Herbert, Samuel 304 Herbert, Mrs- Ann J 304 Hicronymns, Benjamin 581 Hilton, P. K 562 Holdridge, R. L 886 Hoobler, David 758 Hoobler. Fred 698 Hoobler, Mrs. Martha 699 Hoobler, Mrs. Sarah 759 Houston, Dr. M 1144 Humiston, bennet 222 Jackson, Andrew 42 Jefferson, Thomas 26 Johnson, Andrew 82 Kuns, Jacob 622 Runs, Mrs. Jemima 623 Lincoln, Abraham 78 Madison, James 30 Matteson, Joel A. 146 McDowell, James 802 McWiMiams, David 186 Mills, J. W 242 Mills, Mrs. Lucy E 243 Monahan, John 908 Monroe, James 34 Myers, John F 1024 Odell, James H... 440 Oglesby, Richard J . . . .* 162 Palmer, John M 166 Patton, George W 342 Pierce, Franklin 70 Polk, James K 58 Reilly, John Reynolds, John Ridinger, William Rollins, Mrs. Martha Rollins, Philip Smith, Bronson... Spafford, Thomas Spence, Mary Spence, William Stafford, W ........ Straight, R. C Strawn, C. C Taylor, Zachary Thornton, Arnold Tyler, John Van Buren, Martin Virgin, John Wakey, Jacob Washington, George Webster, S- D Wood, John Wylie, James M Yates, Richard 720 192 1143 284 284 952 958 1106 1106 953 462 996 63 958 54 46 602 886 18 844 154 1024 158 f